Ignition fix

[Brodie]

I'm winding down on the build for the next 50 units and it dawned on me - since I sold the last one, I have no working model to refer back to. I'm at the point of crimping the white connectors in place and all I have is the same pictures everybody else has. I'd hate to make a mistake here and put the wrong connector on 50 wrong leads. I don't want to recall these things (wouldn't that be ironic :glare: ), so I pulled the tank on my own bike to test fit the first one.

Surprise! There is my relay hack job proof of concept I put in last May just before my 3 week vacation.

To think I made over 80 of these things and my bike did not have one.

Needless to say IT DOES NOW.
:lol:

I plan to participate in the ignition switch recall and I want it to be plug and play. My original fix was to cut into the ignition switch pigtail and add a relay. I also wired up my Datel at this location. Nothing wrong with this, but just not as slick as my harness. I'm taking this time to clean things up under the hood, the Datel will be moved to the battery terminals with it's own relay.

As a side note, my Datel read 13.6~13.7 volts with all farkles turned off at my ignition relay at freeway speed (4000k rpm). I expect to see a slightly higher true reading at the battery.

Brodie

 

[DaveT]

Brodie,

Just let me know when they are ready to go and I'll Paypal you the money.

 

[d6diesel]

Hi Brodie, I'm still going to purchase your harness. Should I get the recall work done before installing the harness? Regards, Geoff

 

[Brodie]

Geoff,

If your switch is not acting up you still may want to get the recall first. I have not seen the recall switch, I'm in the dark just as every one else is concerning what was reworked. I do think my relay switch harness will fit up the way it does now. I am using the same connectors Yamaha uses to plug it in. My harness does not alter the bike's wiring in any way.

I also want to add, my harness will not fix a failed switch either. All it does is switch the high amperage load in place of the key switch - the key switch is still used to trigger the relay.

Your call.

Brodie

Hi Brodie, I'm still going to purchase your harness. Should I get the recall work done before installing the harness? Regards, Geoff

 

[d6diesel]

Brodie, Thanks. I'll do the recall , along with the altitude fix and then install the harness. Regards !

 

[Deacon06]

Brodie, just want to confirm I am on the next list.

Thanks, Ron

 

[arefog]

Brodie, please sign me up for two units (one for my '08 and one for the friend that bought my '06). Recall or not I'll feel better with the additional insurance a relay will provide.

Dick Fogg

 

[racer]

Brodie, another reconfirm on Racer's order. I hope I get mine before I leave for Daytona! Thanks, Racer

 

[Polarize]

Brodie-

Paypal is on the way - thanks!

Polarize

 

[Lowcountry Joe]

Brodie-

Please put me on the list for one of your bypass units.

I have my doubts that even if there is some kind of new switch design, there may continue to be issues with adequate current rating on this particular set of contact points ultimately leading to the threat of heat induced failure (failure due to melting plastic, heat stressed contact springs, burnt/damaged contacts, melted solder, etc, etc.).

I am convinced that this point of design weakness is responsible for most (but probably not all...ref weep hole dirt and grime, etc.) of the failures reported. So I would rather bypass all that heavy current to the 70 amp relay and be on the safe side so that now the ONLY job that particular switch contact has to perform is to be able to pass enough current to energize the relay.

Thanks for taking the time to do all the voltage & current checks, connectivity and parts research/procurement, not to mention the pictures and schematic, describing the design of your innovative bypass harness.

Thanks,

LCJoe

 

[Sportster]

Please add me to the list for one relay.

As others have said: Better have too much protection, than not enough.

Sportster

 

[Nightshift]

Please add me to the list. Can't wait to buy one!

Add me to the list for the relay. I am a little nervous thinking my FJR might stall out in the middle of nowhere due to this electrical problem.

Mick

 

[walter47111]

Please add me to the list. Can't wait to buy one!

Add me to the list for the relay. I am a little nervous thinking my FJR might stall out in the middle of nowhere due to this electrical problem.

Mick

Would you please put me on your list for your next run thanks

 

[Brodie]

Terrebandit asked a very timely question in a PM to me. He gave me permission to post it here...

Brodie,
Now that the switches have been recalled by Yamaha, is there any reason to have this? I wanted your input.

Dave

Here was my answer...

