Breva 1100 Dash Dilemma

[tris]

My current thoughts are

1) Send the dash to Carmo and hope that it is simply a dodgy connection on the dash/LCD that they can fix and then confromally coat the PCB

2) Continue to try and track down a replacement LCD that I can point them too should they find a dead LCD

3) Replace the dash in its entirety (which is a VERY LONG reach) by
     a) Disable the immobiliser in the ECU. Some of the Ducatis run the same IAW 5AM ECUs as the B11 does and they have away of disabling the immobiliser

     b) Clone the Pressure sensor. I found this link http://www.tempra.org/ttt/uploads/iaweng.pdf and at the bottom of page 21 it talks about the "manifold air pressure sensor"
         The interesting thing about this is that the reader says it will show the signal voltage from the sensor plus min & max values.
         It strikes me that if we can find a sensor (and we might be able to find out what is on the dash) that puts out an appropriate voltage we can con the ECU into believing it is still
         seeing the dash

    c) Find a splendid replacement Canbus dash and pick up all the other signals

The problem with 3 though is that its likely to cost more than the bike is worth thus leading me to

4)     Scrap the bike for parts!!!


I think I might need to canabilise Kiwi-Roys sig of "Moto Guzzi - making electricians out of riders for 90 year" to

"Moto Guzzi - making CARC bike owners Canbus programmers since 2005"

[Spokane2303]

Do the later Norge and/or Sport 1200 dashboards be used as replacements on a Breva 1100?

I also noticed that the 2007 Breva dash had a different part number. We're these upgraded?

[Moto]

My current thoughts are

1) Send the dash to Carmo and hope that it is simply a dodgy connection on the dash/LCD that they can fix and then confromally coat the PCB
...
4)     Scrap the bike for parts!!!

How about this instead:

5) Buy a brand new Breva dash reading in kilometers, for $312 from af1racing.com. Open it up, coat the board, and have a permanent fix. You could also swap the dash faceplate for the one marked in mph that you now have. (The mechanisms don't change; the upper limit is at the same 3 o'clock position on both versions of the dash, corresponding to 240 kph and 150 mph; in fact a version sold in the UK had both sets of markings.) Finally, you could switch the displayed units for the odometer (and presumably fuel economy) from kilometers to miles as described on page 21 of the Breva 1100 Owner's Manual. Presto, a brand new mph dash for $312, plus your labor and incidental expenses in converting/coating it.

For advice on getting the needles off the new instrument for the faceplate swap, see my previously-cited posting on the Griso dash.

Moto

[tris]

This might be worth a punt for someone in the USA

 http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2003-2009-Moto-Guzzi-Breva-1200-DASHBOARD-SPEEDOMETER-GAUGE-METER-TACH-PARTS/132174432865?_trksid=p2047675.c100005.m1851&_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIM.MBE%26ao%3D2%26asc%3D43783%26meid%3D482e7e1373484af88f26d9cc750c89bd%26pid%3D100005%26rk%3D3%26rkt%3D6%26sd%3D322573266170

[bedevil]

As the owner of a 2006 Breva 1100 I worry about the longevity of my dash. It has always worked fine but these threads keep me worried. So, I contacted Carmo to see about the cost of  disassembling and coating my fully functional dash. I was a bit surprised at the response. Here it is verbatim,

"We are able to open the dashboard and coat the PCB. But i would not recommend to open the dashboard without a “good” reason.
It is very hard to open and there is always chance that the cover will brake.
 
So I will recommend to keep it this way until you have some real problems with your dashboard."

So that leads me to two questions,

1. Has anyone here ever had a functioning  Breva 1100 dash disassembled and coated by Carmo or anyone else? If so, details, please.
2. Has anyone here disassembled a Breva dash, as opposed to the Norge or Griso, and is it that difficult?  The Carmo caution that it is "very hard' and you chance breaking the cover gives me pause.

[Moto]

So that leads me to two questions,

1. Has anyone here ever had a functioning  Breva 1100 dash disassembled and coated by Carmo or anyone else? If so, details, please.
2. Has anyone here disassembled a Breva dash, as opposed to the Norge or Griso, and is it that difficult?  The Carmo caution that it is "very hard' and you chance breaking the cover gives me pause.

These are great questions, and I only wish someone would mail me a dead Breva dash to disassemble.

Looking at photos and illustrations I've found online, it seems the Breva dash does not require the most scary part of the Griso disassembly procedure -- unsoldering the metal-coated fiberglass bridges between the main PCB and the instrument illumination (as I recall) and then resoldering them after the coating has been applied to the upper surface of the PCB.

