Frequently Asked Questions
Contents: Returns, Acewell Units, Headlamps, Brake hoses - Just scroll down for the section you require.
Returns
Q: How do I return an item?
A:To return an item you have purchased you can either go to the bottom of the website and select the return option and fill out the form, or you can message us and ask for the return information at info@furoreproducts.co.uk
Q: Will I get a full refund including the postage?
A:The refund amount is based on a few things, if the return is within 30 days of the shipping date and the item has not been opened then you will receive the total of the items only(not the original P+P), if it is over the 30 days and the item has been opened then the refund will be less postage costs and a 15% re-stocking fee, if the item is used and or damaged the refund will be less the postage and the cost of restoring the item to a saleable condition regardless of when the return is requested.
If in the UK and the return is due to an error on our part then we will cover the return shiping (either in the form of a pre-paid envelope or refund of P+P after the item is recieved back with us), if the return is due to no fault of the item or staff then the buyer will be responible for the return postage cost.
If the sale is international then you will receive the cost of the item only and not the postage, and the return postage is at the cost of the buyer. The refund will also be minus any custom charges that may be incurred, to avoid this please clearly mark the returned package with 'Returned Item, No Cost For VAT Purposes'.
Q: I wish to return an item for an exchange, does this cost anything?
A: This is possible but you will be charged the postage of us sending you the replacement item and you will need to pay/be granted a refund for the difference of the item you are requesting
Acewell Units
Q: Will an Acewell work with my kitcar, motorcycle or project vehicle?
A:The ACEWELL computers will work with virtually any vehicle with a battery, (even diesels, though sometimes additional parts may be required) and even without a battery we can supply parts to make them compatible, we even have one which will work with 24 Volts (Ace 3254)
All units come supplied with a magnet & reed switch sender unit for the speedo & these work universally with any size wheels/gearing etc. on any vehicle, you just need to mount the sensor & magnet & run the wiring up to the dash. Cable drive adapters are available as an alternative on many bikes (not available for cars unfortunately, too many different types)
If you are replacing your standard electronic clocks (electronic drive from gearbox) then check before ordering that the engine runs with the original clocks disconnected as some new bikes particularly have an immobilizer or speed limiter built into the clocks and will not start or will not develop full power if they are removed. Information is available on many forums regarding bypassing these items. More info further down regarding working with existing speed sensors.
Q: Will the Acewell 260/3250/4000/XXXX work with my Honda/Suzuki/Kawasaki/Whatever without needing modification?
Well, firstly, see above, they will all work with pretty much any vehicle. It depends on what you mean by "without modification". If you mean do we sell a unit with a loom which will plug straight into your existing wiring then the answer is no, there is no dash available from any manufacturer anywhere with this facility for all models, simply because every bike loom is different to the next, sometimes they even vary on same year & same model & then there are imports & grey imports, the list goes on - it simply isn't feasable.
However, if you mean without significant modification of the bike or the Acewell unit then the answer is yes, any Acewell will work on any bike with a 12v battery (if you don't have a battery see further down the page "My bike doesn't have a battery"). Each unit comes supplied with all it's own sensors to make it operate & if fitted with a fuel gauge uses the existing fuel sensor. It has it's own loom supplied with plugs, so you hardwire one half of the plug to your bikes loom, (if you don't want to cut wires on your existing loom then just put a suitable cable connector on the end of each Acewell wire to plug into the existing loom plug) & then just plug the other half of the loom into your Acewell with the plug supplied. No mods to the Acewell & only mods to the bike would be a couple of changes to the wiring, which can be acheived without cutting & soldering if required.
Q: I have a driving school car & need a second speedo as it's almost impossible to see the existing one from the drivers seat, are the Acewell units suitable?
