Electrical help needed

[yokohama]

Not this little devil?

[Blapper]

Originally Posted by Red ones

Nope. Can't see it.

It has to be that connector that's the problem too. The dash dims in time with the revs, but the charging system and battery are all spot on.
I just need to sort the connector out!!

If you are using a digital voltmeter, they never follow fluctuations in voltage like an old analogue meter would (or better still, an oscilloscope), so don't compare visible fluctuations in bulb brightness with steady readings on a digital multimeter. The DMM has a built in electronic damping.

FYI (and I know this will do the opposite of help), sl0th86 had a problem a few weeks back which looked like a dead battery. He changed the battery and it has slowly lost charge until it wouldn't start so he is now fitting a new R/R as I write this. The figures looked fine by that chart.

Your bike seems too new for dead battery, R/R or corroded connections. Sorry to see you are having these problems.

[daktulos]

It may be hard to see, but do the indicators dim as well? If so, do the rear indicators dim similarly? (I think the brake light is LED on your model, so it may not be a good measure of the problem, but does that dim too?)

If the battery voltage doesn't drop, but the light dims, then there'll be a drop in voltage somewhere between the two. If you measure the voltage between the negative on the battery and the negative at the lights, it should be close to zero - rev the engine and see if it changes. Then repeat it this between the positive on the battery and the positive on the lights.

You will then be able to see which half of the circuit is causing the problem. I would then start moving the probe on the battery closer to the lights (starting with the outside of the battery lead) to see where the problem is, although I realise that it's not easy to get to some of the connectors. Looking at the circuit diagram, it doesn't look like the headlight uses the chassis for earth, but if it does then earth bondage is definitely worth checking.

You can also do the same between the +ve output of the R/R and +ve battery terminal. Again, it should always be near zero.

Given that the lights dim with revs, it sounds to me a lot like either a R/R fault or due to vibration. What does the dimming feel like to you? Is it consistent and predictable, or a bit random?

[Red ones]

Found the culprit. The connector from the loom to the front cowling.

[aesmith]

Where's that connector, within the front fairing, behind the steering? Looks like one worth checking.

[Red ones]

It's right behind the cowling. It connects the headlamps and all the other lamps in the cowling to the loom.

[R1ffR4ff]

The kind of corrosion shown in the picture is why I try and promote the servicing of multi-pin connectors as much as any other part of Motorcycle Maintenance.

This kind of corrosion has caused more automotive breakdowns than mechanical ones.It's the,"Hidden Destroyer".

There have been tens of thousands of Regulator/Rectifiers and Stators destroyed in many automotive vehicles because of this kind of lack-of-maintenance.The charging circuit carries the 2nd highest current in the systems after the Starter motor circuit and therefore is prone to electrical overheating and connector melting leading to High Tension shorting if the resistance is increased at these contact points by corrosion.

ACF50 is a fantastic tool to help prevent or at least stave off the affects of this kind of corrosion.

[Blapper]

Well done Red ones. I'll take a look when I'm next in there.

[Red ones]

Subsequently found the front right indicator not working. Traced that to the connector which I took apart to get there. I resigned myself to having to cut the connector out and replace it. But I got distracted by a beer (with alcohol) last night so I didn't do anything.

On the way to work this morning the indicator decided to work half the time. Must have been the excessive amount of ACF50 I used.

Also found a dodgy neutral connection. Only found it as it sparked while I did something else.

[R1ffR4ff]

When troubleshooting electrics it's best done in a very quiet location as sometimes a small crackle from a bad connector can be a dead give-away for a problem spot


Sometimes I've gone in my garage at night as well and switched the lights off.This too can aid diagnosis.

One time I had a bad HT lead and came back from out of the rain.Fired the bike up in a darkened garage and you should have seen the sparks tracking down the outside of the HT

You could not see this fault in the daylight.