Intermittent bad ground?


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offcenter
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Intermittent bad ground?

Post by offcenter »



On my '99 Gl 1500....
I have a problem that comes and goes.
I will lose all tail lights and brake lights, and when
this happens, the dashboard directional indicators will
both light, as well as front directional signals. (but not the rears)
The dash lights and front lights do not flash. They just all stay
on until the problem goes away, then the tail lights come back
on.
I suspect a bad ground, but where do I look? Where is everything
grounded on this bike?
Thanks in advance, gang.


George in Jersey.
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Re: Intermittent bad ground?

Post by virgilmobile »

There's a ground lug under the seat area.Also inspect the big plug with all the wires in it for corrosion.
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Re: Intermittent bad ground?

Post by dingdong »

Follow this link. I found the exact same on my 1500 that is described here.

viewtopic.php?f=6&t=19901
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Re: Intermittent bad ground?

Post by offcenter »

That link describes my problem exactly!
Thanks very much.
I'll report back when I have a chance to take the seat off
and look at that 21 pin connector.
George in Jersey.
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Re: Intermittent bad ground?

Post by Charlie1Horse »

Always keep some dielectric grease with you, and anytime you disconnect a connector, coat the connections with some grease. It promotes good connectivity, keeps moisture out, and helps keep the connector cooler by dissipating any heat from any previous corrosion.
Russell

Those who say it cannot be done should try not to interrupt those who are doing it.
Those who say it cannot be done should try not to interrupt those who are doing it.
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Re: Intermittent bad ground?

Post by offcenter »

Sorry this is a bit late, but.....
I finally got around to pulling the seat and looking at the 21 pin connector
in the plastic box.
Sure enough, the ground wire was all burnt and had blackened the plastic
plug.
I installed a new ground wire parallel to old one in the box.
The problem seems to be solved.
Thanks to all who clued me in on the problem.
I never would have found that on my own.
George in Jersey.
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ct1500
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Re: Intermittent bad ground?

Post by ct1500 »

Common enough problem especially if added electrical loads use the bikes OEM wiring for grounding. When adding electrical loads mid to back of MC I run a separate ground wire to frame ground lug under the seat. :)
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Re: Intermittent bad ground?

Post by AZgl1800 »

ct1500 wrote: Tue Jul 21, 2020 3:12 pm Common enough problem especially if added electrical loads use the bikes OEM wiring for grounding. When adding electrical loads mid to back of MC I run a separate ground wire to frame ground lug under the seat. :)
agree.

I always run a separate Ground Wire to the frame grounding bolt for the Battery's Negative terminal.

I do NOT trust the frame "as a ground".....
I have come to that attitude from working in Communications services since 1958, retiring in 2010.
A Ground is NOT a Ground, unless you created it yourself, and it is clean and Solid as a Rock.

My dad taught me that with a 1949 Plymouth showing me that the only "ground connection" to the frame, was a single wire to a bolt on the motor itself.... the frame relied on a fuzzy copper strap from the engine block to the firewall of the car. both of those connections were corroded....
He pulled them loose, used Baking Soda, a bit of water, and a tooth brush to clean them up.

wallah! the Headlights got bright again!!! :roll:
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Re: Intermittent bad ground?

Post by aj1500 »

never-mind, I see the problem was found :D excellent
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Re: Intermittent bad ground?

Post by MikeB »

Charlie1Horse wrote: Tue Jul 23, 2019 6:56 pm Always keep some dielectric grease with you, and anytime you disconnect a connector, coat the connections with some grease. It promotes good connectivity, keeps moisture out, and helps keep the connector cooler by dissipating any heat from any previous corrosion.
Russell

Those who say it cannot be done should try not to interrupt those who are doing it.
Actually, the dielectric grease is an insulator and does not promote good connectivity. If anything, it hampers good connectivity. The purpose of the dielectric grease is to keep out dirt and moisture and should be applied to the rear of the connector's body.
To clean the connector pins and promote good connectivity, use something like Deoxit https://caig.com/deoxit-d-series/ on the pins in the connector. We used it exclusively in our military aircraft radio when I was an aircraft communications technician. Back then it was also made my Caig Labs but it was called Cramolin.
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Re: Intermittent bad ground?

