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General Category => Yamaha FJ1100 / FJ1200 Running Problems => Topic started by: barberman91 on August 25, 2016, 09:35:35 AM

Title: Gauges driving me nuts
Post by: barberman91 on August 25, 2016, 09:35:35 AM
Not a single gauge works on my 91 1200. It lights up but nothing moves. Any ideas where to look?
Title: Re: Gauges driving me nuts
Post by: FJmonkey on August 25, 2016, 09:53:23 AM
Possibly a fuse. The speedo runs off the cable so that should still work. Do any lights in the dash illuminate when you start the bike?
Title: Re: Gauges driving me nuts
Post by: barberman91 on August 25, 2016, 10:06:26 AM
The dash lights come on before I start it when the key is on. As far as the speedo, I only took it for its first ride last night. I might have been to excited to look at it.
Title: Re: Gauges driving me nuts
Post by: FJmonkey on August 25, 2016, 10:26:51 AM
Just to be clear, dash lights can be the back lights and or the specific lights like low fuel, low oil, turn (left & right), high beam. I am asking about the specific lights. Do any of them illuminate during the start?
Title: Re: Gauges driving me nuts
Post by: barberman91 on August 25, 2016, 11:35:28 AM
The oil light and fuel light are on when cranking it over. Once started only the neutral light stays on
Title: Re: Gauges driving me nuts
Post by: FJmonkey on August 25, 2016, 11:42:08 AM
Quote from: barberman91 on August 25, 2016, 11:35:28 AM
The oil light and fuel light are on when cranking it over. Once started only the neutral light stays on
Ok, now we have a good starting point. The general or back lights work. The neutral light, low oil and low fuel light work. Does the High beam indicator light work?
Title: Re: Gauges driving me nuts
Post by: barberman91 on August 25, 2016, 11:43:57 AM
I believe it does. I know the high beam comes on but the regular low beam doesn't work. Idk if it could be related or if it's just a bad bulb.
Title: Re: Gauges driving me nuts
Post by: FJmonkey on August 25, 2016, 11:48:53 AM
Quote from: barberman91 on August 25, 2016, 11:43:57 AM
I believe it does. I know the high beam comes on but the regular low beam doesn't work. Idk if it could be related or if it's just a bad bulb.
Check your PM box...
Title: Re: Gauges driving me nuts
Post by: barberman91 on August 27, 2016, 10:41:45 PM
ok the cluster is off of the bike. any way of testing the tach? I cant seem to find any wiring schematic. I'm thinking I could fire up the bike and test for volts if I knew what wires to hook onto.
Title: Re: Gauges driving me nuts
Post by: balky1 on August 28, 2016, 02:58:32 AM
Quote from: barberman91 on August 27, 2016, 10:41:45 PM
ok the cluster is off of the bike. any way of testing the tach? I cant seem to find any wiring schematic. I'm thinking I could fire up the bike and test for volts if I knew what wires to hook onto.

http://www.fj1100.it/content/download/index.php?lng=ENG (http://www.fj1100.it/content/download/index.php?lng=ENG)

Find Clymer manual here, you have all the wiring diagrams.
Title: Re: Gauges driving me nuts
Post by: Pat Conlon on August 28, 2016, 10:32:49 PM
The wiring diagram specific to the year of your FJ can also be found in the back of the Owners Handbook.

Lots of good stuff in the Owners Handbook (like how to test your oil/fuel gauge bulbs, etc)

