HELP IN DESPERATE!!!!! - Instruments Not working Continued

[ptingib]

Hi All,   Sorry to start a new thread but i did not think my last one would be resurrected.  Its soo hot here so can only work on my bike in the mornings or at night.  Its currently 39c in the shade here at the bottom of Europe (Spain) 9 miles from Africa.   
Please please can I have some more advice as I i still have the same issue with the instrument panel not working, with the mobile phone light on, the battery light on and the low yellow fuel light still coming on.   No other dial works, the buttons do nothing but the clock starts at 12:00 and then continues.
It took along time to get to the final panel off as i had to take off alot AND there are a couple of hidden screws that are near impossible to see and harder to get at.
Ive uploaded some more photos as I have cleaned all the female/male switches, Ive tapped up every exposed cable and have cleaned everything possible including taking the instrument apart and looking for issues.   
Behind the four dials is a copper colored round casing covering red and gold conductive wire which i assume receives a current for it to move.  I know this as if you take off the covers and rotate them the dials move so i may have a magnetic charge on them.
I cant work out the mobile phone batery and fuel light. and I cant this thing to wiork.  We are in feria season in Spain and now its August every garage seem to be closed or on minimum few hours a day.  They all are backed up with work with bikes that customers need for August touring.
PLEASE CAN I HAVE MORE ADVICE!!!  Ive been off the road on two wheels for 7 weeks now and Im getting extremely desperate as this time of year espectially the early evening is the best time of the year to ride as its magical with the warm winds.
Please find attached some additional photos I have taken today before my head was fried in the sun!!!
I look forward to any replies. 
Many thanks in advance for a very grateful Xciting owner. 

[CROSSBOLT]

I think I recall you found some substitute for the recommended silicone dielectric grease so now we are at the multimeter tracing out power phase. Do you have a multimeter and a wiring diagram? Is this a Downtown 300i? None of your pictures except for the throttle body looks like my 2013....

[ptingib]

Im going to strugle with a wiring diagram,  its obviously laid flat and not easy to read.   There is possibly an electrical issue however it starts perfectly.   If it was the instrument panel (cluster/dials) is that something that can be repaired as these are impossible to source where i live and as a car breaker advised me if i did find one in a breakers yard the chances that it works are very very small.

With checking the multimeter is that done with the engine running.  where are the main points to check??  thanks

[CROSSBOLT]

Well, it depends what you are checking. First, is this actually a Downtown 300i? What year?

[ptingib]

Hi no its an Xciting 500 2009, the first generation.  Im posting on the xciting 500 section of the forum!!!!!!

[CROSSBOLT]

Yow! Sorry about that! Yes, you have...but still may be able to help. So, your wiring diagram is flat and hard to read, right? Does that mean it is in black, white and gray, no color?

[ptingib]

hi i have a downloaded copy of the workshop manual it is however in Black and white and although Ive taken a pick with the lap top i usually look at it on my kindle which is more portable and easier to zoom in.  It does however resemble chinese noodles so if there are any main cables i should be looking at i would appreciate the advice.

You very kindly sent me your colour one for your Bike,  Im assuming the basic would be the same,  if you could point a few indicators on where to look first!!!!

Is it possible that the instrument cluster has gone bad?? OR do you think this may have something to do with the speedo sensor??  i know im grasping at straws but my wife is not impressed that my skeleton of my scooter is blocking the front door with most of it in various parts of the house including but not exclusively the garage!!!

Ive attached an alwful photo of what I have, I cant seem to seperate an individual page from the pdf to upload it

[CROSSBOLT]

First thing is to establish the panel is getting power. Then if it is getting power and has a good ground connection, check for a voltage regulator somewhere near where the power enters the board. These have gone bad in car's panels which kill the whole thing. Usally looks like a rectangular black block with three legs/conductors.

[ptingib]

Ill be honest with you crossbolt, none of the above made any sence and its not like i dont understand english Im from London!!!  Please can you break it down a bit thanks.

[CROSSBOLT]

There will be, on your diagram, markings for the instrument cluster. Look for "B+" or "V+" or something like that. There will also be a corresponding "B-" or "GND." Find these and probe with you multimeter on volts (typically "20 vdc") and with key on. Tell us what your voltmeter reads...

[ptingib]

Hi CrossBolt Im still trying to work out the wiring diagram its my first time and im not great with electrics!!!!  one thing that I need to mention, it was my wife who spotted it first.  At the back of the instrument panel two of the four round copper covers that protects the metal cables that are wrapped up tightly had a burning smell.    Or at least I think thats what it was.  My wife picked it up immediately but as ive been following trucks for 30 years so my sense of smell and hearing has diminished incredibly.

May I please had your thoughts of how to resolve the problem IF its the instrument panel has suffered from an electrical surge and possibly some of it has been damaged.  Is there anything obvious that I can visually see???  Due to the unique plug that connects the panel to the ECU is it possible to take this instrument to an electrical engineer who (the only person I had in mind) fixed my TV when the LCD blew.

Im going to continue to work on the wiring but the heat here limits the time to a few hours in the morning and due to work /family comitments this is taking a very very long time to resolve.   Here in spain August is a month everyone takes off for holidays and again taking to a mechanic is not an option.   The irony is that mechanically the scooter is running as good as ever.  its obviously a specific issue which i doubt a teenage apprentice will have any idea  to resolve.

 

[CROSSBOLT]

USUALLY when something gets hot enough to burn and smell, a fuse has blown. Do you (I cannot remember) have any bad fuses? Is there anything else that does not work electrically? Since the machine runs properly, the best test environment is to leave the instrument cluster connected. You may have a repair shop that specializes in repairing such panels. Cna you see any burned cables on the wires going to the panel? Can you see any components on the panel that have been really hot?

Where in spain? 36 degrees North is Gibraltar and you are north of that! How hot is it?

[ptingib]

hi im in 10 mins from gibraltar near the tarifa on the southern end of europe, we can see africa from our window.   the fuses are good and even changed them.  the lights and indicators all work.  EVERY thing on the bike is hot as its like hells at the moment.   the only thing i can think of are the batteries that get hot after 18 months and warp,  due to the extreme heat and cold in winters we get through bateries and even car bateries faster than say when i was un the UK.    As far as Im aware apart from the instrument panel all the electrics work albeit its the lights horn and starter motor/ignition.   

Is there an after market panel that can be bought from say Amazon or ebay that will take the Kymcos unique cable cluster and plug??  something like a universal panel for a motorbike.   Do you know if the kymco shares its plug with any other manufacturer or an adapter can be bought???  i cant see myself find a working second hand one, its 10 years old and they were not a super seller in Europe.

People with full motorbike licences never tended to buy big scooters until the Yamaha came out and DCT.   The 850 gilera/aprillia was too expensive.

[CROSSBOLT]

There are aftermarket speedo-tach-everything else panels available BUT you would be the pioneer/first man in space on adapting it to that machine! I am NOT saying it cannot be done! I AM saying it would require a commitment to see it through. There are people making mods and hacks everyday way more complicated than this potential project. The makers of these all-in-one panels probably have instructions....this may be your only option....

[BigBlue505]

I'm still thinking you need to buy a Kymco instrument panel.  I don't think they were made to be repaired, just replaced...Remove and Replace.  It would probably be cheaper than taking it to a mechanic and it should just plug right in.  If your scooter's doing everything else properly and your wiring harness is in good shape, there's not much else to rule out.  We don't have any mechanical or safety inspections around here, but I remember how strict some of the European inspections were.