The simplest method is to use our GPS speedo (which is not an Acewell unit), this has it's own rechargeable battery good for 22 hours use & has a simple suction windscreen holder or can be mounted with our clip on air vent kit, couldn't be simpler, if you prefer these units can obviously be permanently hardwired in for a more permanent installation. If you're looking for something more substantial & perhaps a larger display, the either the 258/260 or the 3100 should do the job, if you don't want to connect warning lights on the 258/260 just leave these wires disconnected, if you don't want the tacho function on the 3100 then again just leave the wire disconnected it won't affect other functions. You just need a permanent feed, an ignition switched feed & an earth to run the unit & to connect up the speed sensor supplied. This is usually the most awkward thing to fit as on modern cars it can be difficult to run wiring from the engine bay into the passenger compartment, also you will need to mount the speed sensor adjacent to a rotating part on which you mount the magnet, on modern front wheel drive cars the most suitable place is usually on the driveshaft joints adjacent to either hub or gearbox, it's not hard to do but can be a little time consuming, you need to be a good DIY'er or you will need a COMPETENT mechanic.
Q: Wow! There is an enormous choice – how do I decide which unit is best for me?
A:There are several styles of ACEWELL, you may immediately find that some you don’t like or size/shape won’t suit, secondly do you need warning lights as these are not available on all units? Thirdly, what functions do you need, cheaper units will have less functions, omitting items such fuel gauge, temp gauge, volts, shift light, lap timer & so on (the 258 & 260 have warning lights & fuel gauge but no tacho) can save you some money. If you’re really struggling, drop us an email or give us a ring we can easily guide you through whats best for you.
Q I need to fit a unit to a van/truck/bus which runs on 24V electrics, can you help?
A Yes! The ACE 3254 will run on either 12 or 24V supply, to the best of my knowledge it is the only dash that will work with 24V available from any manufacturer
Q:I see that some models of ACEWELL have a fuel gauge, how does this work?
A:You connect the ACEWELL to the original fuel tank sender unit in your car / bike. We have a sender available if you do not have a sender at the moment, but obviously it won’t work with all tanks, also you should NEVER cut into a tank which has already had petrol in to fit a sender.
Q:I'm using the standard speed pickup supplied, and when my speed gets to approx 20 or 30mph, it suddenly jumps to about 50mph or gives random readings
A:You've got your pickup wrongly installed - the magnet should cross the barrel shaped body of the sensor, not travel along it. Ensure that the sensor travels along one of the moulding lines which are positioned toward the ends of the plastic sensor, crossing the cylindrical body, or is further to the outside of the moulding lines passing the end of the "barrel"
Q I've seen adapters which fit direct to a cable drive to an existing speedo, are these available for all applications?
We can supply cable adapters for all common motorcycles, they are not available for cars due to the sheer variety of car cables, it wouldn't be practical
Q:I'm using a cable drive converter, how do I calibrate the speedo.
A:Before fitting the Acewell, it is necessary to find how far the vehicle moves for a single turn of the speedo cable. Mark the tyre and ground, and push forward 1 wheel revolution - measure the distance travelled in MM. Put a piece of tape on the end of the original speedo cable to produce a flag, push the bike forward 1 wheel revolution again, but this time count the number of revolutions of the speedo cable, it's important that this is accurate & includes any "part rotations".
Divide the distance travelled, by the number of rotations of the speedo cable, and enter this number into the acewell.
e.g. If the bike moves forward 1830mm and the speedo cable turned 3 times, then enter 610 into the C screen
Q:I'm not sure if my speedo is calibrated accurately, how do I check?
A:Use a GPS/Satnav, and drive at say 60mph.
If the Acewell reads higher than the GPS, then reduce the number in the C Screen, if it is reading too low, then increase the number.
Q:How do I setup my Acewell?
A:Press both buttons together when the unit is switched on, this puts the Acewell in programming mode. Move through the options with the right button and change settings with the left - very similar to setting the time on a digital watch!
The C screen sets the distance travelled per revolution of the cable drive or wheel. If you have the magnet mounted on the propshaft you will need to divide the wheel circumference by the diff ratio, typically around 3.3
The R screen sets the red line for the revs.
Q:My revs seem to be much higer or lower than the engine is running at
A:You have the number of cylinders set wrong - many engines use what is known as wasted spark, try changing the settings on the SPC screen between 0.5 / 1 / 2 / 3 to see which works best for your vehicle. Idle speed will normally be around 800rpm on a car, more variable on bikes, but typically around 1000/1200rpm so this should give a good guideline as to whether it is recording accurately
Q:My rev counter jumps all over the place and doesn't give a steady reading
A:The signal strength is too high or there is too much interference.
