I thought they fixed this crap. '07 electrical crap

Discussion in '6th Generation 2002-2013' started by marriedman, Jul 19, 2014.

  1. risgett

    risgett New Member

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    Well, I'll join the crowd. I have an 07. For about 6 months now, about every 1000-1500 miles my 30amp fuse blows. It did it again this morning on my way to work(I've been keeping spare fuses in my jacket pocket). I haven't had time to look for the culprit, but I know I need to. I guess I'll just check all the usually suspects and let yall know what I find. Since it only does it every month or so, and I keep spare fuses...it hasn't really been a priority thus far. But I know I'm probably on borrowed time.:bull_head:
     
  2. Y2Kviffer

    Y2Kviffer Insider

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    In 2000 Honda upgraded the RR, so they are aware of problems.... yet the issue persists.... are you reading this Mr Honda??!!
     
  3. Jeff S

    Jeff S New Member

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    No trouble with mine yet, but I guess I'd better keep my eyes/ears/nose open, eh? And carry some spare fuses. I'm only at 2600 miles, but I guess it's never too soon.
     
  4. Bernieswanson

    Bernieswanson New Member

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    I too have to carry around extra fuses for my 2007 VFR. I have a consistently inconsistent fuse blowing on the horn/ turn signal circuit all the time.
     
  5. signal

    signal Definitely Not New Member

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    it doesn't seem right to constantly blow the horn/signal fuses. I did some major troubleshooting on my VFR800, and stripped it down, and there is a front sub harness that can be stretched quite tight. I noticed mine was stretched far enough to where some of the wires were being pulled out of the connectors and some of the plastic housing on the connectors had broke. You wouldn't notice it on first inspection, but there is a membrane/thin piece of plastic inside the connectors that keep each pin isolated, and that had torn and I think I had occasionally some pins touching each other. I just replaced the harness........it wasn't even the issue I was troubleshooting for, but you never know what you will find.
     
  6. dayreamer

    dayreamer New Member

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    Great...I just closed a deal on an 07 VFR with 4500 miles on it...I should get it in a couple of weeks, so I've been lurking on the forum to see how folks like it. This is the first negative I found, but it sounds like a big one.

    I have a Kawa 07 ZZR600 that I put 46,000 mile on. It has been bulletproof except for one thing: The clutch position safety switch blows all the time..I've changed a dozen of them and keep extras with the bike. When it fails, you can't start the bike with the clutch lever pulled in (transmission disengaged). This is a safety hazard...imagine if you kill the engine for some reason in an intersection: you have to put the gear in neutral before you can start it as inattentive cagers barrel towards you...so I learned never to stall, as if my life depended on it (which it does). Otherwise, the bike has been (and still is) fantastic.

    The problem is well known, Kawa just never bothered to fix it. With Honda's reputation for reliability, I was hoping that I was "upgrading" to a higher standard of quality. I have an Acura RL (140,000 miles) and a Honda civic (245,000 miles) that have never given me chronic problems. Yes, things go bad now and then, but only after extensive use and, when they're fixed, they stay fixed.

    I'm a good rider, but not a very good mechanic. Plus, I've got no time to play with it. Any advice on how to prepare for the bike? Should I start carrying around spare electronics kit in the saddle bags? Should I establish an "ETOPS" for the bike (always be near a bike shop)? Anybody want to buy a very slightly used VFR? :disturbed:
     
  7. sunofwolf

    sunofwolf New Member

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    zero problems with my 06 vfr-I upgraded the battery to a shoria.
     
  8. skimad4x4

    skimad4x4 "Official" VFRWorld Greeter

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    A credit card and a charged mobile phone with your breakdown assistance firm number on speed dial is perhaps the most sensible tool kit to carry. I have had issues with both the RR and Stator on my 2007. The RR probably disliked me using the bike as a submarine - when riding in North Wales where it rains a lot with plenty of flooded roads. The Stator failed after the insulation on the windings melted - after an all day long, 700 mile high speed run along the Autobahns on a baking hot day. I have a voltage meter fitted on the bike but only spotted the volts had dropped to around 10 just as I reached my planned overnight accommodation - I was stuck for 3 days. The stator looked even worse than the one in post #10 and I suspect that being coated in hot engine oil seeping past the oil seal may have contributed to the problem. It looked and smelled like the whole thing had been fried. I wonder if that oil seal needs attention Mr Honda!



    SkiMad
     
  9. Scubalong

    Scubalong Official Greeter?

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    :welcome: to the madness :wave:
    Out of thousands VFR sold world wide, many past 100k miles. I would not worry on this issue.
    If you worry get a spare stator and RR in case. Ride the bike and be happy.
    What you read here is a small percent.
    Please stop by Introduction down the hall and intoduce yourself :thumb:
    Let us know if you have any question and concern Ride safe and ATGATT
     
  10. marriedman

    marriedman New Member

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    Keep in mind that I was pissed when I wrote this. This is not unique to the VFR line. All motorcycles can have a failed stator. Suzuki GSXR/F's are famous for them. Also, the previous owner had the dealership do all the work. Dealers also use the cheapest parts they can to save money. They would not use the beefy connectors that many riders that have experience would use.

