Guest FifeDog Posted March 13, 2007 Share Posted March 13, 2007 My bike: 2003 VFR-800, 30,000 miles, original battery, original stator, original r/r (whatever that is), and never any prior electrical issues. I noticed yesterday, one of the warmest days we've had here in Charlotte (69°F), that there was a buzzing noise coming from under the dash when I tyurned the key, and before I hit the starter. The bike started, and I rode home with no problems (didn't notice any problems with the lights because I didn't look for it in the daylight). This morning I switched the ignition to find the same buzz noise, and hit the start, and it only ran a few seconds before cutting off. I started again thinking it was a glitch, and when it started again it ran (buzzing noise again), but I noticed the rear turn signals were illuminated but not flashing (although the tail lights were on), and the headlights were not working. The brights would not work as well. I have read a few posts concerning stators & r/r, but I'm more mechanical, and don't see any similarities, so any help would be beneficial. I have an extended warranty till 2008, so would this be covered? Thanks in advance, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
turtlecreek Posted March 13, 2007 Share Posted March 13, 2007 My bike:2003 VFR-800, 30,000 miles, original battery, original stator, original r/r (whatever that is), and never any prior electrical issues. I noticed yesterday, one of the warmest days we've had here in Charlotte (69°F), that there was a buzzing noise coming from under the dash when I tyurned the key, and before I hit the starter. The bike started, and I rode home with no problems (didn't notice any problems with the lights because I didn't look for it in the daylight). This morning I switched the ignition to find the same buzz noise, and hit the start, and it only ran a few seconds before cutting off. I started again thinking it was a glitch, and when it started again it ran (buzzing noise again), but I noticed the rear turn signals were illuminated but not flashing (although the tail lights were on), and the headlights were not working. The brights would not work as well. I have read a few posts concerning stators & r/r, but I'm more mechanical, and don't see any similarities, so any help would be beneficial. I have an extended warranty till 2008, so would this be covered? Thanks in advance, should be covered (one would think, but the fine print kills you 1/2 the time) sounds like an electrical short. buzzing could be arcing. if it comes and goes it could be hard to find especially when they remove/move things trying to find it. they may move the offending wire and the arcing stops and the problem "magically" goes away until an inopportune time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer jeremy556 Posted March 13, 2007 Member Contributer Share Posted March 13, 2007 My bike:2003 VFR-800, 30,000 miles, original battery, original stator, original r/r (whatever that is), and never any prior electrical issues. I noticed yesterday, one of the warmest days we've had here in Charlotte (69°F), that there was a buzzing noise coming from under the dash when I tyurned the key, and before I hit the starter. The bike started, and I rode home with no problems (didn't notice any problems with the lights because I didn't look for it in the daylight). This morning I switched the ignition to find the same buzz noise, and hit the start, and it only ran a few seconds before cutting off. I started again thinking it was a glitch, and when it started again it ran (buzzing noise again), but I noticed the rear turn signals were illuminated but not flashing (although the tail lights were on), and the headlights were not working. The brights would not work as well. I have read a few posts concerning stators & r/r, but I'm more mechanical, and don't see any similarities, so any help would be beneficial. I have an extended warranty till 2008, so would this be covered? Thanks in advance, It should be covered under warranty. BaileyRock had this same problem and it was the ground wire in the harness connector just to the left of the dash. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 13, 2007 Share Posted March 13, 2007 Form previous posts/electrical topics, I recall there being a particular wire group that comes across the front of the bike under/below the dash that is prone to having its insulation worn through. I would take a look at that as a possible suspect. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 13, 2007 Share Posted March 13, 2007 The buzzing sound may be arcing, but not too sure. The sound is similar to the fuel pump sound when you turn your ignition on before you hit the starter. I sent a PM to BaileyRock to see if he might be able to help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer jeremy556 Posted March 13, 2007 Member Contributer Share Posted March 13, 2007 The buzzing sound may be arcing, but not too sure. The sound is similar to the fuel pump sound when you turn your ignition on before you hit the starter.I sent a PM to BaileyRock to see if he might be able to help. Scan through the 6th gen electrical problems info post. It is tacked in, I think, the maintenance section of the board. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Brakes_and_Blip Posted March 13, 2007 Share Posted March 13, 2007 It is the green ground wire in the grey molex connecter behind the left side fairing. Hard to miss if you look. Most people just cut it at connect a new wire jumper. If your stuck out on the road as I was you can pull the headlight fuse and it should start up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 13, 2007 Share Posted March 13, 2007 To Jeremy556 & BaileyRock, Thanks, I think I am headed in the right direction for my issue. I am reading up on the post rebuilt by BaileyRock. I read thru most of it, but I'm still not sure what I need to do about it now that I know what my problem is. Option #1: Take it to a dealer they, but they have to be aware of the situation, or else they will troubleshoot it for weeks. One member had his entire harness replaced under warranty. Option#2: I can try to fix it myself, but don't have a grasp yet as to what I need to do. I guess I need to read more, but its hard to sumarize some many opinions for the solution. