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Post by william42 on May 6, 2014 7:44:56 GMT -5
Your alarm system is capable of "immobilizing the engine and cannot be started", according to my 2013 Heritage owners hand book. Your entire problem might be a result of not disarming the alarm system properly. Or maybe the alarm system isn't working like it should anymore. I disconnected my alarm system by removing the "automotive-type" fuse that is located on the front of the scooter, under the cowling, near the alarm system control box. My Scoot starts and runs fine without the alarm system in the circuit.
With that said, if I were looking for that problem on my scoot, I would start my scoot and then not shut it down until I found the culpret. Start with the alarm system fuse. With the bike running, pull the fuse. If it stays running then you know the scooter can and will run without the alarm system. Two things will have happened. The problem is either solved, or it is not. But I wouldn't shut it off yet.
With the engine still running, take each of the cable connectors that you messed with in your first post and, one by one, (as I mentioned in MY first in reply to your first post) wiggle and push and pull on each connector to see if the engine quits. If nothing happens then, at each of those same connectors, take each wire individually on that connector and do the same thing.
Chances are, a wire is going to break AT a connector, not somewhere in the middle of the wire. Or the problem could be that it's the connection itself. A connection consists of male and female terminal ends. Those connectors must have a tight mating surface. They can become dirty, loose, or even break over time.
You could even disconnect a plug and see what happens with the engine. If the engine stays running with the plug disconnected, you could assume that the problem isn't with that connector. Find one that kills the engine and suspect that cable plug connector and focus your energy and efforts on each wire in that cable.
Also consider a wear-through on a wire. It could be that a wire is rubbing on the frame of the bike and with time and vibration it could have wore through the insulation and is either grounding out on the frame or broke and just hanging on by a thread. Look at any wires that are in contact with anything else and make sure they are still intact. Look closely and look at everything slowly. You don't want to miss anything.
Wiring can be a difficult thing to diagnose so just take your time and sytematically check each individual wire. There are only so many of them. You will eventually find it. But start with the alarm system...
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Post by william42 on May 5, 2014 8:04:35 GMT -5
I think this is a great idea and am going to make and install one for my scooter! A couple of questions though.
1. Would it be even more beneficial to extend the air intake of the scoop farther forward? As far forward and away from the exhaust pipe is as practible?
2. Is the added 12 volt electric fan really a benefit in exhuasting hot air from the engine compartment? I mean, there is plenty of places for the air to escape from and I would think that the bike's cooling fan would provide enough air flow for the exhausting of that hot air. What are your thoughts?
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Post by william42 on May 4, 2014 20:21:16 GMT -5
Is it a timing issue? Maybe it's getting spark but at the wrong time. Maybe it's something like a missing key on the crankshaft so the magneto isn't firing at the right time???
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Post by william42 on May 4, 2014 13:25:59 GMT -5
Will it stay running with the gas cap off, or loose?
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Post by william42 on May 4, 2014 6:41:06 GMT -5
The "automotive type" fuse on the front of the bike (near the stearing column) is for the alarm system. I know that because I disconnected mine because the alarm system is a pain in the !
Now, you said that you unplugged and then replugged in the wire cables up front and tightened some with tape, and power was restored. That tells me that you have a loose connection in one, or more, wire(s) at a plug. What I would do if I had that problem is remove the tape you had put on to "tighten the connections", turn on the key, and wiggle and push and pull on the wire cable connectors until you find the one that restores power again. Then, one at a time, wiggle and push and pull on each individual wire at the suspected plug connector until you find the wire that makes the lights come on and off.
You never know how or why some folks wire their machines so why power would have to go up front to complete a circuit is anybodys guess. But by your initial discription of the problem, and my experience with electrical connections, indicates to me that you have a bad connection of a wire. The weakest part of any wire is where the electrical connector is crimped on to the wire. Should a wire break at that connector you no longer have a continuous electrical path. The wire's insulation will hide the break so they're hard to find but by pushing on the wire near the connector could possibly reconnect the wire strands where they broke in two, at least momentarily, allowing current to again flow to it's destination. That's what I think happened when you put on some tape. You reconnected the wire. But a break is a break and it won't stay connected like that forever, which is what I think happened in your case.
