Tach Fluctuating Related to Spark Plug Wires?

rasdes

Active Member
I posted a question under help wanted about my tach lights fluctuating up and down while at a high steady throttle (40-60MPH), you can read everything I did from trying a new tach board to checking every single connection, etc.....

On a hunch I removed those big ass TWISTED Red spark plug wires and replaced them with the original. The problem appears to be solved, I just returned from a 10 mile road test and the tach is smooth as silk and operating like it should; someone smarter than me pls help me understand how those wires could have affected and caused the tach to bounce up and down like it was. I've been turning wrenches for years, have an understanding of electricity and circuitry but do not understand this one??????:loony::bang:
 

Th3InfamousI

Administrator
Staff member
I posted a question under help wanted about my tach lights fluctuating up and down while at a high steady throttle (40-60MPH), you can read everything I did from trying a new tach board to checking every single connection, etc.....

On a hunch I removed those big ass TWISTED Red spark plug wires and replaced them with the original. The problem appears to be solved, I just returned from a 10 mile road test and the tach is smooth as silk and operating like it should; someone smarter than me pls help me understand how those wires could have affected and caused the tach to bounce up and down like it was. I've been turning wrenches for years, have an understanding of electricity and circuitry but do not understand this one??????:loony::bang:
I saw your help wanted post...ya didn't post anything about it acting up after changing your spark plug wires.

Anyways, guys have been having problems with them off and on. I believe it has to do with RFI Suppression and the electronics on the bike. The Twisted wires continue to lay out there LOW OHM crap however lower the OHM's means less RFI Suppression.

You need a High Carbon Inlay not a Spiral Coil - I think

Someone can correct me if I'm wrong

I know some guys have ran the twisted with no issues
 

Sven

Well-Known Member
Heat = Wire breakdown.

"Some work, some don't" = Either a fuse flows or it does not.

Variable = WATT are the odds, I cut from a spool [the same spool] mind you. I make a production run and some work, some did work at one time:

A. Product? No. Because, it came from the same spool, watt are the odds, out of that spool, bad wires inside the spool of wire?

B. Assembler? Say a machine crimps both ends. WATT are the odds they are hand made? What are the odds they did work when new. What say we call this a, No.

C. WATT kills wire contact? Water. What happens, I do not wash the bike at all. How about I do not ride in the rain. How about condensation? How about corrosion? Sweltering weather? Lots of condensation cycling. Heat the bike up, blow it dry in the moving air. How about it now sits and cools off?

Suppression is all about the tick-tick-tick in the car's radio next to you. Without the suppressors blanketing that noise out, you also have that resistance going. For every action up the wire, your guess is as good as mine, that wire pings back up to the tach and bounces it.

I need a tach signal, so I have to feed off the one cylinder's pulse or fire. From ecu to dashboard, I may fall into a CAN COM wire in the main wire harness. I never want to mess with an FI wire harness. That wire stands for; wraps around the wire harness to direct frequencies.

CAN Communication is all about frequency. You are back to that balance between wires ~ No matter placed. Gotta keep wires away from the CAN's twist. Amazing shit, no shit.

Back to the plug wires. What are the odds both plug wires are bad? Would not the constant heat/condensation deteriorate both? Would the way the wires are built? Is there one wire that was pulled off at the wire, not at the connector? If they have some sort of resistance built in for suppression, would that add to a wire? Would that resistance in the one wire ping the tach needle?

Since you changed both... Gotta check one against the other, then against brand new.
 

rasdes

Active Member
Heat = Wire breakdown.

"Some work, some don't" = Either a fuse flows or it does not.

Variable = WATT are the odds, I cut from a spool [the same spool] mind you. I make a production run and some work, some did work at one time:

A. Product? No. Because, it came from the same spool, watt are the odds, out of that spool, bad wires inside the spool of wire?

B. Assembler? Say a machine crimps both ends. WATT are the odds they are hand made? What are the odds they did work when new. What say we call this a, No.