I have wondered if Carmo doesn't want to coat dashboard PCBs because they don't want to dry up their profitable business (at $300 a pop) of fixing and coating broken dashes. Call me a cynic, but I don't know these people from Adam.

My impression has been that the Breva dash would be easier to disassemble than the Griso (which I did disassemble, coat, and return to service). But I don't know, since I've never had one to work on.

Moto

[tris]

Read this from Guzzitech - it might clarify things somewhat

http://www.guzzitech.com/forums/threads/condensation-in-clocks-breva-griso.1892/

The attachment on the 1st response plus the later pictures are the key points

From my reading you need the brave pills when it comes to popping off the needles unless you punch holes in the dash and then you need the brave pills to do that!!

[Moto]

Read this from Guzzitech - it might clarify things somewhat

http://www.guzzitech.com/forums/threads/condensation-in-clocks-breva-griso.1892/

The attachment on the 1st response plus the later pictures are the key points
o
From my reading you need the brave pills when it comes to popping off the needles unless you punch holes in the dash and then you need the brave pills to do that!!

That was one of my most important guides when I disassembled my Griso's dash. I did drill holes my dash's faceplate and pulled off and reinstalled the single needle with no problems. In retrospect, it was not necessary to drill the holes, but I didn't see that at the time. (Once the needle is off, you can simply lift off the faceplate instead of drilling through it, and the needle does need to be removed.)

I now think there may have been no benefit in posting my procedures in detail on this site, and there may be little point in continuing to encourage others to protect their dashes proactively. Not even much point in asking for a broken Breva dash to do a demonstration on.

Seeing that Photobucket is now holding the photos on my procedural post hostage, this may be a good time to just let this go. Good luck to all. May you each find "a greater fool" to sell your CARC bike to, like a number of wise men before you.

Moto

[Chuck in Indiana]

A little bitter, are we, Moto? Yeah.. me, too. I thought I was spending that time paying back to WG for all I've learned here. Those threads are worthless without those 863 pictures. 

[Moto]

A little bitter, are we, Moto? Yeah.. me, too. I thought I was spending that time paying back to WG for all I've learned here. Those threads are worthless without those 863 pictures. 

Yes, I suppose so. It's disappointing to put so much time into something that in the end is what librarians call ephemera -- here today, gone tomorrow. I felt exactly the same sense of trying to pay something back to WG. (Well spoken, Chuck!) My contribution and efforts pale in comparison to yours and many others.

I guess it's best to just grin and bear it. And maybe to think about other ways to document and make available what we do.

Moto

[Chuck in Indiana]

My contribution and efforts pale in comparison to yours and many others.

Not at all.

[ohiorider]

I'm not so sure that what Photobucket is doing doesn't border on being illegal.  So many people have used PB, thinking that their business model depended on advertising, and would continue to do so.  I think what they're doing has such wide-spread effects that we'll see some sort of class action against them.  I don't want to lead the charge, but I'm certainly happy to join in the conflict.

Much like a bank telling you that "oh, we're sorry ..... but the money you've deposited with us won't be accessible to you unless you pay us, say, $400 a year.

F them ...... my opinion!

[bad Chad]

I'm not so sure all these theories of doom are accurate.  My Breva is now 10 years old and the dash continues tow work flawlessly.  It has been through lots of heavy rains, it bakes in the sun from time to time, and has sat through dozens and dozens of dewy nights, without issue.
Thats not to say that when I go to start it today it wont go tits up, but its gone good for decade, and I think and quietly hope it will likely continue.  If it goes, I'll have to deal with it when it does, aside from that I'll just ride it, thats what it likes!

[bedevil]

Hey Chad, it must be the Chicago weather. I'm up in the northern burbs and my 10 year old B11 has also experienced no issues. But all the gloomy news of others misfortunes makes me nervous. Ever since this issue surfaced I've tried to avoid soaking the dash with rainy riding or washing, but some rain is unavoidable. I'd consider having carmo coat the board but since they advised to wait for a real failure, I guess that's what I'll do.

[tris]

And there's the rub.

I'm sure that Motos' recommendation for the conformal coating is completely sound, but it takes a brave man to take a functional set of clocks apart to do it.

I wasn't that brave but as soon as I saw misting took action to stop it by sealing up every potential leak point and improve the ventilation should the cause be condensation.

Since doing that I have had no misting

However, my LCD is not working now. Wether that is due to moisture or a broken connection I don't know.

So my clocks will be off to Carmo before long and if the LCD problem is fixable they'll come back conformably coated and working.