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer jeremy556 Posted March 13, 2007 Member Contributer Share Posted March 13, 2007 To Jeremy556 & BaileyRock,Thanks, I think I am headed in the right direction for my issue. I am reading up on the post rebuilt by BaileyRock. I read thru most of it, but I'm still not sure what I need to do about it now that I know what my problem is. Option #1: Take it to a dealer they, but they have to be aware of the situation, or else they will troubleshoot it for weeks. One member had his entire harness replaced under warranty. Option#2: I can try to fix it myself, but don't have a grasp yet as to what I need to do. I guess I need to read more, but its hard to sumarize some many opinions for the solution. If you take it to the dealer you are going to get frustrated - guaranteed. I am sure there is no TSB from Honda on this issue, and the average dealer mechanic is not going to want to spend the time troubleshooting something like this. If you want to fix it (if this is the cause) it is very easy. Buy a few feet of wire, a couple of crimp on ring terminals, and a couple of quick taps. Tap the ground wire on each side of the connector, and run the wire to ring terminals and attach those on the gastankstopwirething® just above the connector. Should take about 20 minutes including removal and reinstall of fairing, and 10 minutes at an auto parts store, versus probably 2 hours of dealing with the dealer, and weeks without a bike. I think all they would really be able to do to fix it would be to replace the wiring harness, which I think has the potential to cause more problems than it solves. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baileyrock Posted March 13, 2007 Share Posted March 13, 2007 It is the green ground wire in the grey molex connecter behind the left side fairing. Hard to miss if you look. Most people just cut it at connect a new wire jumper. If your stuck out on the road as I was you can pull the headlight fuse and it should start up. Correct, except it's in the Blue connector, not the gray one. The Blue one is the front Sub harness and it's that ground that has issues! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baileyrock Posted March 13, 2007 Share Posted March 13, 2007 To Jeremy556 & BaileyRock,Thanks, I think I am headed in the right direction for my issue. I am reading up on the post rebuilt by BaileyRock. I read thru most of it, but I'm still not sure what I need to do about it now that I know what my problem is. Option #1: Take it to a dealer they, but they have to be aware of the situation, or else they will troubleshoot it for weeks. One member had his entire harness replaced under warranty. Option#2: I can try to fix it myself, but don't have a grasp yet as to what I need to do. I guess I need to read more, but its hard to sumarize some many opinions for the solution. The biggest problem I see if you fix it yourself is that this type of Mod/repair will no doubt Void your warranty for any future electrical repair your bike may need. i would contact your Dealer and see if they have had any previous experience with this same issue on other VFR's and how they handled them! If yes, see if they Pre-order your new harness before you drop the bike off. It is a simple fix though, I didn't even bypass the blue connector because it wasn't melted like most others were. I just stripped off a little insulation off the green wire upside(front) of the blue connector and soldered in a new 12-14ga ground wire that I grounded to the frame under the front inner panel mounting tab next to the tank strap bolt. Instant fix! :thumbsup: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soichiro Posted March 13, 2007 Share Posted March 13, 2007 To Jeremy556 & BaileyRock,Thanks, I think I am headed in the right direction for my issue. I am reading up on the post rebuilt by BaileyRock. I read thru most of it, but I'm still not sure what I need to do about it now that I know what my problem is. Option #1: Take it to a dealer they, but they have to be aware of the situation, or else they will troubleshoot it for weeks. One member had his entire harness replaced under warranty. Option#2: I can try to fix it myself, but don't have a grasp yet as to what I need to do. I guess I need to read more, but its hard to sumarize some many opinions for the solution. Vfroom had the same problem with no head lights. The ground fix, fixed it right up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 14, 2007 Share Posted March 14, 2007 Got it fixed! Its great to have a resource such as the VFRdiscussion Forum. That problem would have been hard to diagnose on my own, but I went right to the suspect green ground wire, made the changes, and she fired right up as normal. Thanks again fellas! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baileyrock Posted March 14, 2007 Share Posted March 14, 2007 Got it fixed!Its great to have a resource such as the VFRdiscussion Forum. That problem would have been hard to diagnose on my own, but I went right to the suspect green ground wire, made the changes, and she fired right up as normal. Thanks again fellas! More details on your fix! Was the Blue connector fused together? Did you bypass or just add another wire? etc.,etc., ect.! