Wiring connectors

[Andy1970]

Hi All,


The wiring to the headlights, front indicators etc. is attached to the rest of the loom by a couple of connector blocks under the left hand side fairing panel. I want to remove the fairing, and my manual helpfully says I need to disconnect these, but doesn't give any indication as to how they come apart. They don't seem to be a simple push fit, and so far my squeezing, pulling and cursing hasn't persuaded them to separate. Can anyone give me any guidance as to what the mechanism holding the connectors together is, and how to pull them apart?


Many thanks
Andy

[Dave48]

There is usually a small thin "tab"  which you push inwards to enable you to simultaneously pull the connector apart. They may be very tight due to corrosion-you can always squirt a bit of GT85/WD40 around joint faces. If you shine a bright torch on the connector you will see the "push in piece" more clearly. Try not to pull the wires just the connector halves :eek

[BBROWN1664]

:agree

Look closer, the part to push is there somewhere.

[Val]

:agree

Look closer, the part to push is there somewhere.

:agree There are two small parts to push on both sides, also the connectors are stuck as well, it was majot PITA to disconnect mines, you need two flat screwdrivers to push the plastic bubles. You push it on the one side it gets back on the other. You need 1st screwdriver to block the first one open and with the second to push the second one. While simultenously pulling the both parts apart. Having total of four hands is very helpful to do that all.

At some point it works eventually  :lol

[Andy1970]

Thanks for all the replies. In the end I managed to remove and replace the fairing by disconnecting the bulb connectors, removing the sidelight bulbs and disconnecting the indicators, but leaving the main connectors in place.


Andy

[tommyardin]

I would have persisted in getting the two parts of that (White) connector apart personally as it is the supply to the headlamps and instrumentation among other things.
I went through a week or two of my headlights just dropping out on me and losing instrumentation, but a quick turn of the ignition off and then back on again brought the lights back and returned instrumentation.
I don't ride at night so I was not unduly concerned, but, when I went away on holiday I relied on the bike as it was my only transport whilst away, and riding down a narrow lane with passing places on night I had just rounded a very sharp left hander (Complete with gravel on the crown of the road) and was thrown in to total darkness, fortunately I did not know the road otherwise I may have been pushing on, but, as it was I was doing probably doing less than 20, and as the bike was upright I just slammed on both brakes and stopped fine, albeit totally blind.


I had to be rescued by following a 4X4 to civilization, bike was still rid-able just no lights or instrument. 
On arriving home I checked all the usual things battery connections, all connectors under the seat, wiggled the ignition key, popped the fairing infill panels off to check the connection at the headlamps and all seemed to be [size=1em]fine but still no lights.[/size]
[size=1em]Standing there with my hands over the left hand side of the fairing thinking rude thoughts to myself i touched the infamous large with multi electrical connector, and low and behold the lights fired up, wiggled it again and out they went, I did this a couple of times just to convince myself I had by luck found the fault.[/size]

[size=1em]The two halves of my connector wanted a lot of encouragement to let go of each other but when they did it was instantly obvious that a number of the connection halves had corroded away and were only making contact intermittently.[/size]
[size=1em]I cut the wires tight to each half of the connector (Colour coded so all good, but take a photo with your phone just in case) slipped a 50 mm length of shrink fit over one half of each pair, bared 15 mm off the end of each wire twisted them together inline and soldered, then slipped heat shrink over joint and gently heated the shrink with a fag lighter (No I don't smoke) and jobs a good-un. [/size]
[size=1em]That was 2 maybe 3 years ago and have never had a problem since.[/size]

[size=1em]I have heard that this is quite a common fault with these push fit connectors if that are in a venerable place IE: under the infill panel on a Fazer FZS 600. especially if you are a bit anal about washing and polishing it (Me Me) or the bike is out in all weathers. [/size]
[size=1em]I guess thinking back I repaired about 4 maybe 5 pairs of wires, the others were ok.[/size]
[size=1em]Cable tie around the connector pulled up tight after a liberal spray of WD40.[/size]

[size=1em]Until that happened I never really understood when someone said that something frightened that much they could have crushed a walnut between the cheeks of their arse [/size] :moon [size=1em]    [/size]

[Andy1970]

OK I finally managed to get the two connectors apart, so just in case anyone in the future has the same trouble as I did, here's the details:


The larger rectangular connector is held together by a single clip, which is released by squeezing the connector on the main loom side. There's a tab on the connector on the fairing side, but this doesn't actually seem to do anything. This connector was just a bit stiff, and also some of the terminals were starting to corrode, as mentioned in the above post by tommyardin.

The smaller connector is the really confusing one. The connector on the fairing side is actually in three pieces. There's the outer shell and then an inner section which holds in place a rubber seal. The clips visible on the outside of this connector (one on each short edge) are just there to hold the three pieces together and don't need to be unclipped to separate the two halves of the connector. The clip which holds the two halves of the connector together is next to the middle red and black wire on the main loom side, and the tab needs to be pulled outwards in order to release. I found a picture of the connector type, which is probably a bit clearer than my explanation.