[Hivemind]

So today I wanted to fix it. However, I simply couldn't get at it! Will I have to remove the lower part of the airbox? If yes, how is that done?

Anyway, there's still this thick and stiff cable bundle covering it. Can that be moved or removed?

This happened to me couple years ago. Reading on here I had the impression some people were able to get to theirs quickly & easily. Mine looked like yours and I felt stuck too. You're right that cable bundle is so tight it doesn't want to move anywhere. At the same time that yellow connector (and maybe 1 or 2 more) is hooked on to a rail or mount and so you have to get them unclipped from that as well. A small flat screwdriver helped.

I did end up removing the lower part of the air box. There are several hoses and connectors. There is very little room to get your fingers through the frame so patience and circlip pliers will help. I vaguely remember an angle-screwdriver might have helped get to one screw through the frame from the right-hand side as well.

There is a video on youtube 'The Workshop' - Removing Throttle Bodies - he skips the actual bit we're interested in but just have a look about the 1 minute mark, he does very briefly point out the bits and pieces that need undoing. Might give you a better idea what to expect.

Once you're at the cabling, I just unwrapped as much as was necessary to be able to strip back the wires and make my repairs. I used silicone tape to wrap the bundle back up because I read electrical tape adhesive causes a mess when it melts, and I don't know where to buy proper wiring loom stuff from. I already had the silicone tape in my toolbox. It's non conductive, it's heat resistant, it doesn't have any sticky adhesive, it's just like a roll of thin silicone material but the magic part is it sticks to itself. So it won't come undone when you overlap itself a little bit each turn.

It even plugged up a small hole in my mothers garden hose. It's marvellous stuff.

I soldered my wires at the time (played with a ratcheting crimp tool first and wasn't impressed) but I've since had occasional error codes after turning the ignition key so a proper connector would have been best after all. I never thought I'd need to go in there again but when I want to get that ignition barrel off to inspect/clean the contacts I think those permanent wires will be a problem. So my suggestion is to buy a proper high current waterproof connector and do the job once

 

[OlaR]

Thanks a lot, Hivemind!
This is both helpful and reassuring!

//Ola

 

[Missing Link]

Only the airbox needs removing...... You can go to the trouble of reoving the radiator mounting bolts and the wiring plug onto the back of the radiator and letting it droop down to your front guard.
Put a rag over the gaurd/fender.
Then, there is a protective air-dam that can be removed under where the plugs are to give you more access to the rail they are mounted too.....

 

[OlaR]

Being an old fart with a stiff back and stiff fingers, I must admit that I'm considering leaving the job to my very friendly mechanic… eace:

Anyway, thanks for your advice! :niceone:

 

[Missing Link]

Let him know about the clues we have given, it will speed things up for him....and your wallet...👌

 

[OlaR]

The job ended at the mechanic's :doctor: and he confirmed the diagnosis. The problem was well known to him but he said that mine was one of the more serious cases he had seen. The whole connector was welded together so he had to cut it off entirely!

The job took him well over 4 hours so it didn't come cheap, but for now the bike runs like a dream! :supsmiley:

 

[Missing Link]

Its great it got fixed....but 4 hours ???

 

[vic_bitter]

Its great it got fixed....but 4 hours ???

Had a long lunch on the clock.

 

[Missing Link]

Had a long lunch on the clock.

Sounds like it..... gee, i am a numpty with electricals, but when i did mine, it took about 1-1/2 hours......and thats probably cause i was drunk
when i did it.....good part is the horn beeps everytime i turn the ignition on since then.....:beer::beer::beer:

 

[Sevensgt]

Got to the bottom of it!!!!!!!!

Finally got to the bottom of this problem..the connector between the ignition switch and the wiring harness was shorting out causing the ignition cut out. This is in the main pin that feeds the ignition relay and it did not pop the 30A main fuse.

So you had no power at all, no lcd, no lights at all?

 

[Missing Link]

So you had no power at all, no lcd, no lights at all?

If the Green Connector goes, you have NO power, anywhere...... Its a silly design fault.

