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Ah Geez....Now What?


dutchinterceptor

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(DO NOT USE DIELECTRIC like I've seen some people say here. You want to decrease the resistance to zero -not add an insulator)))))))))))

I use wd40 and have had zero issues ensuring there's also a solid mechanical zero resistance connection, I agree dielectric grease can increase the odds of insulataing and causing heat build up as a result.

Now I have used dexoxit type products, but on a motorcycle wd40 seems to work well, easy to apply ect.

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Serenity, thanks for the wiring diagram and info. Yes, the "red" wire is definitely the one that has been cooking. The insulation is completely melted off. I guess I'm not aware of the ground by the foot peg so I will definitely check into that.

I never use dielectric grease except maybe on spark plug terminals for my truck. I generally just check the connectors for signs of heat and clean the grit out with GBC contact cleaner.

A brief history:

  • Bought this '04 new in '05.
  • Currently has 53K miles
  • Gets ridden in the rain several times a year.
  • I beefed up the wiring to fuse B the first time it went up in flames some time ago.
  • Dealer replaced the front wiring harness.
  • Added a seperate relay and Centech AP-1 Fuse Block using license plate light for the relay trigger.
  • Accessories running off the fuse block are heated grips, radar detector, powerlet connector, and gps power
  • Accessories running directly off the battery are stebel horn and pigtail for my Gerbings

All the wiring I've done has been soldered and double wrapped with heat shrink.

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(DO NOT USE DIELECTRIC like I've seen some people say here. You want to decrease the resistance to zero -not add an insulator)))))))))))

I use wd40 and have had zero issues ensuring there's also a solid mechanical zero resistance connection, I agree dielectric grease can increase the odds of insulataing and causing heat build up as a result.

Now I have used dexoxit type products, but on a motorcycle wd40 seems to work well, easy to apply ect.

Dielectric is made of silicone -the same stuff they make high voltage insulation out of. We use it in high voltage splices to lubricate, insulate, and water-proof high voltage termination kits between the outer insulating boot, the ground shield, and the semi-conducting and rubber insulating layers below that. Silicone helps displace any crap that might cause carbon tracking and migrate between the termination point back over the semi-conducting and insulating areas towards the ground.

It's the right stuff to use when making up spark plug wires when you put on the boots (actually that's very similar to the high voltage terminations we do at work and I use the leftover grease from the splice kits at work when I work on spark plugs. It's free! (for me).

WD-40 makes a decent cleaner too. It's a penetrating and cleaning agent which does a decent job of cleaning away copper and aluminum oxides that are insulating contaminants in wire connections. It also displaces water which you do not want in the connections or on high voltage cable (like on spark plugs). Spraying WD-40 on the spark plug wires is an old trick to temporarily rejuvenate them if they are arcing or you have poor spark when the wires are wet. But it doesn't last forever as it is VERY light oil and most of it just evaporates in short order. What little oil is left doesn't protect against corrosion for long. Anti-ox grease will last pretty much forever or until it is washed off with a degreaser (like WD-40...)

The best cleaner is electrical contact cleaner. It usually comes in an areosol can and smells nice :fing02: It's good stuff and does a much better job than WD-40 but if all you have is WD it's OK. Best to just disassemble everything dry, clean it off with fine sandpaper or emory cloth to get any oxidation off, clean that off with denatured or isopropyl alcohol, and then reassemble with anti-ox.

Deoxit is OK, as is NoAlOx. Contractors tend to use NoAlOx because it is a name brand but I buy the GB crap because it is available at hardware stores. Most professional electricians tend to look down on GB as it is a crap low-end brand of electrical supplies for homeowners and residential schmucks. Hate their wire connectors [Wire-Nut is a brand name just like Kleenex and everyone just calls all Wire-Nut's wirenuts although a lot of oldtimers still call them scotchlocks -hate the actual Scotchlocks as the damn internal springs always spin inside them -they suck]

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So I tossed the bike in my mighty Toyota and brought her home tonight. Later this week I'll rip the tupperware off and start evaluating the wiring/connectors and also do a major cleaning on the terminals. Probably a good thing since I have my radar detector hidden inside my fairings and haven't checked it in quite a while.

I appreciate all the advice and will soon be putting it to use and thanks to Kanadian Ken I now have a replacement switch assy. on it's way from the great white north. Many thanks to you kind sir!! :cheerleader:

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  • 2 weeks later...
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I tore the bike apart this weekend to see what was up. Every connector was in good shape with the exception of my starter relay/main fuse fiasco. I cleaned the dirt and road grime out of the other connectors and went to work on the bad stuff.

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The red/white wires going to the secondary 30A fuse that were replaced in the recall were starting to melt again so I opted to replace those while I was in there. The single connector didn't seem to be of much use so I left it out.

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The red wire that actually incinerated everything was completely toast. I had to cut the harness apart several inches to get to clean wire and in the process found a splice where the single wire joined two. The splice was wrapped in sticky blue tape. I upped the wire size on the single and made a crimp/solder joint.

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I replaced the wire to the fuse with a butt splice connector cause my soldering iron died otherwise it would have been soldered.

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After replacing all the wires I added stake-on connectors for the relay. I was able to salvage the red cap for the main fuse and added heat shrink everywhere else to keep the factory look.

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All voltages tested where they should be so I guess I'm ok for now. Will this fix anything? I really doubt it but it should carry me through a few more rides this summer. Honda I am not impressed.:fing02:

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