Ducati Sporting Club UK > Model Specific - Discussion, Technical Problems and Help > 998 / 996 / 916 / 748 > Neutral light always lit? Duke748bp

Chaps, having a little issue with my duke 748bp following on from a discussion with Flanners RE: Dukes neutral. Sometimes my neutral light will come on as I am on my bike and remain permanently lit? Bizare - sounds like a loose connection, but I have checked it out and all appears okay.

I have been advised that italian electrics are not far off from being total shite. This goes back to the chap who recently bought a duke999 and as soon as he got it through the door immediately snipped the loom *chuckle*.

Has anyone else experienced this problem, and if so, what did you do to correct the problem (apart from taking out the led) without changing the complete loom for a euro spec.

Advise appreciated.

[Edited on 1-8-2003 by thrustercat]

[Rushjob]

Bearing in mind that the means of illuminating the neutral light is a switched earth, how can a loose connection turn it on?
I would suspect that the most liklely cause is a fault on the neutral switch, try unplugging the connector & see if the problem persists.
If it does, then you would appear to have a short to earth between the switch & the clocks - look at the connector blocks for corrosion etc & any damage / chafing of the loom.
Andy

[Kool4Katz]

Hi Thrustercat
No ducati magic here, i have just suffered the same symptons on my 748.
The neutral switch is a simple plunger device that works by pressing against the gear selector drum.
It's just below the rear cylinder barrel looking from the right hand side. The wiring connector ( two wires ) is on top of the clutch casing
the switch screws in but is a bugger to get to unless you have the right tool. I made mine from a box spanner with a nut welded on the end as the gap around the switch is too tight for a socket.
The cure ?? Well the switch has a copper washer behind it which can be one of : 0.5mm 1mm 1.5mm 2mm thickness due to the quality of the thickness of the crankcases varying from bike to bike.
I tried different thickness washers and a continuity tester to get the correct spacing that activates the plunger/gear drum selector distance.
Why after 4 years mine should play up remains a mystery and the above has not completly cured it but it is £30 or so for a new switch and mine does appear to work on the bench.
Hope this helps.

[Sticky]

My 996 does the same. Sometimes the light is not on, sometimes it's half illuminated and sometimes full. Bit of a bugger when you think you're in neutral at the lights. I've given up on it and just ignore it. I will have a look at the switch though when I can be bothered.

[tont2002]

I had the same problem on my 900ssie, sometimes the light would work properly, and other times it would stay on.

Now its working fine, what did i do to fix it???.......................Nothing.!!!! it fixed it self.

steve

Cheers Chaps... I will have to take a look at mine when I get a spare mo. Glad to know that I'm not the only one with this problem.