Instrument Cluster Fogging Issue
Stellar HDF Member
Joined: Apr 2012
Posts: 3,117
Likes: 1,193
From: Maryland
Personally, there are some things (most things actually) I like to keep stock/OEM. This is one of them... Crazy perhaps... but I think about bikes and their future when/if they become collectors items. One would want it to have these components still intact/OEM.
Stellar HDF Member
Joined: Apr 2012
Posts: 3,117
Likes: 1,193
From: Maryland
This seems to be an intermittent problem that only happens under certain atmospheric conditions.
It might be worth taking pictures and going/sending them to the dealer if you're still under the H-D Originals Warranty (i.e. the standard 1 year warranty you get with a New bike).
You "may" get lucky.
It pi$$es me off that you spend Ł17K+ on a bike and you get a problem like this (this is the only bike I've ever had in over 40 years that has done this) that H-D know about (because why are there 2 revisions already) but are reluctant to fix under warranty - they seem to be pulling the "water ingress" card which is not covered under their Warranty.
Currently looking around to see if there is an aftermarket option - drawn a blank so far!
It might be worth taking pictures and going/sending them to the dealer if you're still under the H-D Originals Warranty (i.e. the standard 1 year warranty you get with a New bike).
You "may" get lucky.
It pi$$es me off that you spend Ł17K+ on a bike and you get a problem like this (this is the only bike I've ever had in over 40 years that has done this) that H-D know about (because why are there 2 revisions already) but are reluctant to fix under warranty - they seem to be pulling the "water ingress" card which is not covered under their Warranty.
Currently looking around to see if there is an aftermarket option - drawn a blank so far!
Road Master
Joined: Jun 2019
Posts: 952
Likes: 528
From: Richmond TX
I hadn't heard of this happening on the new bikes. Surely yours was built with the latest upgraded part, so maybe their supplier is still putting out some crap from time to time. I understand how pissed you can be when yours fogs up, because that's exactly how I felt when my brand new bike did it. It is odd that it always centers around the small digital LCD screen. Anyway, a bit more detail on how I was lucky enough to get mine replaced under warranty; I sent a picture to the service manager and she asked if it ever got worse. I replied that it did and she asked me to take a picture of it when it was at its worst. It only took a day or two and I forwarded her another shot. She sent it in for warranty approval and I got lucky. Maybe you could send a picture in to another shop or the UK importer or to Corporate. It's definitely not water ingress. Under some light you can see that the droplets have a bit of a rainbow sheen and they look too small to be water. I'm guessing that at least part of it is a solvent or glue that wasn't fully degassed before they attempted sealing the units.
Club Member
Joined: Oct 2022
Posts: 652
Likes: 510
From: United Kingdom
I hadn't heard of this happening on the new bikes. Surely yours was built with the latest upgraded part, so maybe their supplier is still putting out some crap from time to time. I understand how pissed you can be when yours fogs up, because that's exactly how I felt when my brand new bike did it. It is odd that it always centers around the small digital LCD screen. Anyway, a bit more detail on how I was lucky enough to get mine replaced under warranty; I sent a picture to the service manager and she asked if it ever got worse. I replied that it did and she asked me to take a picture of it when it was at its worst. It only took a day or two and I forwarded her another shot. She sent it in for warranty approval and I got lucky. Maybe you could send a picture in to another shop or the UK importer or to Corporate. It's definitely not water ingress. Under some light you can see that the droplets have a bit of a rainbow sheen and they look too small to be water. I'm guessing that at least part of it is a solvent or glue that wasn't fully degassed before they attempted sealing the units.
As it happens, that's exactly what I have done by taking some pictures and emailing them to my Harley Dealer - as it stands, I'm still waiting to hear from them.
In the meantime, the dealership I went to yesterday, I showed them the pics on my phone and they didn't seem to think that it would get covered under warranty based on previous experiences they've had.
Good idea about sending pics to UK importer or to Corporate but, before I do that, I want to run it by Trading Standards - Is the product fit for purpose? What's the legal perspective? Do they feel I have a case to pursue further?
Yes I can live with the problem (at the moment) but sometimes it's about the principle of the matter.
Stage IV
Joined: Feb 2021
Posts: 4
Likes: 1
From: East Coast
I've been digging deep into this and see posts a decade old with the same issue. Kinda sad...
One thing I didn't see asked anywhere (apologies if it has), was if anyone had fogging with their tank mounted gauges and relocated them to the handlebars. Wondering what effect, if any, anyone has had experience with that has had...
Thanks in advance...
One thing I didn't see asked anywhere (apologies if it has), was if anyone had fogging with their tank mounted gauges and relocated them to the handlebars. Wondering what effect, if any, anyone has had experience with that has had...
Thanks in advance...
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 6,185
Likes: 4,115
From: Michigan
Why are some being replaced under warranty and others not?
Had the same thing on my 2020 FXLR, at times, couldn't read anything in the digital display. My dealer replaced it under warranty, no problem, been good since.
Had the same thing on my 2020 FXLR, at times, couldn't read anything in the digital display. My dealer replaced it under warranty, no problem, been good since.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Dec 2019
Posts: 5,276
Likes: 4,055
From: central Fl
i had the same issue with my 18 fatboy took it to dealer and they replaced it with another its looks the same but the part number was a little different it ended with a B and it worked. not seen it again. and this was back in 21. no questions asked they just replaced it. but i had a 50 dollar deductible. it was worth it to not have the wires and connectors in the dash corrode. 2&1/2 years no problem.
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Cruiser
Joined: Jan 2023
Posts: 158
Likes: 57
From: Sh*tty of Lost Angels
If I leave my 2018 Sport Glide out mid day in high humidity weather, the tachometer and odometer portion fog up. Has happened 2x in a few weeks. We are having high humidity May Gray days lately, fog in the morning, burns off around 10 to 12 noon. I'm almost of the opinion, due to the localization only happening on the LCD portion of the gauge, that it's some sort of plastic off gassing happening to the plastic the LCD is housed in.
Road Warrior
Joined: Jun 2015
Posts: 1,325
Likes: 140
From: Edinburgh UK
But, while the LCD is what you see, it is coming from any of the electronics or back of the gauge somewhere.
If you take the electronics out, there is a tiny round silica gel pack in there, I even tried putting another small silica pack in to help, and I sealed around the connector when I put it back together, and I cooked it to burn off any moisture ...but none of that helped so I probably did something wrong. Oh, and there is a coating on the back of the glass that stains if you get too much moisture and too often.