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Oct 8th, 2007, 08:43 AM
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#1 | | More than 100 posts!
Join Date: May 2006 Location: Newaygo,Mi.
Posts: 128 Interests: Bike riding Occupation: supervisor
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I purchaced a solid state voltage regulator for my 75 Sportty,I noticed the generator light on real dim when I am riding,I checked voltage at the battery when motor is running above an idle,and got 13.7 volts,Is there any way I can increase the voltage(book says 13.9-14.5)or any way to get that light to go off at 13.7 volts....Thanks for any help... | 
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Oct 8th, 2007, 06:32 PM
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#2 | | Moderator Has posted 500+
Join Date: Jul 2005
Posts: 4,073
| well whacker, that light is not lying to you....you need a better charge to your battery. you are not charging it enough to keep the battery up to snuff. you need to do a bit of checking..i dont like a charge rate of less than 14 volts....  | |
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Oct 9th, 2007, 12:00 AM
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#3 | | More than 100 posts!
Join Date: May 2006 Location: Newaygo,Mi.
Posts: 128 Interests: Bike riding Occupation: supervisor
| Guess I got a winter project.Sure hope the voltage regulator is good,I just bought it,got tired of replacing the mechanical ones...... | |
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Oct 14th, 2007, 11:56 AM
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#4 | | More than 100 posts!
Join Date: May 2006 Location: Newaygo,Mi.
Posts: 128 Interests: Bike riding Occupation: supervisor
| We'll getting to checking things,borrowed a voltmeter (said it was a good one)I got 14.4 volts at the battery at about 2000 rpm's,generator light on very dim,could hardley even see it,turned lights on reading I got was 14.3 volts,and generator light was on more noticeable,sounds strange to me that .1 volt difference would change the light that much...Wonder if there is a short somewhere.... | |
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Oct 14th, 2007, 07:41 PM
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#5 | | Moderator Has posted 500+
Join Date: Jul 2005
Posts: 4,073
| check the ground at the gen light. the socket may be rusty or the wire from the socket to ground may be bad. the gen may be giving you 14+ volts, but not the amps you need. are the lights bright? do they brighten with more throttle?.... | |
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Oct 15th, 2007, 07:22 AM
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#6 | | More than 100 posts!
Join Date: May 2006 Location: Newaygo,Mi.
Posts: 128 Interests: Bike riding Occupation: supervisor
| Thanks for the reply Chuck...The lights do brighten up when I rev it up ,but not much,I did notice at idle my turn signals would not flash,with the lights on unless I rev it up a bit,with the lights off they would flash at idle and with the motor off they would flash.... | |
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Oct 15th, 2007, 08:47 AM
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#7 | | Has posted 500+
Join Date: Jun 2004
Posts: 1,804
| Sounds like a connection, I'd check them all, be sure to use di-electric grease on all connections keeps the rust and futz off the electrical connectors.
Clean them up good replace any fray'd or broken wires loose connectors. | |
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Oct 15th, 2007, 04:28 PM
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#8 | | 200+ posts and climbing
Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Central Valley, CA
Posts: 203 Model: 2005 RoadGlide, 1996 RoadKing, 2005 Delu Interests: Motorcycles, Grandkids Occupation: HD Service Tech
| Check your main ground cable from battery to engine. Not just that it is connected tight but also that the cable is not corroded inside. If you can see any white/green powder growing on the braid where it starts to enter the insulation you can be assured that it has creeped up the cable. I make a habit of changing these cables every five years because they're cheap and it puts my mind at rest. Also, check the ground wire to your regulator. Clean off the contact point where it is bolted to the frame so you don't lose any amperage to a poor ground. You shouldn't see more than about .4 ohms between the bare fin on a regulator and the battery ground if everything is up to snuff. | |
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Oct 15th, 2007, 11:50 PM
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#9 | | More than 100 posts!
Join Date: May 2006 Location: Newaygo,Mi.
Posts: 128 Interests: Bike riding Occupation: supervisor
| Ground cable is new, just replaced it two months ago.I will check the ground for the regulator...thanks for the info.... | |
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May 17th, 2008, 05:25 AM
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#10 | | More than 100 posts!
Join Date: May 2006 Location: Newaygo,Mi.
Posts: 128 Interests: Bike riding Occupation: supervisor
| I finally got this problem fixed...The armature was bad..... | |
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May 17th, 2008, 09:41 AM
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#11 | | Has posted 500+
Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: spokane
Posts: 849 Model: 03 883 XLC-CHOPPER Occupation: welder
| Buddy Of Mine Was Just Complaining About His Shovel, He Was Saying That The Charging System Was Just Enough To Run The Bike, Told Me That, It Was Made That Way, Don't Know, Just What He Said. | |
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May 18th, 2008, 05:38 AM
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#12 | | 200+ posts and climbing
Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: North Carolina
Posts: 408 Model: '95, '00 Sportsters Interests: Land-Speed-Record events Occupation: Independent contractor (several fields)
| Quote:
Originally Posted by SPORSTERBOY  Buddy Of Mine Was Just Complaining About His Shovel, He Was Saying That The Charging System Was Just Enough To Run The Bike, Told Me That, It Was Made That Way, Don't Know, Just What He Said. | The newest bikes seem to be a lot better in that dept., but the older ones do not have much of a charging system & everything has to be right. I know several folks who have tried to add extra lights, heated hand-grips, etc. & the system just couldn't handle it. One accessory usually, but not several running @ the same time.
And I know that my Sportsters will not charge a weak battery up going down the road like my pickup or van will. Can't remember the alternator output right off & my manuals are @ another spot, but the output ain't all that much - it'll only keep a good battery charged up & all the connections have to be good. | |
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