Dyna S fried overnight - possible causes?

[Pendulum]

So I finally got my valve adjustment finished, and took my GS550 out for a test ride.

I went around the block, ran it up to about 60mph in 6th gear, came home and parked it. It ran great all the way until I parked it. The next morning, it wouldn't start. The Dyna S was fried.

What could have caused this? The key wasn't left on, and I couldn't find any evidence of shorts or anything.

 

[JEEPRUSTY]

Did you disturb anything related to the ignition?
http://www.powercommander.com/downloads/Support-Released/Dynatek/Manuals/DS3-1_3-2.pdf

Mebbe you just messed up a connection?

Or is it a toasty smokeless heap?

 

[Pendulum]

Did you disturb anything related to the ignition?
http://www.powercommander.com/downloads/Support-Released/Dynatek/Manuals/DS3-1_3-2.pdf

Mebbe you just messed up a connection?

Or is it a toasty smokeless heap?

Unfortunately, it's fried I did some testing, and it's definitely the ignition. The good news is that a local shop got me one next day, for cheaper than most online stores.

 

[JEEPRUSTY]

Ahh you let the smoke out...................
Well some guru will step up and help you.

Do not just slap in the new unit without what you test the riggin.

 

[mike_of_bbg]

If it fried, I'm betting that your charging system is running way hot. Have you gone through the stator papers?

 

[Pendulum]

Ahh you let the smoke out...................
Well some guru will step up and help you.

Do not just slap in the new unit without what you test the riggin.

Hence the thread

If it fried, I'm betting that your charging system is running way hot. Have you gone through the stator papers?

I'm gonna be REAL ****ed if it's the charging system. I JUST replaced my stator with a good one. It was used, but tested good. My R/R is a used (but tested good) Honda unit.

How am I gonna test the stator without using the new ignition?! Awesome catch 22 here, eh?

 

[Killer2600]

Ahh you let the smoke out...................
Well some guru will step up and help you.

Do not just slap in the new unit without what you test the riggin.

If you let the smoke out just put it back in, that's what a smoke machine is for

I'm actually working on my stock ignition trying to see if I can get the smoke to come out.

 

[Pendulum]

If you let the smoke out just put it back in, that's what a smoke machine is for

I'm actually working on my stock ignition trying to see if I can get the smoke to come out.

I know a guy that DJs at some local clubs... He's probably got access to some big smoke machines. Maybe he can help


I might have found something interesting... Apparently the Dyna S is known to spark constantly while charging. I had my battery charger hooked up for like 24 hrs a few days before the ignition failed. But my Dyna S and my coils are on their own circuit, with a switch.

http://www.dynaonline.com/skins/support/dynatek_faq.aspx#905

 

[Killer2600]

Hence the thread



I'm gonna be REAL ****ed if it's the charging system. I JUST replaced my stator with a good one. It was used, but tested good. My R/R is a used (but tested good) Honda unit.

How am I gonna test the stator without using the new ignition?! Awesome catch 22 here, eh?

Ohms test?

Turn the engine over by hand really fast?

Turn the engine over with an electric motor, a drill perhaps

Roll the bike, in gear, down a hill and take your measurements on the ride down

Or (the method I'd probably go) hook the coils and dyna S to a separate battery from the bike.

There are ways, you just gotta be creative

 

[Pendulum]

Ohms test?

Turn the engine over by hand really fast?

Turn the engine over with an electric motor, a drill perhaps

Roll the bike, in gear, down a hill and take your measurements on the ride down

Or (the method I'd probably go) hook the coils and dyna S to a separate battery from the bike.

There are ways, you just gotta be creative

Powering the ignition separately is do-able, but I don't have an extra battery which means I'd have to go buy and prep it, then charge it. Lots of work.

I wonder what the chances of frying the ignition are while doing my tests.

 

[mike_of_bbg]

I hear Dyna is great with warranty service and support. Have you called them?

Unless you left your ignition on all night too, I'd have a hard time understanding why a battery charge would burn it out???

 

[Killer2600]

Powering the ignition separately is do-able, but I don't have an extra battery which means I'd have to go buy and prep it, then charge it. Lots of work.

I wonder what the chances of frying the ignition are while doing my tests.

0% if you disconnect the stator from the R/R

Fairly low if you first check the battery voltage when you start the bike to make sure it's at an acceptable level, and again check it when you up the RPM's for the same reason.

But you totally dismissed all my other ideas...You don't have any long steep hills nearby?

 

[Pendulum]

I hear Dyna is great with warranty service and support. Have you called them?

