Hide and seek with the glove box rubber plug

[graler]

It has been an interesting day in FJR land. I just purchased an X grip and some other Ram accessories. Used the 10MM extra hole on left reservoir bracket for Ram ball. Decided that I would use it for the phone and then came up with the bright idea of running power to it from the glove box. That is when things went wrong. I pushed that little rubber plug out the bottom. Where did id go? A few minutes of feeling around I managed to work it down inside of the left side panel. You know where the foam is in that shape the fairing makes. The harder I tried to retrieve it the further in it went. Out came the tools and I started removing Tupperware. Pieces I have never taken off were now loosened to allow me to drive that piece of crap rubber plug even further into the crevice it found. Eventually I won. I had to take several breaks as my patience ran low. I retrieved the little bugger. I cut a slot into it from the edge. Laced the phone charging cord through it and shoved it back into place. Then proceeded to reinstall all of the fasteners I removed. I know my bike just a little better now. I also checked my on bike tool kit to make sure I had at least one of each of the tools I used. All was not lost.

Joe

 

[Panman]

You wouldn't be the only one to push that bugger out.

 

[Eric L]

first thing i did on the new FJR was to remove that f*cking thing.

 

[HotRodZilla]

It's kind of funny, but only because it happened to someone else. Losing stuff in these fairings is a rite of passage. Welcome to the club.

 

[art miller]

Yeah, I know how you feel. I lost a couple of those damn push rivet fasteners in the guts of the bike. Sometimes you find them later when taking fairings off. Never buy replacements from the stealer, buy them from after market sellers.

 

[BkerChuck]

I lost that damn plug last year and figure someday when I strip all the bodywork maybe I'll find it.

 

[Wemi]

What glove box rubber plug? All I see is a hole. The plug must be next to the non existing spring protection rubber flap. (Which I finally got my dealer to remove form a new 2012 he had standing around and install on my bike ). Now I need to go look in that bikes glovebox and see if it has a hole plug. If it does, alas!!!!

 

[Wemi]

What glove box rubber plug? All I see is a hole. The plug must be next to the non existing spring protection rubber flap. (Which I finally got my dealer to remove form a new 2012 he had standing around and install on my bike ). Now I need to go look in that bikes glovebox and see if it has a hole plug. If it does, alas!!!!

 

[Eric L]

Its not a hole, its an auxiliary cooling port. I had the plug out for 60K miles. Didnt seem to matter as the hole was crammed with wiring anyway.

 

[Silent]

Glad to hear you recovered the grommet. Once you get use to it, you can pull the side panels off in about 5 minutes each. Only about 10 bolts/screws and 1 electrical connector. It is intimidating at first, but after the first time you have the side panel on the bench you realize it ain't no big thing. Be aware, they hid bolts under the heat deflector wings.

 

[mcatrophy]

What glove box rubber plug? All I see is a hole. The plug must be next to the non existing spring protection rubber flap. (Which I finally got my dealer to remove form a new 2012 he had standing around and install on my bike ). Now I need to go look in that bikes glovebox and see if it has a hole plug. If it does, alas!!!!

Picture of grommet in hole (with slot and extra hole with wire going through):

(Click on image for larger view)

 

[dcarver]

Hee Heee.

Wait till you pull the tank!

 

[Eric L]

Grommet?

 

[Burnspot]

It's a fun little plug ain't it? BTDT. Be prepared to frequently re-plug your accessory power every few hours while on a ride...it likes to vibrate loose from the lighter plug. You're used to pulling panels now, you ought to look into fixing yourself up with some proper accessory power solutions.

 

[graler]

It's a fun little plug ain't it? BTDT. Be prepared to frequently re-plug your accessory power every few hours while on a ride...it likes to vibrate loose from the lighter plug. You're used to pulling panels now, you ought to look into fixing yourself up with some proper accessory power solutions.

Proper accessory power solutions? You mean a fuse block or maybe a aux powerlet connection? Yep have both of those. The GPS is hard wired. I had heard comments regarding outlet connections working their way apart. If they do the phone will let me know when it gets low. It seems like a enterprising individual could wedge something into the glove box space to keep things in place. Right now my toll tag box is about the right size.

 

[richsp51]

Graler, I had the same thought as you about using the power plug in the glovebox. I grafted a SAE plug onto an extension of the power plug and use it to power my GPS. I was able to remove the grommet just fine.. cut a slot like you did too. However, It was a bear to get that grommet back in place! Hand size is an issue, so, I had my wife try and she had no problem at all!

 

[RichDoyle]

Graler, I had the same thought as you about using the power plug in the glovebox. I grafted a SAE plug onto an extension of the power plug and use it to power my GPS. I was able to remove the grommet just fine.. cut a slot like you did too. However, It was a bear to get that grommet back in place! Hand size is an issue, so, I had my wife try and she had no problem at all!

This is basically what I did. And on my '13 I could put hands (okay, fingers) on the grommet above and below simultaneously, which helps a lot getting it seated.

 

[CA G-Man]

You didn't happen to see my headlight adjustment knob while you were in there did you?