Volt meter issue
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Road Master
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 755
Likes: 57
From: St. Augustine, FL
Volt meter issue
While driving home tonight from about a 200 mile trip I noticed that my volt meter was jumping back and forth like a metronome between 13-16 volts, about halfway into the red. I've noticed that for about the last month it has been dragging a little when starting, but it's less than a year old (2014 SGS) and only 10,000 miles. Could a bad battery cause that? Possibility that the stator's going bad?
Extreme HDF Member
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 14,744
Likes: 402
From: Phoenix '53, '88, '09 Big Twins
confirm any readings with a real voltmeter at the battery.
if you have a battery tender, test at the plug to save pulling your seat.
once your "real" voltmeter indicates a problem, the tech board electrical section has charging system diagnostics
hopefully it is just a bad connection at your in-dash voltmeter
but anything over 14.8 volts DC looks like a bad voltage regulator. it can go bad by itself, or be destroyed by overheating ( chrome harley regulator cover is a cruel joke) a bad stator or a bad battery or cable can take it out.
methodical checks will cure the problem and find the cause without spending a few extra hundred bucks unnecessarily
mike
if you have a battery tender, test at the plug to save pulling your seat.
once your "real" voltmeter indicates a problem, the tech board electrical section has charging system diagnostics
hopefully it is just a bad connection at your in-dash voltmeter
but anything over 14.8 volts DC looks like a bad voltage regulator. it can go bad by itself, or be destroyed by overheating ( chrome harley regulator cover is a cruel joke) a bad stator or a bad battery or cable can take it out.
methodical checks will cure the problem and find the cause without spending a few extra hundred bucks unnecessarily
mike
Last edited by mkguitar; May 7, 2015 at 12:47 AM.
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Road Master
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 755
Likes: 57
From: St. Augustine, FL
Figured it out. Dealer popped it open today and found that one of the battery terminals had melted from arcing. Don't know what was causing it, but it fixed the problem immediately.
Road Warrior
Joined: Nov 2014
Posts: 1,962
Likes: 140
From: NY
Loose battery connection results in high temp at the connection which can melt it,lucky battery didnt blow up if there was any arching going on at the time.
Scott
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