Heated Grip Problem Diagnostics

[James Burleigh]

It seems like every two years my heated gear goes out, just when I need it most; and I could use some advice on how to diagnose the problem before sending the jacket back to Gerbing. It seems to me there are three places the problem could be:

1. The controller unit that connects to the battery and which the cables connect into from the jacket,

2. the cables connecting the unit to the jacket, and

3. the jacket.

I have a multimeter, but no knowledge past the booklet how to use it or what it means.

In the connectors hanging off the unit attached to the bike, I tested those for voltage the other day with the bike running, and got up to about 12 V, but it was not constant: it jumped around.

For the cables, testing continuity, I got zeros. And the jacket I have no idea how to test it.... Any comments / advice welcome.

 

[Eric L]

are the lights on the controller blinking when the controller is supposed to be on?

you can plug the power directly into the jacket, bypassing the control unit. See if it gets hot?

 

[James Burleigh]

Yes, the lights are flashing on the control unit knobs when turned on.... And just this weekend I had the panels all off and confirmed that I have good fuses and grounds.

 

[puppychow]

I took my multimeter and did the following on my working controller and heated vest. Will try to explain it as simply as possible..

1. Point the multi-meter dial to the Ohm symbol. https://geoffneilsen.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/ohm480x480.jpg?w=300&h=300

Hook up the multi-meter probes to the leads to the heated vest. Mine is a Widder vest so I had two prongs to hook up to. Is your Co-ax or SAE? The resistance reading for my heated vest was approx 4 Ohms. If yours reads infinity or as such, then you have a broken connection in your heated jacket. This depends on how many Watts your jacket can consume. Mine is a vest with 4 Ohms resistance rating. Now I = V / R. That is my vest can sink 14.3 / 4 = 3.575 Amps. Which kind of makes sense as I think it is rated at approx 50 Watts.

2. Point the multi-meter dial to DC Volts.

With the controller off, of course I read 0V. With the controller on and at the minimum setting I read 12.1V with the controller at maximum setting I read 12.7 V (bike switched on but not running). This is normal because the controller is basically a PWM (pulse width modulator) and the multi-meter is probably calculating average voltage. What are your readings?

3. Another test of the controller working is to point the multi-meter dial to AC Volts.

With the controller off I read 0V. With the controller on and at the minimum setting I read .78V (pulsed voltage), with the controller at the maximum setting I read 0V (no pulsing, no AC voltage).

What are your readings?

#2 & #3 will basically demonstrate that the controller is working as it is supposed to. #1 might show you if the heated vest has a broken connection.

 

[James Burleigh]

Thanks, Sam. Good stuff. I will follow up tomorrow or the next day and see what readings I get.

 

[jayke]

Have you tried cleaning all the connectors? My Gerbing gloves have one glove hotter than the other and it switches sides if I turn the connectors when plugged together.

Any suggestions on what to clean the connectors with?

 

[ionbeam]

...With the controller off, of course I read 0V. With the controller on and at the minimum setting I read 12.1V with the controller at maximum setting I read 12.7 V (bike switched on but not running). This is normal because the controller is basically a PWM (pulse width modulator) and the multi-meter is probably calculating average voltage. What are your readings?...

Some heat controllers will not turn on until the engine is running. If you read 0 volts with the controller turned all the way up you should start the engine and check it again.

More...

Heat controllers like the OEM Gen I heated grip controller have a voltage detection circuit that will not let power turn on until it is over a preset level. The Yamaha grip heat controller trigger voltage is ~13.0 volts.

 

[James Burleigh]

Thanks, all, for your comments. I have successfully diagnosed the problem and isolated it to the jacket. Well, my son did. He's visiting from Minneapolis, where he's getting his PhD in physics (and where he went from -14

to 70 F

). So he has some understanding of that electrical stuff. I asked him to read Sam's diagnostic routine, after which he grabbed the multi-meter and said "Let's go to work."

We got 14 V out of each of the controller dongles, and we have good continuity in the cable connecting the controller to the vest. We also confirmed good continuity in the jacket internal leads to the glove connections, and good readings (with appropriate resistance) in each glove.

However, for the jacket heat circuit, we got an infinity reading.

Ergo, send the vest back. That was my goal: to eliminate all other variables before I concluded I needed to send the jacket back.

Again, thanks all for the support!

