Total System Failure

OK while it may not be catastrophic, i do indeed have a failure of some yet to be determined component. I was told by a shop that the reason why my headlights were dimming and my gauges resetting was because of the HID kit i installed. It draws 8 amps of power per ballast. Anyway, i tear the bike down and put the stock H4 bulbs back in. Button the whole bike back up and start it. It runs for 5 seconds then died. I was like OK maybe it was just the battery being low. I start it back up and rev it to 5k to charge it. All of a sudden the bike just stops running. Cold. Dead. i try to start it back up i get nothing at all. no clicks no gauges no lights, nothing. by the way this is a 2000 vfr. with the key off the clock comes on but thats it. As soon as i turn the key to on the clock dies and i have nothing. Clock just resets after that. Any idea what it could be before i completely strip down the bike to follow the power wire though the whole bike? thanks in advanced! any suggestions help, except take it to the shop.

 

Charge the battery fully and put a meter on the charging system and check performance. Step one. HID is not your issue.

 

Have you check to make sure to test the R/R and the stator to see if they are in working order. This symptoms sound like it especially for the 5th gen.

 

Toe is correct HID light is not the issue. Many of us run with HID for years without any problem.

 

For testing advice search for recent posts by Rubo. Also check the fuse beside the battery is OK, and look for signs of melted wires or connectors on the charging circuit. Almost daily there have been reports on here of vfrs with electrical problems affecting bikes up to and including the early 6th Gen models and it seems you are just the latest. I doubt the HIDs caused the problem.


Skimad4x4
Proud Member 6th Gen Militia # 218 - European 1st Division

 

Winner Winner, Chicken Dinner.

 

My 5th gen started dying on deceleration, luckily close to home. It would refire, but then die again next slow down. I checked the wires to the RR and they weren't burnt. Not having a tester and knowing the battery was several years old, in went a new one, about 2000 miles later and all is good still...

 

hmmm, Tink appears to be TOTB



Smart move.

 

Check the relay behind the battery on the left side of the bike. I had the EXACT same problem as you, and it turned out this relay + two fuses were blown.

 

Sure enuff: that starter relay plug is always a suspect in cases of electrical chaos.

 

Especially since all power has to go through it before it reaches the rest of the harness.

Sent from my MB860 using Tapatalk 2

 

Ok so I pulled all the fairings off last weekend, sorry I wasn't around to check replies I was busy getting my car inspected. That was a nightmare in itself so I didn't have time to tinker with the Viffer. Anyways, pulled every single fairings off and loosened the tank. I reconnected the battery, and yes I did test with the battery connected to start with. That's how I figured out that I still did have power at the starter relay both before and after so it wasn't the relay. Every single fuse was pulled and checked and put back. I still had nothing at this point and this was prior to pulling the nose and side fairings off.sorry if this is confusing. I tested Everything before I pulled the side and front fairings. I pulled them last weekend and was going to show my friend what I was working with. So I put the key in, and I had the clock. This was normal at this point. I go to crank her over and the beast roared to life! She was magically fixed and running! I couldn't believe it. Literally the only thing I did was pull the side and front fairings off. I didn't do or touch anything else. I didn't replace any fuses or relays or check connectors. So needless to say I'm excited to be able to ride again. I just have to put it back together. I'm going to turn it on after every individual fairing goes on just to make sure its not pinching a wire and grounding out. I appreciate all the help though, I guess she was just tired.


New problem. Should I run a relay for the HIDs? Would that help me out? I shouldn't even be asking because I install them on so many things that I should know better. It's just a strange coincidence that I had the bike die after installing them. To all of you running them are they just the normal 35w setup? If so how many amps ( measured) are they drawing and how many amps do 45w and 55w halogens run? I had an independent shop tell me the HIDs are going to kill my bike. That it was going to pull too much power and that's why when the bike returned to idle my gauge cluster would freak out and act as though it just turned on.

 

I will have to check it when I get home. So its left side of bike? I didn't see anything Orange when I was putting it back together. What's it connect to?

 

What kind of repair would it be? A new connector or would it just need a good cleaning?

 

The repair I did on mine was solder 2 wires from it directly to the main frame ground, it is in the harness near the R/R on the left side of the bike.