Post by WingAdmin »

MikeB wrote: Thu Jul 23, 2020 4:23 pm
Charlie1Horse wrote: Tue Jul 23, 2019 6:56 pm Always keep some dielectric grease with you, and anytime you disconnect a connector, coat the connections with some grease. It promotes good connectivity, keeps moisture out, and helps keep the connector cooler by dissipating any heat from any previous corrosion.
Russell

Those who say it cannot be done should try not to interrupt those who are doing it.
Actually, the dielectric grease is an insulator and does not promote good connectivity. If anything, it hampers good connectivity. The purpose of the dielectric grease is to keep out dirt and moisture and should be applied to the rear of the connector's body.
To clean the connector pins and promote good connectivity, use something like Deoxit https://caig.com/deoxit-d-series/ on the pins in the connector. We used it exclusively in our military aircraft radio when I was an aircraft communications technician. Back then it was also made my Caig Labs but it was called Cramolin.
Correct. Many people mistakenly think the dielectric grease is to give you good connectivity, when in fact it is the opposite. It's supposed to stop corrosion from oxidation and moisture. The best way to use it is to clean the contacts with a quality contact cleaner (Deoxit is an excellent one), put the connection together, then pack the connectors with dielectric grease from the backs of the connectors, to seal them up.
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Re: Intermittent bad ground?

Post by CrystalPistol »

Dielectric Grease will only insulate bare metal from corrosion, it will not inhibit contact between two connectors, it will not add resistance. Pack the connectors with it, then plug together, it does not inhibit the flow of smoke, it just seals up to the edge of contact.

Axle grease is a different animal.
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Re: Intermittent bad ground?

Post by 4given »

CrystalPistol wrote: Fri Jul 31, 2020 10:17 am Dielectric Grease will only insulate bare metal from corrosion, it will not inhibit contact between two connectors, it will not add resistance. Pack the connectors with it, then plug together, it does not inhibit the flow of smoke, it just seals up to the edge of contact.

Axle grease is a different animal.
That’s exactly how I’ve been using dielectric grease for years. With great success.
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Re: Intermittent bad ground?

Post by Swagonmaster »

I use the dielectric grease as much as a heat transfer medium as moisture seal and installation lubricant, sometimes those higher current connectors can be messed up royally due to the effects of heat.
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Re: Intermittent bad ground?

Post by boogeyman »

Charlie1Horse wrote: Tue Jul 23, 2019 6:56 pm Always keep some dielectric grease with you, and anytime you disconnect a connector, coat the connections with some grease. It promotes good connectivity, keeps moisture out, and helps keep the connector cooler by dissipating any heat from any previous corrosion.
Russell

Those who say it cannot be done should try not to interrupt those who are doing it.
Just noticed this post and it's helped me with planning my next move with my 92 GL1500 with similar problems.
I wanted to clarify on the above post.
Please avoid coating the connections with dielectric grease. Dielectric grease is an INSULATOR not a conductor.
Make sure your connections are good and reasonably tight and have good connectivity, THEN coat the entire thing with the grease. This ensures that they stay that way.
Coating the connections with dielectric grease has been known to cause connectivity issues because.. well, it's an insulator.

DIELECTRIC, insulating material or a very poor conductor of electric current. When dielectrics are placed in an electric field, practically no current flows in them because, unlike metals, they have no loosely bound, or free, electrons that may drift through the material. Instead, electric polarization occurs.

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Re: Intermittent bad ground?

Post by DenverWinger »

Totally agreed that dielectric grease is an insulator.

Disagree on the usage though. Clean metal contacts coated with grease in halves of a connection plug will scrape against each other displacing the grease with metal-to-metal contact when you push the plugs together, leaving the remainder of the metal contact which did not scrape against it's mate still coated in grease. This grease is thin enough it is easily displaced in the critical places where the physical metal-to-metal contact is made. In fact, this is what a good dielectric grease is designed to do.

Don't expect the same results using axle grease, even though axle grease is equally good an insulator. Axle grease is made to allow metal parts to slide against each other keeping a coating on the contact surfaces.

This is why they invented "Dielectric" grease.

Some types of connectors it is impossible to add grease once they are mated together.
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Re: Intermittent bad ground?

Post by 4given »

DenverWinger wrote: Sat Jul 23, 2022 4:17 am Totally agreed that dielectric grease is an insulator.

Disagree on the usage though. Clean metal contacts coated with grease in halves of a connection plug will scrape against each other displacing the grease with metal-to-metal contact when you push the plugs together, leaving the remainder of the metal contact which did not scrape against it's mate still coated in grease. This grease is thin enough it is easily displaced in the critical places where the physical metal-to-metal contact is made. In fact, this is what a good dielectric grease is designed to do.

Don't expect the same results using axle grease, even though axle grease is equally good an insulator. Axle grease is made to allow metal parts to slide against each other keeping a coating on the contact surfaces.

This is why they invented "Dielectric" grease.

Some types of connectors it is impossible to add grease once they are mated together.
Could not have said it any better and totally agree.
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Re: Intermittent bad ground?

Post by plain »

I don't use grease on those connections. It makes dust easier to stick. I typically separate and reseat electrical connectors 2 or 3 times every time they are exposed. Been doing that on my bike and truck for years and no electrical issues so far due to burned connections. Did repair a PCB which one would think should never be affected by dirt.


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