leeebner
02/05/10 2131 Hours
Posts: 13
DL650K8
Washington
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I have had an ongoing problem with my 08 650 vstrom, it blows fuses when I ride in the rain of WA state.
The conditions are heavy rain (this is WA after all) after several miles I will notice that the lights and instruments are out (I know they are all on the same circuit) and I will stop and replace the 15 amp fuse usually with as high as 25 amp but that one will blow some times as soon as I change the fuse and touch the brake or one time as soon as I put up the side stand.
I have taken apart every connection and applied dialectic grease but that did not help.
I have hosed the bike down enough to fill a pool but no good, it never blew.
I also have hot hand style covers on my controls so I don't think water is effecting connections there.
I have grip heaters installed and the dealer says the circuit is overloaded but he can't duplicate the problem ( will still blow with the heaters off)
The fuse has never blown with out rain.
I have completely disconnected and placed on a separate circuit the grip heaters then completely sealed the factory connections.
My bike has 50,000 miles on it in 2 years all freeway commuting no off road ridding.
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TravellingStrom
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Hi Leebner, welcome to VSRI, the premier site for all Vstrom info.
Maybe you could also post the results of the tests you did after asking this same question on StromTroopers? Did you do any of them and what were the results?
There are quite a few people here who are on many boards, so although looking for fresh input is not the issue, not giving all the available details when you want some help is not helping things.
Don't take it the wrong way, I just think you may need to provide more details of what you have done so the solution can be found quicker.
Cheers
TS
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« Last Edit: 02/05/10 2215 Hours by TravellingStrom »
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leeebner
02/05/10 2131 Hours
Posts: 13
DL650K8
Washington
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I have isolated the heated grips to another circuit and checked all the connections but nothing.
I have ordered a kit from eastern beaver for my head lights, aftermarket horn and heated grips.
I also checked my lights in the park function right after a fuse blew today and all my lights worked and it did not blow a fuse, flashers and running lights worked fine.
Am I wrong in assuming a bad brake switch would only light up the lights and not blow a fuse, I put the hose to both locations and the fuse did not blow.
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TravellingStrom
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Well, if there is a bit of damaged harness somewhere and only rain affects it, then it may be that you need to apply the hose from direct in front of the bike.
If you have a center stand, put it up on that, get it nice and wet and wiggle all the harnesses around that you can see. If it only happens in the rain, does it only happen when you are stationary or moving?
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johnofchar
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Need a lot more details.
Info; the instruments & head lights are not on the same fuse.
If you keep putting a 25 amp fuse in there you may find your problem in a not so nice way.
Unless the brake switch is shorting to ground then it would just light the light.
Which fuse is blowing?
How long does it take to dry out and work OK?
Exactly what does not work when this fuse blows?
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leeebner
02/05/10 2131 Hours
Posts: 13
DL650K8
Washington
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I hosed it from the front, sides and bottom on a hard spray but nothing.
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leeebner
02/05/10 2131 Hours
Posts: 13
DL650K8
Washington
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I know the head light is not on the same curcuit
the fuse that is blowing is the one that is for the blinkers, tail light and instruments.
It does take a few miles to blow then if I stop it will not blow instintlly when the brake is used but it has in the past but when I start ridding it will blow in a block or in 10 miles.
It loses everything but head lights and it keeps running.
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johnofchar
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So you mean instrument LIGHTING and not other instrument functions? I'll try to help, but you need to be very specific. As there are a lot of wires & connectors in there.
There are a couple connectors that could be causing your problem & have before on other folks bikes. But the main thing I would check first is the harness running down the left rear subframe to the tail, the tail connector at the rear of the subframe & all wiring in the tail.
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msi1259
05/09/07 1408 Hours
Posts: 58
Ontario, Canada
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As the fuse doesn't blow when in Park, the remaining circuits are the brake switches/lights and the heated grips (unless you have ABS?). Likely the easiest test is to put an ammeter across the front brake switch and see how much current is drawn - it should be <4 amps (two 21 watt brake lamps). The rear brake switch likely runs a lot wetter then most other locations - maybe try riding with the connector to it dis-connected in the rain? Good Luck!
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johnofchar
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The difference in park position is the fuse is not used & the tail/signal power comes directly from the battery via the 30 amp main. This being the case, any shorts to ground in the tail or signal circuits when in park may equal smoked wires. But that does indicate the rear wiring may be OK.
As msi1259 mentioned, disconnecting the rear and front brake switches will eliminate some areas. You mentioned checking connectors, but which ones? I'd take a good hard look at the connectors in the left fairing pocket, ignition switch connector & right handlebar connector both located behind radiator.
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msi1259
05/09/07 1408 Hours
Posts: 58
Ontario, Canada
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The difference in park position is the fuse is not used & the tail/signal power comes directly from the battery via the 30 amp main. This being the case, any shorts to ground in the tail or signal circuits when in park may equal smoked wires. But that does indicate the rear wiring may be OK. <snip> The key switches the ignition fuse to the tail/signal when the key is in Park position - the wiring is then protected by the ignition fuse, not the signal fuse. |
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« Last Edit: 02/07/10 0048 Hours by msi1259 »
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johnofchar
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The key switches the ignition fuse to the tail/signal when the key is in Park position - the wiring is then protected by the ignition fuse, not the signal fuse.
