Yet Another Crispy Connector

Geez, I hate these crappy connections. :mad:

Cleaned it right up last year when I put my new stator on, and half the connector was, of course, brand new at that time, and this year???

Stator AC outputs:

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IMG 2062

  [image: IMG 2063]
IMG 2063

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IMG 2064

  [image: IMG 2065]
IMG 2065

    Chopped the affected wires off, stripped them back, tested the stator, all tests were normal phase to phase and to ground.   Deep-sixed the connector, and direct wired the stator to the R/R. Soldered and shrink wrapped, used 12 gauge wires Vs the stock 14 gauge.   Gained a volt on the charging system, now at 13.9V at the battery. Increases and decreases with RPM as expected.     The other (black) connector to the harness was fine, the 12v output from the R/R to the harness. Clean as a whistle, no corrosion, discoloration, melting, perfect.

That looks so familiar..  :rolleyes:

Did you have any symptoms or just checking the wiring?

I also direct wired mine about a year ago, probably time to check it. I'm using a battery tender every night now, year round, hoping battery health means healthy wires. If the direct wire fix doesn't solve it I don't know what we do next?? 

How the Hell could Honda not figure out and rectify their electrical issues which have been evident for 20+ years??

Rollin

So, how did you clean the connector and what kind of stator do you use?

How the Hell could Honda not figure out and rectify their electrical issues which have been evident for 20+ years??

Rollin

They did, you should see how beefy the 1200 stator and wireing is! Remember this bike is a 5th gen and around 15 years old.

I was looking over the bike for spring, just checking the usual suspects.

Rear tire = flat as a pancake. On the centrestand, didn't notice it. Off getting a plug/patch at the shop now.

Battery was on the tender all winter, started going through the wiring connectors for peace of mine, then: EGADS!!!

I put in a new stator, just as a precaution last year. From Tightwad, I think it was a rick's unit??

When I started it, I was only getting 12.6-12.9v prior to the discovery. Barely charging, but it did vary with rpm.

R/R seems fine, but I do have a used spare that was working perfectly when I took it off about 5 years ago. Also a pre-emptive strike at the time.

This might be a dumb question, but where is that connector? Is it different on the 6th gen?

If I can remember its on the left side, the connector between the stator and the rectifier/regulator. The 6th gen is similar but not the same and suffers the same issues. its nearly 3 feet of wires between the two units, and the stator is housed inside the engine compartment runs off the crank and gets very hot, bathed in motoroil. Honda RR's on vfrs have always been problematic, consumables really.

This might be a dumb question, but where is that connector? Is it different on the 6th gen?

I have mine apart at the moment for maintenance so I took a pic.  I pulled the coolant hose back for clarity.  The other non-stock wiring is the VFRness Tightwad sells.    The connector on the 6th gen is on the right side just above the radiator.  I separated the two halves - noted by yellow arrows.  I inspect the connectors every time the cowl comes off or at least annually. 

[image: DSC04354II_zps3ad66a90.jpg]

Awesome, thanks!

I just pulled ALL the connectors on that side of the bike and cleaned them yesterday. Put Ox-Guard on them while I was there as well.

eek!  is there no end?

DeOxIt Gold G Series by CAIG  (formally 'ProGold')  is what I've been using for a while now. Redo everything (what little is left after hard wiring as much as possible) once a year-it all looks like new since I started using this stuff. NO electrical problems for almost 5 years (I'm screwed now! LOL)

All my sad times with the VFR has been due to that connector. Bloody thing!! :mad:

Sounds like it's time to upgrade the connector.

All I have done  to mine are wrap them in insulating  tape.

I have mine apart at the moment for maintenance so I took a pic.  I pulled the coolant hose back for clarity.  The other non-stock wiring is the VFRness Tightwad sells.    The connector on the 6th gen is on the right side just above the radiator.  I separated the two halves - noted by yellow arrows.  I inspect the connectors every time the cowl comes off or at least annually. 

[image: DSC04354II_zps3ad66a90.jpg]

Thanks for that pic Sir! After so many years on a 4th gen, I haven't had too much time this winter to nose around my "new to me" 6th gen.. I would have been looking for this mess and the r/r on the right REAR of the bike. As usual, it doesn't look like they give you much to splice into if you do decide to hard wire  or repair the clips once they do fry. One more thing to do before the real riding season hits. Many, many thanks.

