Probs with BMW heated vest blowing 15A circuit

[retroman]

Bought a BMW vest in September, had to change it within a month as it blew the 15a ignition ciruit every time I pulled the plug out of the accessory socket!

Rydales replaced it FOC, the replacement worked fine until today when it stated doing the same thing! Have been through four 15a spade fuses today.

Anybody else had similar problems? Is there a fix which will save me trogging back to my dealer ... the vest is great kit and I would hate to be without it but obviously its useless at the moment.

 

[ianf]

unscrew the plug that goes into the vest and check there's nothing shorted in there.

It's 4 little wires, with no strain relief. I've had to resolder one already after just a few outings, as it invariably gets pulled as you dismount (forgetting you tucked the spare cable into the tank/seat gap).

It actually hadn't gone yet but one of the reds was dangling by just 1 of the fine wires, the rest could easily have shorted.

 

[retroman]

Thanks Ian.

I've had a look at the cable and its a right mess in there, no wonder it shorted.

Rydales are replacing it and notifying BMW about the problem, there's obviously a design flaw here. That cable can't take any strain at all.

 

[ianf]

I wonder why it only pops your fuse when you unplug it though?

It's a good jacket let down by this cheap connector. Yours is the 'made in hungary' ca39011 silver type I assume.

I couldn't be arsed to traipse upto park lane so just resoldered it myself. Bit fiddly but doable. It really needed some heatshrink on each wire or a X shaped bit of insulation in the middle. - or just a better plug.

 

[gazza]

Don't know how much current ( amps ) they take when switched on but pulling it out when switched on will cause a spike in the power supply. Probably not the cause but worth bearing in mind if the jacket draws current close to fuse rating.

 

[MikeO]

I wonder why it only pops your fuse when you unplug it though?

Pulling the plug out by the wire rather than gripping the body of the plug? This could eventually cause the bare wires within the plug to come into contact...

Mike

 

[Cheesy Mike]

A good tip for the BMW accessory plugs on vests and the like is to dismantle the plug and then fill it with hot melt glue before re-assembling. The glue sets and provides the perfect strain relief, keeps the wires in place and acts as an insulator if anything comes lose. My (Widder) jacket used to short out regularly until I did the glue trick. So far this year it hasn't had a single problem.

Mike

 

[retroman]

A good tip for the BMW accessory plugs on vests and the like is to dismantle the plug and then fill it with hot melt glue before re-assembling. The glue sets and provides the perfect strain relief, keeps the wires in place and acts as an insulator if anything comes lose. My (Widder) jacket used to short out regularly until I did the glue trick. So far this year it hasn't had a single problem.

Mike

This sounds like a plan. Excuse my ignorance but I've never heard of this glue! What make is it, and where do I get it from Mike?

 

[Cheesy Mike]

B&Q etc. Bostik (and others) do a variety of machines and glue types.

http://www.gluguru.com/bostik_hot_melts.htm

 

[retroman]

Many thanks!!

 

[bmwrich58]

The glue sets and provides the perfect strain relief, keeps the wires in place and acts as an insulator if anything comes lose

.....and not to mention a good water proofing when riding in the rain!!!!

 

[(RIP) maverick]

Alternatively if you would like that more solid original feel fill it with cement

Top tip Mike can use that one a few things now that you pointed that out