Another Speedometer issue...

[Pitbull08117]

I have read several of the posts on the speedometer and I haven't been able to find my exact problem addressed, if it is here, I can't find it. Anyway, I have an '08 Pitbull and the only issue I am having, and have been having for a while is that the speedometer is only working intermittently. And that is the best way I can describe it, sometimes it works fine, and sometimes it doesn't, it really seems as if there is a loose wire somewhere. I rode it to work several days this week, and I almost ordered a new Dakota Digital, but then lo and behold this morning on the way to work it started working fine. And then, on the way home it started acting up. So, when I got home I pulled the speedometer out of it's housing just to see if anything jumped out at me and everything looks fine. I'm having zero issues with the tach ring and other indicators. I plugged the speedo back up, just to see what it will do and turned the switch on and zilch, nothing. I have power to the speedo (12.6 volts) with the switch on, I'm guessing it's time to just go ahead and order one. I'm just not crazy about digital anything, I'm old school analog all the way. I guess I just needed to vent a little, get it out of my system. But, if anyone has any ideas, I would love to hear them. Thanks!

 

[woodbutcher]

does your speedo do a double sweep? you may have 12.6v but the battery may still be on it's way out. the power needed to start, even keeping it on a tender, may put it below the threshold for the speedo to do it's second sweep to get it working. may simply be your battery.

 

[Pitbull08117]

Brand new battery, less than 6 months old. It was intermittent when the battery was new.

 

[FrankBDPS]

Have you checked the wiring to the sensor in the transmission and the sensor it self? They are magnetic and tend to get covered with metal shavings over time. Which speedometer do you have?

 

[Rodwho]

I have the same issue. When my spedo does not work the trip od button will not work either, while the rpm will always work.

 

[bruce]

there are HOW TO on here, the wiring is most likely broken at solder point on circuit board - if you want to call me I maybe can explain better. 717 382 9983

 

[Pitbull08117]

there are HOW TO on here, the wiring is most likely broken at solder point on circuit board - if you want to call me I maybe can explain better. 717 382 9983

This is what I have been thinking all along, something is loose on the inside of the unit itself and if there is anyway to fix it I would prefer to go that route and retain my original analog speedometer. I will call you, probably tomorrow and thanks!

 

[what?]

same bike but i think they are setup the same on most in 08. mine started out by fluttering with the trip odometer jumping all over the place and finally speedometer just flat out didn't work. no issues with tach. i notice the little rubber boot on the trip reset was deteriorating and on occasion i'd have condensation build up inside the glass. went to the digital. i replaced and all is good. i calibrated the true mileage on the digital to be honest. and out of the bike i could still check original mileage logged by putting voltage to the old speedo.

 

[Pitbull08117]

I just opened up the back of the speedometer, took out the screw in plug/grommet that goes in to the circuit board and sure enough, the red wire is completely loose.

 

[Coolbreezin]

does your speedo do a double sweep? you may have 12.6v but the battery may still be on it's way out. the power needed to start, even keeping it on a tender, may put it below the threshold for the speedo to do it's second sweep to get it working. may simply be your battery.

2nd sweep? Ive had my bike new since April 2005 and it has never swept twice. My whole speedo assembly has always worked fine/

 

[Pitbull08117]

Here is a picture of the speedometer, with the red wire that has come loose from the circuit board.

 

[awg]

Mine never did twice either.

 

[woodbutcher]

it was a fix that BDM came up with in late '07 early '08 to sweep the speedometer a second time after if cranked to get it to function properly. it was done as a service bulletin so not all bikes out in the world had it done. and there were also some (like my K9 and my son's K9) that were somehow corrupted, that the fix did not work on. the BDM tech that was on site at Carl's Speed Shop at the octoberfest in '08 told us that unfortunately, there wasn't anything else could be done for it, at that time.

 

[Rottweiler]

That's what I was thinking cold solder joint. But a loose wire was easier to find. Solder it back up and your good to go. I have a 04 and mine was also acting up, so I sent it to Curtis and he found 3 bad solder joints. Re-solder them and sent it back it's been working ever since.

 

[Pitbull08117]

I soldered the loose wire back and hooked it up, seems to be working correctly. In the process, it seems as though I wasn't able to get the trip meter function working correctly, seems like maybe I lost a part or two, fell out when I opened it up and I couldn't find it. But, I can live without the trip meter function. Everything else seems to be working correctly.

 

[Coolbreezin]

Here is a picture of the speedometer, with the red wire that has come loose from the circuit board. View attachment 60391

So how do you remove the blk shell you have pictured above? I took the chrome bezel off and unscrewed the gray plug that surrounds the wires and tugged on each wire and they seem still mounted.

 

[Pitbull08117]

It's not easy! You will need to pry open the chrome ring on the front to be able to get to the circuit board. I used a small screw driver to pry up the edge all the way around the ring. I put a bead of silicone around the ring when I reassembled it. Doesn't look the best and I'm thinking there must be a better way to do it. It would have been much easier just to put in a Dakota Digital and I will probably do that eventually, if I keep the bike. Hope this helps and good luck!

 

[Coolbreezin]

Thank you.
I took the chrome ring off. Now am I to remove the speedo face and go in from the front or cut the top rim of the black shell? Since the blk shell is housed in the chrome shell, wouldnt it easier to cut the bottom of the blk shell and go in from backside?

 

[Pitbull08117]

It's been a while since I did it and I've slept a lot since then, but I didn't 'cut' anything, I went in from the front. There may well be a much better way to do it. I'll look at mine when I get home and maybe I can refresh my memory on the process. The biggest reason I tried to repair mine is because I prefer analog to digital, I'm old school that way, I still have a turntable and listen to vinyl! I also think that once you break into that housing that the integrity of the unit will be compromised.

 

[Coolbreezin]

I left the blk shell on and unscrewed the gray plastic plug from the blk shell which the 3 wires go through. I used tweezers and tugged each wire and they seemed attached to the motherboard. I shined a light in there and all looked ok. So I removed my tank and cked all 3 wires at the first male/female connection from the speed sensor. Red and blk were ok, no pulse signal on the green. Ive spoken to JP Cycles and a few other HD guys and they are saying its the speed sensor. I have 75,500 miles. What do yall think? Will a cleaning be enough or should I r&r the sensor?
Anyone have the part number handy ('05 Ridgeback)?
Thank you.