gerbing heated gear problem

hoodooman · 01-31-2015, 04:48 PM

Hey guys, I just picked up a new gerbing jacket liner and dual controller. it worked great for about 30 minutes, then the controller started flashing red and i had no heat. anyone use heated gear and have any issues with the bike supporting it?

here's what i have running:
- heated grips turned all the way up
- jacket liner turned up to about 75% power
- custom dynamics headlight moduator
- brake light modulator

If i turn the unit off/back on, it runs for a few minutes then flashes red and i get no heat. could it be a problem with the controller?

I measured the voltage output at idle with the jacket turned all the way up, modulator on, and grips all the way up. I got over 14 volts.

not sure what else to look at. all connections are secure/clean and the correct fuse installed.

any ideas?

thanks guys!

recumbentbob · 01-31-2015, 06:33 PM

Sounds like a bad controller to me.

**HwyRider** · 01-31-2015, 06:59 PM

Sounds like a partial short. I use heated gear and a Gerbing controller for the gloves. The controller never shuts off unless I turn it off.

**jjg3** · 01-31-2015, 10:13 PM

An old thread on ADVRider discusses a similar issue. I currently have a Warm-N-Safe dual controller, very similar to Gerbing (and have used a Gerbing controller for years) and only got it because it was a good deal. With the Gerbing controller I drained a bike dead commuting during a really bad snowstorm and the controller never stopped until the bike died. The controller finally bit the dust after many years only when the wires frayed apart so close to the box I couldn't fix it. They always seemed pretty robust to me. The ADV thread seems to imply newer (being a relative term) Gerbing controllers are more sensitive to low voltage but that generally it can be corrected with turning the controller off then back on with RPMs up. Older Gerbing dual controllers (and my current WnS dual) use a red and yellow light where newer ones use a green and yellow. Unless full-on the leds will flash so you inherently have a red light flashing with it.

If you think the controller has failed and it's no longer under warranty you might look to replace it with a EXO2 Stormrider. They're a little cheaper and based on a heated gear comparison article written by a BMWSporttouring member on MCN it looks to be the only major difference between manufacturer's gear. http://www.mklsportster.com/Articles/mcnheatedgear.pdf .

As an aside, you might want to pick up a simple Gerbing $15 on-off switch to toss in a bag just in case.

Good luck with it and please post whatever you find the fix to be.

01-31-2015, 04:48 PM	#1
hoodooman Member Join Date: Jul 2014 Location: Blue Ridge Mountains Posts: 110	gerbing heated gear problem Hey guys, I just picked up a new gerbing jacket liner and dual controller. it worked great for about 30 minutes, then the controller started flashing red and i had no heat. anyone use heated gear and have any issues with the bike supporting it? here's what i have running: - heated grips turned all the way up - jacket liner turned up to about 75% power - custom dynamics headlight moduator - brake light modulator If i turn the unit off/back on, it runs for a few minutes then flashes red and i get no heat. could it be a problem with the controller? I measured the voltage output at idle with the jacket turned all the way up, modulator on, and grips all the way up. I got over 14 volts. not sure what else to look at. all connections are secure/clean and the correct fuse installed. any ideas? thanks guys! __________________ 05 1600 Classic Viking hard bags Cobra fatty highway bar Cobra long shots thetrailerstore ebay fairing LRS recurve shield Yaffe 10" mini bagger apes Login or Register to Remove Ads
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01-31-2015, 06:33 PM	#2
recumbentbob Sr. Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Newburgh IN Posts: 3,404	Sounds like a bad controller to me. __________________ VBA #01084 "A well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the People to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed."
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01-31-2015, 06:59 PM	#3
HwyRider Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: South Shore, MA Posts: 4,629	Sounds like a partial short. I use heated gear and a Gerbing controller for the gloves. The controller never shuts off unless I turn it off. __________________ VBA # 02424 VROC # 35971 2010 Nomad 1700 Metallic Diablo Black/Metallic Titanium
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01-31-2015, 10:13 PM	#4
jjg3 Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Alexandria, VA Posts: 94	An old thread on ADVRider discusses a similar issue. I currently have a Warm-N-Safe dual controller, very similar to Gerbing (and have used a Gerbing controller for years) and only got it because it was a good deal. With the Gerbing controller I drained a bike dead commuting during a really bad snowstorm and the controller never stopped until the bike died. The controller finally bit the dust after many years only when the wires frayed apart so close to the box I couldn't fix it. They always seemed pretty robust to me. The ADV thread seems to imply newer (being a relative term) Gerbing controllers are more sensitive to low voltage but that generally it can be corrected with turning the controller off then back on with RPMs up. Older Gerbing dual controllers (and my current WnS dual) use a red and yellow light where newer ones use a green and yellow. Unless full-on the leds will flash so you inherently have a red light flashing with it. If you think the controller has failed and it's no longer under warranty you might look to replace it with a EXO2 Stormrider. They're a little cheaper and based on a heated gear comparison article written by a BMWSporttouring member on MCN it looks to be the only major difference between manufacturer's gear. http://www.mklsportster.com/Articles/mcnheatedgear.pdf . As an aside, you might want to pick up a simple Gerbing $15 on-off switch to toss in a bag just in case. Good luck with it and please post whatever you find the fix to be. __________________ moto photos
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