C. WATT kills wire contact? Water. What happens, I do not wash the bike at all. How about I do not ride in the rain. How about condensation? How about corrosion? Sweltering weather? Lots of condensation cycling. Heat the bike up, blow it dry in the moving air. How about it now sits and cools off?

Suppression is all about the tick-tick-tick in the car's radio next to you. Without the suppressors blanketing that noise out, you also have that resistance going. For every action up the wire, your guess is as good as mine, that wire pings back up to the tach and bounces it.

I need a tach signal, so I have to feed off the one cylinder's pulse or fire. From ecu to dashboard, I may fall into a CAN COM wire in the main wire harness. I never want to mess with an FI wire harness. That wire stands for; wraps around the wire harness to direct frequencies.

CAN Communication is all about frequency. You are back to that balance between wires ~ No matter placed. Gotta keep wires away from the CAN's twist. Amazing shit, no shit.

Back to the plug wires. What are the odds both plug wires are bad? Would not the constant heat/condensation deteriorate both? Would the way the wires are built? Is there one wire that was pulled off at the wire, not at the connector? If they have some sort of resistance built in for suppression, would that add to a wire? Would that resistance in the one wire ping the tach needle?

Since you changed both... Gotta check one against the other, then against brand new.
SVEN,

Pls send me some of whatever you're smoking....say again in english
 

Th3InfamousI

Administrator
Staff member
Heat = Wire breakdown.

"Some work, some don't" = Either a fuse flows or it does not.

Variable = WATT are the odds, I cut from a spool [the same spool] mind you. I make a production run and some work, some did work at one time:

A. Product? No. Because, it came from the same spool, watt are the odds, out of that spool, bad wires inside the spool of wire?

B. Assembler? Say a machine crimps both ends. WATT are the odds they are hand made? What are the odds they did work when new. What say we call this a, No.

C. WATT kills wire contact? Water. What happens, I do not wash the bike at all. How about I do not ride in the rain. How about condensation? How about corrosion? Sweltering weather? Lots of condensation cycling. Heat the bike up, blow it dry in the moving air. How about it now sits and cools off?

Suppression is all about the tick-tick-tick in the car's radio next to you. Without the suppressors blanketing that noise out, you also have that resistance going. For every action up the wire, your guess is as good as mine, that wire pings back up to the tach and bounces it.

I need a tach signal, so I have to feed off the one cylinder's pulse or fire. From ecu to dashboard, I may fall into a CAN COM wire in the main wire harness. I never want to mess with an FI wire harness. That wire stands for; wraps around the wire harness to direct frequencies.

CAN Communication is all about frequency. You are back to that balance between wires ~ No matter placed. Gotta keep wires away from the CAN's twist. Amazing shit, no shit.

Back to the plug wires. What are the odds both plug wires are bad? Would not the constant heat/condensation deteriorate both? Would the way the wires are built? Is there one wire that was pulled off at the wire, not at the connector? If they have some sort of resistance built in for suppression, would that add to a wire? Would that resistance in the one wire ping the tach needle?

Since you changed both... Gotta check one against the other, then against brand new.
Sven you would agree however that RFI & EMI suppression is necessary due to the electronic controller on the bike, no?

Typically the effort that the company puts into making these wire lower OHMS's to fool the public reduces the quality of the wires

Unfortunately, and particularly with the use of high-output ignitions, the outermost high-resistance conductive coating over spiral windings acting as the conductor will fail from burn out in the same manner as carbon conductors, and although in most cases, the spiral conductor will not cease to conduct like a high-resistance carbon conductor, any RFI or EMI suppression will be lost as a consequence of the coating burning out. The worst interference will come from the so-called "super conductors" that are wound with copper (alloy) wire.
Magnecor Race Wires



There is quite a thread on here documenting these wires, it seems like a 50/50 crap shoot. I would have to say for the most part these wires are probably just cheap junk, find it hard to believe that 1/2 the people are getting faulty/badly made wires.

