EDIT: Post #39 on pg 2 has dropbox links where thread text and pictures can been seen/downloaded.
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Yep, I been bitten by the dreaded ground spider! Actually, 'dreaded' is such a strong word. More like PITA. Here's my story, remember I mentioned that I think my battery is beginning to die:
Tuesday as I'm leaving out for work I notice my right headlight low beam is burned out. So I stop on the way and get a 2-pack of the bulbs of [my] choice. Wednesday morn I commence to doing the deed. Thought it went really well as I was bleeding from only 3 small nicks
. So I start the bike and voila! headlights work again as designed. Cool! So I think, since I've already got the tools out and the oil & filter on hand and it's nearly time for an oil change and I got an [approx] 800 mile trip coming up, wth I'll change the oil. No biggie, oil & filter done. Start the bike to circulate the new. Not! WTF?!?
So I see 2 things right off: high beam head light indicator on; both turn signal indicators on. "Dammit!", I says, "I know what this means!" And I figure I know where the problem is, too and I didn't even need to dig out my X-ray spy glasses.
SO, for the benefit of science and future bite victims, I do a quick check of what I got and mostly what I ain't got:
- no engine start. No click, nothing;
- high beam headlight indicator on as mentioned, regardless of switch position;
- both turn signal indicators on as mentioned with no turn signals;
- fuel gauge reading completely full with about 3/4 tank in it and blinking once per second for 8 seconds, then pause for 1.5 seconds then repeat without end;
- clock did NOT reset;
- trip odometers did NOT reset;
- no windshield motion;
- no horn;
- no glovebox solenoid.
Solved the puzzle yet?
Yep! That's the one!! The S4 Ground Spider.
Lucky me! I just inspected these a few months ago and everything looked fine. C'est la vie, let's get to work. I pull plastics. S6 by the glove box fine. Both the S7 and S8 are fine- I looked at them whilst replacing headlight bulbs- but I check them again. Off comes the tank. S2 & S3 by the fuel rail left are fine. S5 by the cooling water temp sensor is fine. And thar she blows! S4, which I suspected from the very beginning is toast.
So I'll do the usual and snip it off and solder them together with an extra 14 ga. wire that'll run to ground. So here's my question for those who may have done this before me and can offer up a little advice: kinda tight in there, easier if I remove the nose plastics? Any other tidbits of advice?
I know about the recall that by choice I never had done. 2 different dealerships have screwed up so badly and broken enough stuff on my bike that I chose to take my chances with yearly inspection, cleaning and gooping. Made it almost 9 yrs! No complaints and better than having still more F'd up stuff on my bike.
ETA: Part of my point in posting all this that didn't really come through so well was the correlation between bad battery indications I linked to in a previous post and the possibility of something more involved.
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Yep, I been bitten by the dreaded ground spider! Actually, 'dreaded' is such a strong word. More like PITA. Here's my story, remember I mentioned that I think my battery is beginning to die:
Tuesday as I'm leaving out for work I notice my right headlight low beam is burned out. So I stop on the way and get a 2-pack of the bulbs of [my] choice. Wednesday morn I commence to doing the deed. Thought it went really well as I was bleeding from only 3 small nicks
So I see 2 things right off: high beam head light indicator on; both turn signal indicators on. "Dammit!", I says, "I know what this means!" And I figure I know where the problem is, too and I didn't even need to dig out my X-ray spy glasses.
SO, for the benefit of science and future bite victims, I do a quick check of what I got and mostly what I ain't got:
- no engine start. No click, nothing;
- high beam headlight indicator on as mentioned, regardless of switch position;
- both turn signal indicators on as mentioned with no turn signals;
- fuel gauge reading completely full with about 3/4 tank in it and blinking once per second for 8 seconds, then pause for 1.5 seconds then repeat without end;
- clock did NOT reset;
- trip odometers did NOT reset;
- no windshield motion;
- no horn;
- no glovebox solenoid.
Solved the puzzle yet?
Yep! That's the one!! The S4 Ground Spider.
Lucky me! I just inspected these a few months ago and everything looked fine. C'est la vie, let's get to work. I pull plastics. S6 by the glove box fine. Both the S7 and S8 are fine- I looked at them whilst replacing headlight bulbs- but I check them again. Off comes the tank. S2 & S3 by the fuel rail left are fine. S5 by the cooling water temp sensor is fine. And thar she blows! S4, which I suspected from the very beginning is toast.
So I'll do the usual and snip it off and solder them together with an extra 14 ga. wire that'll run to ground. So here's my question for those who may have done this before me and can offer up a little advice: kinda tight in there, easier if I remove the nose plastics? Any other tidbits of advice?
I know about the recall that by choice I never had done. 2 different dealerships have screwed up so badly and broken enough stuff on my bike that I chose to take my chances with yearly inspection, cleaning and gooping. Made it almost 9 yrs! No complaints and better than having still more F'd up stuff on my bike.
ETA: Part of my point in posting all this that didn't really come through so well was the correlation between bad battery indications I linked to in a previous post and the possibility of something more involved.
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