gauge cluster help

[tbcfreerider]

spedo- works
tach- works
trip- not working
fuel gauge doesnt work, cuz the tank was coated or something like that... so with out a trip im constantly guessing how much fuel i have left. I also would love to figure out my mpg


so any fixxes to the trip?

[DiverRay]

What year and model of XS???? Most of the standards will go about 110 to 120 miles before reserve, and the specials go about 90.

[tbcfreerider]

sorry 82 xj11

[fredintoon]

spedo- works
tach- works
trip- not working
fuel gauge doesnt work, cuz the tank was coated or something like that... so with out a trip im constantly guessing how much fuel i have left. I also would love to figure out my mpg so any fixxes to the trip?

Hi Johnnie,
easiest thing with the speedo is to get a replacement. If the speedo and the main odometer still work but the trip don't, one of the little plastic gears in there is broken and that's just about unfixable.
If the tank interior was coated with the gauge sender still inside it, the sender is all bunged up with tank sealant.
You can take the sender out by unbolting the plate inside the tank tunnel. You can try soaking the sender in acetone overnight to see if the sealant will dissolve off to free it up.
If it's beyond rescue, betcha Andreas can find you a replacement. And a speedo head, too.

[trbig]

Two 10mm nuts holds the whole cluster assembly to the triple tree. After that, there's 4 phillips screws to take the chrome back cover off I have pointed to here in red. (Your unit will stay attached.. you'll just have to lean it forward.) Also, remove your speedo cable.





After you remove the back cover, you'll have 6 more small phillips screws to remove here in red again, along with the two phillips screws that hold the speedo unit shown in green...





After those screws are out, gently pull the white back part away from the front part. The bottom will still be held by the wires, but you'll be able to pull the top apart like this... The red arrow is pointing at the reset button that is being mashed when you press the rubber trip button on the front of your cluster.





After that, just pull out the speedo unit. When you push that plunger, that whole plastic arm I show next in green, moves forward to operate the little reset lever in red.





All you need is a little dab of grease between these two pieces of plastic. They get dry, then create too much friction against each other to slide.. .and the plunger quits working. They need to be able to slide against each other to work.

Kind of a PITA for such a simple thing, but betting it will work if you do this.


Tod

[DiverRay]

Check to see that the "reset" button isn't sticking! I think that is one of the problems with the XJ models. If the trip meter does not want to work, you CAN replace the speedometer with a round type from an earlier bike, such as a 140MPH from an XS750. There was a write-up on how to do it at one time.

[fredintoon]

Kind of a PITA for such a simple thing, but betting it will work if you do this.
Tod

Hi Tod,
you mean on an XJ the whole cluster comes apart?
No stupid sealed unfixable gauges?
I was foolishly assuming that a (slightly) more modern bike than the XS would be slightly less fixable too.

[tbcfreerider]

WOW thanks for all the help... does anyone have a diagram for the tank plunger removal? i would be WAY more interested in that.

HAVE I SAID I F*CKING LOVE THIS FORUM!

[oseaghdha]

No diagram needed

Just run it dry and remove the tank.
Flip it over and see the square-ish plate up in the tunnel part of the tank that fits over the frame.
R&R as needed.

[trbig]

Dan, ya lazy azz... give him some pics like I did!


Tod