    This is my favorite toolkit!
     
  11. nearfreezing

    nearfreezing New Member

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    Besides the charging system and maybe the cam chain tensioners, the VFR seems to be pretty reliable. Ask any of the riders with >100k miles on their bikes. Concern for getting stranded is warranted, but you can reduce the risk of a shut down tremendously if you 1) clean the charging system connectors/apply Oxgard, 2) change the stator prophylactically every 30,000-40,000 miles, and 3) replace the R/R with a MOSFET unit.
     
  12. Bernieswanson

    Bernieswanson New Member

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    Update on my shorting, fuse blowing wire. For the second time in a year, the wire harness off the left of the bike to the front fairing and dashboard has decided to blow a 10 amp fuse. It was the fuse for the turn signals, Anyway when I hit any small bum,p a wire rubbed on a frame mount and shorted. In both cases it was not obvious. There was no smoking wire or heat damage. Just a tiny speck on the wires. Impossible to recreate in the shop, it would blow after a half mile ride. I hole it stays good.
     
  13. signal

    signal Definitely Not New Member

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    Bernieswanson do you have more information on this or perhaps pictures? The wires are insulated, the wires should not hit frame mounts and when you hit bumps unless someone has stripped away the insulation
     
  14. skimad4x4

    skimad4x4 "Official" VFRWorld Greeter

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    +1 :thumb:.

    Interestingly I encountered a similar problem with the wiring loom under the tank of my Street Triple which had worn through and would occasionally earth out the starter circuit. Intermittent faults are a nightmare to track down - so when I eventually found it, I took some pictures of the damage and put them up on the triple owners forum, and I was surprised how quickly many other owners went out and found damage in exactly the same place. Suffice to say that bit of loom was redesigned in later models.

    So getting back to the VFR - if you can take some pictures, and ideally mark them clearly to show what was catching on what bit of wiring it would be really helpful. If others then find damage in the same place then I guess you may have identified a new electrical issue on these bikes to be wary of.

    Cheers



    SkiMad
     
  15. Bernieswanson

    Bernieswanson New Member

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    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]

    The first time was 3 inches down from the 20-pin connector to the dashboard. The wire was wrapped in black tape and was bent over a metal tab holding a relay. The second time was 4 inches lower where the Orange wire went through through a valley in the frame. We got lucky both times after hours and weeks looking for the culprit. On the plus side I got really good at stripping all the plastic off the bike and 15 minutes. It's been working fine this last week so I am happy again.
     
  16. signal

    signal Definitely Not New Member

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    So are both of those wires in the front harness? Its hard for me to tell if its the front or main harnesses that had the culprits.
     
  17. Bernieswanson

    Bernieswanson New Member

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    Yes, note the back of the dash in this pix with the relay removed. Notice we put tape on the edge of the metal bracket. Also, in the middle pix above, note the red wire above the oil cooler. The orange wire crossed the frame and shorted out then lifted back up after suspension compression.
    The main wire bundle comes from the bikes left side to the front, and branches off like 4 or. 5 times the end being the dash 20 pin plug.

    [​IMG][​IMG]
     
  18. ZEN biker

    ZEN biker New Member

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    As to the OP's complaint: how old was the battery? Batteries have a life and as they age they put a strain on the charging system. This leads to r/r and stator failures. I have 30k kms on my 07 and have had no issues with the charging system. Since this charging system is a balanced system, if you make a change then you have to compensate for it. LED bulbs are nice but they draw only 50mA compared to the 300 to 500mA that the oem bulb used. This is 250 to 450mA that has to go somewhere else and usually into the battery. Once the battery is fully charged the excess current is wasted as heat in the r/r. Heat causes premature failures.

    Since you have replaced the battery, stator, and rectifier I would consider making a note in your maintenance record that the battery should be replaced every 2 years. And make sure your charging system is still close to the oem balance.
     
  19. VFR_max

    VFR_max New Member

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    After reading the threads about the r/r and stator issues on two bikes that I like the 2007 RWB, and the 08 Street Triple, is this just something that we need to just say Grin and Bear it.
    It's hit and miss, or if you buy the bike:
    1. Upgrade the wires from the Stator/RR to the Battery( or something like that) basically put lower gauge wires in.
    2. Upgrade the the Rectifier and Stator to a Ricks.
    If all that is done..What's the cost$$$?
    and How long will it last.

    Cheers,

    Bill
     
  20. NormK

    NormK New Member

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    Bill, I'm not totally convinced that the R/R and the stator are the problem, I think it is most likely the bad connector that gets hot, melts, the wires touch and short across the phases and it takes everything with it. First thing I would do is solder and heatshrink the wires and get rid of the connector and fit a volt meter so you can keep an eye on what the charging is doing and also after a few longer rides check the wires where you removed the connector and see if they are getting hot, my guess is they will probably be ok. Certainly worth a try and cost you less than $20
     
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