Gauge Problems, Speedo, Tach, Fuel

[David Allaband]

Hi all. I am having trouble with my gauges. This is a cluster off a 1993 that worked fine for many miles. I got a 1987 with gauge problems so I put the 1993 cluster in. Problems still there.

Speedo, I have two speedo cables and three gauges. When I put the system together I get an awful howl and the needle jumps all over the place. When I disconnect the cable from the speedo the howl stops. I tried the cable and gauge from the 93 (which I know worked before) and they howl too. Not sure what the problem is, maybe something in the gearing in the fork leg? Not sure how that could be the case if separating the cable and  gauge stops the noise.

Tach, it doesn't work for the first 10 or 30 minutes of riding, then starts working.

Fuel Gauge, It was fine on the old gauge cluster, but then I stuck the 1993 cluster (worked fine before too) in there. Worked fine for a while, then started swaying slowly up and down for a while. Then freaked out, dancing all over the place, then finally flipped all the way around backward and hit the stop needle on the other side. Stays there now.

All the idiot lights work as they should.

I only have the gauge cluster from the 1993 with me, the others are out of town. I only have the speedo cable from the 1987 now, the cable from the 1993 disappeared.

Anybody have any ideas? Thanks either way!

[Pat Conlon]

Mechanical problem with the speedo, electrical problem with the tach and fuel gauges.

Need to rebuild your speedo. Send it in to San Diego.
http://www.fjowners.com/index.php?topic=5718.0

Check the ground wires on your tach and gas gauge. On the tach, it is grounded at the right side coil.
Check the electrical connections at the back of the cluster. Unscrew, sand and clean all connections.
Check your main harness plugs. Clean all the pins and female receptacles.
Check/clean your gas gauge connector above your airbox, the connector you have to unplug to remove your tank.

Report back.

[FJmonkey]

David, last we heard, you were stuck in Las Wages with a presumed bag engine. What happened? Are you back on the road? After all the drama we are on the edge of our Corbin seats waiting for what happened next. People with engine problems normally don't fuss with gauges and such. 

[David Allaband]

Pat:

Fuel Gauge: I pulled everything apart and cleaned it except for the female connectors. I'm working with the bike took kit and don't have anything I can get in those female connectors to clean them. I would love to have something for that job though, if you know something I could buy. All the connections looked clean and beautiful so I didn't think it would help but I put it back together and the fuel gauge works!

Tach: Cleaning connectors didn't help the tach. I found somewhere else on this site someone mentioned that their tach needle was physically sticking to the stop needle. Mine was doing that! Not sure what the stickiness was but I was able to scrape it off with my fingernail. I could feel it coming away but couldn't see anything on my fingernail. Then it worked fine.

Speedo: Within two weeks I switched two working speedos into this bike. One I drill tested, the other worked fine on my other bike just days before the switch AND I drill tested it. No problems on either until I put them on THIS bike. I got a few good miles but then it was all wild swinging and howls. I don't trust putting a rebuilt speedo in this bike just to have it eaten like the last two gauges.

Monkey:

Sorry i didn't finish the story! I'm actually working on a trip report that will explain everything. The frame of the 93 was bent so I went with the 87 FJ1200 I picked up in Las Vegas. Four 10 hour days of switching all the good parts from the 93 over to the 87. Now I'm in Long Beach, have an apartment and start my new job this week! Except for the bike the trip went pretty well. I'm in the place I want to be with a job and the bike is running (not well but running, another post on that soon). Thanks for thinking of me! Sorry to leave you hanging!

[Pat Conlon]

Good to see you're making progress David.

The bike is not haunted. The bike does not eat speedos....the speedos eat themselves. Rebuild the speedo or keep buying them off of eBay until you get lucky and find one that works....for awhile anyway.

[mr blackstock]

G'day,

I had similar problems with my tach and fuel guage.  What worked for me after ages working on other parts of the bike was buying a new plastic block connector from below.  Or buy one locally, just make sure the blades are the thin sort, otherwise the block connector will be huge.

http://www.easternbeaver.com/Main/Elec__Products/Connectors/connectors.html

Also, earth the fuel tank to the battery earth or similar (this tip was from another member here)  Doing these things changed the bike dramatically, cured the tach jumpiness and the fuel guage no longer "spins the dial"

Concerning the speedo, years ago I had a similar prob with an old Suzuki GT380 triple, the problem was two fold.  The actual speedo cog has to sit correctly in the wheel hub.  If it is not, it may sometimes catch and sometimes not.  Another issue is if there is a slight kink in the speedo cable or dry spot, this will cause issues.  Sometimes you can pull the inner speedo wire all the way out, do this and oil it, or a light coat of grease.