Disconnect the sensor wire at the engine and see if it still jumps around. If it does, check that it doesn't touch any HT leads or run close to the alternator, and try replacing the yellow wire with a length of Co-Axial cable (small diameter TV aerial wire) connect the outer mesh to the chassis/frame/ground wire, and use the inner wire as the sender - ensure that the least amount of wire possible protrudes from the mesh.
There are 2 ways of sensing the revs, either connect to the wire to the switching side of a coil/ECU/CDI or wrap the sensor wire around the spark plug lead to act as an inductive pickup – If you are getting irregular readings try each methods
If you are wrapping the sensor wire around the spark plug lead then do not strip the insulation from the wire, and try various number of coils between 2 and 10 to see which gives the best reading.
If the spark strength is too high, you may also get strange readings, try inserting the 1 Meg ohm resistor (supplied) in series with the sensor wire (and then try each pickup method) On any vehicle you will find that one of the above will give excellent results
Q:On my Acewell the bar chart rev counter flashes twice per second, why?
A:You have incorrectly set the redline for your revcounter. Increase the number on the R screen in the menus to the correct redline value. The revcounter will then flash only when the redline is reached.
Q:My bike doesn't have a battery, can I still use an Acewell?
A:If your bike has a stator and produces DC from the voltage regulator then you can use an ACEWELL (check with a multimeter, it is ESSENTIAL you do not supply AC to the Acewell!) . The ACE-BAT9V will keep the clock running and redline setting in memory. If your vehicle runs on AC we can supply a cheap & simple rectifier/stabilizer unit, the F351.
Q:How do I fit the temperature sender supplied with the Acewell?
A:The sender will fit straight into many water/oil bolt holes, (it can be used for water or oil temp) if not, an adaptor is available to fit in your radiator hose, the sensor screws inro this. We also have several alternative senders with different size/pitch threads available. If you don't find it on the website just contact us with your requirments
Q:Can the speedo operate with existing electronic gearbox outputs?
A:The ACE 3252 & 3254 & the 4XXX, 5XXX, 6XXX & 7XXX units all have a faster processor & can operate with gearbox sensors that generate a square wave output between 0 & at least 2.7V, up to a max of 12V. On some vehicles it is necessary to add a resistor or transistor to pull the output wire down to 0v in the offstate of the output.
The models specified above can work with a maximum input frequency of 7KHz, square wave other models can work with a maximum frequency of 100Hz.
If you need to connect a different model to a gearbox speed sensor then a 5v voltage regulator, ripple counter & output transisitor will be required. Alternatively, a speedohealer could possibly be used as an interface.
Headlamps
Q: Are Dominator headlamps road legal for use in the UK?
A: To the very best of my knowledge, yes, they are "E"marked & are described by the manufacturer as having a flat beam pattern, which has been OK for motorcycles for quite some time & recent regulations for cars under the IVA test state quite clearly that a flat beam pattern is acceptable. There is a quick modification which can be done which is to file a fresh slot about 13mm away from the existing one in the headlamp rim to rotate the beam pattern 15 degrees clockwise, this should give the required "kick up" to the LHS which should satisfy even the most stringent IVA tester
Q; Will the twin Dominators fit my bike?
A: If it has a standard headlamp bracket approx 8" wide then yes, they are made to drop straight into a bracket of this size. We do also sell fork brackets if you need them
Q: Will I need to do any rewiring?
A: Usually, no, the lamps come with a H4 male plug fitted, this is the same as the most common headlamp fittings & in many cases the wiring will plug straight in. The sidelamp wiring is on standard bullet connectors & will frequently just plug straight into your existing loom. If you do have something a little different on your bike, it's still pretty straightforward, there are 3 wires for the main light, an earth, dip beam & main beam supplies & 2 wires for the sidelamp, an earth & the 12V supply.
Q: So what would I use a single Dominator lamp for?
A: These lights are intended for use where you want to mount the lights separately, such as on a kitcar, trike, buggy or on crashbars to each side of a bike. They have a tilt & swivel base mounting so can be fitted to pretty much anything & again wiring is pretty simple & straightforward.
Q: I have the single dominator headlight, but don't know what connections to make to get it working correctly.
