98 VFR800i Trip/Clock Keep Resetting after I replaced the R/R!! I NEED HELP!!!!

Discussion in 'Mechanics Garage' started by troberts0505, May 21, 2013.

  1. troberts0505

    troberts0505 New Member

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    I would appreciate any assistance!!

    I have a 1998 Honda VFR800 Interceptor with 59,000 Miles on the bike. I would ride for 30-40min and the trip/clock would reset i'd say maybe 10 times. After replacing the R/R device it only does it 3 or 4 times in that 30-40min ride. So it helped but didnt' fix the problem. The bike starts like a champ so I'm assuming that means the battery is ok right???
    WHAT AM I MISSING!!??/!!! This is very frustrating to set the time just to have it reset to 1am everytime. Plus it's hard to keep track of my milage.. yea i can use the regular milage which is NOT affected but you all know what I mean!
    I do NOT have the funds to pay a mechanic so please let me know any tricks to check for. THANK YOU SO MUCH IN ADVANCED!!!!
     
  2. Jackstand Johnny

    Jackstand Johnny New Member

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    The R/R is there to make sure you don't get any spikes in current. If the clock keeps resetting and you think its because of the R/R then that means it's possibly sending a power surge to your gauges and making them cut off. Is it a brand new R/R? It could be something other than your R/R such as a wire shorting out somewhere. I would check the wiring from your R/R including the prongs inside the plugs and also check your gauge wiring and anything they're wired in with which could be a lot. It could also be that there isn't a strong enough connection to the gauges power supply and while you're riding the vibration or bumps from the road are causing them to cut off. It might be something as simple as two plugs not being connected tight enough. I hope my rambling has helped a little.
     
  3. troberts0505

    troberts0505 New Member

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    I purchased the R/R from Ebay which said the item was "Brand New" but who really knows. It looked brand new when I installed. I did hook a voltage meter up to the battery and it idled at about 13 and when adding throttle it went up to about 14 . something. Now I will add something I forgot before. The previous owner of the bike added handle bar heated grips. So there is some added wiring throughout the bike tapping into the power. Could that be enough to spike the power the wrong way??

    Either way... I'm nothing close to a mechanic but when I have a day to take the bike apart again I'll follow out each wire and make sure there are no split wires and all the connections are good. I appreciate the feed back. Anything helps!!
     
  4. ridervfr

    ridervfr Member

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    14 volts at the battery terminals is what you want. if you dont want those heated grips, I would eliminate them from the formula, this way you know everything is stock.
     
  5. JoeAsheville

    JoeAsheville New Member

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    I'd say at a minimum you'd need the Honda manual (genuine, not a Chilton or anything close to that) and a good DVOM. Go through the test procedures in the manual...they are very thorough. One item I'd care to stress...there is no "trick" to electrical troubleshooting, it is a slow and sometimes painstaking process.

    Since your bike still exhibits the same problem after changing out the R/R, I have to assume that was not the issue. Swapping the original back in, I would assume it would exhibit the same behavior as the old one, and if it does then the reduced reset count is a fluke. Since the bike starts fine, there are no issues with the charging circuit. You mentioned no loss of power or erratic running other than the odd resetting of the clocks so (there may be assumed) no problems with the PGM-FI which would be closely related to charging system problems. It sounds like the problem is limited strictly to the gauge pod.

    Remove the fairings to access the backside of the pod. There is a very complex arrangement of plugs...they simply plug and latch into the backside of the pod. It is possible, not knowing the history of your ride, that a number of things could have happened to cause a fault in this area (crash, hamfisted PO attempting electrical repairs, hamfisted dealer mechanics etc). Gently pull on all plugs on the backside of the pod. If one is loose (especially the big one), you have found your problem. Push it back in until you hear a click and test. If all are tight, pull them all out and inspect the printed circuit filament board for shorts, breaks, or corrosion. Smear copious amounts of dielectric grease on ALL connections, including the bulb grounds, and reassemble then test. If the problem still exists, you either have a gauge pod that requires further repairs that become exponentially more difficult (which you may or may not want/be able to do), or you could purchase a secondhand gauge package from eBay or the like to swap in.

    At any rate, it does not sound like your fault lies with the R/R.

    Good luck.
     
  6. skimad4x4

    skimad4x4 "Official" VFRWorld Greeter

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    + 1 on that

    Swapping out the RR may have simply masked the real problem.

    Sounds like you need to carry out the drill..

    http://vfrworld.com/forums/5th-gene...how-fix-common-regulator-stator-failures.html


    Note all 4 elements of the charging system (Battery, RR, Stator and Loom) on a motorbike have to be in good health. A fault in one, can damage one or all of the others.

    Search on here and you will see plenty of other 800's with charging system problems especially 98's with melted connectors on the stator a favourite cause of real mischief. Also the stator output looks low - when revved to 5,000rpm it should head north of 15 volts - so my focus would be on the loom (inspect all charging circuit connectors and earthing points are sound) and then the check the stator output...

    This needs to be checked for AC volts output with the RR disconnected [bike will fire up and run OK on just the battery whilst you do the tests] and the tests need to be done 4 times - idle and 5,000rpm when its cold, and then again after a 30 minutes plus ride, by which time the stator windings will be hot and any heat related defect should be evident. (If insulation on the windings breaks down when hot, it can result in perfectly acceptable AC output when cold - becoming a full on battery drain when it gets hot.)

    Record the AC output across all three pairings of the stator green wires. This should be in spec and roughly similar. (You will find a link to downloadable manual in the specifications forum). Take great care not to allow your multi-meter probes to cross connect the stator wires or provide a route to earth - or you can fry the stator.

    Good luck - let us know how you get on.




    SkiMad
     
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