Fuel reserve light wiring - 2010 TE250

[ibrewmyown]

I recently purchased a 2010 TE250 which came with a Trail TEch Vapor already installed.
The bike is great and I like the Trail Tech.

Problem is that without the factory dashboard, I have no fuel reserve warning light. I am constantly worrying about running out of fuel on the trail.

The shop manual says to test the fuel reserve sensor by measuring impedance across the blue and whit wire fuel pump wires.
This is fine, however, I would like to put an LED on the bars that lights-up when the sensor is activated.

Anyone know which wires to tap into near the dashboard location?
There are some leftover wires from the original dashboard, and I assume the fuel reserve sensor wire is there somewhere.

 

[Trenchcoat85]

There are a couple of threads on this- but really, your trip meter is a better fuel level indicator. Your's is the only TE xlite that uses the old style thermistor (which, IMO, is a better system then the newer float). If I remember correctly, that is.

oh yeah- I looked at the wiring diagram and it looks like pin #9 might be your LED. The factory manual's wiring diagram is hard to read. it might be white/yellow; which might be the same as the one coming out of the tank wiring (maybe #3?)

http://www.cafehusky.com/threads/fuel-pump-thermistor-readings.86480/
http://www.cafehusky.com/threads/2008-te-510-low-fuel-light-not-working.1229/
http://www.cafehusky.com/threads/2008-fuel-pump-how-to-check-power-at-connector.86007/
http://www.cafehusky.com/threads/ca...dicator-light-go-on-sooner.83286/#post-570138

 

[ibrewmyown]

Thanks Trenchcoat.

I guess it only because it does not work that makes me think I will run out of fuel. Drives me nuts when I know there there is something there that I do not have working.
If it was working, I would probably not even use it and rely on the trip meter.

It stinks that out of 420 pages in the manual, the one that it blurry is the wiring diagram for the TE. Every other page looks perfect.
Had a regulator issue when I first bought the bike and it was a heck of a time following that thing. Enlarging it makes it worse.

I'll check the threads you linked and see where that leads.

Still going riding today either way. First nice day of spring in western New York!

 

[AndrewS]

Am I mistaken, or is the wiring diagram in the owners manual actually more clear than the one in the workshop manual?

I know that was the case at one time, but don't remember if it was for 2010, and I don't have a 2010 owners manual to check.

 

[Trenchcoat85]

I do not have a 2010 TE250 owners manual either.... can someone look at theirs?

Thanks Trenchcoat.

I guess it only because it does not work that makes me think I will run out of fuel. Drives me nuts when I know there there is something there that I do not have working.
If it was working, I would probably not even use it and rely on the trip meter.

It stinks that out of 420 pages in the manual, the one that it blurry is the wiring diagram for the TE. Every other page looks perfect.
Had a regulator issue when I first bought the bike and it was a heck of a time following that thing. Enlarging it makes it worse.

I'll check the threads you linked and see where that leads.

Still going riding today either way. First nice day of spring in western New York!

hey brewer- sometimes you can look at the TXC's wiring diagram to get a good hint (it's much clearer).

I should pass on a couple of warnings too: husky wiring colors are only for the factory harness; with OEM'd components- in this case the fuel pump/thermistor and the "dashboard", the wiring changes color on the component side.

Also, TXC diagram confirms that the low fuel LED is white/yellow; the LED resistor is a 2 watt 68 ohm hidden in the harness (probably near the regulator mount) and is a major failure point. The TXC also uses a 750 ohm resistor for current limiting which, if you roll your own, you will need too.

The thermistor itself has a couple of weak points: if a resistors leads are broken (happens a lot) the thermistor can go into thermal runaway and turn itself into a chunk of carbon. The thermistor's leads break often too, and the mount for the canister breaks also- both of these are probably related to excessive g-forces that a dirt bike can impose on the thermistor system. I imagine this much higher than a car typically experiences.

On my bike, when I run out of gas (my husky has fuel line cross-overs on the tank) I can do the old lay-the-bike-on-the-left-side-and-pick-up-the-wheels trick to drain a few ounces over to the left side (where my pump is) and get 5 more miles. I do not know if that would work for your bike. Take a wide-mouth quart oil can of gas with you and run out of gas a bunch of times to figure out what is what (mileage too).

 

[Xicobombas]

Brewer

I had the same problem, but, digging out on the internet I found the owner's manual (if you want it, PM me) which has a much better electric diagram pixel definition. I extracted the 2 pages you need.
I believe, if you have the resistors working fine, which you can test as well, the pin 9 is your target ... you also need earth, pinch a blue wire to have it.

Last week I tested an entire '10 TE 250 wiring harness that I bought, and everything including the resistors were working well.

Be aware of the type of the LED you install, if you buy one without voltage protection, testing it directly to the battery will burn but in the bike wont burn due to the voltage regulator.

 

[ibrewmyown]

Great info so far. thanks everyone.

Am I mistaken, or is the wiring diagram in the owners manual actually more clear than the one in the workshop manual?

I know that was the case at one time, but don't remember if it was for 2010, and I don't have a 2010 owners manual to check.

Seeing the digram from Xicobombas, looks the owners manual diagram is clearer. The one in the workshop manual is almost useless.

On my bike, when I run out of gas (my husky has fuel line cross-overs on the tank) I can do the old lay-the-bike-on-the-left-side-and-pick-up-the-wheels trick to drain a few ounces over to the left side (where my pump is) and get 5 more miles. I do not know if that would work for your bike. Take a wide-mouth quart oil can of gas with you and run out of gas a bunch of times to figure out what is what (mileage too).

