Bench Wrench

Alternator — November 1984, page 24

Although most alternator problems are fi­nally being corrected, this tip might still work for some of you. My hike, an '83 Venture, is equipped with a 100-watt Kenwood stereo, a CB unit, a radar detector, 30-amp horns, road lights and 10 extra lights, as well as a trailer that has 10 bulbs and 40 feet of strip lighting. In 20,000 miles I have never lost an alterna­tor. I am the only one out of 30 machines that

I know of that has never had this problem. I am also the only one among those 30 who has used Klotz synthetic oil from day one.

Antenna Fix – December 1991, page 23

Recently the radio/CB antenna on my '86 became considerably shorter when the top half of it broke off. It seems as though this may be a common malady for the stocker antenna, as I have talked to a few others who have experienced the problem.

The top portion of the unit is made from a piece of 2mm stainless rod which is a little tough to locate in this hemisphere. Your local Yamaha dealer can replace this item only as a whole unit, and the cost hovers somewhere around $40. "Big Ron" made a visit to a CB shop and the folks there replaced the top extension with a slightly smaller diameter piece and re-matched the antenna for around $3.50.

A tricky part of the operation involves getting the small set screw loose in the alu­minum piece joining the two antenna masts, because sometimes the set screw freezes in the hole and the hex will round itself out when trying to remove it. If that happens, a careful drilling may be required to remove it. I found that a small amount of heat and some penetrating oil allowed the screw to break free. Be sure to get your antenna matched af­ter any replacement is done (this requires an SWR meter) and don't use your CB until you replace the antenna!

An En"Light"ening Inquiry

I am very much interested in the trunk light written about in the December issue of Venture Road. However, being a new Venture owner and having seen cautions in the owner's manual and Venture Road about connecting electrical accessories, I am concerned. I keep reading that making extra electrical connections could very possibly damage the circuitry of the Computerized Monitor System.

I contacted RIVCO Products, one of the trunk light distributors, and they assured me that if the wiring instructions that come with the product are followed precisely, there would not be any adverse effects on the computerized monitor system.

My question to the readers of Bench Wrench: is there anyone with firsthand knowledge of this light, and are there any particular problems as it relates to the computer monitor system?

Jim Nack #1167 Milwaukee, WI

? I have installed this trunk light with ease, following the manufacturer's instructions, and it works great. Its a nice addition to the bike. Go for it.

Audio Problem Advice

Lately, I have been experiencing problems with my '83 Royale's audio system, which the purchasing dealer is unable to diagnosis, and thus repair.

First, let me point out that I have installed an "after-market" hand-held CB mike which works adequately, however my problems with the audio system don't seem to be related to when the transmitter was installed.

My problem: Whenever the bike is turned off, all memory preset is lost, and the tuner mounted "H.PH" switch must be physically turned off, or of course no sound comes from the speakers. (Much like the mute button operation.) Since I do not use headphones, the "Int. Vol" control knob, (also tuner mounted) is constantly left in the minimum position.

This past winter, prior to the Yamaha warranty expiration, I left the bike with the selling dealer, Plainfield Sport Cycles, who could not fix the problem. It is my understanding they shipped the radio to Yamaha's authorized repair center, however the problem was not fixed.

Steve Rain bolt #09024
Plainfield, IN

In regards to Steve's radio problem, the symptoms that Steve described indicate to me that he has a problem with the back-up feed fuse in the fuse box. The box itself is located in front and to the right of the battery. After finding the fuse box, look for the fuse marked "back-up", and inspect it to ensure that it's okay. If the fuse itself is okay, then the controller or the red wire feeding the controller is defective and needs to be replaced. Through experience, I have found that nine out of ten times there will be a short in the back-up fuse wire.

I would also suggest that he try using someone else's radio before replacing the controller. If the problem persists, let me know so that I can investigate this further.

Mike Kidney #05712 Elyria Yamaha