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 14, 2007 Share Posted March 14, 2007 The details... Before I made any changes I was able to locate the problem quickly with a small screwdriver with the ignition on/engine off. I just wiggled/pushed the pin location in the blue connector for the green ground wire, and all the relay noises stopped, and the headlights worked again. I knew I was on the right track. Yes, I was unable to disconnect the blue harness connector. I noticed the green ground wire had melted the connector locally, and was the reason. I just cut the green ground wire on either side of the blue connector the reconnected them together as a jumper and added in a wire to ground to the chassis at the bodywork mounting bolt stand-off. I started the bike, and everything works great. Another satisfied customer. Thanks again for everyones help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Stéphane Posted March 14, 2007 Member Contributer Share Posted March 14, 2007 :thumbsup: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer tbzep Posted March 25, 2007 Member Contributer Share Posted March 25, 2007 Chalk up another VFR fix to VFR.D. A friend with a 2002 VFR had his bike die today. It was the classic symptoms noted on this thread. Buzzing under the dash from the headlight relays, no headlight function, and it ran fine with the light fuse pulled. I couldn't remember exactly what the problem was, so when I got home, I opened this thread and saw the exact same symptoms. I called him and within 10 minutes, he reported back that the bike was working. All he did was spray some contact cleaner in the offending connector where the green ground wire is located. He's going to make a more permanent repair before buttoning it back up. Thanks VFR.D folks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 2, 2007 Share Posted April 2, 2007 My VFR developed a similar problem last week. Buzzing noise from the dash, no head lights, but the engine ran. I found this thread and quickly figured it was a grounding problem. Sure enough, I added a new ground to the green/grey wire on the up side of the blue connector on the left side of the fairing and the problem went away. I might have spent days trying to figure this out, or worse yet, lots of $$ at the dealer. Thanks a bunch guys. I really apprecitate the help. Ted Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 8, 2007 Share Posted April 8, 2007 Chalk up another VFR fix to VFR.D. A friend with a 2002 VFR had his bike die today. It was the classic symptoms noted on this thread. Buzzing under the dash from the headlight relays, no headlight function, and it ran fine with the light fuse pulled. I couldn't remember exactly what the problem was, so when I got home, I opened this thread and saw the exact same symptoms. I called him and within 10 minutes, he reported back that the bike was working. All he did was spray some contact cleaner in the offending connector where the green ground wire is located. He's going to make a more permanent repair before buttoning it back up. Thanks VFR.D folks! I am the guy mentioned above. After a more permanent fix, I checked the main fuse and the wires were melted together. After taking pictures, I made a heavy duty harness for the main fuse. Then I called Honda and NHTSA, raising hell. That was two weeks ago. My five year old bike now has a new wiring harness at no cost to me. Honda did a "goodwill" to the tune of about $745. That is good - for me. I still think Honda should do a safety recall for all affected bikes as they did for the ST1300. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer SeoulMan Posted May 12, 2007 Member Contributer Share Posted May 12, 2007 It was the classic symptoms noted on this thread. Buzzing under the dash from the headlight relays, no headlight function, and it ran fine with the light fuse pulled. I am almost certain my bike is suffering the same fate. I just got off the telephone with the bike repair shop and was told they have the fairing off but cannot firgure out what the issue is. I plan to take the instructions gleaned from this thread and aks that they install the new ground. Before i do that, could someone please tell me just exactly where the headlight fuse is located. Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tinyminds Posted May 12, 2007 Share Posted May 12, 2007 Yeah I plan to call and raise some hell about a year before my warranty runs out just to have my harness replaced. I've fixed / bypassed several issues myself, but just don't feel like going through the hassle to disconnecting a large selection of gadgets just to take it in and let them look at it. The way I have things wired theres no overdrawn on any factory wires or stress being placed on the R/R because of the added current I'm pulling, I can assure you its more stable now than it ever was when it was new, so I don't want to hear any BS about all the stuff I've got hooked up effecting it. But to sum it up, I'll have a new harness at my 4 year mark of my 5 year harness. Til then I"ll just keep rewiring things :thumbsup: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer SeoulMan Posted May 18, 2007 Member Contributer Share Posted May 18, 2007 Two questions: 1) Just where exactly is the headlight fuse located. I wouldn't be asking if I had the manual... :angry: and 2) Who do you call to raise hell, District Rep perhaps? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ianaré Posted June 8, 2007 Share Posted June 8, 2007 I am having the same exact problem with my 02. Is there a way to test which wire is bad? I ask because looking at both the blue and grey connectors, the only pins that showed some corrosion are on the wire on the opposite side of the blue connector as the green/gray wire. After some wd-40 and a wire brush, they look fine, but still having the same problem. thanks in advance Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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