Just received my MSR fuel bottle yesterday (30 oz.). I will carry this for now on long rides until I either get the warning light working or have the mileage dialed-in.

I had the same problem, but, digging out on the internet I found the owner's manual (if you want it, PM me) which has a much better electric diagram pixel definition. I extracted the 2 pages you need.

That diagram is way better. Thanks.
I can't seem to find the PM on this message board. Maybe because I am new?
Once I find it, I'll send you a PM. Or, you could send it to me via PM.

 

[Trenchcoat85]

...That diagram is way better. Thanks.
I can't seem to find the PM on this message board. Maybe because I am new?
Once I find it, I'll send you a PM. Or, you could send it to me via PM.

yeah, PM's are screwed-up; and it always takes me a while to find 'em (IIRC, it's called something else and it's pulled down from the top bar. ....Oh yeah!! "Inbox"! If you don't see it, you might hafta wait until you're off probation)

diagram: if you can see it, you should be able to select "download" from the display application (IOW, your pdf viewer). And Xicobombas, how about that owners manual URL? Don't keep it a secret- unless the actual owner requested it. Someone reading this thread 5 years from now will appreciate it.

camping fuel bottle:

 

[AndrewS]

I can't seem to find the PM on this message board. Maybe because I am new?
Once I find it, I'll send you a PM. Or, you could send it to me via PM.

Click on his profile avatar and, in the window that pops up, choose "Start a Conversation"

 

[Xicobombas]

Click on his profile avatar and, in the window that pops up, choose "Start a Conversation"

Already taken cared of... PDF's sent.
Now he must try to connect his bike to iBeats.

 

[R_Little]

Let tell you about my 2010 TE250 low fuel light.

In 6 years it has gone on twice.

Both times it went on and within 1 mile I was out of gas and bike stalled.

The good news is after it stalls, It will feed gas for a while when travelling up hill.

The gas pickup is in the rear of the tank on the 2010 models.

You can coast down and ride up hills for about another couple of miles.

A properly tuned bike should get 30-45 mpg

 

[xlite250]

Hello, Ive followed all the drawings and advice written here about the low fuel light, as I’ve bought the Trail Wch Vapor unit with the add on warning lights. But I’m having a couple of issues, 1) the low fuel light - stays on constantly (incandescent bulb with a full tank), using the W/Y wire from pin #9 2)is it possible to wire the flasher unit together for one light without back feeding the each other 3) does the bike have a neutral light ?

Thanks in advance for the help.

 

[Trenchcoat85]

Hello, Ive followed all the drawings and advice written here about the low fuel light, as I’ve bought the Trail Wch Vapor unit with the add on warning lights. But I’m having a couple of issues, ...

Thanks in advance for the help.

1) the low fuel light - stays on constantly (incandescent bulb with a full tank), using the W/Y wire from pin #9

If the original light was NOT incandescent, you may need to stick a diode in there; remember that the "D" in LED is for diode. Even so- you may not have enough current to drive the light bulb. LEDs use very little power.

2)is it possible to wire the flasher unit together for one light without back feeding the each other

Turn sigs- again, diodes might be the answer. Use two common small signal diodes on the left and right input wires to your dash turn sig LED.

3) does the bike have a neutral light ?

AFAIK, xlites had no neutral light. 2010 was a weird year though.

 

[xlite250]

If the original light was NOT incandescent, you may need to stick a diode in there; remember that the "D" in LED is for diode. Even so- you may not have enough current to drive the light bulb. LEDs use very little power.


Turn sigs- again, diodes might be the answer. Use two common small signal diodes on the left and right input wires to your dash turn sig LED.


AFAIK, xlites had no neutral light. 2010 was a weird year though.

Thanks for the tips, I didn’t even consider using a diode in the turn signals, but also didn’t consider the diode part of the LED. So last night I put the LED bulb in that came with the trail tech kit, when installed one way it lights, but then the other it doesn’t, and I have a full tank, so I’ll drain the tank Saturday when I’m off and see what’s going on. Would be nice to have a low level warning. Also, maybe you can also answer this, there are a couple of plugs at the front of the bike (one really small looks like it would plug right into a trail tech product (doesn’t do anything) - traced it to the wiring loom under the tank, then it gets lost, the other looks like it has two small wires that come out that we’re cut off but it looks to be factory cut. XC models have different switches? If that makes any sense.....thoughts?

 

[Trenchcoat85]

Your low fuel level warning is your trip meter. The thermistor system is a bad design; husky's float system isn't much better.

And my thoughts are this: EVERYBODY has a digital camera nowadays. words confuse people; pictures clear things up. All technical posts should have lots of pictures.

so... got any pictures of these connectors?

one last thought: don't let this thread drift too far off the topic. If you need to, open another thread up.

good luck.

 

[xlite250]

I apologix

Your low fuel level warning is your trip meter. The thermistor system is a bad design; husky's float system isn't much better.

And my thoughts are this: EVERYBODY has a digital camera nowadays. words confuse people; pictures clear things up. All technical posts should have lots of pictures.

so... got any pictures of these connectors?

one last thought: don't let this thread drift too far off the topic. If you need to, open another thread up.

good luck.[/quote

I apologize, not trying to derail this thread. I will look into this a bit more. I’ll open another thread with pics for those plug, later when I get a chance tomorrow. Thanks again.

 

[Trenchcoat85]

Sounds good.