I gave up on using connectors at that particular point on the harness... all the connectors I've used have failed, except for some very expensive ones I got from a friend apparently from Mercedes Benz...

I currently have a regular connector block in place and it works perfectly. Soldering means less plug-n-play.

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So is it inevitable that ALL pre-7th Gen VFRs will suffer this fate? This is assuming HS is right and Honda addressed this on the 1200. Or is it really the luck of the draw when it comes to this issue?

A couple of thoughts.

That connector design should have no problem carrying the current from the stator to the R/R.......as long as it is clean and protected from oxidation.  Since this is a motorcycle, it's beyond me why it's not a weather tight connector.

It's been my experience that with these blade style connectors, the corrosion starts at the crimp to the wire as opposed to the blade itself.  When you clean the connector, make sure the DeOxit  is flushed into the crimp also.

Keep in mind that max current available from the stator is flowing through the wiring, to the shunt regulator, to a load, be it a 'real' load or ground.  Making any of those pieces more efficient, be it the wiring, R/R, or the stator itself, will add to the workload of the other components.  This is the reason the shunt regulator is so evil.

Just finished fixing mine, I used posi-locks in place of a 3 prong connector. I'll tape them aswell to help keep moisture out.

Just finished fixing mine, I used posi-locks in place of a 3 prong connector. I'll tape them aswell to help keep moisture out.

I've used posi-locks in other applications - love those things (they're a bit pricey though).  Hadn't considered using them here previously - they would definitely be less bulky than the white connector.   Once the connectors are cut off, the wires would then seem to be too short - just curious how you got sufficient length to bring them together with the posi-locks - did you add a section of wire? 

Good to hear a few using the posi-locks. I have been issue-free with mine.

Cogswell, I had a new rick's stator and from memory, the wiring was just that bit extra.

Just finished fixing mine, I used posi-locks in place of a 3 prong connector. I'll tape them aswell to help keep moisture out.

I've used posi-locks in other applications - love those things (they're a bit pricey though).  Hadn't considered using them here previously - they would definitely be less bulky than the white connector.   Once the connectors are cut off, the wires would then seem to be too short - just curious how you got sufficient length to bring them together with the posi-locks - did you add a section of wire? 

It was an extremely tight fit, the first one was easy, the second one was difficult, and the third connection i had to use some plyers to help assist me. If I had to do it again I would have liked to have attached some section wire, this way I could put the connectors in a different location too for easy monitoring while the fairings are on. With some section wire i could have stagered them a bit as well to save on space as well. Other wise I have not had any problems with the posi-locks.

What about using Posi-tite? Those are supposed to be waterproof.

What about using Posi-tite? Those are supposed to be waterproof.

That's a great point - same product, but with a weather proof seal.  When I get to replacing the RR and/or stator, that's how I'll go about it. 

Bike is charging good since I redid to connections. Cut, splice, solder and shrink wrap.

I'm getting around 14.1v measured at the battery, which is about 0.8v more than my voltmeter actually shows, wired in at the front of the bike, on the + lead going out from the ignition switch.

Voltage fluctuates with RPM as expected, and I've ridden the bike twice, for about 60 miles total. Cranks and starts perfectly. And I took the battery tender off after winter storage, to see how well the charging system would do, all alone, without the "crutch" of a trickle charger in the garage.

CUT THE BLOCK OFF!!

 solder the wires to the harness. ground your green wire in 3 more places. front, back, and mid bike.

 PM sent.

Throwing another sealed connector suggestion into the mix - Dephi Automotive Metri-Pack 630..Rated for 46 amps.  Looks like..

[image: MultiPack630a.jpg]

Vendor

http://www.pcsconnec...tripack630.aspx

The $hit that should have been supplied on the wiring harnesses from the factory... :mad:

CUT THE BLOCK OFF!!

I did, the stator connector is history. Direct wired from stator to R/R and I used 12 Ga wires where I had replaced a few inches, stock wires are 14 Ga.