I'd like to be brief, but my analytical side says to give all the info I can...I bought a used 02 650 recently and within the first hour or so of riding it, there was a HUGE racket inside the convertor cover. At about the same time the 2wd/4wd indicator light started flashing at one second intervals (KEBC failure). Before I could get back home, the belt switch flipped and it went into limp home mode. I took the cover off and the KEBC actuator fork had broken and a piece of shrapnel had been flying around inside the cover. I flipped the belt switch back to where it belonged and purchased a new actuator fork assembly (not the actuator motor assembly). I also checked the the actuator park position and it was in the "inoperative range". When I apply power to the red and black wires, the motor works fine. I stopped it in the correct position (according to the manual), put everything back together and turned on the key switch. The actuator motor turns for a second or two and then stops. The 2wd/4wd light starts flashing again. I pulled the cover off and the actuator motor is parked in the "inoperative range" again. When I check the actuator internal resistance, the 4(red) - 6(black) is at 24.4 ohms (spec. should be 3-15 ohms). The 1 (orange) - 3 (blue) is within spec at 5.35 K (spec is 3.5 - 6.5K). And the 2(yellow) - 3(blue) is way out of spec at 82 ohms (spec is 630 - 5330 ohms). My question is this...even though the motor works fine, is the fact that the 2 -3 reading is way off, keeping the actuator motor from sensing the proper "park" position and the motor is unable to know where to stop? With the motor position almost 180 degress out of whack, is this the reason that the fork assembly broke (put too much pressure on the assembly)?

Also, I went through all of the controller checks too. All were within spec except for one...the "controller output voltage" test showed zero volts, when it should have been 5-12v. I'm thinking that if the actuator is bad and parked in the wrong position, that it could be telling the controller not to try anymore and consequently there is no output from the controller. Also if you follow the sequence in the manual for checking all of this stuff, the controller is the LAST thing you check. I'm assuming that the test for the controller output voltage assumes that the actuator motor is not defective. (remember when I park the actuator in the correct position, the motor runs for a second or two 'til it ends up in the wrong position, so it is getting voltage then.)

If I was going to keep this thing, I'd just ignore it and live with it, but I'm going to sell this as soon as I figure out the problem. I'd just go buy the acuator, but I didn't want to spend the $200 if the problem could be somewhere else. Any input would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks in advance,

Larry

PS Anybody have a good used actuator for sale?

 

The controller could be shot, or the position sensor in the actuator (more likely), but I doubt either one is bad. I would take the motor's cap off and spin the motor back to the other end of the lever's travel - if you haven't already done that.

You could just take the actuator off. The light may blink. Some people put black tape over the bulb. The controller also controls 4x4, so you have to leave that there. 4x4 will still work.

This crummy KEBC actuator isn't actually all that bad for most people. I had problems with mine once when I dissasembled it to grease it. That caused it to malfunction. When it messed up, I just took the motor cover off and spun the motor by hand to the other end of the actuator's travel and it worked fine after that.

I would not get rid of the 650, since it is by far much more fun than anything honduh sells. I would ride it without the actuator if mine messed up.

I never regret getting the P650. It has been such an incredibly fun machine.

 

Thanks for the tip...I put the motor where it was supposed to be per the manual, which I assume is at the end of the lever's travel. I might play with it some more tonight, but I'm guessing the actuator is shot. Do you know what the #2(yellow) and #3(blue) wires are for? Is it some sort of sensor that sends a signal to the controller to tell it where the ideal "parking spot" is at?

As far as keeping it verses selling it, I only bought this to sell and make some cash. I picked it up pretty cheap, so have some room to buy parts if I have to. I'd love to keep it, but financially it's not an option. For the money, I still loved my '01 Prairie 400 4x4! [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img] I have no desire to own a "Honduh". They may last 20 years, but to me it's 20 years of a bone jarring ride...

 

Out of curiosity what did you pay for it? PM me with answer if you want to.

 

Those wires are for the position sensor in the KEBC actuator.

Try spinning the motor all the way one direction, then all the way to the other direction. Leave it whichever direction is furthest from where it started. See what that does.

My bro has a 400. It is a great machine, but I never thought anyone in their right mind would keep a 400 and sell a P650. Just look at all the online tips there are for that 650 (see the tech tips searchable knowledge base in my website). It is a much beloved machine. Keep it.

 

When you said to "spin it all the way one direction", I assumed you meant with the actuator installed, but with the motor cap off and turn the armature. I also assumed I would be able to "feel" resistance when it was the furthest from lever...but, I can actually keep turning the motor til it goes half way around again past the "start" point (into the "inoperative range") before I can feel a fair amount of resistance. When I put it where the book says the starting park position is at, it is the furthest at that point. With the actuator off of the P650 and when I apply power to the red and black wires, the motor just goes 'round and 'round. There is no "end point".

Bottom line, I again put it where the book said and actually a little bit more into the "operative range". When I turned the key on it buzzed for a brief moment and then stopped. The 2wd/4wd lights did not flash. I thought perhaps I had fixed it, but when I started the engine and put it in gear, the actuator motor started buzzing and after about 5 seconds it stopped and the 2wd/4wd lights started flashing again. This is the first time I've gotten it to even come close to working correctly. I still wonder if something isn't goofy with the potentiometer in the actuator?

 

Mine actually stops, where yours is able to keep going. I think that is the problem. I think this KEBC motor is designed tp be stopped by resistance. Your lever or cover may be at fault.

 

Mine stops when it is installed on the cover...but goes round and round when it is removed from the cover.

"Try spinning the motor all the way one direction, then all the way to the other direction" There is no "all the way" with the motor removed. I guess I was assuming that you were talking about having it off.

Thanks for all the help Nyroc. I'm going riding today and tomorrow in the Uinta Mountains in Utah. Maybe a few hours in the saddle at 10,000' will give me some brain time to think this through some more. Might play with it tomorrow night.

 

I was talking about leaving the KEBC unit on and just removing the motor cover, that is why I used the term "Motor Cover", so no one would try that with the KEBC removed. Maybe that needs to be even more explicit. It will stop if you do that. Try that and maybe it will beging to work. I suspect a lot of people have wasted $200 on a new actuator because all it needed was to have the motor turned a litte bit. The motor cover is just the small metal cap on the very top of the KEBC actuator.