When I was in Maine, at the USCA National Sidecar Rally, I noticed that my ECC was not always working, as in...Intermittent, and decided that rather than mess with it there in Maine, I would wait until I got back home to my own shop in Washington, and fiddle with it then. As it was an Intermittent problem, that generally rules out a fuse, so it was either going to be the toggle switch (not likely), or a connector along the wiring line (likely), or a pinched/broken wire along the line (not likely).
Today, prior to driving the BattleWing Galactica up to the local Honda/Suzuki/Polaris dealer, and then back home, it all worked fine.
After returning home, if did not work...again...so it was time to put it in the shop and resolve this mystery.
Long story...short....it was the incline connector of a flat 4 pin connector, where I had used too much dielectric grease, and whilst I did cover the entire connector, both halves, with a large heat shrink tube, that was not good enough to keep the over dielectric greased connector from coming apart ever so slightly, that it caused an Intermittent contact of the 4 pins in the connector.
Removed all heat shrink, took the two halves of the flat 4 pin connector apart, cleaned out the dielectric grease, reconnected both halves of the flat 4 pin connector, and this time used a tie-wrap to hold those two halves of the connector together...good and tight....then covered it all again with a new heat shrink tube.
Actually, very minor repair, very easy repair, and I did test the entire system, eyes on every inch of the wiring from Point A to Point B, to Point C, so no other problems.
Now, to tackle the installation of the Hannigan Electric Chair Lift that I bought from MJ at the Sidecar Rally in Maine.
That will be a bit more involved.
Two Million Mile Rider
Exploring the World in Comfort
Nice find! 👍
Nosy minds (well at least me) want to know the differences between the Chair lift you received from Hannigan versus the one from MJ?
An explanation would do. Blueprints for each with differences annotated on the drawings would be better. 😉
Hold my keyboard and watch this! 🙃
Nosy minds (well at least me) want to know the differences between the Chair lift you received from Hannigan versus the one from MJ?
Scott, there is no difference. The one I bought from MJ is also a Hannigan electric chair lift. Okay, the one difference, is in price.
Because the one I bought from MJ is used, it was 1/3rd the price of the new one from Hannigan.
And, it should be noted, that MJ was much more pleasant to deal with than Hannigan. 
Two Million Mile Rider
Exploring the World in Comfort
Nice! 😎
Can't pass up a good deal. 🤩
Hold my keyboard and watch this! 🙃
Happy wrenching and may it serve your family’s needs!
Illegitemi non carborundum est!
Does it have an eject button?
Clickity click click!
Sound like the connector was inferior, a proper connecter would snap together and have good connection and would not need a wire tie to hold it together.
Sound like the connector was inferior, a proper connecter would snap together and have good connection and would not need a wire tie to hold it together.
You are 100% correct. 
Inferior connectors is the name of the game when supplied by Hannigan Motorsports. The wiring harness they use for supplying power up to, and back from the toggle switch for the ECC, which connects into the wiring harness they use for sending that electrical signal to the ECC on the sidecar, is a very simple flat - 4 pin connector, that SHOULD have the ability to snap together, with clips on the connector that have to be depressed to allow you disconnect this connector, however....in an ongoing effort to save $ 0.03 per connector, they supply ....as part of their wiring harness....a flat - 4 pin connector that does NOT have the clips to keep it snapped together.
These are generally used for flat - 4 pin trailer connections, and are quite cheap.
My original solution to this was to use the heat shrink tubing to hold the two halves of the connector together, but my error was in applying too much dielectric grease into the connector, which basically made a slip 'n slide, and over the course of 10,000+ miles, it finally slid apart just enough to cause an intermittent connection.
Fixed now, but this is the perfect example of how sidecar manufacturers in the US make foolish mistakes of trying to save $ 0.03 here and there, by using substandard parts, with total apathy as to what the buying customer may experience after it leaves their shop.
Only one sidecar company in the US would supply the 100% correct electrical connectors on every sidecar built that he assembles, and that is Mike Paull, at LBS-USA.
Every other sidecar manufacturer tries to save costs, by cutting corners, and it bites the paying customer in the end.
Two Million Mile Rider
Exploring the World in Comfort
@mj gold standard of wiring. Art in electricity.
Illegitemi non carborundum est!
@miles-ladue I can tell you that I really appreciate wiring that makes it impossible to misfire connections. The Royal star rig was ambiguous as to which bundles went to which terminal on the battery. When I parked the rig for the winter and pulled the battery, because all the wiring was the same color made for lots of creative back and forth in the spring.
As Steve Ives can also report, sorting out a maze of add-ones and bad ideas makes &or a challenging situation to get simple, reliable electrical connections.
Illegitemi non carborundum est!
I’m going to make a suggestion for a tech session next year at the rally: If someone is willing, would they host a “Best Wiring Practices for Sidecars”? Should be well attended.
Illegitemi non carborundum est!
I’m going to make a suggestion for a tech session next year at the rally: If someone is willing, would they host a “Best Wiring Practices for Sidecars”? Should be well attended.
Thane, please do your best to VET whomever volunteers to host "Best Wiring Practices for Sidecars".
Two Million Mile Rider
Exploring the World in Comfort
As I realize there is only a small market of buyers for my rig I consider doing some of the maintenance due soon, (oil, brake fluid and steering dampener,) and I am looking at long term ownership which will include looking over some of the wiring including the heater in the chair. I know enough to be dangerous and am always impressed by those of you skilled at keeping the smoke in the wires. I'm also dealing with and often postponing the upgrades to our motorhome. Tankless water heater is in but some glitches with the monitoring system now. I also have a nice 400 watt solar package to add along with MPPT controller and 2 100 amp lithium batteries. So, if locals see a small mushroom cloud over Aberdeen, you'll know I'm at work. 
Like the idea of a wiring seminar. p 👍
Would be cool if a few of the vendors who create quality products could provide info that goes with the seminar. For instance, someone like a Mike Paull who is competent and confident with products from HEX, Blue Sea, etc., could be supported with materials for those products.
Hold my keyboard and watch this! 🙃
