Disappointed -- Not Angry Yet -- Bad Compressor?

[Spyder_Cowgirl]

Disappointed -- Not Angry Yet -- Bad Compressor? UPDATE

Grrr .... after waiting a week to get parts for a seized compressor on my 2016 RT Limited, dealer called yesterday and says .... "It still blows the fuse when the compressor starts; appears to lose continuity somewhere." Well crap, it was blowing the fuse BEFORE they replaced the compressor -- apparently, they didn't check anything beyond the seized compressor. So, now I will likely have to wait another week (at least until Tuesday when the dealer and BRP can connect) to see what the real problem is. Dealer assures me the new compressor is "good" -- um, how do they know if it blows the fuse when the compressor starts? I point out that the horn and heated grips are on the same fuse; ask if they have checked the relay(s) as I know there is at least one involved in this circuit. Yes, they say. Also asked about codes ... dead silence, then something about the number of available codes is large, so giving them to me won't help (like I won't be able to look them up). Well ... maybe it won't help THEM; but it will certainly help ME to understand what might be wrong (thanks to Roger's SpyderCodes app). I suspect there are no codes -- there were not with the initial failure (blown fuse). So, why not just state that? Maybe no active codes, but what about stored?

Sigh, just needed to vent a little and see if anyone with knowledge of the compressor circuit might shed some light on why fuse #5 (right box) blows as soon as the compressor starts.

Any ideas on the compressor are welcome ... on the dealer, not so much. I am NOT interested in what YOU think of the dealer; only in what might be wrong with the compressor / heated grips / horn circuit ....Ann

 

[ARtraveler]

Sorry, but not mechanical enough to assist. Will watch your results as I want to see your :spyder2: back on the road. :yes:

 

[Roadster Renovations]

i have "heard" of bad OEM compressors out of the box. And, they should be able to use a jumper box and a couple of wires to determine:
A. Whether the original compressor was shot
B. Whether the replacement is good or not.

 

[Bob Denman]

Hi Ann!
The best of luck to you!
(But I think that you need to have a really STERN talk to the Service Manager... :lecturef_smilie::shocked
They're just not telling you the truth! nojoke

 

[Easy Rider]

They don't know what they are doing.
But no real surprise there; a lot of "mechanics" these days don't really understand electricity......because that isn't a part of their training.

A fuse blowing does NOT indicate a "loss of continuity". Quite the contrary, it indicates a short to ground.

 

[Spyder_Cowgirl]

UPDATE -- Found and Being Fixed

Okay folks ... thanks to all that responded. Here is the deal -- the new compressor WAS tested outside the bike and it is good, so the current blown fuse is NOT the compressor (YAY :yes:, was dreading having to wait another week for parts). The old compressor was indeed seized up, no question of that and is the reason for the initial blown fuse. The "continuity" comment from the dealer was a simple error of "handedness" when following BRPs instructions to debug why the fuse kept blowing -- was not clear, I guess, that the instructions given were backwards from the standard "while sitting on the bike." Once that was cleared up, the mechanic set about trouble shooting the short. They then realized that the compressor would run IF the heated grips were off .... that became a HUGE clue. Found an impinged wire leading to the right hand heated grip. :hun: how did that happen? Well, I know WHY it probably happened, though with the blown compressor, not when the grip circuit actually failed. The most recent piece of warranty work was to replace the entire key switch (new keys too) because the locking mechanism was frozen and the entire switch was getting hard to turn even if not locking -- something was clearly wrong. Thus, the entire steering column was taken apart and, obviously, somewhere in that process some wires were place "just wrong" :banghead::banghead: thus causing the short on the right heated grip.

Sooo ... they are fixing everything today and I should get the spyder back either late this afternoon or first thing tomorrow. Bottom line, the compressor blew at some point and this hid the fact that the heated grips were also in trouble (at least one was). There was no way for me to trouble shoot the grips because the compressor would blow the fuse. A little human error in the diagnosis after the compressor was replaced caused a moment of panic on my part (and I think the dealer as they were concerned about the main wiring harness) -- but, hey, we are all human and make mistakes. Still not pleased with the length of time it has taken .... but, it is what it is, and the dealer owned up to the diagnosis error and, also, to the misroute on the wires.