Unless you left your ignition on all night too, I'd have a hard time understanding why a battery charge would burn it out???

idk, it was just a thought based on some info from their website. Apparently it'll spark constantly when charging. I figured that'd cause overheating.

As for the warranty, yes, I talked to them. I'm shipping the fried one back to them. If they want to replace it under warranty, awesome. If not, whatever. I've already bought another because I didn't want to wait.

0% if you disconnect the stator from the R/R

Fairly low if you first check the battery voltage when you start the bike to make sure it's at an acceptable level, and again check it when you up the RPM's for the same reason.

But you totally dismissed all my other ideas...You don't have any long steep hills nearby?

I'm in Arizona. Hills are few and far between. The nearest long steep hill I can think of is literally an hour from my house, and I know my area pretty well. To top it off, it's a 45 MPH zone that gets a pretty fair amount of traffic, and a rather high amount of drunk drivers on the weekends. Not exactly an ideal test are lol. I guess I could head out to Highway 88 which is 15 minutes closer, but that's even more dangerous.

 

[Suzuki_Don]

I have a Dyns S on my 550 and whenever I am not riding, I have it on a battery tender all the time. Never had an issue. I would check all connections for good joints, especially soldered ones and also for correct correct wiring following the Dyna S instructions. If you used a larger type battery charger maybe it was a bit heavy handed.

Also when looking at the wiring diagram (Dyna S), there is no power to the Dyna S unless the ign is switched on, so when you were charging the battery I doubt any voltage was getting to the Dyna S unit. It is more likely there was a surge when the ign was turned on and this ruined the Dyna S. Maybe you need a new battery - how old is it? Why were you charging your battery in the first place? Had you had charging issues with the bike? Maybe it was just a faulty unit - rare but could happen.

 

[Pendulum]

I have a Dyns S on my 550 and whenever I am not riding, I have it on a battery tender all the time. Never had an issue. I would check all connections for good joints, especially soldered ones and also for correct correct wiring following the Dyna S instructions. If you used a larger type battery charger maybe it was a bit heavy handed.

Also when looking at the wiring diagram (Dyna S), there is no power to the Dyna S unless the ign is switched on, so when you were charging the battery I doubt any voltage was getting to the Dyna S unit. It is more likely there was a surge when the ign was turned on and this ruined the Dyna S. Maybe you need a new battery - how old is it? Why were you charging your battery in the first place? Had you had charging issues with the bike? Maybe it was just a faulty unit - rare but could happen.

The battery was being charged because I left the key on overnight after working on the bike.

Wiring was correct, and in my quick once-over I saw no issues. Doesn't mean there wasn't any, since I only looked quickly. Re-checking tonight before installing new ignition.

Battery is only a few months old. Replaced it when I did the original Dyna S and new stator and R/R. My last R/R failed, and took my stator and battery with it.


So far it seems like the GSR consensus is charging related. Awesome.

 

[Suzuki_Don]

I think you may have answered your own question. You left the ign ON overnight. Those modules are designed to switch ON, OFF, ON, OFF, etc as the magnet passes each module. If the magnet was positioned so that one module was ON all the time that could have caused it to fail. Have you ever felt how hot a condensor gets in points type ign if the ign is left on for some time. Same senario.

 

[Pendulum]

I think you may have answered your own question. You left the ign ON overnight. Those modules are designed to switch ON, OFF, ON, OFF, etc as the magnet passes each module. If the magnet was positioned so that one module was ON all the time that could have caused it to fail. Have you ever felt how hot a condensor gets in points type ign if the ign is left on for some time. Same senario.

I should have clarified. The battery was drained about 5 days before the Dyna died. I charged it up, and it held a charge until I rode the bike around the block. Parked the bike, and the next morning the Dyna S was dead. Battery was still at 12.7v.

 

[Suzuki_Don]

I still think the ign being left on overnight had weakened the module in some way and it failed at a later stage.

Did both modules fail or only one?

 

[Pendulum]

I still think the ign being left on overnight had weakened the module in some way and it failed at a later stage.

Did both modules fail or only one?

I had no spark on either coil, and I've got continuity between the plate and white wire, as well as the plate and black wire. So I believe that both did fail. I've also got some white stuff that looks like corrosion that's barely visible under the 1-4 pickup.

 

[Suzuki_Don]

I am surprised others have not chimed in. If it were me I would fit the new Dyna S unit, make sure battery is fully charged and try it again with generator wires disconnected in case it is over charging. But I am the kind of guy that is prepared to take a risk to get my bike going even at the risk of burning something out.

Your decision.