P.S. My son did say I have a sh*tty multi-meter, to which I said, "I'm surprised to hear it. After all, I did pony up for the $18 model."

 

[majicmaker]

It's great to have relatives that know their way around electricity, isn't it? I can do minor stuff like installing a rear plate led lighting kit that has turning signals, brake, running lights and 4 white LEDs that light up the plate itself. Now, ask me to troubleshoot a problem, forget it!

 

[dcarver]

18 USD escaped your wallet? You must be feeling sick...

 

[RaYzerman19]

...With the controller off, of course I read 0V. With the controller on and at the minimum setting I read 12.1V with the controller at maximum setting I read 12.7 V (bike switched on but not running). This is normal because the controller is basically a PWM (pulse width modulator) and the multi-meter is probably calculating average voltage. What are your readings?...

Some heat controllers will not turn on until the engine is running. If you read 0 volts with the controller turned all the way up you should start the engine and check it again.

More...

Heat controllers like the OEM Gen I heated grip controller have a voltage detection circuit that will not let power turn on until it is over a preset level. The Yamaha grip heat controller trigger voltage is ~13.0 volts.

I believe there is also a speed requirement as well (20 mph?) so your OEM grips only partially warm up at idle. The ECU pulses the ground..... this can be 'fixed' by cutting and directly grounding the controller ground (green w/white) or at the ECU, I think this is pin #37 on a Gen II (also green w/white, you can remove the pin and ground it rather than cutting it). This also eliminates the lengthy time it takes for the grips to warm up fully when you start to ride, especially useful if you're prone to riding in colder temps (below ~40F).

Another suggestion is to make up a quick test harness with coax connectors (I believe N size available at Radio Shack, etc.) which you can plug in and hook up your voltmeter. Analog VM might be more useful to see pulses from your heated gear controller.

 

[ionbeam]

I believe there is also a speed requirement as well (20 mph?) so your OEM grips only partially warm up at idle...

8 mph, under that speed the power to the grips is limited to 50%.

 

[RaYzerman19]

I believe there is also a speed requirement as well (20 mph?) so your OEM grips only partially warm up at idle...

8 mph, under that speed the power to the grips is limited to 50%.

I won't dispute that speed, but I will say my grips take a long time to warm up after I get rolling. It also doesn't help that it reverts back at every stop sign and traffic light. I've procrastinated on the ground mod a couple of times, but every early spring and late fall I kick myself in the rear for not doing it. It's on the list for winter maintenance (won't happen until March).

 

[dcarver]

Hans, man up and ride naked!

It's not like you live in Chicago or something...

 

[DennisJ]

I hadn't heard of the speed requirement, good news to me. I was concerned that my newly installed Oxford Heaterz were not working properly. At idle I can just barely feel the heat, they don't actually start getting warm until I get the RPM up over about 2500 and by then I am well over the minimum speeds mentioned earlier. Once moving they warm up nicely, warm enough so I can ride with my most-of-the-year weight gloves and feel the heat. Very nice to have warm fingers at freeway speeds when it is below 40F.

 

[ionbeam]

I hadn't heard of the speed requirement, good news to me. I was concerned that my newly installed Oxford Heaterz were not working properly. At idle I can just barely feel the heat, they don't actually start getting warm until I get the RPM up over about 2500 and by then I am well over the minimum speeds mentioned earlier. Once moving they warm up nicely, warm enough so I can ride with my most-of-the-year weight gloves and feel the heat. Very nice to have warm fingers at freeway speeds when it is below 40F.

Hmmm, that's not right for an Oxford kit. Once your engine is running there should be no limitations on the heat. The Oxford heat controller only senses the voltage level and does not sense speed like the later Gens OEM power controller. As long as the Oxford heat controller sees 12 volts it will allow 100% power. It will take roughly 5 minutes before you will feel noticeable heat with gloves on. If the voltage to your heat controller drops below 12V the controller will shut off all power to the grips, the grips will either be completely, 100% off, or enabled to deliver what ever heat setting you selected. FWIW, when I am stopped at a traffic light my Oxford grips actually get hotter because moving air is not cooling them.

 

[RaYzerman19]

It's going to depend on what wire you chose to ground your Oxfords...... did you use the OEM's green/white wire to ground them? If so, you'll get the pulsing ground from the ECU..........