overheat warning light on

[Ride Wild]

In stop and go traffic the overheat light comes on. If i ride at freeway speed its ok  but in traffic it flickers on and off and then stays on if i remain in traffic . Fluid is ok and it seems that the fan is turning on and off ok as well. An ideas? Thanks!

[bentwrench]

Can you hear the fan cycle?If  not check the fuse under the right side cover first.

[Cracker Jack]

In stop and go traffic the overheat light comes on. If i ride at freeway speed its ok  but in traffic it flickers on and off and then stays on if i remain in traffic . Fluid is ok and it seems that the fan is turning on and off ok as well. An ideas? Thanks!

Bentwrench, read the post!

[bentwrench]

Sorry Jack,long day.

[crash1980]

I have never been able to say that I have heard my fan on before.

[Gryphon Rider]

Test your thermostat in a pot of water on the stove.

[Bighead]

I could hear the fan cycle on and off for sure.  As i sat in traffic the light flickered on then stayed on regardless of the fan. Moving at speed ..north of 15mph seems to clear the light. But slow down south of 15 and it comes back immediately.

If the fan is cycling on and off while the light is on I would say it is probably bogus. The fan shouldn't cycle off if it is hot enough for the light to come on.may want to put a temp gauge on it and find out the actual temp and not rely on the idiot light ( no I am not calling you an idiot just the light )

[hubcapsc]

Fluid is ok

Checked by removing the side cover and looking at the reservoir
tank when the bike is heated up to operating temp?

-Mike

[F6Dave]

On earlier Valks the flickering temp light is usually caused by a bad indicator unit.  This is a small component under the left side cover that that reads voltage from the temp sender (next to the thermostat) and turns the light on when appropriate.  Mine failed years ago.  At first I thought there was a pattern to the flickering, but after a while I realized it was happening randomly.

Honda fixed the problem by building the switching function into the temp sensor.  This improved part showed up on all Interstate years, and the Std/Tour models beginning about 2000.  It eliminated the indicator unit and simply ran a wire straight to the temp light instead of through the unit.

Honda stopped making replacement indicator units, but upgrading to the new combined sender is simple.  It easily replaces the old style sender (same threads) and only needs a slight wiring mod.  You just need to change the connector type at the sender, and make a simple jumper for 2 of the pins in the removed indicator unit's connector plug.

[indybobm]

F6Dave is correct. This is something I looked into a couple of years ago.

The 97-99 Valkyrie Standards and Tourers have a Thermo Sensor on the thermostat housing. The Thermo Sensor has a wire that connects it to the 2P connector on the Temperature Indicator Unit behind the left side cover and overflow tank. The Temperature Indicator Unit is what determines whether or not to turn the coolant light on.

Later Valkyries and all Interstates use a Thermostatic Switch to turn the Coolant Light on. The switch is either off or on to control the light.
To eliminate the 97-99 the Temperature Indicator Unit and change to the later Thermostatic Switch do the following.
1, Replace the Thermo Sensor in the Thermostat Housing with the later Thermostatic Switch (item #9, part # 37760-MAV-003 on the parts fiche).  You will probably have to change the connector on the end of the wire to match the new part.
2. Remove the Left Side Cover , the Coolant Tank, and disconnect the Temperature Indicator Unit (item #16 on the parts fiche).
3. Jumper the Green/Blue wire on the 2p connector to the Lt Green/Black wire in the 4p connector.
4. The old Temperature Indicator Unit is no longer needed.