97 VFR Dash short

VFR 97
Hello looking for help on 4th gen dash problem. Looking for trouble shooting help. Dash is stock.
Seems i have a short in dash. Indicators dash lights stay steady when on, high beam shuts lcd clock off and no back light to view speedo etc.
I have fairing off and so far no luck seeing obvious break in circuit board or connector.
Handle bar switches have been cleaned same results.
Thanks in advance!
Greg

 

Start with the obvious, pull on all wires in every connector.
Also check frame connections, your description suggests that you dont have proper grounding. Try disconnecting portions like the clock or the turn signals. Test to see if it works. If its a mid harness short, you will have to unwrap and inspect every inch of every wire. Lots of nail polish remover to remove the adhesive gunk.

Good luck.

 

Printed circuit board may have a crack. There's no short or you'd have blown a fuse.

 

Thanks for replies. I'll go over it thoroughly. If its in the circuit board would i see a noticeable problem? I assume if the board was the problem it would need to be replaced.
Still frigid here in Northeast, I'll give a go tomorrow.
Thanks

 

You could get a 10x loupe and inspect all the solder joints looking for cracks in the solder, or just get a hot solder iron and touch up all the joints. It's very common for old solder joints to crack over time from vibration--solder has no strength it's just soft tin and lead. i've made many repairs on electronics over the years and bad joints ranks very high on the list...

 

True, solder joints do rank up there, but before he takes the board out. Maybe just check the really common things. My personal experience has been the if its only one thing in the dash acting up then its the board and or joints on the board. If several or everything goes then its most likely external.

As for your soldering iron, if you need it. A good 25watt pen and a narrow chisel tip works best for reflowing the older solders. Get a course sponge and wet it. Do not forget to tin your tip, there are plenty of youtubes about that. Clean your tip by dragging the tip across the wetted sponge between joints for best results. If you must add solder to fill in a crack or to replace a missing joint (it happens sometimes) use regular rosin core solder from radio shack. Your bike is old enough to not have silver tin mix. Do not try to do more than heat it enough to reflow, if it gets too hot it wont stay and will most likely end up pulling off the board. A good fresh joint is completely shiny and as it cools only looses a bit of the luster it had.

 

I wouldn't use a soldering iron on the circuit board cuz the circuitry is printed directly onto a plastic substrate unlike most electronic boards. Seems like a multimeter could locate a break and any conductive material used to bridge the defect. If dash circuitry is cracked, the likely cause is a hard tipover.

 

After the joint cools the lustre moves into your head !

 

Hello
This is a year later
I just got around to pulling out the dash.

I have a broken trace. Location is arrowed in picture.
The trace was broken and confirmed with multi meter.
I thought that was the problem.
Tried fixing with a circuit writer pen. After i traced the gap it tested well for continuity.
Put power to it and melted the trace (circuit writer repair).

Bike was knocked down a few years back. Looking at picture the right fastener bolt (to frame mount) was repaired as it was busted. PCB was stretched a bit there but still showed continuity.

Thanks in advance!

 

Green connector:
The burned trace is coming from B/Br.
List below is readings from connector at PCB

B/Br - 12v
R/G - 12v
L/B -0v
Y/B - 0v
B/Br- 12v

O - 0v
G/B - 0v
P - 0v
Y/G - 0v
G - 0v

Blue connector @PCB
G/L - 0V
G/B- 0V
BR/B -0V
B/BR - 12V
Gr/B - 0v

SB-0V
LIGHT BLUE/R - 0V
BR/B - 0V
L/R - 0V
BR/W - 12V

 

Anybody have anything on this?
Thanks

 

Check your same posting in VFRD; I responded to you there and too lazy to retype everything again.