Solenoid Connector

[rbt1548]

With the bike loaded I set off for a couple of weeks with relatives to the west coast of Scotland, I filled up at a petrol station about 1 mile from home, tried to start the bike, 2000 M900Sie, and it wouldn't start, I had lights, horn, everything else, but not even a click. I tried connections and turning handle bars etc. but couldn't get it to start so I decided use the breakdown service that is with my insurance as I didn't fancy pushing home, mostly uphill, with the bike loaded.

Anyway nice man in a AA van appeared after about 40 mins, and we went through the connectors and fuses again, eventually, by chance, pulling and re connecting the 2 pin connector to the solenoid, and it fired, I had pulled the connector prior but maybe just hadn't re seated it properly.

What I did notice however was the leads to the connector seemed to have been wrapped at sometime in insulating tape so I decided once I got home I would have a look at it.

This morning I opened it up and found it chopped and the wires connected as the picture below, now it's obviously not very clever and a bit manky so I'm going to redo it and heat shrink it , but I was wondering about the bare wire with the diode, is that a standard fitment?, as it does seem a bit Heath Robinsonish just stuck there for a factory fitment. I have tried to find a pic online to see if it's correct but I can't seem to find one.

Thanks

[Nasher]

That connector on my 97 M900 was a PITA, it was loose, and yes occasionally the first I knew about it working it's way 'Just too far out' was when there was no response from the starter button.
And getting your fingers in there on a hot bike is uncomfortable.

There is a company that sells the connector, I can't remember thier name the link is on my PC at home, but it's something like Kajoytech or similar.

I designed and manufactured a Ducati Starter Solenoid Connector Security Device for mine, which I cut from an old bicycle inner tube, but I'm sure a normal elastic band will do.

Nasher.

[utopia]

That connector is a well known weak point.
The one on my yr2000 M750 has worked loose and caused the same failure to start four or five times in my 15yr ownership.
I'm used to it now and, now that I know where to look, I just search around for a suitable twig to poke it back home with.
Alternatively, if I'm in a hurry, I'll bump start the bike and deal with the problem later.
It happened at this years weekender and also last year during a trip to WDW.
In the past I have tightened the connector terminals using a suitably sized thin tube which I forced over the female terminals to close them slightly. This was moderately effective and lasted for a few years but it worked loose again eventually.
Currently I have a thin cable tie around the solenoid in an attempt to hold it in place but even that has let me down on one occasion and needed tightening.
As for the diode .. I can't help there.
I've never noticed one on my bike, but that doesn't mean there isn't one.
I can't imagine what its purpose would be but then my electrics skills are not brilliant.

[Nasher]

No Diode on mine.

When I saw it in the images above I assumed it was an injection thing, perhaps to stop feedback of current through the ECU somehow.

I thought about using a small cable tie but thought an elastic band would be easier to pull aside if I needed to disconnect it in a hurry.

Nasher.

[Nickj]

The diode is maybe there to stop it arcing if the connector does get flaky, which it will more than likely do.
I had one of these go bad once, the wires got hot enough to burn off the insulation which is caused by the connecter getting a bit resistive. These connecter blocks are similar in size to the ones you see on batteries in 6-12 v model stuff that I just get rid of and replace with beefier.
Last monster I changed it for an XT style connector that can handle 60+ amp loads.

[rbt1548]

Thanks for the responses guys, I am not too clued up on diodes either that why I thought I'd ask.

I did locate a picture of a connection with a diode earlier and I had to go and do something else and I can't find it now!, I've checked my browsing history etc., and still can't locate it.

It does look factory fitted though going by the way it's crimped into the connector.
I'll spend a wee while longer looking to see if I can find the pic again.

Found it!, looks the same as on mine, so maybe factory fitting right enough.




Cheers

[Darren69]

This was actually discussed fairly recently as someone else had the same issue.

http://www.ukmonster.co.uk/monster/s...ighlight=diode

[rbt1548]

Originally Posted by Darren69

This was actually discussed fairly recently as someone else had the same issue.

http://www.ukmonster.co.uk/monster/s...ighlight=diode

Great , thanks, I had a look at the link to the Ducati Forum, (post 30), and it confirms what it is and what it does.

It looks like maybe on slightly older models the diodes are at the solenoid and on more recent they are deeper in the loom.

Thanks to all!!!

[Nickj]

That is a pretty shonky fitting for a manufacturers loom, one inadvertent shove and you short out the diode wires and the short will get hot enough to either melt the wires or start burning, probably wouldn't do the rest of the charging system any favours either.

[Chriswilly]

This guy has every connector ever made - it seems. Don't forget to solder the cables into it!
http://www.ebaystores.co.uk/towzatronics

[Nasher]

Originally Posted by Nasher

There is a company that sells the connector, I can't remember thier name the link is on my PC at home, but it's something like Kajoytech or similar.
Nasher.

Nearly had it right

https://kojaycat.co.uk/

[rbt1548]

Originally Posted by Nickj

That is a pretty shonky fitting for a manufacturers loom, one inadvertent shove and you short out the diode wires and the short will get hot enough to either melt the wires or start burning, probably wouldn't do the rest of the charging system any favours either.

Good point, I've removed it again from the solenoid and put some small diameter heat shrink onto the bare wires either side of the diode so should they touch it's not bare wire to bare wire.

Thank for all the help.

Cheers

Originally Posted by Chriswilly

This guy has every connector ever made - it seems. Don't forget to solder the cables into it!
http://www.ebaystores.co.uk/towzatronics

I have used this guy a number of times for electrics bits & pieces for my Guzzi & he has been excellent. However I recently asked him a question re relays & connectors for my Monster & his response was "dunno. I don't know anything about Ducatis" so I bought elsewhere. Probably fine if you know the exact part you want if any guidance is required I would look somewhere else.