Honda replacement part?

[burple05]

What is considered a replacement part that we buy from our Genuine Honda Dealers?  Is an alternator considered a replacement part?  Purchased a new genuine Honda  alternator August 28, 2020 last year.  It quit working June 12, 2021 this year.  Maybe 3,000 miles on it.  Dealer said alternator is a replacement part and only had a 6 month warranty.  What I can  find on-line is 1 year warranty on parts. Is this dealer just dicking me ?   Over $500 dollars for this alternator and it's dead.  Not a very good warranty if it's true.  Dealers suck.  Bike only has 26,000 miles on it and alternator has failed twice, both Honda genuine parts.  Just bad luck?  I welcome your comments.

Peace, Ron.

[Chrisj CMA]

Who installed the alternator?  And, how strong has the battery been since the new alternator?

[RonW]

What I don't understand is why you didn't order the new alternator yourself. How you know if the 'new' alternator isn't a fake? Mark the new alternator with a felt pen etc if the dealer installs it.

I don't know what officially is a 'replacement' part.

[Jims99]

I would check the 55amp fuse, all electrical plugs and battery for any corrosion or wires pinched. Could just be a bad connection or blown fuse. Check the output on the alternator too. It shouldn’t have gone bad with that low of miles. Simple things first.

[MarkT]

Usage to failure is often around 50k miles as reported by many riders.  I experienced that too.  You can increase the miles-to-failure by lowering the load.  Change at least the headlight and spots to LED.  Agree with other comments, both of your failures are uncommonly soon. Likely something else - or even dealer fraud.  The price is obscene.  I paid under $200 for new, online.  Though not from Honda parts, they want their pound of flesh.  I now have several backups, always have one with me on road trips (pull a trailer so I can haul known, needed spare parts, tools - can help others. And I like having lots of stuff.)

[burple05]

Ok.  I'm an idiot.  I hadn't had a chance to actually check out the bike until last night.  I broke a cardinal rule, never assume.  When the first alternator went out my only warning was the speedo and tach quit working followed shortly by the bike dying.  This time I noticed my speedo/tach quit working at a stoplight.  I immediately thought same scenario was happening again.  Got pulled over at a store within a block, shut the bike off and tried to resart it.  Nothing?  Probably just had the kill switch off, kickstand down or clutch not pulled in, something.  When trailer got there to pick it up, bike started right up drove it on the trailer.  Figured it had sat long enough and recharged itself enough to start,  (stupid).  Anyway last night checked voltage in battery first, 12.7 volts, that seems odd.  Turn the gas on hit the starter fired right up.  Meter on battery charging 14.3 volts at idle.  Speedo/tac not working.  Rechecked fuses top 15amp fuse is blown.  Tail, brake, horn fuse.  Obviously have a dead short.  Can't find any obvious bare wire.  Only thing I"ve ever messed with on that circuit is the turn signal switch itself, cleaned it and re-lubed it.  It does kinda catch when I hit left signal.  Could the switch itself be grounding out somehow?  If I take it back apart would I see obvious sign it is shorting out?  My biggest weakness is electrical problems.  I really need to learn how to use my meter correctly. 
     I did buy this alternator on-line from a Honda dealer in Michigan.  I installed it myself.  It is a genuine Honda (Hitachi) alternator.  As of right now it seems to be working perfectly.  I just gotta find that dead short.

Peace, Ron.

[Ken aka Oil Burner]

If you put a new fuse in, does it pop immediately? If not, there's not a dead short in the circuit all the time. If a new fuse doesn't blow, try out the things on the circuit individually and see if any of them cause the fuse to blow. If after trying your best to make it go but it remains OK, keep some fuses with you and go back to your life. If you get the gauge dropout again on the road, take note of what you just did (left turn, right turn, horn, braking, etc). Also, anything aftermarket tied into that circuit like phone holder/charger, GPS, clock, etc? More load might be too much for the factory circuit that they rated at 15 amps.

Good luck with finding it. I'm an ASE Master Auto tech and consider my electrical skills to be pretty good. That said, electrical problems can get you in a spin cycle sometimes where you can't find your hind end with both hands. Take a step back and evaluate what you've got, and go from there.

