New STEAMER Owner - Trouble With Various Lights

[silkie]

Evening all!

Just wanting to say hi really but I do have some niggle with the bike so will be asking a couple of questions once I introduced myself.

So I took delivery of my Tiger last week. All in all I'm happy with it but feel a little disappointed about the care the previous owner took of it. Either way it's mine now and it'll get whatever it needs to be a nice example again.

Here's a shot of it (flickr)..... I really like it, enough to take a punt on ebay as an unseen distance purchase!! A slight moment of insanity that isn't normal for me but it's nice get caught up in the emotion of seeing a bike and wanting it there and then!



Not sure the embedded picture works here's a link just in case. http://www.flickr.com/photos/t309special/8036890663/

Now for the weird bits: -

• Neutral light goes out when warm. I'll swap out the switch but I know about the issues with the selector drum. If it fixes it great. If not I'll live with it.
  
• Main lights - They stay on after switching the bike off at the key some times. Very odd, I think it might only happen when I stop the bike by kicking the stand down as per the neutral light switch. Maybe a failing relay?
• Finally, Oil pressure light - It works but not always. I'm hoping switch again and will swap it out in due course. Now I have a T3 speed triple and it's pressure light comes on every time you switch the bike on. Not always with the Tiger. So far it seems the pressure light shines only when the bike is on rearward decline (nose up). Seems strange to me. If I figure out more patterns to this one I will mention them in future posts.

Well that's it any help on any of the points above would be real useful. Now don't get me wrong I'm loving this bike, it has open pipes and apparently WP springs in the front and a WP unit in the arse end and it feels and sounds great. It brings a grin to my face every time I swing my leg over it. No regrets unless it seizes in the next month! Fingers crossed luck is on my side.

[rybes]

try this for an easy fix for ya neutral light. get a thinner washer for it or make yours thinner by rubbin it on some wet n dry to take some material off.

main lights i cant help with but mine can be a bit weird sometimes. when the lights are off some times pullin the brake lever can make the instrument lights come on. never caused any real probs so i never done anythin to fix it.

oil pressure light, hmmmmm maybe a broken wire. if the last owner wernt to careful lookin after it it might be a sludged up oil way. try lots of oil changes. that can some times clear it. jus dont use no engine flushin things. they sound like they could cause more problems than fixin em

nice lookin bike too. i like the new rims on it. set it off a treat 

[Mustang]

oil light is just about 100% going to be the switch/sending unit in the block

if headlights are staying on with the key switched off it is the relays sticking , replace them

I'm liking rybes suggestion on the neutral switch ......got one of my own to try that on now .

the bike looks really clean and someone has swapped her over to 17's already it looks very tidy

[silkie]

Cheers gents, neutral light and the relays should be simple enough. I can't find the sender for the oil pressure anywhere though lads. I'm looking on the www.worldoftriumph.com diagrams...... would someone be so kind as to point it out for me? "Inside the block" sounds like a pain though.

Yeah the wheels are 17inchers and to be honest a major reason for purchasing it. The mudguard needs to go and I'm planning on replacing it with a beak!!!!!! Any good suggestions for those? Needs to be black I guess, that's the only requirement.

Thanks for the kind words, it's not been looked after but that will all change now. I assume this is the volcanic red Tiger? I need to get a touch up stick.

Only 17k on the clocks........ that's half my speedy for a bike 2 years younger. Despite it's glitches I know this will be one cool bike!

[Mustang]

up to 1997 its under the bike to the immediate rear of the oil filter

1998 it's right behind the right hand cylinder on the topside of the block

there are two different ones

IIRC the 98 has a course thread and the earlier ones have a fine thread
you'll need to get the right one by using VIN #of the engine

[rf9rider]

Hi mate, you made it here then. 

Another fix for the neutral light is to use one from a Bonneville, as they are slightly longer, theres a thread somewhere on the Rat forum in the T3 section, going to give that a try on mine as i have the same problem.

With the headlight problem, have a look at the main loom and connector plug from the ignition switch, sometimes corrosion at the plug or dodgy wiring at the switch end can be to blame.

[silkie]

Quick update fellas, thanks for the responces!

Oil light, seems to have just come back to life with a bit of regular use.
headlight relay - I'll get in there on Saturday to spec the relay and check the wiring. I have new fairing rubbers ordered up too and a nice shiney red baglux thingy to fit as well. Happy days.......
Neutral light, both suggestions here are good but in no rush to fix that one right away. I'm keen to ensure the bike runs OK for the next couple of months.

I've also noticed the recorded mileage seems high between tanks of motion lotion, I'm getting 170 miles out of a tank (alot more than my Speed3), I might have to get me a trident speedo to counter the effect of the smaller rims. Off to ebay!!

[Mustang]

170??????????

I can get 250 miles easily , and thats without ever hitting reserve , out of a full tank on any of my steamers ..........well not the hack that one sucks gas like an alcoholic sailor.

[rybes]

  250 before reserve ? how the hell ya mange that. 180 tops for me

[Mustang]

maybe our gas is better than yours

but riding two lane roads (speed 60 mph and under)=230-250 miles b4 reserve
interstate (speed above 70mph and up )=200-210 before reserve

my low fuel light comes on at the miles you are talking but reserve is still a long way to go .
and I have triumph petcocks in the tanks .

5.8 US gallons till reserve and not quite a gallon left for reserve

5.8 gal x 42 mpg = 243.6 miles