Riding down the interstate last week and without warning my low beam went out. Thought the blub must have blown. Seconds latter the low beam is back on. WTF? Minute or two latter it goes out again. This time I remember that it's right after I hit a bump. Next bump, light comes on. To make a long story short I trace the problem to a corroded connection in the plug connecting the instrument cluster to the main harness.

Does anyone know how to take these connections out of the plugs so I can clean/replace them?

Pictues...

Here's the plug on the main harness. You can see the discoloration on the center connector. This is the white wire which is for the low beam.



Looking into the above plug. Notice the corrosion?



Here's the plug to the instrument cluster.



Instrument cluster plug again. Pin on the bottom row, center is corroded.

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Mike
Tampa, FL
DL650K5
My website

Normally there is a thin sliver of metal that springs out when the connector is slid into the plastic housing. A small sheet metal probe can be inserted between the metal and plastic to push that sprung piece back and allow the single connector to be pulled back from the wire side if that is the case. Silcone dielectric grease in the connectors can prevent water entry and further corrosion.

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Pat- 2007 DL650A was ridden to all 48 contiguous states. 2012 DL650A is just getting started.
Nicknames for posting ease on my part, Vee = all DL1000s. Wee = 2004-2011 DL650s. Glee = 2012+ DL650s

That isn't corrosion, it's heat damage. Corrosion is typically white and powdery. Heat damage is as you see there. Look at the middle photo and you'll see that the pin that is brown is lower than the others, and probably wasn't making a good connection. A poor connection = higher resistance = more heat generated.

As Greywolf mentioned, there is usually a "Fin" on the sides of the pins in AMP connectors that holds them. The side of the pin is cut to form the fin, and it is just pushed out slightly. Sometimes an empty ballpoint pen ink tube, or other piece of thin tubing, can be used to slide down the pin to fold the fin back in and allow removal of the pin. Once you get the fin to bend out of the way the pin itself will slide right out of the connector.

Also as Greywolf pointed out, dielectric silicone grease can be used to prevent corrosion on the connectors, however it is an electrically conductive grease so don't allow it to form "Bridges" between the pins.

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Scott Craig - Nashville, TN
Red '06 Suzuki DL650 - Red '07 Honda VFR800 - My Bike Page

Good answer, except: dielectric grease is NOT conductive, quite the opposite in fact. That's one of its benefits. Use lots, it won't hurt anything.

yet another dave

The best tool to free up the terminal pin is usually a small jeweler's screwdriver.

....and yeah, it's a heat damaged connector. It's caused by a less than positive contact between the two mating connector surfaces. The electrical resistance of a perfect connection is zero ohms. Anything higher than that will be dissipated as heat.

A light coating of corrosion can lead to such damage increasing the resistance and creating such heat. Arcing is even a possibility with water entry containing dissolved minerals picked up doing a shallow water crossing or on a muddy trail. I've seen a number of reports of damage to that particular connector so I'm definitely using silicone grease in mine. Don't get the wrong idea as use silicone seal.

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Pat- 2007 DL650A was ridden to all 48 contiguous states. 2012 DL650A is just getting started.
Nicknames for posting ease on my part, Vee = all DL1000s. Wee = 2004-2011 DL650s. Glee = 2012+ DL650s

Thanks for the replies. This is starting to make some sense. I had no idea how this thing could have gotten corroded. One more bit of information that I neglected to add (didn't seem necessary at the time) is where the white wire is connected to the pin in the plug (usually a crimped connection) seems loose/weak, as if some strands of the wire are broken. I thought it was more corrosion. But now I see that this might be the cause of the problem. Broken strands of wire = less cross sectional area = higher resistance = heat!

I tried using a small jeweler's screwdriver to release the pin, but my eyesight isn't what it used to be and I'm having a problem seeing anything. Time to call in a set of younger eyes.

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Mike
Tampa, FL
DL650K5
My website

The question now is how to properly repair it. Try to find replacement pins exactly the same size, and crimp them on as before. Also, before reinserting the pins into the plastic connectors, try out the fit and ensure that there is some drag as the male/female pins slide together. If not, use a small pick to bend out the tab for a snug fit. If you are unable to find replacement pins the proper size, there is a last option. You could use the crimp connectors that you find in the electrical section of Lowe's or wherever, leaving that one pin out of the plastic connector. One other thing, being a firm believer that paranoia is a good thing for someone working on motorcycles, cars, airplanes, whatever, I always solder (uninsulated) connections after crimping them.

A quick follow-up...

The problem ended up being the female connection (in the plug that attaches to the main harness). The connection making robot must have been hung-over the day it made my bike. The connector wasn't fully formed/crimped. The male pin that fits into it was VERY loose and wasn't making a good connection. Over time it had arced enough to cause the burning/melting in the above photos. After getting the female connection out of the plug I took some pliers and crimped it enough to make a solid connection.

I'd suggest everyone with a 2005 take a quick look at this plug for signs of similar damage.

BTW; The pin/connector doesn't have a "Fin" on the side of the pin/connector as must do. Instead the release is built into the plastic plug itself. The same technique of using a jeweler's screwdriver works. However in my case, the melted plug made getting the connector harder to get out.

__________________
Mike
Tampa, FL
DL650K5
My website