Just wanted y'all to know the likely outcome is good (even if it took longer than I wanted). ..... All the best ..... Ann

 

[Bob Denman]

:clap::congrats:

I'm glad to hear that you'll soon be back "Back on Three"! :riding: :2thumbs:

 

[Easy Rider]

Okay folks ... thanks to all that responded. Here is the deal --

Fantastic post. Thank you for taking the time.

Bad news for me though as I was hoping it would be possible to disable the heated grips just by pulling a fuse; won't be needing them much in Florida.
If heated grips are needed, it's too cold for this wimp to be riding anyway.

 

[Fatcycledaddy]

Fantastic post. Thank you for taking the time.

Bad news for me though as I was hoping it would be possible to disable the heated grips just by pulling a fuse; won't be needing them much in Florida.
If heated grips are needed, it's too cold for this wimp to be riding anyway.

I made a mistake and somehow bumped the switch to kick my heated grips on high while riding in 100 +- weather out west. Because of the heat I didn't realize what had happened until they were really cranking out the heat, then it took miles for them to cool off.
I was thinking about seeing if I could pull a fuse and disable them also....guess that question is answered.

 

[scarecrow]

Fantastic post. Thank you for taking the time.

Bad news for me though as I was hoping it would be possible to disable the heated grips just by pulling a fuse; won't be needing them much in Florida.
If heated grips are needed, it's too cold for this wimp to be riding anyway.

Used my heated grips a few times here in Fla. I like riding when its cold. Lol

 

[Bob Denman]

If you don't need them: don't use them!
Problem solved! :thumbup:

 

[Easy Rider]

If you don't need them: don't use them!
Problem solved! :thumbup:

Well the problem IS........if you turn them ON by mistake when it's hot out already......they get REALLY hot before you notice.........and then take a long time to cool down.

 

[Bob Denman]

If this is the worst of the problems that you face daily: I really do envy you! :clap: :bowdown: :firstplace: :2thumbs:

 

[IdahoMtnSpyder]

Well the problem IS........if you turn them ON by mistake when it's hot out already......they get REALLY hot before you notice.........and then take a long time to cool down.

If you really want to make it so they don't ever come on go through the hassle of removing the topside tupperware and disconnect the wire from the switch.

 

[SpyderAnn01]

I'm sorry I just saw this post now because my girlfriend had the exact same thing happen to her RT. It was a short in her heated grips also. Glad they finally found the issue.

 

[Wildrice]

i have "heard" of bad OEM compressors out of the box. And, they should be able to use a jumper box and a couple of wires to determine:
A. Whether the original compressor was shot
B. Whether the replacement is good or not.

I agree--no need to install the compressor to test it. +12v & a Ground lead from a battery is all that's needed. If it spins--then place a 30 amp fuse inline with one lead--end of testing.
Darrell

 

[Easy Rider]

If this is the worst of the problems that you face daily: I really do envy you! :clap: :bowdown: :firstplace: :2thumbs:

Having made over 89,000 posts on here is not necessarily a good thing. :lecturef_smilie:

 

[Bob Denman]

It's also not necessarily a bad thing either! :roflblack:


But I thought about the untenable position that BRP has put you in.
Since your Spyder is equipped with something that you don't need, want, or like: just sell the bike! :thumbup:
You deserve to be happy: find the bike that does that for you! :2thumbs:

 

[40Xshooter]

It's also not necessarily a bad thing either! :roflblack:
View attachment 151458

But I thought about the untenable position that BRP has put you in.
Since your Spyder is equipped with something that you don't need, want, or like: just sell the bike! :thumbup:
You deserve to be happy: find the bike that does that for you! :2thumbs:

Are you sure you're not the Shell Answer Man?? :roflblack:

 

[Bob Denman]

I can pretty much guarantee that I'm not... :thumbup:

It's clear to see that he's MUCH taller than me!