EHC may have died!

[Nukeranger]

I am just sharing what happened to me and see if you agree.

My EHC finally died yesterday. I went in the garage and cycled the key switch and the result was left and right turn signals start flashing and headlight is off. I pull the seat and check the battery and it is about 12.6 volts. So, I put it on the trickle charger and with it on the trickle charger and after being fully charged, I try again and she comes to life.

So, I decide to plug in my LED battery condition monitor, unplug the trickle charger and wait for the yellow light with the bike key switch on (i.e. with the headlight on). I go about my business feeding dogs, etc for about 5 to 10 minutes thinking I am going to figure out at what battery voltage my EHC starts misbehaving.

Now, I shut everything off, pull the plug on the battery monitor, and cycle the key switch with all the conditions needed for my little experiment (battery voltage in the 12.4 VDC range and rising slowly). Fantastic, I get the flashing turn signals, headlight off, EHC has cycled through its normal LED startup.

I bring the Battery voltage up to over 13.1 volts with too different trickle chargers but she doesn't come to life. I guess this isn't working out for me.

So, the last thing I try is disconnecting and reconnecting the battery and checking all connections are tight. Nothing seems to bring what my EHC back to life.

So, I believe I will be installing my WP I purchased a long time ago. Right after I go to the gun show this Saturday with my lovely bride. I just wish I could do it in the living room while watching football:2thumbs:

I value the opinion of everyone on this site. So, if there is anything else I can play around with to get information off this EHC I am game.

Oh, I forgot to say the Digital Dakota doesn't light up either. Additionally, this situation happened to me twice in the last three months at work and each time when I came back to work to trailer her home she came to life and started right up.

Nukeranger

 

[Five Five]

I'm not convinced its your EHC pull your gas tank and check for worn insulation on your harness

 

[KaptinAmerika]

What five said then pull your EHC connectors, make sure everything is clean put dielectric grease on and reconnect..

 

[Nukeranger]

The EHC Connectors are good but I'll check the harness for worn insulation.

Thanks for the ideas,

Nukeranger

 

[Nukeranger]

I pushed my gas tank (it doesn't actually move) side to side and my electrical system started working. So, I took the tank off to investigate.


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[KaptinAmerika]

:2thumbs:

 

[Five Five]

EHC often gets a bad rap... fix the wiring problem and keep your wireplus on the shelf... then go riding :2thumbs:

 

[Nukeranger]

Here's an update,

I took the tank off and the condition returned. So, I unplugged the connector to the ignition switch (black and orange wire shown below) and plugged it back in and the EHC came back to life.

I decided to cut the plug out and directly solder, tape and heat shrink the connection. I did check that connecting the two wires together consistently turned my EHC on correctly many times for confidence.

She is all back together and ready to ride tomorrow. I just hope the connector was the issue. Only run time will tell. She needs to be dependable by the time I go to ROT in June.

Huw

A couple of pictures below to show the connector and the harness prior to putting the tank on.

 

[Nukeranger]

Thanks for the input Bill and Curtis. I was real close to putting in the WP since it is Winter and I was off a few days. But, alas the WP stays on the shelf for now.

Huw

 

[Five Five]

Glad it was minor .... Now get out and ride .... Be safe, remember your the target

 

[GDOG_PITBULL]

Pull the EHC, sell it while it still works and do the WP before you decide to take a long ride!
G

 

[BWG56]

Thanks for the input Bill and Curtis. I was real close to putting in the WP since it is Winter and I was off a few days. But, alas the WP stays on the shelf for now.

Huw

Winter? I thought you lived in the south:lol:

 

[aqujet]

I have been having the same problems and after trail and error found out my ehc does not like to be cold soaked below 34 degrees. So what I do now is heat soak the bike before I ride in the cold, and that seems to work.

 

[Nukeranger]

Well,

I call it Winter but the temperature may reach less than 40 degrees about 7-10 days a year. So, I get to ride year round. Temperature was not a contributor to my EHC issue. The garage doesn't get below 60 and my problems outside happened around 50 degrees

Huw

PS I will ride at least the next 3 days straight


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[Nukeranger]

:bang: Well, I thought I was riding the Dog today. After an entire night of sitting on the tender (never took it off), the EHC condition returned. Same old flashing blinkers, no head light, and no speedometer power. I was so looking forward to riding to and from the Rock Pile.

I don't want to deal with this anymore. On my next set of days off, Wire Plus goes in and hopefully piece of mind.

I think Moe is right. These EHCs are too sensitive.

Huw

PS She did come back to life after cycling the key switch 15 times but nothing else changed - didn't move her and nice and warm in the garage.

 

[BigDogBro1]

That is similar to the symptoms I was seeing on my 07. The bike would magically return to life after some time.

After going through all the gyrations and troubleshooting it was found that the small wires with the crimped on connectors at the battery terminals had loose crimps. This condition was causing low voltage to the EHC and ECM (EFI) causing wierd problems and complete shutdown on the road. Once the wire crimps were re-crimped the problems NEVER returned.

 

[Nukeranger]

I can believe a high resistance connection can cause this. I almost put a resister in the ignition switch circuit to test this theory. All my battery connections have solder to fuse the wire to the lugs. I haven't pull the trigger to put my WP in yet. I am thinking about cleaning the EHC contacts, replacing the ground cable, and reworking the battery lugs.

Huw

PS thanks for the input which encourages me to keep looking and eliminating possibilities

 

[Nukeranger]

Crap, I am having withdrawals so I am riding to work today regardless its issue right now. The EHC is working this morning so if I get stuck at work, I'll hitch a ride home again.

Huw

 

[Nukeranger]

Well,

If this isn't interesting!!!!

On the way to work the Tach and Speedo (Dakota Digital) lose power and the blinkers start flashing. Nice right?

Here is the greatest part - The bike keeps running and the headlight stays on. Of course, none of the hand controls work so I go all the way to work with the headlight on and flashers blinking. Once I get to work, I check the EHC under the seat and all the lights look good (i.e. nothing abnormal). So, I use the key switch and turn the bike off since the off button doesn't work.

So, what does everyone recommend? Wire Plus or keep looking? Today, I am leaning towards WP. Especially, since getting rides home is going to get embarassing.

Huw

 

[KaptinAmerika]

You better check your charging system. Make sure its functioning correctly. You could have been running on just battery power.