A: We have had 2 completely different sets of wiring colours, on one you have black & brown which are sidelamp wires, can be connected either way round as sidelamp is not earthed to headlamp. On headlamp wiring, Green is Earth, White is Dip, Blue is Main. On the other wiring setup you have white & yellow for sidelight, you can trace these thro' to see whether they go to sidelight or main bulb, again these can be connected either way round to +ve & earth. The headlight wiring has black yellow & white wires, Black is earth, White is dip beam & Yellow is main beam.
Q: The alloy bodied projector lights look fantastic, are they road legal & what's the light beam actually like?
A: Yes, again they are "E" marked & throw a flat beam pattern, though in this case a lot more powerful & much sharper than any traditional headlight. Because the beam is so accurate you can set the lights much more accurately too, so the light goes where it should. Most people are amazed by how sharp the beam image is.
Q: I have a light which throws a poor beam patter/reflector has lost its shine/doesn't give enough light, I don't really want to change the style of headlamp but would like to see where I'm going! Can you recommend a way to improve things but keep the original light units?
A: Any light is designed around the bulb, so whatever bulb fitting you have, you are stuck with if you simply change bulbs, you can't fit a different bulb (e.g. H4 into P20D, or H1 into H4) as the focal distance from the filament to reflector is critical, if you change this even by a tiny margin then the beam will be all over the place & not correctly targeted & focused, this is why many of the HID replacement kits out there are rubbish as they are not sufficiently accurate in manufacture to get the light in exactly the right place. I would particularly recommend against H4 HID conversions for this very reason as the H4 bulb has filaments in 2 different focal points for dip & main beams, when using HID they try to move the tube when switching from dip to main to produce the same effect, but it is rarely accurate enough to produce correct beam patterns - particularly a problem with cheap units, which produce tons of light but throw it in all the wrong directions! However, if you use our combined dip (low) & main (high) beam projector headlamp units & fit them within the rear of your existing lights this completely eliminates the problem as they don't produce any light to the rear & hence make no use of the existing reflector, only thing you need to be careful of is that occasionally you may find the headlamp lens itself is quite thick & has built in magnification to work in conjunction with its original reflector, in which case the answer is to replace the lens with some clear polycarbonate so the projector beam isn't distorted.You can use these just with the standard H1 halogen bulbs & you will see a massive improvement over your existing units, however if you want the ultimate then add a pair of our H1 HID conversion kits for a massive 3650 lumens (around 4 - 5 times more light power than the H1 bulb) of light which will still be accurately controlled & focused in the correct pattern
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Brake Hoses
We've recently modified our brake hose webpages to make them more user friendly & easier to select the hoses you need. If you view any of our brake hoses there is a second image adjacent to the main image which shows all the commonly available unions which may help you decide what you need, just select the unions you need from the drop down list.
I have a motorcycle - how do I know what unions are fitted to my hoses?
The vast majority of modern bikes have banjo unions fitted at each end of the hose, these are nearly always 10mm dia (the actual diameter of the hole through the centre of the banjo fitting). Notable exceptions are Harley Davidson who have used 3/8 (same nominal dia as 10mm) 7/16 (or 11mm) or more recently 12mm, & you will sometimes find a mix of these unions on one bike! Also some pit bikes & quads use 8mm
The banjos on my hoses seem to be bent, how do I specify this?
Where there is no bend you simply need a straight union, if there is a slight bend it's probably around 20 degrees, this is a very common bend, for other bends we are simply referring to how far the union has been bent from the straight starting point. When we say "bend", imagine the union lying flat on a bench, a bend would go up towards you or down into the top of the bench, if the union is bent to one side or the other then that would be referred to as a sweep. Where unions are swept you can let us know with a note when purchasing or drop us an email, if it's difficult to explain then just give us a ring 07905 879407 we'll be able to talk you through identifying what you've got
I have a car, how do I know what unions are at each end of my hoses?
