I had to get my start button replaced last week. While I was getting it done, the dealer asked me if I have use ACF50 on the bike, I hadn't, but he said we've had a few bikes coming in over the winter doing strange things, mostly ignition problems but some like mine ghost button presses, He said the only thing we can put it down to is most of them had used ACF50 to protect them from road salt. No I know salt and waster is conductive but I thought ACF50 was supposed to neutralise salt? I'm guessing it doesn't stop it being conductive though? Any one had any trouble since using it on there bikes? I just wash mine every time I get home with muckoff and then dry with a leaf blower and spray with WD40. I don't think I could treat my bike and then leave it all winter looking shite.
I found that the effect of WD40 after a month or so wears off, and seems to attract damp / moisture.........some of my mates think the same...... I no longer use it on electrical equipment and mainly use it as a cleaner / de-greaser.
+1 Totally agree. Great cleaner but I would not use it anywhere else. I'm sure I have read somewhere that one of the properties of ACF50 is to protect electrical components. A few people here have had problems with the starter button. Is it sticking in or is it an internal contact issue ? So far I have had no issues fingers crossed.
I think it was an internal issue, the bike started on it's own once the ignition was turned on and then it would cycle through the heated grips settings, locking out the rest of the functions on the dash.
I don't spray in on electrical stuff I spray it mostly on bolt/screw heads and other corrosion points
Ok so its an internal problem. Just looked at my switch and it looks pretty watertight to me. My starter button sets square and operates smoothly. Anyone taken the switch apart who can enlighten us ? I'm not a fan of spraying ACF50. A small amount goes a long way. You only need to apply a very thin film to protect. Is the dealer saying people are opening up switch gear and pouring the stuff in !!!
I don't know, all he said was he's getting a lot of bikes in with problems and most have been using ACF on them.
Leaf blower hmm. I use an Airforce Blaster, expensive, noisy but my god it is effective. Produces a very large volume of clean filtered air which just blasts the water off the bike. Comes with a large diameter hose and soft plastic nozzle, so good at aiming at all those hard to reach places. Aim the nozzle behind the rad and you will be amazed at how much water is displaces. The only disadvantage is you get the piss taken out of you by your mates. I have the last laugh, clean corrosion free bike.
where do they stick? plastic button or contacts? have seen low battery voltages cause solenoid contacts burn and stick due to low battery voltage.
I had to take my start switch to bits at the weekend (Skyhook Touring S, 6 months old, 2,000 dry mls). Got it out for first ride of the year seeing the roads were dry at last, pushed down on the slider and engine started at the same time, could see the button was stuck in. Tried some WD40 and a bit of persuasion, this made it better but still felt a bit sticky so decided to remove it from bars and investigate. 3 screws to get it off in 2 halves, lower half is empty, you'll see a metal plate that's hooked in a slot at one end and a screw at the other. Be very careful proceeding from here, I spent an hour searching the garage for a VERY small spring and contact that flew out. As you remove the metal plate there is a spring underneath (that pushes the button out), but also to one side is a small circuit board (that provides the start contacts) and the small spring and brass contact that completes the circuit. Make sure you have your finger over them as you release the plate (I didn't :redface. Once you've got them under control you can extract the start button. I smeared some Vaseline on the sliding surfaces of the button then re-assembled (make sure spring and contact go back correctly). It feels much better now and seems to be working fine, checked heated grips and they're ok too. There was no evidence of any prior lubrication, which is probably the main reason for all the hassle, there are loads of posts from people having this problem. I've got to take the bike in to have the Skyhook sensor recall done when (if) the weather gets more reliable, wondering whether to get the switch changed or not....could be a waste of time if the new one is also un-lubricated.
I had the starter button and heated grips replaced a few weeks ago as they were faulty. i have just opened up both left hand and right hand switchgear and put some Vaseline over all the electrical points and terminals, if you ride all year like me, then I think there must be a poor seal which is letting in water, hopefully this will cure it!
Both the upper and lower control buttons on my LH switch were contacting intermittently which was a right pain in the arse when trying to reset the trip or change the display readout. I took the switch unit off and cleaned the contacts with Servisol switch cleaner then applied a little ACF50 and finally greased the moving surfaces with silicon grease. They are working great now and I very much doubt if the ACF50 will cause any trouble. I've been using it on electrical connections for 3 or 4 years with no problems.
Vaseline A word of caution....Vaseline is great for keeping water at bay but remember it is non conductive, so getting it between contact surfaces is not a good idea if the contact force is low (and stiff grease in the spring won't help). I limited application to the button slide surfaces to lubricate and repel moisture but kept it away from the contacts. There aren't any positive seals/membrane in the right hand switch design (haven't opened up the left so can't comment), looks like Ducati are trying to minimise ingress by just keeping any gaps to a minimum........and that's why the button is prone to sticking. Might be worth smearing bar and switch body joint faces with silicone sealant when re-assembling to avoid any water ingress there.
I just spray ACF50 in to the can lid and paint it on the parts I want to protect with a small paintbrush, don't have to spray it anywhere.
After I applied the button stuck more than usual, it was already sticking, but has just been replaced. I reckon its coz its tacky when applied, especially if applied by a keen amateur like me ;-)
JC "Any one had any trouble since using it on there bikes? I just wash mine every time I get home with muckoff and then dry with a leaf blower and spray with WD40. I don't think I could treat my bike and then leave it all winter looking shite." Just curious but if you blow dry the bike why do you spray it with WD40 ?
"ACF50 is non-conductive and can be safely used on any avionics connectorACF50 is non-conductive and can be safely used on any avionics connector" http://www.aea.net/AvionicsNews/ANArchives/CorrosionFeb03.pdf ACF50 was in use in the aviation industry way before it came to the notice of bike owners etc. MucOff.....I'm not alone in not liking this product, too aggressive and can do more harm than good ;-) More info on cleaning, use of ACF50/WD40 etc here recently: http://ducatiforum.co.uk/f6/rusted-chain-18789/index5.html#post300691
