Weird Voltage issue
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Cruiser
Joined: Oct 2012
Posts: 145
Likes: 1
From: Palm Coast Florida
Weird Voltage issue
Got a weird problem on my '07 SG that just popped up a week or so ago. Now maybe 6-8 months ago I had an issue with my voltage regulator and had to replace it and the battery. During that time I was getting the engine light and the battery light signals on the bike. Since then it has run fine until a week or so.
Now, every now and then when I am coming up on a red light, as I let off the gas and pull in the clutch, the voltage will drop to approx. 12 on the meter or just slightly lower. The bike starts to almost kind of sputter and want to stall (it actually has stalled twice but after a few seconds it kicks back on). It usually does this randomly after about 20 minutes riding. Here is what makes it difficult to identify, I get NO indicators on the gauges other than the meter. No engine or battery lights. Further more, it is completely random, for example this morning, I rode in to work, at about 15 minutes I hit a light and it tries to stall and voltage drops, The next three or four lights I hit, everything is fine and no drop. I have had days where it does not do this at all. I have had days where it does it the whole ride home at every light after about 20 mins in.
Over the weekend I pulled the battery and checked the connections and tightened it all down just in case. I left my mulit-meter at work so I could not check the system but the fact that this comes and goes leads me to believe that the system will check fine unless I catch it in the act so to speak.
Any thoughts?? I am actually thinking about taking it in for a check up due to the random part of it.
Thanks
Now, every now and then when I am coming up on a red light, as I let off the gas and pull in the clutch, the voltage will drop to approx. 12 on the meter or just slightly lower. The bike starts to almost kind of sputter and want to stall (it actually has stalled twice but after a few seconds it kicks back on). It usually does this randomly after about 20 minutes riding. Here is what makes it difficult to identify, I get NO indicators on the gauges other than the meter. No engine or battery lights. Further more, it is completely random, for example this morning, I rode in to work, at about 15 minutes I hit a light and it tries to stall and voltage drops, The next three or four lights I hit, everything is fine and no drop. I have had days where it does not do this at all. I have had days where it does it the whole ride home at every light after about 20 mins in.
Over the weekend I pulled the battery and checked the connections and tightened it all down just in case. I left my mulit-meter at work so I could not check the system but the fact that this comes and goes leads me to believe that the system will check fine unless I catch it in the act so to speak.
Any thoughts?? I am actually thinking about taking it in for a check up due to the random part of it.
Thanks
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 7,483
Likes: 4,958
From: North Dakota
Ballpark guess? First thing I would look for is a wire starting to rub through, shorting out occasionally. Pulls voltage low enough to screw up injection system, or, could be in injection system.
Intermittent shorts are a real PITA to find.
Intermittent shorts are a real PITA to find.
This is what happened on my dyna. Wire fron regulator would short out under braking when motor moved forward.
Extreme HDF Member
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 14,744
Likes: 402
From: Phoenix '53, '88, '09 Big Twins
I'd pull the battery, charge it overnight and have it load tested.
while it is out, check your cables at the other ends...loosen and retighten the nuts.
if you see any signs of corrosion ( white powder coming out teh ends) in the cables replace- $15 autozone
one the battery is know good, you can do other checks
these are outlined on the tech board or in your manual.
easy and straight forward.
always use a meter at the battery- not the in-dash
charging system checks MUST be down with a known good battery or your numbers will be skewed leading to incorrect conclusion.
as for a rub-through short..
with bike off, connect voltmeter....
watch the voltmeter while your baddy whacks the tires with a ball bat, and jumps up and down on the seat...
even better if you know how to use the ammeter- use that and look for current flow
then same test with bike ign on
the same test with bike running
something to start you off.
and if you have a chrome cover on the cooling fins of your regulator, pull it off and throw it in your neighbors pool.
he'll think it came off a plane
mike
while it is out, check your cables at the other ends...loosen and retighten the nuts.
if you see any signs of corrosion ( white powder coming out teh ends) in the cables replace- $15 autozone
one the battery is know good, you can do other checks
these are outlined on the tech board or in your manual.
easy and straight forward.
always use a meter at the battery- not the in-dash
charging system checks MUST be down with a known good battery or your numbers will be skewed leading to incorrect conclusion.
as for a rub-through short..
with bike off, connect voltmeter....
watch the voltmeter while your baddy whacks the tires with a ball bat, and jumps up and down on the seat...
even better if you know how to use the ammeter- use that and look for current flow
then same test with bike ign on
the same test with bike running
something to start you off.
and if you have a chrome cover on the cooling fins of your regulator, pull it off and throw it in your neighbors pool.
he'll think it came off a plane
mike
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