[burple05]

If you put a new fuse in, does it pop immediately? If not, there's not a dead short in the circuit all the time. If a new fuse doesn't blow, try out the things on the circuit individually and see if any of them cause the fuse to blow. If after trying your best to make it go but it remains OK, keep some fuses with you and go back to your life. If you get the gauge dropout again on the road, take note of what you just did (left turn, right turn, horn, braking, etc). Also, anything aftermarket tied into that circuit like phone holder/charger, GPS, clock, etc? More load might be too much for the factory circuit that they rated at 15 amps.

Good luck with finding it. I'm an ASE Master Auto tech and consider my electrical skills to be pretty good. That said, electrical problems can get you in a spin cycle sometimes where you can't find your hind end with both hands. Take a step back and evaluate what you've got, and go from there.

*Fuse pops immediately when you turn key to on- position.   The only thing I can see added is a set of Bigbf quard horns.  I pulled the main wire from battery to relay for horns and it still blows it so horns aren't it.  Looked at bulbs in rear tail lights, they seem good, clean no corostion at all.  wiring under rear fender looks intact in the harness.  Could the turn signal switch itself be grounding out?  Only thing I have messed with electrical at all,  to clean it.  That was several months ago though and it had been working fine.  Anybody know where that switch plugs into the harness on an interstate?  I'm assuming in the fairing someplace.  Or is it just easier to take the switch apart again?  Would it be melted or something on the inside?

[RonW]

*Fuse pops immediately when you turn key to on- position.   The only thing I can see added is a set of Bigbf quard horns.  

• I pulled the main wire from battery to relay for horns and it still blows it so horns aren't it.

I'm guessing that the relay for the quad horn is still triggered by the oem horn wires from horn button. Might look at those.

Only thing I"ve ever messed with on that circuit is the turn signal switch itself, cleaned it and re-lubed it.  

• It does kinda catch when I hit left signal.

I don't know if you took the movable contact apart (A). Just pluck it out of its holder (B). There are divots molded into the holder (red dots). The ball on the movable contact drops into the divot accordingly. The ball is sprung and should have free movement.

You have to remove the thumblever plate to get to the movable contact (bottom right pic). IMHO, you're suppose to push the thumb lever in to cancel. Push in.

 Could the switch itself be grounding out somehow?  If I take it back apart would I see obvious sign it is shorting out?

• Anybody know where that switch plugs into the harness on an interstate?

[Ken aka Oil Burner]

I was away for a couple days, so I just saw your reply that the fuse pops immediately. I looked at the wiring diagram for the Interstate to try to see where the circuit goes from the 15 amp tail light fuse )damn that print is tiny...). It does go, obviously, to the tail lights in the trunk. If it has been "Super-valked", the wiring that was added for a standard brake/tail light or the wiring that went to the trunk could also be an issue. The circuit powers part of the cluster, as you already know from the symptoms you had. It also is the power feed into the left control pod on the bars, for the turn signals, horn, etc. If you unplug the 14 pin connector to the left grip switch assy, at least you can narrow it down to that area. Connector is probably 20 inches away from the switch pod. With that unplugged, if the fuse blows, you can eliminate the horns/switch, turn signal switch, etc from being the cause. The same circuit goes to the front brake light switch, the rear brake light switch, the turn signal relay, and the speed sensor assembly too. Check the wires to both brake light switches and unplug each as needed for testing. Unplugging different "legs" of the circuit is the easiest way to isolate the short.

Again, good luck with the diagnosis. There are "short-finder" circuit breakers that can be installed in place of the fuse to keep you from going through fuses while trying to track the short down, but honestly, a pack of 15 amp fuses will cost a lot less and work for most people's diagnostic needs.

[Jims99]

One more thing to check, did you pinch a wire when putting the hand control back on. May have pinched a wire that didn’t short right away but worked through the wire over time.

[burple05]

I was away for a couple days, so I just saw your reply that the fuse pops immediately. I looked at the wiring diagram for the Interstate to try to see where the circuit goes from the 15 amp tail light fuse )damn that print is tiny...). It does go, obviously, to the tail lights in the trunk. If it has been "Super-valked", the wiring that was added for a standard brake/tail light or the wiring that went to the trunk could also be an issue. The circuit powers part of the cluster, as you already know from the symptoms you had. It also is the power feed into the left control pod on the bars, for the turn signals, horn, etc. If you unplug the 14 pin connector to the left grip switch assy, at least you can narrow it down to that area. Connector is probably 20 inches away from the switch pod. With that unplugged, if the fuse blows, you can eliminate the horns/switch, turn signal switch, etc from being the cause. The same circuit goes to the front brake light switch, the rear brake light switch, the turn signal relay, and the speed sensor assembly too. Check the wires to both brake light switches and unplug each as needed for testing. Unplugging different "legs" of the circuit is the easiest way to isolate the short.