I'm sorry it doesn't. The only fuse that protects it will be the main 30 amp fuse. So a partial short could equal toastie wires. Also the ignition fuse is always hot. |
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leeebner
02/05/10 2131 Hours
Posts: 13
DL650K8
Washington
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Everything on the signal curcuit is dead
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msi1259
05/09/07 1408 Hours
Posts: 58
Ontario, Canada
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I'm sorry it doesn't. The only fuse that protects it will be the main 30 amp fuse. So a partial short could equal toastie wires. Also the ignition fuse is always hot.
Sorry, I was wrong! The ignition fuse looks like it is switched by the key? (the fuel fuse looks like it is always hot). |
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johnofchar
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Yep, I meant fuel vice ignition.
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leeebner
02/05/10 2131 Hours
Posts: 13
DL650K8
Washington
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I took off all the body work and here is what I found.
1 There was damage to the wire covering back by the tail light the metal edge had worn into the covering and rusted so I thought dam I have found it but sadly there was not any damage to the the wires inside ( I will have to add some protection to that area)
2 I found two splices related to the turn signals barely covered and wet in the wire bundle just aft of the connector to the fairing ( I have some waterproof enviromental splices to replace the crappy suzuki ones).
3 I found the connector from the right control behind the radiator that looks like some wires might have arked.
4 The foot brake assembly is plastic and could not ark and all the wires are fine ( I did add several inches to that because it is to short as is).
I'm still looking and will put alot of dialectric grease on all connectors.
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leeebner
02/05/10 2131 Hours
Posts: 13
DL650K8
Washington
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light blue / black tracer and black and green tracer
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johnofchar
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Thought we where talking 'right control behind the radiator' for right handle bar switches? Colors you gave are for left fairing connector and wouldn't effect signal circuit.
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leeebner
02/05/10 2131 Hours
Posts: 13
DL650K8
Washington
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Sorry ya I got back to that tonight and it is the wires from the hand brake one orange and red and one white and black (Im at work and the colors might not be correct but I did verify with a wire diagram) so I plan on either moving one to the othe side of the connector or just direct splicing them.
I believe that was probly the problem but I have also checked everything else.
One other crappy design is the fact that the main harnes lays on the frame on the right side just forward of the battery so I need to add some protection there also because the frame has casting slag there and it will cut something sooner or later.
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leeebner
02/05/10 2131 Hours
Posts: 13
DL650K8
Washington
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Road in the rain and it worked great I would say it was the connector behind the radiator shroud that the hand brake connects to the main harness.
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leeebner
02/05/10 2131 Hours
Posts: 13
DL650K8
Washington
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  Road in the rain today and IT F"IN blew the fuse so I had to disconnect the hand brake connector and ride with no brake lights by the time I got home I had road in the dry long enough to dry out what ever and it did not blow any more. Does any one know where the front and rear brake power wires are spliced together it must be in there some where. Check my thought if the wires for the brakes or the switches for the brakes shorted together the brake light would stay on, it has to short to ground or to another wire not related to the brakes.
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johnofchar
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so I had to disconnect the hand brake connector and ride with no brake lights by the time I got home I had road in the dry long enough to dry out what ever and it did not blow any more.
Does any one know where the front and rear brake power wires are spliced together it must be in there some where.
If disconnecting the front brake light switch solves the problem, then the problem could be in the right handlebar switch harness & not the main harness. The main harness splice is probably close to where the rear switch wires enter the harness. |
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leeebner
02/05/10 2131 Hours
Posts: 13
DL650K8
Washington
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No I did that to get home wit running lights if I touch the rear brake it blows also
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greywolf
VSRI Supporter
01/31/06 0643 Hours
Posts: 2044
DL650AK7
Evanston IL USA
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Have you checked under the left cover below the seat? Some '05s had their wiring harness there routed wrong and it got abraded by a vertical brace. Your short appears to be in the white/black wire between the junction of the two switches and the tail.
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Pat Formerly owned 1971 Honda CB350, 2 1973 Honda CB500s, one was stolen, 1974 Can-Am 175 TNT, 1978 Yamaha XS11, 1978 Honda CX500, 1975 BMW R90S, 1983 BMW R65LS, 2005 Suzuki DL650 totaled  |
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leeebner
02/05/10 2131 Hours
Posts: 13
DL650K8
Washington
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I had everything off but the tank and thought I found it the next step is to start stripping the cover off the harness and seeing if there is some damage there I noticed that the harness rides on the frame to the left of the fuel pump and it has some rough edges.
When I did that to the harness in the fairing I found two splices that were wet and only covered with what seamed like clear tape with maybe grease on it but I just cut it apart and put waterproof shrink wrap splices there, maybe they use that setup every were, kind of crappy if you ask me
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johnofchar
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I think he checked that before. Also all the wiring in the tail section.
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leeebner
02/05/10 2131 Hours
Posts: 13
DL650K8
Washington
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I solved my problem most likely possibly, I used waterproof tape from work and sealed up the wire harness and also add strength where it rides on the frame to the left and forward of the battery then used Zip ties to re-support the harness off the frame because it just rides with all its weight right there ( A VERY STUPID DESIGN SUZUKI ) I did not have time to tear the harness apart and verify that but 35 miles in the pouring rain of Seattle.
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