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Heated gear

1K views 10 replies 7 participants last post by  strompilot 
#1 ·
I have a Gerbings jacket and dual controller that only heats intermittently.
At first everything seems to work fine then stops heating.
Looking at the LEDs they blink yellow and sometimes redish color.
I installed a brand new battery so I know its not a weak battery.
Does the same on my Ulysses, but that bike has a weak battery.
Any Ideas would be appreciated. BTW it the only extra load I have going.
 
#2 ·
The red and yellow LEDs are each responsible for one of the dual controls. One is always yellow and the other is always red. The controller output has one yellow and one red connector color matched to the LEDs. At full power, an LED should be always on. At partial power the LED for the knob that is partially open with be on for the duration of each on second cycle, I.E., a knob on the red LED/output will be on for 1/2 second out of every second of time if the knob is set halfway around its span of rotation. How are you plugging in the jacket? If it is your only heated garment, why do you have a dual controller?
 
#3 ·
My controller has a white and a black cord that goes to the jacket.
Black is for gloves and white is for jacket. I have not been using the gloves so only jacket is plugged in and running, and not that impressive to say the least. Im using a dual controller because its all I have right now. So what your saying is the blinking led is because power is cut to the jacket say 1/2 time and thats how the heat is regulated?
 
#4 ·
You must have an older controller. Heat level is controlled by turning power on and off for a fraction of each second. Full power is on for the entire second. Half power is on 1/2 second of each one second cycle and etc..
 
#5 ·
The first thing I'd do, is plug the jacket in direct to the power source, to see if the problem is within the jacket. After omitting the jacket, try each one of the control knobs, to see which side is the culprit.
California's heating season must be close to an end, so if you can't figure it out, send it back to Gerbling. Good luck.
 
#7 ·
It occurs to me you have a Gerbing controller and I have a Warm and Safe controller. They work the same way though.
 
#8 ·
I may be off my rocker here. ( it wouldnt be the first time.)

Is your controller wireless?

if so...

the remote heat troller I have has a fail safe. if you disconect power before shutting off the controler the remote unit in the jacket switches to a default warming setting when you plug it back in. this is so the heated gear will work if there is damage to the heatroller. this is so if there is an issue you will have medium heat setting when you plug the gear back in so you dont have to ride home cold.

To relearn the pairing between the heatroller and the reciver you simply unplug the heated gear from power, turn the 'troller on and off untill it goes into learn mode ( dual flashing lights ) and then plug in the gear. the lights will respond and then you have full incrimental control once again.

I have done this a few times jumping off the bike to close the gate or get the mail. I get a few miles down the road and DOH thats why its on but i'm still cold:headbang:
 
#9 ·
I have to say I'm not impressed with Gerbings customer service- I wrote them an email but no response.


Perhaps the OP has the same problem I do....

My setup has the power directly connected to the battery, which is then connected to the dual controller, then to the jacket. What I noticed is that if I plug in the controller BEFORE the bike is started, the controller blinks red/orange and delivers no heat. But if I plug in after the bike is started the controller shows solid orange and I get good heat.

I don't have a clue why the bike has to be running first, it makes no sense to me. And Gerbing is not answering the mail. But perhaps the OP has this same issue.
 
#10 ·
Make sure the coax connections are clean. I sometimes have bad connections where the wires plug together which results in less/no heat. As the connectors get older, the problem becomes more evident. You might also have a broken wire someplace. A quick continuity check while wiggling the wires will tell you.

Alternatively, plug the jacket line into the side of the controller you would normally use for your gloves. See if that makes a difference.

Don't bother e-mailing Gerbings. That will get you nowhere. I don't think they even own a computer anymore. That company seems to be undergoing some serious downsizing. Phone is better with them.
 
#11 ·
Some of the older Gerbing's controllers did not work well. They had them made in China. The newer ones no longer have those issues. The problems they had were similar to what you describe. It would be worth the $69.95 to invest in a new, single controller if you don't need the dual one. FWIW, your jacket should be set up so you can control both the jacket and gloves at the same time. Trouble is, you may not want the gloves on as high a setting as the jacket, and visa versa.

I, also, have the Warm & Safe controller that works with both my Gerbing's and Warm & Safe Jacket.

Oh, and should you need to contact Gerbing's, call them up before using the email. That way you can talk directly to a person and explain your problem.
 
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