It started when I got my '07 K-9 about 18 months ago . Not even 3k miles on it and tach worked when it wanted then the starter would hang up or mabey just no compression release. Then the headlight problem. Headlight worked when it wanted and mostly it didnt want to so no night riding. Now it has started to cut off while riding, started a couple of months ago , it cut off, started back up after a few minutes rode another mile did the same then run fine the rest of the afternoon. No problems for a couple of weeks then did the same except this time it took longer to restart, shut off every mile or so then had to trailer it home. You know what a pain in the ass it is to try and get your wife to hook up the trailer and come get you. So now I havent rode in over a month SUCKS!!! . My question is should I just do the wire plus upgrade or try other things first. Thought about the coil or ignition or something wrong but with the other electrical issues from the start and the known BDM issues with electrical I am leaning towards the Wire plus. I did search through the forums for help but got conflicting answers and not sure of what to do. Thanks for your help , please I need to ride its making me.:loony:
Need help ! should I just do a Wireplus upgrade?
- Thread starter snuffydog
- Start date
it may just be a grounded wire or two. and, be aware, a wire plus probably won't fix all the problems. you need to run down as many problems as you can and find out what is causing them before you spend lots of money and still have the same problems. that would really piss me off.
Fat_Bastard
Active Member
While I generaly agree with what others have said here...
I had similar electreical problems...
I thought it was a bad EHC but needed to prove it-- before spending $500 on Wire Plus. So I got a wiring diagram, measured voltages in and out of the EHC and at various points. I was able to determine through the voltage faults that the EHC was in fact bad.
Got a new Wire Plus kit (waited many months) and all is OK now.
On balance you may want to search out:
- PDM,
- Rewire Harley style and
- Wire Plus
IMHO I would sincerely think about Rewire Harley style next time; it may cost more in additional controls/switches but it makes it simpler overall if you are going to keep the bike for many years...
Many threads and opinions on this.
Mine on how to determine bad EHC:
********************************************************
Check Voltages; Check EHC input & output voltages.
My "EHC" symptoms are:
a) months ago Low-Beam started to intermittantly go out; had to use Hi-Beam only; All else was OK.
b) got New Battery and trickle charged every night. Problem went away two months ago.
c) one month ago Low-Beam out again, Hi-Beam only; bike randomly just lost all power to spark plugs while riding; continued to quit electricaly (no spark, but other lights, horn, turn signals OK, but no Hi-or-Lo beams) Let it sit by side of road for ten minutes then could start and ride it home. (I knew no spark by carrying spare spark plug I connected and held to side of cylinder while cranking.) no signs of weak new battery. All else was OK.
d) rode home, checked voltages:
on same New Battery: 13.5 while on charger, 13.1 off charger; 12.5 dip at startup cranking; started engine --running it charges immediately to 14.2 volts, seems OK. But no Headlight at all.
e) Checked Headlight voltages at bulb connecter:
Yellow wire 10.5, White 7.5; with key ON or engine running. (of course checked/swapped bulbs and jumper wired temporarily off battery to be sure all were working ok).
f) Pulled Connecter to Headlight under gas tank and measured same exact voltages as at Headlight connector; Yellow wire 10.5, White 7.5; Checked ignition wire 12.1 volts.
g) Checked voltages at EHC 50 pin connector while connected and ignition key ON: pins 16 & 17 same yellow and white wires to headlight, same voltages 10.5 and 7.5
I think this means my EHC is bad --cannot get 12 volts out of the EHC to headlight...I can only ride with no headlights for 9 miles or fifteen minutes and bike quits per item c) above. Systems charges because engine cranks fine and all other lights OK all the time.
Just my thoughts... OK back to my Big Mac and Supersize Meal.
UPDATE 7-5-2012
****EHC was in fact Bad****
Just got my Wire Plus Kit and Ignition Key Switch (after a Loooooooong Wait, 3 months!)
It has fixed all my problems per above, bike runs great now even seems slightly stronger at low rpm and idle --perhaps the failing EHC was not allowing strong voltages and current to other areas...
All in all I feel a strong Nuetral to the whole Wire Plus Solution. My 2004 Chopper had no PDM alternative product offering. Third choice was to rewire Harley style -- out of the question for me, too much money. Had no other reasonable choice; So for $500 and change I expected more from Wire Plus -- a "plug and go" solution.
Pro and Con:
Con:
Installation instructions are very poorly written and lack enough proper helpful photos.
(youtube video helped, showed me the wrong way to mount the modules backwards blocking view of LED's; and they probably thought they were showing you the right way, LOL) Many things omitted... -- and all wires and connectors should have come as more of a "plug and go" set up for the $500 plus... I felt they just built two modules and let you build the rest supplying a few pieces of wire and bunch of connectors. Very expensive and they took my money upfront, pretty much ignored my requests for updates and status and a 3 month wait for fabrication WTF!!!
Pro:
It worked.
Nuff said.
I had similar electreical problems...
I thought it was a bad EHC but needed to prove it-- before spending $500 on Wire Plus. So I got a wiring diagram, measured voltages in and out of the EHC and at various points. I was able to determine through the voltage faults that the EHC was in fact bad.
Got a new Wire Plus kit (waited many months) and all is OK now.
On balance you may want to search out:
- PDM,
- Rewire Harley style and
- Wire Plus
IMHO I would sincerely think about Rewire Harley style next time; it may cost more in additional controls/switches but it makes it simpler overall if you are going to keep the bike for many years...