Actually I take that back they are not cheap junk - They are expensive junk - $60.00 a set :down:

http://www.bigdogbiker.com/forums/general/31549-new-plug-wires-berby-cover-mod.html
 

New Boots

Human
I’m running the blue ones and have no problems what so ever however I have seen post on the red ones are doing that (strange):loony:
 

BWG56

Guru
I’m running the blue ones and have no problems what so ever however I have seen post on the red ones are doing that (strange):loony:
and I'm running the orange ones without a problem, so I think its only the red ones that have a problem:whoop:
 

prodiver

Member
I have the red ones on my 06 Mastiff and have the same problem. Going to switch back to original wires and see if problem goes away.
 

Nukeranger

Nukeranger
As far as plug wires affecting the tach, I just don't see the connection.:confused:

I even swapped the original out for the Twisted ones.

Are you sure you purchased the right ones?
 
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moog5050

Active Member
I have the red ones and have not had any issues yet. I will keep watching. Could it have more to do with the year of the bike and EHC?
 

rasdes

Active Member
Prodiver - Pls let me know if that corrects your TACH issue, I sent an email to the seller asking about the RFI suppression of those wires, no rely yet.

I guess the wires stopped suppressing the RFI signal and the TACH circuit board is picking up the signal, I'm leaving the original wires on...I now have a smooth TACH that operates like it should, no more jumping lights while cruising.
 

08mastiff

Active Member
Because of the problems others have been claiming to have with after market wires I installed the taylor high carbon inlay wire one month ago and it runs great. I also wanted to get the red twisted wires to match the paint but was hesitant at first because of the weird electrical issues some are having. I think the high carbon inlay not spiral coil is the way to go. Just my .02.
 

prodiver

Member
I took the red ones off and that took care of the problem. Tach and everything works fine now. Anybody want a set of twisted red wires?
 

PROFLYER

SWOLE
We have to run EMI suppressed wires. The Twisted's are cool, but the suppression can basically wear out. That's why some work now and some never did. It makes a HUGE difference on our bikes since our tach is pulled from the coil.

I did some digging this afternoon and found that Magnacor is the only real mfg to make suppressed wires that last.

here's the link for the cheapest place I could find a set:
Magnecor R-100 Racing 10mm Plug Wires NON-US VEHICLE SEE NOTES FOR FITMENT 0 - 0 2902

46$ shipped. I almost wonder if this issue alone is what's been killing EHCs. I luckily had a good mechanic in Tulsa who was insistant on me using these types of plug wires on the dog and I have to be one of the only guys who hasn't had a single electrical issue.
 

Germanbiker

Active Member
When I installed my Thunderheart ignition, I checked the resistance of the BDM spark plug wires and the ones that came from Thunderheart:

BDM: one 760 ohms, other 738 ohms, wire lenght: 9,8"
Thunderheart: both 6000 ohms, wire lenght: 12,9"

It seems that Thunderheart uses carbon inlays whereas BDM uses anything else :rolleyes:.

I went with the Accel RFI ones to be on the safe side.

Jochen
 

francoblay1

The Spaniard
How can that be?

We have to run EMI suppressed wires. The Twisted's are cool, but the suppression can basically wear out. That's why some work now and some never did. It makes a HUGE difference on our bikes since our tach is pulled from the coil.

I did some digging this afternoon and found that Magnacor is the only real mfg to make suppressed wires that last.

here's the link for the cheapest place I could find a set:
Magnecor R-100 Racing 10mm Plug Wires NON-US VEHICLE SEE NOTES FOR FITMENT 0 - 0 2902

46$ shipped. I almost wonder if this issue alone is what's been killing EHCs. I luckily had a good mechanic in Tulsa who was insistant on me using these types of plug wires on the dog and I have to be one of the only guys who hasn't had a single electrical issue.


See the difference in price, how can that be?
Magnecor Ignition Cable R-100 10mm - UltraRev.com - Part# 49507-MAG Almost $400

Magnecor R-100 Racing 10mm Plug Wires NON-US VEHICLE SEE NOTES FOR FITMENT 0 - 0 2902 ONLY $40 !!!!
 
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