From bad to worse

[FrostedFlake]

After the TPS install, looked like I had my problem licked.  Not so much.  Yesterday, when everything was back together, I noticed it was getting too hot idling in the garage.  Short ride, same result.  Figured I hadn't burped the cooling system well enough after changing the fluid, so back off came the tank.  Changed the radiator cap while I was at it, purged the system per the instructions on here, let it run forever and never went above half on the gauge.  Today after work, decided I'd ride it down to get gas and make sure all was well.  Filled up (should have known better), rode about 3 miles in moderate traffic, looked down and noticed my speedometer and tach weren't working.  Temp and gas gauge were registering normal.  Pulled up to a red light, waited for a minute or two, then - it died.  Suddenly, no warning.  Tried to crank, but completely dead.  Looked at the temp gauge, and it was at FULL HOT!  Less than a minute before, it had been normal.  

Got it out of traffice, pulled off the seat to make sure I had tightened the battery connectors - I had.  Checked the fuses -the 30 amp in the fuse box was blown.  Replaced it, the instrument lights at least came back on faintly, and the battery clicked , not nearly enough.  Pushed it two miles home  :x  and still dead.  Took a shower, came back out and it cranked right up.  Tried to get it to overheat again, but stayed right at the midpoint.  Engine light is on again.  

I noticed a very small amount of coolant leaking from around the rad cap (tank still on at this point, so not sure what).  I could have sworn the thermostat was working when I was purging the system, could see the water swirling in the radiator once it heated up and all.  Maybe not?

So, let's assume it's a bad thermostat - why isn't it showing up in the garage?  Did the 12-minute tune, so it had plenty of time to get hot.  

The speedo and tach quit working before the temp showed extreme hot.  Is the rad fan run off the 30 amp fuse?  Could it have blown, caused the gauges and the fan to quit, and the motor to overheat?  But the engine wouldn't have continued to run if the fuse had blown, right?  Why would those gauges stop just before the bike died, the bike overheated, and the fuse blew?  

I'm perplexed (and tired - that's a long push home!)

[EvilBetty]

Today after work, decided I'd ride it down to get gas and make sure all was well.  Filled up (should have known better)

ROFLMAO  :lol: Boy have I done that a time or two.. or three!

When you did the 12 minute tune, I'm assuming your fan came on then, right?

[FrostedFlake]

Yep, fan came on during the tune, and when purging.   :icon_scratch

[flux]

Boy, Blake, I am struggling with this one myself.  Interesting issue you have there.  

It almost sounds like how tight valves would act but the coolant thing throws me off...

[FrostedFlake]

It almost sounds like how tight valves would act but the coolant thing throws me off...

The little bit of leaky coolant may be a nothing but a bad cap.  When I put the $6 Auto Zone cap on, it just didn't feel quite right - had a bit of play in it.  Will probably put the stocker back on and see if that takes care of it.

I can see the valves causing overheating, but the blown fuse gets me.  

Scott

[Stretch]

The little bit of leaky coolant may be a nothing but a bad cap.  When I put the $6 Auto Zone cap on, it just didn't feel quite right - had a bit of play in it.  Will probably put the stocker back on and see if that takes care of it.

There are two aftermarket parts store caps, a 13-pound, and a 16-pound.  

http://tigertriple.com/forum/viewtopic. ... c&start=41 (http://tigertriple.com/forum/index.php/topic,4017&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=41)

Make sure you didn't buy the 13-pounder by mistake.

[Bixxer Bob]

To blow the 30 amp fuse you most likely have trapped something when you put her back together.  Have a look around, burnt wires are easy to spot.

[FrostedFlake]

Make sure you didn't buy the 13-pounder by mistake.

Yep, I caught that, got the 16-pounder.  

you most likely have trapped something when you put her back together

That's what I was thinking, will have to pull it and have a look.

Any thoughts on the overheating, since it won't do it in the garage with no air flow for 12 minutes but did it on the road in five miles?  
Or is the (possible) pinched wire/blown fuse the catalyst for the temp gauge to go up?

