Roketa Electronic Catastrophe By ellpee (Read 2,757 times)

[ellpee]

Well okay, I've pretty much done that then. I (mis)understood from JR's post that I needed to take off all the plastic surrounding the headlights, which involves a whole bunch more screws and bolts, and even then doesn't want to come off. I'm waiting for it to warm up a bit outside and will then resume testing, wire by wire and connection by connection. I can get at quite a lot of the spaghetti with just the panels you showed. Hopefully, including the place where the gremlin lives.

BTW: how do you post those pictures? Haven't noticed anything on the site that says "insert picture" or whatever.

[alleyoop]

You can use PHOTOBUCKET or PUSHPICTURE etc You load them up then copy the url link and past it on in your post.
Alleyoop
photobucket.com/


picturepush.com/host.php?image=10075950

[ellpee]

I see, will remember that.

Had a good session today, may be all better. Started from square 1, battery, test, test, test, on up the food chain. Scoot was starting normally, k/b/s, right from the beginning, never acted up once the whole time. only thing I found between the battery and the two brake levers/switches was in the fuse box. The little metal contacts that the fuses fit into? on a couple of the fuses one or both had been pushed down in the box to the point where a poor connection was certainly a possibility. I moved them back into place and paid special attention when re-inserting the fuses to make sure they seated correctly and didn't push the contacts down again. All testing from that point, basically just the brake switches, was as it should be. Started the scoot at least a dozen times over a period of 3-4 hours, never failed. So, other than pushing all the connectors I could reach firmly together, I called it a day and put all the plastic back on. No small job, that, but it's done and I THINK I may be road-ready again. Thanks to all here who patiently guided me through it all. With me as the only mechanic ya never know if it'll fail again tomorrow, but I'm hopeful, and I sure know/understand a lot more about the wiring on my li'l Roketa than I did a week ago.

[alleyoop]

Good news, we all hope it is all fixed. And yes those Fuse Boxs they put on are crap, cheapest fuse boxs around many have had trouble with them.
Alleyoop

[ellpee]

I also put a wee dab of clear silicone sealer/adhesive on the threads of most of the screws I put back in the plastic, don't know if that'll help keep them from loosening and falling out but figured it can't hurt. I'm thinking a general tightness check is something I'm gonna have to do at least weekly, not very impressed with the speednuts and flimsy electrical connectors and what have you. Guess for $2K I shouldn't expect Rolls Royce quality, but taking a close look at the innards of my scoot has been a real lesson in Cheap 101. Also think on any future under-the-hood adventure I may make it a point to just replace their junk with US-made equivalent (meaning mostly electrical connectors, hoses, the small stuff).

BTW, I still need to up the idle just a tad, it's maybe 700 now and about 1500 seems to be a better setting idea -- runs smooth/wheel not turning. I THINK I'm seeing the top of the carb when I take off the battery cover, but can I get at the idle screw from there? I shiver to think of removing any more plastic until I absolutely have to. Right behind that is replacing the OEM spark plug with a USA equivalent; I know I can SEE the plug from the other little port under my seat, will see if I can actually remove and replace it from there. If others with experience care to share, my ears are wide, wide open.

[JR]

It should have the standard NGK (DR8EA) and the Iridium: NGK (DR8EIX) is the equivalent of that plug and will last longer.

JR

[ellpee]

OK, Thanks as always. Looked up the location of the idle screw, easy enough to get to, and just set the idle up to 1000 after letting it warm up for a few minutes. It seems to run smoothly enough at that point without the wheel turning. Next time it's good and cold I'll check again and see how it does the first five minutes or so, and give it another couple hundred rpm if necessary. Main thing is I don't want to have to be re-starting it at every stoplight or every time I coast down a hill. Too many other things to pay attention to without that additional worry.

In re: plugs, I cross-referenced the plug mentioned in my manual at several on-line sites and got equivalents for several different US brands, BUT the only one AutoZone had in stock was NGK C7HSA. I just now saw that plug in one on line site as "for up to 150cc." I guess maybe I'd better quit the guessing games, pull out the OEM plug and see what it actually is.

[ellpee]

Took it out for a 45-minute spin yesterday, and a couple hours today, and all seems great. Idles well when cold, at stops, and coasting downhill, starts right up -- couple cranks when totally cold, but that's to be expected -- and nothing bizarre going on electrically. ellpee is now officially one happy scootster.