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Post by william42 on May 2, 2014 19:06:10 GMT -5
I got my new Voltage Regulator in the mail today. I bolted it in and plugged it in. Now I read, at the battery with the scooter on it's stand, 13.8 volts at idle and 14.8 volts and higher rpms. It's a beautiful thang!
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Gear oil
by: william42 - Apr 30, 2014 18:14:25 GMT -5
Post by william42 on Apr 30, 2014 18:14:25 GMT -5
Could someone please explain to me the intricasies of the why and wherefors of gears on a scooter? I'm suppose to change the gear oil at 300 miles. I am at that point. I have a fairly good idea of the variable speed drive set-up thingy, whatever it's called, but I don't understand how gears are connected to the whole shebang. If I did, I could probably find where to drain and then refill it. But for now, I have no idea. Also, I'm suppose to use gear lube GL-3. No clue what that is either. Could someone please translate that weight and viscosity for me? I have some Mobil Synthetic 460 weight gear oil that I use in the gear boxes of motors at my workplace. It's damn near thick as Molasis. Would it be ok to use that stuff? Thank you very kindly for any info you could provide.  Bill |
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Post by william42 on Apr 28, 2014 20:40:16 GMT -5
So do they go bad, just cuz, or could there be a reason for it's early demise?
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Post by william42 on Apr 28, 2014 18:10:59 GMT -5
My owners manual says .004in. so I set mine there and it's working fine. I was also told .oo4 by someone on this site.
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Post by william42 on Apr 28, 2014 18:03:58 GMT -5
Turned on the key, but didn't start the engine. 12.0 volts exactly at the black wire.
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Post by william42 on Apr 28, 2014 8:47:19 GMT -5
That's exactly what my 2013 model did, but not to that extreme. It started with my 2nd take of gas, which I over-filled with  octane gas. I don't know if over filling the tank was the problem or not but I switched to regular gas for my 3rd fill-up and the issue went away and seems to run the same with regular gas. My scooter had 72 miles on it when the issue started. With that said, and with the high price of high octane gas, I assume not a lot of people use it so does that gas get old sitting in the underground tanks at gas stations? I don't have a clue what my problem was. I only know that it went away when I used regular gas so I'm using that from now on. I'm going to PM you about another issue I'm having and could use your help. Please look for it... |
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Post by william42 on Apr 28, 2014 7:15:09 GMT -5
The wiring was too easy to screw up, so I highly doubt that's the issue. And if there's a short somewhere the bike either came that way or it happened within the 311 miles that I drove it so far. I got a new regulator on the way and am counting on the problem just being a bug in a new machine. It was suggested that I run a wire from one of the regulators' mounting bolts directly to the negative battery post and I see no harm in that so it will be done. And I am going to take a new reading immediately after installing the new regulator and then go from there. And, until I get the problem resolved, Betsy Mae is gonna sit. |
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Post by william42 on Apr 28, 2014 6:47:32 GMT -5
2013 BMS Heritage 150cc with 311 miles on it. It has not been riden in the rain and I will not ride it again until this problem is resolved. A new regulator is on it's way.
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Post by william42 on Apr 27, 2014 19:34:18 GMT -5
I didn't video voltage with the break light on but I did notice that the scooters' meter was a little less with the breaks on, but again, I don't know by how much. And so I don't have to go through all the hassle of do the photobucket thing, here is a link to my voltage regulator on ebay. Here |
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Post by william42 on Apr 27, 2014 7:34:35 GMT -5
I added some LED light strips to my BMS Heritage 150cc splicing into the wires at the tail light. One is for running lights and the other for brakes. Around that same time I noticed that my voltage meter on the instrument cluster was running high. But I don't know if it was high before I added the LED's.
Now I'm concerned there is a real problem because my headlight bulb blew. I replaced the bulb then disconnected the LED's but the voltage is still running high. I reconnected the LED's and still high. No difference really with the LED's connected or not.
I suspect a bad voltage regulator because of these readings at the battery:
My question is; does the video indeed conclude that the voltage regulator is bad and did the LED's create the problem or were they just a coincidence?
Thanks for any incite.
Bill
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octane gas. I don't know if over filling the tank was the problem or not but I switched to regular gas for my 3rd fill-up and the issue went away and seems to run the same with regular gas. My scooter had 72 miles on it when the issue started.