Locate the green connector and you will see that at least one wire is fried....bypass that and all will be well, i had a suitable waterproof connector
that i substituted the green one for and have never had a problem since......

 

[Jokester]

The wires are Black with a Red stripe on one end and Orange (?) on the other.
When you lift the tank the connectors are on the inside of the frame behind the steering head. The three connectors are mounted to a plate against the frame with the green (bad) connector on the left end, the yellow one in the center, and a black one on the right. The Green connector slides off the mounting plate upward. You then unplug it and pull one end down under the cross brace to work on it. I unscrewed the mounting plate from the frame but I'm not sure you need to do that to access the plug.

That's headlight O-> B/R Rectifier and starter - does it happen on the N also ? Curious to know. The S got a whole mess of a draw right when you turn on the key and if its arcing cos its loose, it can prove catastrophic - well even if its just the 4-5 amp for a single headlight too.

Because the Br is tail light, LED's and low current, O/R is to ecu and just a signal, red->B/R to rectifier and starter - which will burn when you hit the start button, not when running.
Once the O (headlight) burns itself, you can never tell cos it could just take out any/all of em.

PS: I have no air dam, I can touch and see the green goblin connector - can I get it out from the bottom and not mess with taking the airbox off ?
Mine is an 07 wiring harness that will have super low draw LED's. Can I ignore this due to the lower draw ?
I am pretty good at electronics, but am not looking forward to the relay swap till winter probably - which would be my go to way to fix it. And is an 03 harness the same as the 07 ? Cos I have one of those lying around somewhere as well.

 

[Missing Link]

If the air dam is goone there will be some crap getting in there. Maybe you can disconnect it there, but i would take the air box out....its easy as anyway.....and you will be able to work at
the wiring better

 

[Jokester]

Its pretty clean, I pulled that air damn outta there last time I was in there - after which I didn't ride it. I'll wire into a relay with an extra foot of wire, so I can take off through the bottom easier.

 

[schmidt314]

That's headlight O-> B/R Rectifier and starter - does it happen on the N also ? Curious to know. The S got a whole mess of a draw right when you turn on the key and if its arcing cos its loose, it can prove catastrophic - well even if its just the 4-5 amp for a single headlight too.

Because the Br is tail light, LED's and low current, O/R is to ecu and just a signal, red->B/R to rectifier and starter - which will burn when you hit the start button, not when running.
Once the O (headlight) burns itself, you can never tell cos it could just take out any/all of em.

PS: I have no air dam, I can touch and see the green goblin connector - can I get it out from the bottom and not mess with taking the airbox off ?
Mine is an 07 wiring harness that will have super low draw LED's. Can I ignore this due to the lower draw ?
I am pretty good at electronics, but am not looking forward to the relay swap till winter probably - which would be my go to way to fix it. And is an 03 harness the same as the 07 ? Cos I have one of those lying around somewhere as well.

Harnesses are very different.
-ms

 

[Jokester]

So, an 07 resistant to burning up the green goblin connector ?

 

[schmidt314]

So, an 07 resistant to burning up the green goblin connector ?

Nope.

-ms

 

[Jokester]

I'm going to be running twin LED's, I think my draw gonna be like 3 amp max in that orange wire.
Let me try an amp clamp on it after getting it all back together. For now I am working on fabbing that NLA X bracket.
Then adjust TPS, and ride a few 1000 miles for this year before getting into the rotor, chudder, green goblin etc.

 

[Missing Link]

The connector and chudder are in order of preference for fixes for sure, but, the magnets are a must do.....i wouldn't put that off.

 

[Jokester]

The connector and chudder are in order of preference for fixes for sure, but, the magnets are a must do.....i wouldn't put that off.

Exhaust has been dropped off to be chopped, gauge bracket is being made, Battery should be here today and I'd need to adjust TPS before even firing it up now. By this weekend hopefully, I am able to run it round the n'hood. I'll probably do the rotor and chudder in the dead of winter and for this summer concentrate on a few things like my headlight brackets, my gauge cluster bracket etc and ride like an old man. Its got low low low miles and its an 07. Likely it has some better parts than the 03's.