Again, good luck with the diagnosis. There are "short-finder" circuit breakers that can be installed in place of the fuse to keep you from going through fuses while trying to track the short down, but honestly, a pack of 15 amp fuses will cost a lot less and work for most people's diagnostic needs.

Wish I had a wiring diagram.  Valkyrie Norway sight seems to be not working any longer to download it.  When unplugging these switches(brake light and such) that just takes out the switch itself correct?  Not the wiring to the switch?  Also when you say speed sensor are you talking about the one on the front axle for speedo?

[Ken aka Oil Burner]

Yes; by unplugging a switch, the wiring is still a question because it is still connected with the rest of the harness. It will only help to narrow down or isolate the area of concern. My Valk is a standard, so it has a speedometer cable. The Interstate, as I've read, has a sensor at the front wheel where my cable housing goes.

If this works, here's the PDF file from the Valkyrie Norway site. Copy and paste it into your browser and I hope it works.

     file:///media/fuse/drivefs-7b11952e762d7d2ccee1394ffb8d79a1/root/Valkyrie%20GL1500%20service%20manual%20.pdf

[burple05]

Yes; by unplugging a switch, the wiring is still a question because it is still connected with the rest of the harness. It will only help to narrow down or isolate the area of concern. My Valk is a standard, so it has a speedometer cable. The Interstate, as I've read, has a sensor at the front wheel where my cable housing goes.

If this works, here's the PDF file from the Valkyrie Norway site. Copy and paste it into your browser and I hope it works.

     file:///media/fuse/drivefs-7b11952e762d7d2ccee1394ffb8d79a1/root/Valkyrie%20GL1500%20service%20manual%20.pdf

No go on the download shop manual.

[-mike-]

Here ya go:

Shop Manual
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1dUc0HNGdqAg-J96vA8GFIF603R7wmK4F/view?usp=sharing

-mike-

[burple05]

Yes; by unplugging a switch, the wiring is still a question because it is still connected with the rest of the harness. It will only help to narrow down or isolate the area of concern. My Valk is a standard, so it has a speedometer cable. The Interstate, as I've read, has a sensor at the front wheel where my cable housing goes.

If this works, here's the PDF file from the Valkyrie Norway site. Copy and paste it into your browser and I hope it works. *** I found it!!!  Thank you, thank you.  It was speedo wires pinched behind that fancy chrome cover.  May have never found it without your help.  I've got this bike torn all to pieces and it's on the front wheel.  I did some learnin though.  Always a plus.  Thanks again guys.   Now if I can get it put back together.

     file:///media/fuse/drivefs-7b11952e762d7d2ccee1394ffb8d79a1/root/Valkyrie%20GL1500%20service%20manual%20.pdf

No go on the download shop manual.

[burple05]

Yes; by unplugging a switch, the wiring is still a question because it is still connected with the rest of the harness. It will only help to narrow down or isolate the area of concern. My Valk is a standard, so it has a speedometer cable. The Interstate, as I've read, has a sensor at the front wheel where my cable housing goes.

If this works, here's the PDF file from the Valkyrie Norway site. Copy and paste it into your browser and I hope it works. *** I found it!!!  Thank you, thank you.  It was speedo wires pinched behind that fancy chrome cover.  May have never found it without your help.  I've got this bike torn all to pieces and it's on the front wheel.  I did some learnin though.  Always a plus.  Thanks again guys.   Now if I can get it put back together.

     file:///media/fuse/drivefs-7b11952e762d7d2ccee1394ffb8d79a1/root/Valkyrie%20GL1500%20service%20manual%20.pdf

No go on the download shop manual.

Found it.  Speedometer wires to speed sensor, front wheel.   Thanks everybody.  couldn't have done it without you.

[Ken aka Oil Burner]

Glad you were able to track it down.