It is a recommended read. It's a free download. See my signature line for the link.
Title: Re: Gauges driving me nuts
Post by: barberman91 on August 28, 2016, 10:46:40 PM
Thanks a lot guys, I'm going to check out the diagrams. I'm also going to check all the wiring at the coils, I've heard that dirty connections there can mess with the tach.
Title: Re: Gauges driving me nuts
Post by: barberman91 on September 03, 2016, 02:16:04 PM
So I looked at the wiring by the coils and found this black ground wire that was cut in half. When I connect the two sides I blow the main fuse. Any ideas?
Title: Re: Gauges driving me nuts
Post by: barberman91 on September 03, 2016, 02:18:08 PM
Picture of wire
Title: Re: Gauges driving me nuts
Post by: ct7088 on September 03, 2016, 02:35:09 PM
Try to follow the wire . Does the wire join another bundle? Is the wire spliced to another wire? The black wire doesn't belong in any of the three connectors in the picture.
Three pin connector is for the main switch (key switch)
Both two pin connectors are for the coils.
Title: Re: Gauges driving me nuts
Post by: barberman91 on September 03, 2016, 02:45:29 PM
The wire goes into this 4 wire connector. The other half leads to an eyelet that grounds to the bottom of the coil.
Title: Re: Gauges driving me nuts
Post by: FJ_Hooligan on September 03, 2016, 03:19:18 PM
Is that wire stuck into the same slot as the red wire?  If so, then it appears that you're grounding a main lead to ground which will pop any fuse you install. 

Maybe the PO used it to tap off of a power source.  Using a black wire as a power wire is dumb.

Ohm the other wire to ground.  I'll bet you see 0 ohms
Title: Re: Gauges driving me nuts
Post by: barberman91 on September 03, 2016, 03:21:46 PM
Yep, you are right. I wonder what the ground wire was supposed to be hooked to?
Title: Re: Gauges driving me nuts
Post by: FJ_Hooligan on September 03, 2016, 03:24:40 PM
Looks like he had some accessory wired in there but removed it before selling the bike.  There is 12V switched power and a ground.  I guess all he had was black wire.

If you're not going to use the power wire, wrap it in something to prevent it from grounding on something.
Title: Re: Gauges driving me nuts
Post by: barberman91 on September 03, 2016, 03:33:59 PM
Hmm. What a let down. I was hoping it was going to be an easy fix for my tach
Title: Re: Gauges driving me nuts
Post by: barberman91 on September 04, 2016, 07:07:45 PM
 I cleaned every connection and used dielectric grease on all of them. When I hook the cluster up I notice the tach bouncing ever so slightly at zero. I'm starting to think it's a cluster issue.
Title: Re: Gauges driving me nuts
Post by: barberman91 on September 08, 2016, 10:27:59 AM
Is there a certain way to test the wiring to the tach with a multi meter?
Title: Re: Gauges driving me nuts
Post by: FJ_Hooligan on September 08, 2016, 10:54:51 AM
Find a ground point on the gauge cluster or wiring as close to the cluster as possible and run a separate ground wire from there directly back to the battery.
Title: Re: Gauges driving me nuts
Post by: ct7088 on September 08, 2016, 10:12:03 PM
The gray wire at the tach and the gray wire from the igniter from the 4 pin connector are spliced either at the 17 pin connector or close to it. The motor runs so you know that the connection from the coil to the igniter is good. There should be voltage on the gray tach wire when cranking the motor or when running. The igniter grounds the primary winding causing the coil to fire in response to the pickup coil. Do you have a dwell meter?
Title: Re: Gauges driving me nuts
Post by: wco56 on October 04, 2021, 09:26:14 AM
I know this is an old thread, but did you ever find a way to static test that tach? I have checked continuity all the way up to the dash on mine and everything looks good. I got a used dash that the owner said the tach worked in and N/G. Did the separate ground on both dash units, still no good. Have not really seen a detailed testing method for the unit itself.
Title: Re: Gauges driving me nuts
Post by: Pat Conlon on October 04, 2021, 11:03:34 AM
Did you ohm check (not just continuity) the gray signal wire from the #1/4 coil (right side) to your tach?

Title: Re: Gauges driving me nuts
Post by: wco56 on October 04, 2021, 01:21:34 PM
Pat, Thank you for responding to me. What I did check was the pulses with my VOM set for AC and all was good. I did not check ohms from the coil up to the dash, but I did come up with a solution. I cleaned all the connections on my original dash without success, but I had better luck when I did the same with the replacement dash. That tachometer worked when plugged into the harness so I just swapped them out and I am now in business. The tach with 5000 miles use I am assuming is no good, but the one with ten times that is working. I guess it's a bit like exercise...use it or lose it. Thanks for connecting on it.
Wayne