G5, amb air temp sensor replacement question

As you probably know, it's buried behind the LCD screen. I looked st the exploded diagram at the RonAyers site. I don't have a shop manual.

My question is: How do I get to it? More specifically, what exactly do I take off, and in what order?

Thanks for your time.

 

First, you'll have to remove the instrument cluster from your bike. Once off remove the 5 screws from the rear of the cluster around the perimeter so that you can separate the outer black cover.

Also remove the screw that attaches the ambient air temperature sensor wire to the post on the back side of the cluster. Then remove the small round rubber cap that is next to the temp sensor wire.



Then turn the cluster over and remove the outer black plastic cover. It should just lift off and then you should be able to see the black wire as it comes out from the bottom of the cover between the tach and the LCD screen circuit board. You should be able to just pull the sensor wire out of the connector and then feed the wire back down through the hole in the bottom of the cluster.



Just in case you were wondering, LOL, I happen to have a 2001 VFR800 parts bike that is mostly disassembled so the cluster was already removed. Hope this helps.

 

Well ain't that something, I learned about an issue i didn't have a clue about.

 

Good timing, my sensor always reads 10-20° warmer than it actually is.

 

It is getting the instrument cluster off, that was the real question..... do I take the front fairing off? I need help with the first half of the equation, not the last. But thanks for taking the time to post pics, Zoom. That part is now a slam dunk. Where do I start?

I have an ambient temp gauge (Remember when we just called them thermometers?) on the 990 Super Duke. I really use it a lot. The one on the VFR reads about 20 degrees f high, just like Lint's does. Sensor is on the way. Hopefully, I'll be better educated when it arrives, than I am now.

Thanks again, Zoom.

 

Yes, I think you would have to take the upper cowl off in order to remove the the instrument cluster as getting to the cluster mounting bolts would be near impossible otherwise. If you need help with the upper cowl, Well, I have some more photos for you. I did a "How To" thread on the upper cowl removal a while back, with LOTS of photos, when I changed out the panel bulbs to LED's. LOL. Here is the link. I might suggest changing out the bulbs on the instrument cluster and maybe the headlight and turn signal bulbs while you have everything apart. You know they say "Sods Law", if you take it apart and don't replace the bulbs, they'll burn out just after you get it all back together.

http://vfrworld.com/forums/showthread.php/43794-HOW-TO-Upper-Cowl-Removal-on-5th-Gen?highlight=

 

I'm late to this party, but the sensor IIRC is clipped to the inside of the inner cowl. I would first try cutting off the old sensor, and splicing the new one on with suitable solder and heatshrink. Seems like a lot of work to pull the fairing and instruments apart just for that.

 

Cad, you're saying if I take off the right, front, side fairing, I can get to the sensor? That would be tempting. But I'm inclined to take the front cowl off.

 

Well, if you want to make life really simple and snip the wires and solder the new sensor to the old wires, you can get to the temperature sensor though either the front turn signal hole or the vent hole just behind it (this way would require removing nothing but the screw that holds the sensor in place and you might have enough slack in the wire to pull the old sensor out far enough to do the splicing.







BUT, if you drop the screw and clip, you'll definitely have to take off the right lower cowl.

 

Beat me to it Zoom-zoom. I was thinking that just the right side lower needed to be removed.

 

I just happened to be in the garage waxing the bike and thought heh, just how close is that sensor and well,............

Right place, right time. LOL

 

This is going to be easy!

Thank You, Gentlemen!

 

Best of luck with it.

If you were keen, it is possible to check the air sensor for a fault, according to the service manual the resistance across the sensor should be 4.8-5.2 kohms at 25C/77F.

 

Does it make any sence to you guys to put an ambient temp sensor 3 inches away from the radiator?

I'm going to move mine, at least temporarily.

It's gotten really late. I'll see if maybe, I can figure out how to test the sensor tomorrow. It started out reading the right temp, the temp reading went up to 84, when I held the sensor in my hand, but now it's reading 74, when it's 68 in the garage. I'll ride it Saturday, hopefully. If it is malfunctioning, I'll have a replacement in a few days.

 

It's probably a sensible position when there is a steady stream of air from movement, but it will be hopeless when stationary.



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i totally agree that it is worthless at a stand still. Which makes me question its accuracy at low speeds, and or hot days.

 

I've noticed that mine seems to be fairly accurate. Sitting still in 90-95*F ambient air the bike reads same temperature and once running it might be a couple degrees higher, but never much more than that. My Mazda and my wife's Dodge Ram are equally accurate though the truck reads warmer when sitting still since the sensor is beside (but in front) of the rad support. My Mazda has the sensor behind the bumper cover but fairly far from the rad support.

 

Honda is right (in theirr choice of sensor placement) and, evidently, I am wrong. Again. Everybody put on thei big surprise face. Lol.

I moved my sensor, and it does exactly what it did before. The temp starts out being the correct reading, but the longer the sensor (and bike) are on, the higher the temp goes until it reads about 10 degrees higher than it should.

I'll solder the new sensor in when it comes in, and put it back where it belongs.

 

Fail

I soldered the new sensor on, and it acts exactly the same. Bummer. The problem must lie in the circuit board.

I'm going to cut the wires, remove the sensor all together. Tuck the wiring in somewhere, put the sensor in the box with all the other unnecessary junk that I've taken off this bike, then call it a day.

 

The ambient reading is correct when I first start the bike. But the temp reading seems to go up a degree, every 5 minutes, until it's worthless.

So now I'm thinking: Solder a switch into the wire going to the sensor. Leave the switch in the off position while riding. But turn it on momentarily, to check the ambient temp. Then shut it back off. That would be better than nothing.