Lights flickering
Thread Starter
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Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 10,237
Likes: 799
From: Indiana
Lights flickering
When I turn on my signals, all of the other lights kind of blink a little bit too.
It's just annoying, not a big deal, but, is there any way to stop it?
It's just annoying, not a big deal, but, is there any way to stop it?
Road Warrior
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 1,959
Likes: 2
From: Florida
Maybe upgrade your charging system? I think mine was a 28, and I upgraded to a 32, something like that, it's been a long time. Give you a chance to learn the primary side of things, since it's got to come off to get to it!
Elite HDF Member
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 4,468
Likes: 12
From: Bluffton, South Carolina
Your battery or charging system may be near the end of their life. If they check out start checking connections, etc. until you find out why it's drawing so much power. Does it do it just at idle or when you are going down the road too??? If just at idle set your idle to 900-950 RPM's, if you are idling too low it can also do it. Hope this helps!!!
John
John
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Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 10,237
Likes: 799
From: Indiana
Someone told me, changing to LEDs can help, but that's pretty expensive.
Thread Starter
|
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 10,237
Likes: 799
From: Indiana
Your battery or charging system may be near the end of their life. If they check out start checking connections, etc. until you find out why it's drawing so much power. Does it do it just at idle or when you are going down the road too??? If just at idle set your idle to 900-950 RPM's, if you are idling too low it can also do it. Hope this helps!!!
John
John
Road Warrior
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 1,959
Likes: 2
From: Florida
It's not that bad if you have the tools. Go for it, it's not a much fun as you doing the gear set, but it will do!! We'll have a long discussion about impact driver verses long levers getting the compensator off!
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Joined: Jan 2011
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From: Haslet Texas
Scale on DC Volts, around 20V max voltagescale. Nominal readings are given in brackets. Check voltage across batteryterminals (12.8). Turn bike on. Check voltage (less than previous, ~12.0+,depending on headlight, accessories). Start bike and let idle. Check voltage(could be 12.0 to 15). Rev to about 2500. Check voltage (should be more thanobserved with bike on but motor not running, and more than with bike off.Ideally between 13 and 15.) Turn high beam on. Should be about the same, giveor take a little. If the voltage is over 15 or 15.5-ish with a headlight on,I'd consider replacing the regulator and/or checking all grounds (battery toframe, regulator to frame in particular). If the battery voltage with theheadlight on, bike not running is less than around 11.5-ish, Id replace thebattery. If its 10, its past its prime.
If you pass the above tests, your system is most likely fine, including theregulator and stator. If you don't pass, then:
Bike off. Meter set on Ohms, medium-ish scale, like 20K or 200K Ohms max scale,depending on your meter. Pull stator plug. Ground the meter black lead to agood chassis ground, like a bolt or even the battery negative. With the redlead, touch a different part of the bike, like the engine case at an unpaintedpart or another bolt. Meter should read low ohms, like 0. If it doesnt, youdidnt ground the black lead. With the red lead, touch each contact on themotor side (stator) of the plug (the part stuck in the case). Depending on ifyour case has a male or female plug, if you can't see the metal part/pin of theplug, you can put a paper clip in the hole and touch the paperclip with yourmeter red. Meter reading should be infinity on all pins. If it isn't, yourstator is shorted to the case, replace.
The following is for single phase systems. I don't have a multi-phase andhaven't had to diagnose anyone elses, so I haven't dug into those systems.
Set meter to lowest ohm scale, like 200 Ohms, typically. (Note: Not 200K ohms).Check resistance between the two stator plug pins. Should be fairly low. MyBook says 0.2-0.4 ohms. The spec is in your shop manual. If it is infinity,stator is blown open. If it is 0, stator is shorted to itself.
Set meter to AC Volts, 100V scale. Attach each meter lead to a stator pin. Youmay need to rig up some type of temporary plug. It is important that nothingcan short to ground or to each other accidentally, or you will blow the statorif it wasn't blown before. An old plug off of your last regulator is a good wayto do it, but, get creative and be careful. I can do it holidng the leads onthe pins once the bike is running, but I don't like to. Start bike. Voltageshould vary with engine speed. Specs are in your shop manual, but 35V at acouple thousand RPM is probably about right. My book says 19-26 V / 1K RPM.
If you passed that stator test and failed the first test, your regulator isshot. If you failed any part of the stator test, replace both regulator andstator.
Hope this helps