Hi Dave
From what I know after reading the posts here on the forum, Yamaha is replacing the electrical portion of the ignition switch with a new circuit board and possibly a new plastic cross shaped floating contact carrier with wiper plates. It may be that the embossed wiper elements (if supplied) will have a new shape that presents a larger contact surface with the circuit board. I don't know - nobody knows yet, the first recall switches have yet to be installed.

My ignition relay harness fits between the 50 amp main fuse living next to the battery, and the ignition switch in the middle of the top triple clamp. It's only function is to take over the high amperage switching load from the ignition switch. The ignition switch still has two circuits to activate, the low amp signal from one of the various electrical modules (red connector), and the milliamp load it takes to trigger the relay (white connector). All the potential resistance (heat) has been taken out of the ignition switch.

You have a decision to make...

Do you think Yamaha's recall fix will be sufficient to last the service life of the bike?

Or do you want to add the extra protection a sealed relay will give to the ignition circuit?

I can't answer that for you.

I will say my bike's switch failed due to resistance heating and melting the plastic carrier for the wiping switch contact. I built the Ignition Switch Relay Harness to perform as described. However, I have an appointment with my dealer service department when my recall switch parts come in.

I will not take your name off the list until you ask me, and I'm willing to wait several weeks for you to consider your options. Do me a favor and let me know either way.

Thank you for considering my Relay Harness.

Brodie

I have made 130 units so far and have a stake in how this recall comes out. My hope is that Yamaha fixed this problem for good, however, I think a relay in the works adds an extra facet of reliability for the bike.

As long as there is a demand, I will continue to make these ignition relay harnesses for the foreseeable future.

Brodie

 

[FJRONAMISSION]

Hey......... do ya have any tootsie rolls or root beer.............. :>

B.

 

[Neil San Diego]

OK, please add me to the list.

 

[BwanaDik]

Done.

Indeed, it takes longer to get in there than to make the fix.

Excellent design. :clapping: Officially Field Engineer Approved. Well done Brodie!

For you electrical types out there, should I get a spare relay? Last I delt with relays was in the early '80's and our preventive maintenance for the old Mark I turbine control systems was to, every six months, go into the panel and tap each relay with a screwdriver and wiggle it in it's socket. I assume the technology has improved since then? Reliability up to par or better?

 

[DaveT]

Done.
Indeed, it takes longer to get in there than to make the fix.

Excellent design. :clapping: Officially Field Engineer Approved. Well done Brodie!

For you electrical types out there, should I get a spare relay? Last I delt with relays was in the early '80's and our preventive maintenance for the old Mark I turbine control systems was to, every six months, go into the panel and tap each relay with a screwdriver and wiggle it in it's socket. I assume the technology has improved since then? Reliability up to par or better?

If you are out on the road and it goes bad, you can always remove it and things should work fine after that.

 

[Fred W]

Done.
Indeed, it takes longer to get in there than to make the fix.

Excellent design. :clapping: Officially Field Engineer Approved. Well done Brodie!

For you electrical types out there, should I get a spare relay? Last I delt with relays was in the early '80's and our preventive maintenance for the old Mark I turbine control systems was to, every six months, go into the panel and tap each relay with a screwdriver and wiggle it in it's socket. I assume the technology has improved since then? Reliability up to par or better?

If you are out on the road and it goes bad, you can always remove it and things should work fine after that.

To be precise, you can't just remove the relay. You would have to remove the entire wiring harness and connect the original connectors together.

That is unless you make up a jumper to be plugged in, in place of the removed relay. In other words, you could farkle this farkle by making a jumper plug that plugs in in place of the relay and returns the bike to full stock operation, but without removing the rest of the harness. It would require finding a source of male spade type connectors (pictured below) to mate with the socket and jumpering together 85 to 87 on the socket (the two brown wires).

 

[Neil San Diego]

That is unless you make up a jumper to be plugged in, in place of the removed relay...

I think it would be easier to just carry along a spare relay in that case. But if you find yourself in that situation without a spare or jumper, then you could remove the entire Brodie harness assembly and put it back to stock.

But BwanaDik does have a good question. I've always assumed that relays are pretty much bullet proof - can't recall the last time I've had one go out on a vehicle, if ever? Is there any reason to believe otherwise, especially since Brodie is using the largest amperage relay available?