Many threads and opinions on this.
Mine on how to determine bad EHC:
********************************************************
Check Voltages; Check EHC input & output voltages.
My "EHC" symptoms are:
a) months ago Low-Beam started to intermittantly go out; had to use Hi-Beam only; All else was OK.
b) got New Battery and trickle charged every night. Problem went away two months ago.
c) one month ago Low-Beam out again, Hi-Beam only; bike randomly just lost all power to spark plugs while riding; continued to quit electricaly (no spark, but other lights, horn, turn signals OK, but no Hi-or-Lo beams) Let it sit by side of road for ten minutes then could start and ride it home. (I knew no spark by carrying spare spark plug I connected and held to side of cylinder while cranking.) no signs of weak new battery. All else was OK.
d) rode home, checked voltages:
on same New Battery: 13.5 while on charger, 13.1 off charger; 12.5 dip at startup cranking; started engine --running it charges immediately to 14.2 volts, seems OK. But no Headlight at all.
e) Checked Headlight voltages at bulb connecter:
Yellow wire 10.5, White 7.5; with key ON or engine running. (of course checked/swapped bulbs and jumper wired temporarily off battery to be sure all were working ok).
f) Pulled Connecter to Headlight under gas tank and measured same exact voltages as at Headlight connector; Yellow wire 10.5, White 7.5; Checked ignition wire 12.1 volts.
g) Checked voltages at EHC 50 pin connector while connected and ignition key ON: pins 16 & 17 same yellow and white wires to headlight, same voltages 10.5 and 7.5
I think this means my EHC is bad --cannot get 12 volts out of the EHC to headlight...I can only ride with no headlights for 9 miles or fifteen minutes and bike quits per item c) above. Systems charges because engine cranks fine and all other lights OK all the time.
Just my thoughts... OK back to my Big Mac and Supersize Meal.
UPDATE 7-5-2012
****EHC was in fact Bad****
Just got my Wire Plus Kit and Ignition Key Switch (after a Loooooooong Wait, 3 months!)
It has fixed all my problems per above, bike runs great now even seems slightly stronger at low rpm and idle --perhaps the failing EHC was not allowing strong voltages and current to other areas...
All in all I feel a strong Nuetral to the whole Wire Plus Solution. My 2004 Chopper had no PDM alternative product offering. Third choice was to rewire Harley style -- out of the question for me, too much money. Had no other reasonable choice; So for $500 and change I expected more from Wire Plus -- a "plug and go" solution.
Pro and Con:
Con:
Installation instructions are very poorly written and lack enough proper helpful photos.
(youtube video helped, showed me the wrong way to mount the modules backwards blocking view of LED's; and they probably thought they were showing you the right way, LOL) Many things omitted... -- and all wires and connectors should have come as more of a "plug and go" set up for the $500 plus... I felt they just built two modules and let you build the rest supplying a few pieces of wire and bunch of connectors. Very expensive and they took my money upfront, pretty much ignored my requests for updates and status and a 3 month wait for fabrication WTF!!!
Pro:
It worked.
Nuff said.
BigDogBro1
Made in the USA
Start by doing some searches on this forum for your problems.
Headlight socket
Handlebar controls
Battery connections and wire crimps
Battery testing
Dielectric grease in EHC
Loose wires
Go through all these areas and elliminate each one by testing or repair.
bearman
Active Member
Sounds like you are not getting the full volts out of the EHC, check that you are getting the full 12 volts into the EHC by checking that you have 12 volts to the A-3 pin (the big red wire in the EHC connector) and a very good continuity to the A-4 pin (the big black wire in the EHC connector).
12 volts in but not out equals a bad EHC.
12 volts in but not out equals a bad EHC.
01Mastiff
Active Member
OK, problems fall into 2 categories, fuel and electric. Your problems are electric. From the first BD to the last the electrical system design was he worst anyone came up with. That's why they are gone today. Don't waste a summer tracking down your electrcal system which will still fail in the end. Rewire!!! Whichever way you want. I went simple and rewired separate systems for starting and lights, so it will always get me back from where I'm a and with lights. Any way you choose, re-wire will save you years of problems. I rewird about 7 or 8 years ago and not one problem since. Up to then, 3 out of 4 times out something would fuck up.
thanks for all the advice. Fatbastard the problems u had sound very similar to mine. The way I see it is even if I have a short the wireplus option is better than the stock EHC and find the short. Will update later about how things go , mabey it will help someone else. Safe and happy riding all.
Srodden
Well-Known Member
:iagree: go through wiring unplug and dielectric grease everything you can not to difficult just takes time .
cvegmond
Member
Dude...I did all the diagnostics, that all these dudes suggested, but the Wire Plus fixed all those same electrical problems on my 2007 K-9. You could go on forever checking wire connections...dia-electric didn't do shit.
I ride my K-9 in the pouring rain and to work most days of the week. I can now say the K-9 is as realible as my other 5 motorcyles.
Install Wire Plus and kiss all those electrical issues good bye. It's not much money relative to a tow truck pick-up.
I ride my K-9 in the pouring rain and to work most days of the week. I can now say the K-9 is as realible as my other 5 motorcyles.
Install Wire Plus and kiss all those electrical issues good bye. It's not much money relative to a tow truck pick-up.
Sounds like good advice. Thx , money well spent if it fixes it and I can ride again . It sucks to push a damn bike.