97 odometer issue
Thread Starter
|
Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 2,160
Likes: 62
From: GA.
97 odometer issue
Just bought a clean, 97 heritage classic to add to my collection. It has the typical problem with the odometer starting to blacken out. That doesn't bother me a ton. What does, is that when you first start it up, the odometer is blank. By the time the bike warms up, you can see the odometer numbers. I've heard of the blackening issue before, but not the blank issue til warm. Anyone else heard of, or experienced this?
Dirt don't hurt
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 21,065
Likes: 4,561
From: Haslet Texas
Have you tried cleaning the pickup??
Sometimes that fixes that.
A couple others have had problems with the odometer screen in the past and the cure seems to be replace it.
You have to disassemble the speedo to do that.
Sometimes that fixes that.
A couple others have had problems with the odometer screen in the past and the cure seems to be replace it.
You have to disassemble the speedo to do that.
Thread Starter
|
Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 2,160
Likes: 62
From: GA.
No, I haven't. I know the pickup can cause the odometer and speedo to not work, but can't see how it would cause the numbers to not show. I think I'm gonna have to put a starter clutch in it, so will pull the pick up when I do that.
Dirt don't hurt
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 21,065
Likes: 4,561
From: Haslet Texas
Damned if I know why it worked but it did.
Thread Starter
|
Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 2,160
Likes: 62
From: GA.
I went ahead and cleaned it after a quick trip up the road. Had to leave for awhile afterwards, but when I came back it was working. The bike had cooled down, But it was sitting outside in the sun. I pulled it back in the shop in the shade, and will check it later or in the morning. Maybe that's what it was. It did have a few shavings on it.
Tourer
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 357
Likes: 5
From: Valencia, Spain
There were some troubles with those year speedometers. I had to replace my 97 Road King one because the odometer was absolutely impossible to read.
The trouble, as far as I can remember, was in the connectors of the speedo and I had to remove and replace them and install new deutsch connectors. Here you have the instructions to replace that, just in case you need to do that:
http://84.234.73.214/wiki/images/c/c8/Speedo_instruction.pdf
Regards,
The trouble, as far as I can remember, was in the connectors of the speedo and I had to remove and replace them and install new deutsch connectors. Here you have the instructions to replace that, just in case you need to do that:
http://84.234.73.214/wiki/images/c/c8/Speedo_instruction.pdf
Regards,
Trending Topics
Cruiser
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 117
Likes: 6
Could possibly be a bad solder joint on the board that hold the liquid crystal. When it gets hot and expands it makes a good connection.
Try taking a low wattage solder iron/gun and touch it to each solder point to re-melt the solder and see if that solves the problem.
Try taking a low wattage solder iron/gun and touch it to each solder point to re-melt the solder and see if that solves the problem.
HD Forum Stories
The Best of Harley-Davidson for Lifelong Riders
7 Surprising Harley-Davidson Products that Are Not Motorcycles
Verdad Gallardo
8 Best Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Ever
Pouria Savadkouei
10 Worst Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Ever
Pouria Savadkouei
Killer Custom's Jail Break Is The Breakout That Refused to Blend In
Verdad Gallardo
Crazy Bunderbike Build Looks Amazing, But Is It Impossible to Ride?
Verdad Gallardo
Harley-Davidson Reveals Super Cool Cafe Racer Concept
Verdad Gallardo
Engraved Rebellion: Inside Bundnerbike's Glam Rock II
Verdad Gallardo
10 Motorcycles You Should Never Buy
Joe Kucinski
10 Things Harley-Davidson Needs to Fix in 2026
Verdad Gallardo
Tourer
Joined: Apr 2017
Posts: 349
Likes: 59
From: Bedford, Nova Scotia
I had a similar prob on my 97 FLSTS (my trip meter would reset or read wonky for no apparent reason) and it turned out to be that the battery was failing (it was 6 years old). I should have guessed as the bike wasn't starting a sharply as normal.