I remember on another thread that Stretch said it would take a few heat cycles after the 12-minute tune for everything to be back to normal - could the overheating somehow be attributed to this?

[Stretch]

Did the engine actually overheat, or did the temperature gauge merely hit the red, indicating that the engine overheated?

I'm curious, since you mentioned a blown fuse and a possible electrical fault.  It is possible that the temperature sensor wire is chaffed and shorted to ground, causing the gauge to peg hot, and then blow the instrument panel fuse.

Stranger things have happened.

*Edit - Going back, I see you said the 30-amp fuse.  That wouldn't be the Instrument Panel fuse.

[EvilBetty]

Wow nice hypothesis!  That definitely seems plausible!

*EDIT - Ooops gave you too much credit :)

[FrostedFlake]

Did the engine actually overheat, or did the temperature gauge merely hit the red, indicating that the engine overheated?

I'm not totally sure.  It wasn't spewing or steaming, and just a minute before I was riding along at about 50 mph with it registering below the midpoint on the gauge.  Not sure what would have caused it to suddenly go from that to full hot. The only indication I had that anything was wrong was when the speedo and tach quit working just before I pulled up to the red light.  

I'd never had any cooling issues before I drained the fluid this weekend, so something I did during the maintenance process must have caused it to start.  I'll check all the lines and the sensor wire, and see if I can verify that the thermostat is working.  

Assuming everything checks out on the cooling system, what could suddenly have changed the mechanicals of the bike enough to force it to overheat and to blow a 30 amp fuse?  Did the overheating cause the fuse to blow and the bike to die, or did the fuse issue cause the overheating?   :roll:

[oxnsox]

If you can find what Blew the fuse it will probably lead you to a clue for the overheating....

[Bixxer Bob]

I'm with stretch on this one,  if it really overheated the rad cap would most likely lift and blow steam, you'd have more indications than just the gauge.  I think the temp gauge, rev and mph clocks and the blown fuse are related.   I'll get the circuit diagrams out later ans see if I can find commonality.

[Bixxer Bob]

Checked the diagrams.  Can't see any way that the gauge can remain working if the main fuse is blown.  The gauges are damped, did it slowly wind down from hot?  If so, whatever blew the fuse could make the gauge read hot if it shorted the gauge to ground.  Shorting the fuel sender in the tank would cause a mil code that would put the engine warning light on so it's probably not in that area.

As I said earlier,  if it blew the main fuse, it's going to be fairly easy to spot.  It feeds the fusebox, the ECU power relay and is in the battery charging circuit.  

Idea.... check you haven't chewed through the main charging cable with your chain.  There's a thick brown goes to the fuse and then to the battery +ve.  It's feasibly possible to get it too near the chain top run if you route it badly when you put the battery box back. That would provide enough amps to blow the main fuse, and after pushing it home, may have cleared the short temporarily - enough not to blow the fuse a second time.  That's what's bothering me,  why did the fuse not blow when you replaced it... :roll:

[FrostedFlake]

Thanks Bob!

The gauges are damped, did it slowly wind down from hot?

Probably.  I was too busy trying to push out of traffic when the light turned green to pay much attention.  By the time I got off the road, it was back down to cold.

That's what's bothering me, why did the fuse not blow when you replaced it...

I haven't ridden it since replacing the fuse. It died, I replaced the fuse, didn't work, so I pushed it home.  Half hour later, I gave it a try and it started up.  It took about five minutes of riding before it blew, so there's still a chance it would do the same if I take it back on the road.  

I hope to find a little time tonight and pull the tank, have a good look around.  My plan is to double check the cooling system, just in case, and try to find any potential electrical problems - I'll definitely check out the main charging cable.  

Turns out I have to go to Dallas next week for business, site of my closest Triumph dealer, so I'll just take the bike with me and let them give it a good once over, remap, etc.  I'd like to have all this sorted out before I do, then just let them do the remap.  I'm sure it would save me a few coins if they didn't have to look for electrical gremlins and overheating issues.