How do I clean this?

Post by **GypsyRR** » Tue Sep 18, 2007 6:11 pm

While changing my oil today, I noticed this green stuff inside the aux socket. I have noticed recently that even after 3 days, the battery tender is still charging my bike. I suspected the battery was going bad ('05 bought new 1/06, 16200 miles), but after seeing this, I wonder if I'm just not getting a very good connection. So how do I clean this off?

Another thing I noticed while changing my oil. Stupid cat. I wonder how much oil he has to drink before it makes him very sick.

Capt. Blackadder · Post by **Capt. Blackadder** » Tue Sep 18, 2007 6:23 pm

I've seen the same thing in my aux. socket and it cleaned up rather nicely with a Q-tip dipped in some WD-40. Oh, and I don't think the common house cat has a high tolerance to 20W-50... he'll run much better on 5W-30, preferably fully synthetic.

maduko · Post by **maduko** » Tue Sep 18, 2007 6:27 pm

It's most likely not affecting anything.

Some of those accessory sockets are made out of copper. Unless you can protect it from air it will turn green.

RiftonRoadster · Post by **RiftonRoadster** » Tue Sep 18, 2007 6:42 pm

Dremel tool with a narrow wire cleaning brush on it. Leave the battery connected and the fuse in and see if you're as good as you ever were playing 'Operation'.

Post by **bransan** » Tue Sep 18, 2007 6:51 pm

WD-40 or any moisture displacing spray and a Q-Tip is the appropriate cleaning method. Ten apply a liberal amount of di-electric grease,found at most good auto parts stores. Vaseline will work in a pinch, or silicone grease.
My cat tried to eat a dead mouse found floating in a bucket of used ethelyne glycol, He didn't eat much and ran for the water dish.

Post by **OU812** » Tue Sep 18, 2007 7:47 pm

Yes, di-electric grease is the stuff you want to use after cleaning. It is the sh*t.

adg44 · Post by **adg44** » Tue Sep 18, 2007 8:03 pm

Just get some electronics connector cleaner and start spraying!

They sell a spray can of it at Advance Auto Parts. It's about $5, and it dries clean.

Post by **Dr. Strangelove** » Tue Sep 18, 2007 8:39 pm

If it is oxidation, and it looks like that, a good fresh pencil eraser works pretty well to get the green off. Then the dielectric grease.

Sunbeemer · Post by **Sunbeemer** » Tue Sep 18, 2007 8:55 pm

DeOx-It 5 is what we use to clean corroded terminals on underwater connectors, and it is pretty amazing to watch the green (copper oxide) vanish when you spray it on. Radio Shack probably sells something similar as "TV Tuner Cleaner" (although I doubt there are any "TV tuners" out there that would use it any more). BTW, some plastics don't react well to the stuff, and try to keep it off the paint as well (use rags to absorb overshoots). They'll also sell some canned-air that you can use to blow the dust out of it or dry it out afterward.

Note that the receptacle has juice flowing to it even with the key off, so pulling the fuse might help keep the sparks from flying.

Pretty Kitty! Pretty soon going to be pretty sh**tty!

Post by **mcooperstein** » Tue Sep 18, 2007 9:26 pm

You will also want to take the panel off that holds the accessory socket and clean the other side, the side that has the wire coming off of it going to the fuse panel. I guarantee it will have some corrosion "green stuff" on it too.

Mark

R4R&R · Post by **R4R&R** » Tue Sep 18, 2007 9:37 pm

Did the cat learn anything?

geothepencil · Post by **geothepencil** » Tue Sep 18, 2007 10:38 pm

All good suggestions. I also use Honda metal polish or Simichrome or Flitz to clean the area of all oxidation and chase it with isopropyl alcohol, applying all with a Qtip. Ever since the demise of Cramolin, the De-Oxit products have the nod when a quick spray is needed.

geo

Post by **taosports** » Tue Sep 18, 2007 11:45 pm

Just go "Here, kitty" and point to the green stuff.