Hope this helps,

Cheers, Gareth

[ribbert]

Sometimes you can pull the inner speedo wire all the way out, do this and oil it, or a light coat of grease.

Cheers, Gareth

Grease!

[red]

Speedo: Within two weeks I switched two working speedos into this bike. One I drill tested, the other worked fine on my other bike just days before the switch AND I drill tested it. No problems on either until I put them on THIS bike. I got a few good miles but then it was all wild swinging and howls. I don't trust putting a rebuilt speedo in this bike just to have it eaten like the last two gauges.

David,

That speedo needle swinging wildly means that the speedo cable driveline is binding inside the cable housing, twisting up, then releasing the twist all at once.  

Pull the center driveline out of the speedo cable.  You can leave the cable housing connected to the front wheel, or you can clean the housing, too, if you are a fanatic.     To clean the cable housing, disconnect the housing from the front wheel.  Run a steel wire down through the housing, and use the wire to pull small scraps of cloth through the housing repeatedly.  Start with cloth soaked in solvent, then switch to clean cloth pieces.  Lubricate that housing and driveline with the best heavy lube available.  Add a few extra drops of lube to the top of the speedo cable as you reassemble it to the bike, and try it again.

Use a good contact cleaner, rather than tools, to clean plug contacts that look okay.  Use cleaners that are guaranteed not to harm plastics, not just any solvent.  Use good rubber gloves to protect your skin, because most cleaners are not friendly to humans in the long term.  You can buy almost any replacement plug for the bike, at on-line places which specialize in that need.

Glad to hear that things are coming together for you.

Cheers,
Red

[movenon]

On my rebuild I just bought a new Motion Pro speedometer cable.  They are 12 -15.00 brand new on e bay or from any of there dealers.  One every 20 or 30 years isn't to much to ask.    Also take the drive hub off and clean it up, inspect and re oil.
George

[ribbert]

On my rebuild I just bought a new Motion Pro speedometer cable.  They are 12 -15.00 brand new on e bay or from any of there dealers.  One every 20 or 30 years isn't to much to ask.    Also take the drive hub off and clean it up, inspect and re oil.
George

Grease

[racerrad8]

They are 12 -15.00 brand new on e bay or from any of there dealers.
George

George, why would you recommend a member of this forum to an eBay seller and not to RPM? I stock parts to support all members of this as well as several other forums, invest in manufacturing FJ specific parts that one else offers for the FJ. I continue to invest in more parts, and it is with the support of the FJowners and other forums that allow me do continue this, but by you sending members elsewhere doesn't benefit anyone other than an unknown eBay seller who doesn't offer you or anyone else support.

So, to keep this on topic, here is the RPM offering of the Speedo Cable

Randy - RPM

[movenon]

They are 12 -15.00 brand new on e bay or from any of there dealers.
George

George, why would you recommend a member of this forum to an eBay seller and not to RPM? I stock parts to support all members of this as well as several other forums, invest in manufacturing FJ specific parts that one else offers for the FJ. I continue to invest in more parts, and it is with the support of the FJowners and other forums that allow me do continue this, but by you sending members elsewhere doesn't benefit anyone other than an unknown eBay seller who doesn't offer you or anyone else support.

So, to keep this on topic, here is the RPM offering of the Speedo Cable

Randy - RPM

Sorry about that, I usually try to include you in the options Randy.  Kind of a brain fart there.  It was just a quick statement because I thought there was a lot of work and time going into an item that is easy and cheap to replace.   
George

[Bminder]

Grease!

Grease

Sing it Noel!

"Grease is the word
It's got groove it's got meaning
Grease is the time, is the place is the motion
Grease is the way we are feeling."     

[ribbert]

Grease!

Grease

Sing it Noel!

Haha, very funny.  Happy to if it gets the word out.

Hmmmmm. What other things could I sing about..........


"Double Clutch Band" from Richmond VA singing "Winding Road"
"Rubber Hose" by Maestro Subgum and the Whole
"Synthetic" by Spineshank,
"The Oil Song" by Steve Forbert. 'Oh the engine's gone dead,' cried the men..... (for the Aussies, that's Midnight Oil)
"Friction Junction"
"You can't stop progress" by "Clutch"
"Don't step on my blue spot brakes" - OK, I made that one up.


Good suggestion.

Noel

[movenon]

Got it, "lightweight, lithium base grease"..  Grease is the word.......
George