A bit more complicated on cars, nearly all cars built since the mid eighties have m10 x 1.0 threads, where fitting into the calipers or wheel cylinders we recommend using a male swivel, these have a dual seat machined on the end of the stem so will seal to either convex or concave seats. Nearly all calipers seal the union into the bottom of the drilling, there are a few exceptions, notably some AP racing calipers have a hole to each side at the bottom of the drilling, if you use a swivel type union this will block the holes thus making it impossible to bleed or operate the brakes, with these you need a short fixed male which seals with a washer or a banjo union & bolt, again sealed at the top face with washers. At the inboard end conventional cars typically have a female bulkhead circlip type fitting, again if you have these we recommend using the swivel female as they are both cheaper & easier to fit. If you have a kitcar such as a "7" type then they frequently have a male bulkhead fitting which is fitted through bodywork or a chassis bracket, again ours have a dual seat so will seal to convex or concave.
I have Wilwood calipers, they seem to have an unusual thread?
Wilwoods, presumably because they are American, do indeed have a peculiar thread, it's 1/8 x 27NPT which is a tapered thread which seals on the actual threads not into the bottom of a drilling or with a washer to the outer mating face. Usually the supplier will have supplied a set of male/male adapters which screw into the tapered thread giving you a male thread sticking out of the caliper to mate to. Most common thread here is m10 x 1.0 though they do sometimes supply a 3/8 x 24 JIC thread just to complicate the issue - indeed our own male/male adapters are 3/8/. We can supply a slim female swivel fitting which will fit to the adapters, we just need to know what thread you have.
So how do I identify what threads I have?
This can be difficult. I've given you the common car thread above, cars earlier than mid eighties (other than much older cars) will mainly be 3/8 x 24, but Fiats & their derivatives like Lada, FSO & Yugo use the coarse metric thread, m10 x 1.25. Bikes older than mid eighties will also probably be 3/8 if they are British, but foreign machines are more likely to be metric. Trikes often use the Reliant rear axle which can have 3/8 or m10 x 1.0 wheel cylinders. One thing to be particularly careful of is that a male 3/8 will screw into a m10 x 1.0 female, but it is a slack fit & cannot be safely tightened, it will feel "sloppy" so it should be obvious that all is not as it should be - one simple way to tell them apart if you don't have thread gauges but do have an accurate vernier or micrometer is that a m10 male will measure around 9.8mm across the diameter of the thread, the 3/8 male will measure around 9.4mm. Honda, Kawasaki & Yamaha all use the m10 x 1.25 thread on all of their models since the late eighties, Suzuki used the m10 x 1.0 up until around year 2000, between then & around 2006 they have gradually swapped to the m10 x 1.25, but with no consistant pattern - you will even find a mix of both threads on some bikes! most since 2006 are m10 x 1.25, but there are no guarantees!
You will find lots more info on brake hoses at our other website www.furorecars.co.uk - just go to the "parts" page & click on the Brake & clutch hoses tab
Lithium Batteries
Q Are these batteries suitable for just motorcycles or do they fit other vehicles?
A They are suitable for almost any 12v petrol or diesel engined vehicle with a charging system, alternator, dynamo, stator etc outputting no more than 14.5v. For all cars above 1300cc as a general rule we would recommend the LIPO20A, it will start anything up to 4 litre diesels or 6 litre petrol engines. If you have something with very high compression or particularly heavy duty starting requirements then I suggest get in touch first so we can give specific advice. For smaller engines up to 1300cc you could use LIPO12B, 14A ,B or C, just check the case sizes & terminal arrangement to see what would best suit your requirements.
Q I have an amplifier/electric bike/scooterelectric boat that uses battery power are these batteries suitable?
A No, these batteries are not suitable for the above purposes, they are capable of delivering very high current (starting engines etc.) but only for relatively short periods of time. They do not have a large storage capacity for prolonged current drain without a recharge.For your purposes you would need the LiFePo4 type of lithium battery, sorry not something we currently stock
Q Can I fit one to my Jetski/paramotor/go kart/aircraft
A Yes, as long as the vehicle has a charging system putting out no more than 14.5v. We've sold batteries for use on race & rally cars, go karts (not electric powered ones), snowmobiles, jetskis, aircraft etc. They are particularly good for paramotor & aircraft applications where every Kg is very important, & LAA & BMAA inspectors seem perfectly happy they don't require a modification notice - I don't know the position re a plane that has to go for CoA checks, best to check with your M1 facility first