Post by **GypsyRR** » Wed Sep 19, 2007 8:07 am

R4R&R wrote:Did the cat learn anything?

taosports wrote:Just go "Here, kitty" and point to the green stuff.

I don't think he learned anything, and I don't think he will be getting near my bike again for a while. He doesn't look like he feels too good. Good thing he has 7 lives left.

Thanks for the tips on what to do with the aux soc. Hopefully cleaning is all that it needs. If that doesn't fix the connection between the tender and the battery, then what? Suspect a fuse? Suspect the battery?

Airman · Post by **Airman** » Wed Sep 19, 2007 2:52 pm

Gypsy,

I had my tank off at 6k, the battery terminals had corrosion, and it was low on fluid. I quit using the battery tender because I suspected the everyday use of it had caused that fluid loss. I have a fresh battery ready whenever I take the tank off again. The battery is good enough, but I don't think the stock battery in `03 was that good.
Corrosion on the terminals is a bad sign, not just of poor maintenance, but sometimes indicates a failing battery.

Airman

Post by **GypsyRR** » Wed Sep 19, 2007 11:43 pm

I cleaned the auxiliary socket as suggested, but when I plug the battery tender in, I get the blinking red light which means - "not connected to battery".

I'll check the fuse tomorrow (as soon as I find that fuse chart that Boxer posted) and see if that is where the problem is. The bike starts and runs fine - I'm just trying to figure out why the battery charger is not doing it's job.

Post by **MikeCam** » Thu Sep 20, 2007 1:49 am

The BMW style plug on the end of your charger might have come loose internally. Unscrew the plastic cover (insuring first that the charger is not plugged in!!!) and inspect the two wires - weakly soldered/screwed into terminal posts. Tighten everything up. Recover. Voila!

Post by **GypsyRR** » Thu Sep 20, 2007 11:00 am

I did as you suggested, and sure enough things were not connected inside the plug, but....

(sorry about the size of the photos. I resized them in Photobucket, but it isn't recognizing the change)

after shaving off some of the plastic, I reinserted the wire and tightened the screw on the wires.

.... but when I plugged the tender in to the accessory socket and then in to the electrical outlet, I am still getting a blinking red light instead of a soild red. The charger says that a blinking red light means the battery is not connected. A solid red means it is charging.

I am guessing my next step is to check the auxiliary socket fuse. Is that correct? All I could find was this diagram:

but is says it is for the 1100GS. Is it the same for the r1150r?

Also - I am assuming it is fuse #3 which according to the key, means it is always hot. So, now I need to know if I am heading in the right direction and how do I check a fuse that is always hot? Can I pull it without disconnecting the battery? Cuz - if I have to disconnect the battery, then well, I'm going to have to do more research to figure that out.

Post by **MikeCam** » Thu Sep 20, 2007 11:34 am

Here is what I would do next:

1. Insure the Battery Tender is not fried from that shorted wire. Use the BT on another battery (the DR ought to be easily accessible to you or your car battery). For either, you will probably need the alligator clips instead of the BMW plug.

BUT FIRST! I suspect/believe/remember/think/maybe the BT is polarity sensitive. So are the newly shaved and screwed wires properly connected or did you maybe reverse them when you were screwing around!

If that gets you a solid red light or a blinking green, then you know the BT is operating properly.

2. Disassemble the accessory socket and examine the wires behind for loose, frayed, shorted, cut, broken, angry or disappointed conditions. Or melting!

3. That fuse chart is not correct for the R1150R so do not rely on it. Soon somebody will chime in with the correct fuse and/or relay location and description and you can check them then.

Mark Cooperstein had a similar problem lately that was not the fuse...I don't know how he corrected it. He'll be along shortly (no pun intended).

Post by **taosports** » Thu Sep 20, 2007 11:56 am

Fuse and relay locations for the R1150R :

BMW R1200R R1150R/T F800 K1200R R1100R/T R1250R RnineT Message Board

How do I clean this?

How do I clean this?

Worry Not