Spider Failure

Well guys I have finally experienced a spider failure it seems. Before disassembly thought I would run it buy the crew.

Bike is 06 FJR with 50,000 miles (hey I have other bikes in the garage with combined 200,000 miles).

While out on 300 mile loop with 50 miles to reach home I made a quick stop. On return bike would not start. Needles sweep, dash lights come on, but when they "normalize" the high beam light stays on although the switch is in low beam position. Both turn signals indicators on dash stay illuminated although no turn signal or emergency flashers have been activated. Fuel level on the dash meter just flashes at regular interval. Windshield will not move nor will the horn blow.

I have done some homework on the forum and this would seem to be the infamous S6 or S7 spider symptoms. BUT seems that many of these failures occur with the bike running and loss of headlights. Since mine will not respond to the starter button with even a grunt I wanted to run it by the group before total strip down.

Battery is indeed 7 years old but registers a solid 13 volts. Terminals are clean and tight. Jump from a known good battery results in no change of symptoms. Ignition switch recall performed by dealer when Recall notice went out.

Called wifey and trailered it home. Final question is does the "nose cone " have to come off. Seems Brodie did not remove it in reviewing the spiders when he developed his harness but others have removed it chasing the s6 or s7 later.

Thanks. Cliff

Sounds like spider bite........ it's not so much mileage, but a combination of time and mileage. You do not need to strip the bike down too much..... instrument panels ABCD, access to engine under fuel tank (best remove tank), left side panel (air cleaner area), and the front inner fairing panels. Then clean and treat spiders with contact paste.... check front signal light connectors also, they are not waterproof and likely showing some green..

Your symptoms don't sound like S6 that's under the nose. You can see it w/o the taking the nose off but it's a bitch. I'd doubt you could RnR it w/o taking it off if that is indeed the case. Good news is that taking the nose off isn't all that bad. Search for the Tech Bulletin for replacing the gauge cluster, that has all the steps if you need to do that.

-=MD

While you are at it, there is a connector (non-spider) on the left side near S6 that had caused a problem for me and at least one other individual. Have a look at this thread:

https://www.fjrforum.com/forum//index.php/topic/158418-itsy-bitsy-spider/?hl=itsy

As mdisher said, removal of the nose isn't that bad and it gives you a chance to look at (and service) all the up-front electricals. Clean and service the windshield mechanism while you're in there. If your headlights are more than a year or so old, this is a perfect opportunity to change them without losing skin off the backs of your hands!

On my '06 it was the spider behind the left front turn signal.

Easy enough to cut off and solder the wires.

PM sent.

If it's of any help, I've a sequence of pictures taken when I removed my '06 fairings including the nose, start here.

Thanks all. I have started but have some trouble with the left front fairing panel as there seem to be attachments to the "glove" box and the lid will not open to access them. I know some have said that they have forced it open but mine is stubborn so far. Going to see if I can access the servo somehow to give it current from outside source to activate it (let the smoke out maybe). As some mentioned am trying to go in to R&R in general. Any tips for getting this glove box door open appreciated.

The one interesting symptom the "fuel level on the dash meter just flashes at regular interval".

Not associated with the S6 neutral connector.

May very well be the Front Cowling Connector #3 down by the S6 connector, below the glove box.

Can easily access it the lower left fairing.

PS

Also check that the S4 recall has been done.

mdisher said:

Your symptoms don't sound like S6 that's under the nose. You can see it w/o the taking the nose off but it's a bitch. I'd doubt you could RnR it w/o taking it off if that is indeed the case. Good news is that taking the nose off isn't all that bad. Search for the Tech Bulletin for replacing the gauge cluster, that has all the steps if you need to do that.
-=MD

Click to expand...

Could you please advise why you think this might not be S6 spider failure?? If I get disassembled sure would not want to go back together without testing any other suspects. Starter Relay??

Queensland Ken said:

The one interesting symptom the "fuel level on the dash meter just flashes at regular interval".Not associated with the S6 neutral connector.

May very well be the Front Cowling Connector #3 down by the S6 connector, below the glove box.

Can easily access it the lower left fairing.

PS

Also check that the S4 recall has been done.

Click to expand...

Will check. Can not get "glove box" door open. Making removal of top fairing panels there difficult and thereby left side panel loose but not off yet.

Could you please advise why you think this might not be S6 spider failure??

Click to expand...

Because a flashing fuel gauge isn't a "typical" symptom, it's 12V neutral return is on a different leg to the S4.

Most of the others you have described are.

S6 has the RHS start button, LHS glove box, screen & horn in addition to the upstream neutrals, S7 and S8, see the diagram.

Best access to the S6 and the Coupler #3 is to remove the black inner fairing panel, up along side of the forks, 3 screws and a few push pins.

For better access, remove the lower fairing, no need to remove the dash panels.



