Acc fuse blowing
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Road Captain
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 561
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From: Pennsylvania
Acc fuse blowing
Friday I put the Dobeck TFI box on my bike. I took it out for about a 20 mile or so break-in run without any problems and then put it away until yesterday (Sunday). Yesterday was two-up riding and my first sprint was about 3 miles to my friend's house. In that stretch, I lost speedo, rear lights (brake, run and turn) and dash indicator lighting. My LED gas gauge still worked.
At my buddy's house I found that my accessories fuse had blown. I put in a spare and was on my way. About 20 miles later, while pulling away from a stop light, it blew again. I pulled over and put in the last spare. I made it about another 10 miles and again while pulling away from a stop, it blew a third time. I was out of spares and luckily was only about 2 miles from the house and got it home just as dark was setting in.
What could be causing it to blow that fuse? Is there some sort of surge when pulling away that might overload? My only thought is to look for a pinched wire during the installation of the TFI. I was going to do that tonight after work, but if anyone has input I'd appreciate it.
At my buddy's house I found that my accessories fuse had blown. I put in a spare and was on my way. About 20 miles later, while pulling away from a stop light, it blew again. I pulled over and put in the last spare. I made it about another 10 miles and again while pulling away from a stop, it blew a third time. I was out of spares and luckily was only about 2 miles from the house and got it home just as dark was setting in.
What could be causing it to blow that fuse? Is there some sort of surge when pulling away that might overload? My only thought is to look for a pinched wire during the installation of the TFI. I was going to do that tonight after work, but if anyone has input I'd appreciate it.
RE: Acc fuse blowing
There should not be a surge issue DickGrayson, unless there is something wrong with the Dobeck TFI or you have that specific circuit overloaded, but something is amiss! If you have made other electrical mods are they connected to that same circuit? I would look for some sort of pinched wiring, or some wiring where you may have cut or nicked into the sheathing with a screwdriver or wrench that'stouching something it shouldn't. Retrace your steps where you worked with your latest install...I know that the damn fuse box/battery area is way tight! Real easy to cut into a wire if you're not super careful!
Good luck, buddy!
Steve
Good luck, buddy!
Steve
Tourer
Joined: Dec 2005
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RE: Acc fuse blowing
When I installed new bar grips, I pinched a wire inside the left housing. I did not know this because everything worked fine for many months, and then suddenly the accessory fuse blew and I had a dead short. Your problem may not be the new TFI, it may be anything in the accessory circuit. In my case, I had installed a tach about a week before the fuse blew, and I was positive it was the tach wiring and I went nuts looking for a short in that wiring. All the time it was in the left handlebar box.
You never know...
You never know...
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Road Captain
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 561
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From: Pennsylvania
RE: Acc fuse blowing
Okay. Last night I lifted the rear of my tank to get at the TFI wires and plugs I just installed. They all look good. No pinches, frays, cuts or anything. I wiggled them all around and made sure they moved freely. No problem there.
Next I lifted my dash since I've recently fiddled under there. One of the wires was between the edge of the dash console and the tank. It was squished, but not really pinched. I didn't see any cuts or anything in that one. I poked it safely back under the dash and bolted that back down.
Then I went for a test ride. I made it about a quarter mile before stopping at a light. When pulling away, I blew the damn fuse again. So I turned around and went back home.
This time I all but removed the tank. I unbolted front and back, leaving the crossover line in place. I lifted it as much as I could and checke everything I could see under there. I wiggled all the wires around and pushed and pulled on them. Nothing came loose or was damaged from all that I could see. I removed everything in my battery box and put it back in to be sure there were no pinches or anything in there. All looked good to me.
By this point it was well after dark and I didn't want to test ride it in case I blew another fuse - I'd have no rear lights at all. I'm going to give it a test this afternoon and see what happens. If it blows again, I'm about to just dump the bike over a cliff. I'm so sick of these electrical gremlins.
Any other thoughts or ideas? Why does it only seem to happen when I pull away from a red light or stop sign? That seems so bizarre to me. Where do the injector plugs pull their power from? Are they on the accessories circuit?
Next I lifted my dash since I've recently fiddled under there. One of the wires was between the edge of the dash console and the tank. It was squished, but not really pinched. I didn't see any cuts or anything in that one. I poked it safely back under the dash and bolted that back down.
Then I went for a test ride. I made it about a quarter mile before stopping at a light. When pulling away, I blew the damn fuse again. So I turned around and went back home.
This time I all but removed the tank. I unbolted front and back, leaving the crossover line in place. I lifted it as much as I could and checke everything I could see under there. I wiggled all the wires around and pushed and pulled on them. Nothing came loose or was damaged from all that I could see. I removed everything in my battery box and put it back in to be sure there were no pinches or anything in there. All looked good to me.
By this point it was well after dark and I didn't want to test ride it in case I blew another fuse - I'd have no rear lights at all. I'm going to give it a test this afternoon and see what happens. If it blows again, I'm about to just dump the bike over a cliff. I'm so sick of these electrical gremlins.
Any other thoughts or ideas? Why does it only seem to happen when I pull away from a red light or stop sign? That seems so bizarre to me. Where do the injector plugs pull their power from? Are they on the accessories circuit?
Thread Starter
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Road Captain
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 561
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From: Pennsylvania
RE: Acc fuse blowing
Well... I don't know what I did, but last night I managed to get about 30 miles on her without blowing the fuse. I never saw a crimped or cut wire anywhere. Let's just hope my luck holds. *crosses fingers*
RE: Acc fuse blowing
Hey DickGrayson...boy, I really hate it when stuff starts working and I don't know why! Gremlins kick my butt! Well...I'll keep my fingers crossed with you! Keep us updated!
Good luck!
Steve
Good luck!
Steve
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Tourer
Joined: Dec 2005
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RE: Acc fuse blowing
This kind of reminds me of a computer support technician we used to have who had a standard answer to any kind of computer problem...."Wiggle the wires and reboot". A lot of times it worked too. Maybe your wire wiggling has fixed the intermittent short. I sure hope so. It is a real pain riding a machine that you don't trust. Keep us posted.
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Thread Starter
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Road Captain
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 561
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From: Pennsylvania
RE: Acc fuse blowing
I rode to work and back yesterday without any more fuse blowing. The only thing I can think of is that it was something just a little pinched under the tank and when I lifted it and moved everything around, it re-seated somewhere better for the wire. I've been riding with a pocket full of extra fuses just in case.
This winter has brought me to hate electrical systems on bikes.
This winter has brought me to hate electrical systems on bikes.
Tourer
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 432
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From: Fort Lauderdale FL
RE: Acc fuse blowing
I would guess to say your TFI box is drawing down to the limit/at the thresholdof the acc circuit rating, in which you may have to bump up the fuse you keep replacing by plus 5A.