As you see, the fuel pump and sender, flashing fuel level are on a different leg of the neutral path.

If you loose the signal, the gauge will flash, hence a problem with Coupler #3

You will have a connectors for the RHS switch block, the LHS switch block and the meter assembly.

What happens on those front connectors are still a mystery, they are not wired to the wiring diagram.

The main 12V neutral connector is that #3 coupler, there will be other Black neutral wires in other connectors, also Black / White and Black / Blue wires which are 5 volt transducer neutrals back to the ECU.



Coupler #3 with 12V and 5V neutrals.

This sounds like it could be the same problem I had on my '07 last summer - it drove me nuts trying to solve it but here is what I discovered.

By accident I found that if I pressed the starter button and the windscreen button at the same time, the bike would start. This led me to suspect

it wasn't a spider problem and that there might be a problem in coupler #2 or #5. I don't remember which coupler it was ( 2 or 5) but it sits just

in behind the left front signal light. I took the front cowling off to get access to the coupler but you could probably get to it by just taking off

the lower front panel.

I interpreted this to mean that the starter circuit was finding a ground through the windshield circuit. When I opened up the coupler, I found

some corrosion in it. I cleaned it up, stuffed the coupler with some dielectric grease and it's been fine ever since. It may be a longshot but why

don't you try pressing the starter button in combination with the windscreen or horn or headlight buttons and see what happens.

That just might give you the clue to where the problem lies.

Good luck!

Cliff

Don't break that glove box door open. It can be opened by removing the black inner faring panel granting "easy" access to the solenoid assembly.

There is a small lever that is pushed up by the spring loaded solenoid plunger. When its triggered by turning on the ignition, the solenoid plunger retracts allowing the lever to drop. Thats how the glove box latch unlocks with the ignition switch. Remove the inner faring panel, reach around from underneath to the backside of the assembly up near the top, find the lever and deflect it downward. Skinny fingers help a lot. While deflected, push the glove box push button and it will open. If you let go of the lever before opening it, the lever will be pushed back up by the solenoid plunger, thereby locking the latch again.

If you can't quite identify it by feeling around under there, get a small mirror on a stick and a flashlight. Once you see it, it should become clear.

Good luck, and don't force it.

Brodie

Hey CCook. One of your initial questions related to the need to remove the nose cover to reach the forward two spiders behind each headlight. I just recently went through this drill. (with mucho assistance from previous posts on this subject) (My sincere thanks to all for their excellent posts and diagrams)

Anyway, I was able to access all with just removal of the A, B, C, D panels and the left and right fairing. (also the one near the ECU under the seat) A six inch long pick tool with a 90 degree angle allowed me to open and service the two behind the headlights. In my case, the one that was badly corroded was the one under the glovebox. I cut it off and soldered it as per forum info. All seems well now.

Best of luck with it.

Guys, please forgive me my rudeness. I posted my troubles with no start and apparent ground or connect junction problems. A number of you gave very good and prompt tips. I just got covered up and only in last few days got back to it.

First, thank you Brodie. No power to the glove box. Brodie said get left side panels off and go up under and behind glove box and fish for the lever that the selenoid releases. Did so , found it, and released lid to glove box. Probably saved some damage there. You can see this lever if you are looking at the glove box with the covers off. White I think. I did it sight unseen from under and it is tedious . May later hang something off this thing for easier access.

Second, thank you to rbentnail and mcatrophy for the bulletin and excellent pictorals. Like wise to Queensland Ken for the wiring diagram which made the flow much easier to understand.

I prevously stated that the symptoms indicated S6 problem. Most said maybe not including mdisher, Queensland Ken and maybe others. Once accessed, the S6 spider was pristine as was the nearby #3 connector which Ross Kean, Queensland Ken suggested be checked.

I did these first as it was my understanding that the Yamaha S4 recall had been done which most all of you said to check first. Well I finally raised tank, t bar and heat shield and there it was. No recall harness. Lightly melted cover on S4 came off ok, but the metal spider was for sure compromised and maybe plastic plug.

Had conversations with couple of dealers. Bypassed two locals and delivered it to a dealer 100 miles from home where they have two techs with over 30 years experience each. I hate to do this but this seems best bet. I want the factory S4 lead applied, OR the wiring harness replaced if plug is damaged and I think it is as per he recall.

After it is returned I will look things over again including under the nose cone and pursue the full harness per Brodie and Roadrunner style. I just hate that such a great bike is compromised by such chicken ahem stuff. At the same time I love the excellent inputs of this forum. sooo much knowledge at hand . Thank you all. I will post outcome.

PS - El Cajone I tried the starter button and windshield control simultaneosly - no luck there but still think you were onto something as the flashing fuel guage would sometimes cease when I hit the turn signal cancel. So something akin giong on there.