| Author | Message | ||
     Philp |
Hi, I'm looking for feedback from someone in the "know". I went to my third track day today and did what I always do as part of the track prep - removed the mirrors/blinkers and unplugged the headlights. I'm telling you that for a reason that I'll get to in a minute... During my second session, I pulled a System Voltage Error on my dash, which went dim, and no other info was reported to the digital dash. The tach ran fixed around 3000 and wouldn't change despite obvious changes in throttle. Anyway, on the track I figured it's my turn for the the "stator problem". I pulled off into the hot pit, shut the bike off, restarted only to find the battery voltage reported at 15.9 or so. SHYTE!! What's up with that? I watched the reported voltage run down to the normal range (~13.4-ish), seemed stable so I went out and finished the session with no more errors. After the session, I found another Buell rider and we checked the error code, which reported a com error??? During the second and third sessions the bike did the same thing. One error and it went away after a restart. I was toying around with stopping for the day during each session but the error only came up once and didn't actually report any charging errors in the codes. During the fourth session, however, I got the error in the pit before I entered the track. I restarted, cleared, then got it again during the ride. I came in and stopped for the day intending to nurse my baby home. So I "unprepped" the bike - hooking the headlights back up and plugging in the mirror/blinkers. I packed up, threw my backpack on and restarted the bike waiting for the "Cold" indicator to go off, then took off carefully watching the dash for any errors... So here's the deal... with all my electrics hooked back up, I didn't pull any errors for the 60 mile ride home. I started off very modest and by the last 30 miles I was cruising at my usual pace, watching the temp and voltage the whole way. The voltage ran great the whole ride - flexing around 13.8-13.2 the whole time. The only thing that seemed anomalous to me was that the temps were up to 198 by the time I got home. That's the highest I've ever seen them. There was nothing else wrong with the ride home. To repeat, after each instance of System Voltage Error, the voltages during the restart were in the high 15 Volts but quickly diminished to my "typical" operating voltages of low to high 13's. So my questions: 1) Is a com error what gets reported with items related to the charging system? 2) Clearly high voltages are not related to a failing stator. What else could it be? 3) I haven't seen this on three other track days but could this error have been thrown by having the headlights and blinkers unplugged?? Also - A quick "Hey" to the other Buell riders I met at TWS today. Sorry to say, I've forgotten your names but I enjoyed meeting you and hope to see you at the track again. Cheers, Phil | ||
| Pmjolly |
Voltage regulator? | ||
| Bextreme04 |
what you are describing is a typical voltage regulator failure. The dash dims and displays system voltage because it goes into protective mode when the charging system is producing 18V or so. Hitting the kill switch and restarting resets the voltage regulator and usually clears the fault... sometimes temporarily and sometimes for the rest of the ride. | ||
| Jules |
+1, sounds like a VR issue.. Adding the additional load (lights etc) back into the circuit reduces the load on the VR as it has less "spare" capacity to discharge so will run (a bit) cooler. It may be as simple as re-seating the VR and applying more heatsink compound, although TBH I'd be inclined to change it, either to a MOSFET one (runs cooler) or go whole hog and fit a proper series unit (which in theory will help reduce the chances of a stator failure). | ||
| Philp |
This is great feedback. Thanks guys! So if I'm still under warranty, should I have HD replace it (or will the new one go bad too?) - or should I just pony up the $$ and buy the proper one as recommended by Jules. Cheers, | ||
| Stevek1125r |
Comm error is lack of communication between the Cluster and ECM just before shut down... Verify all fuses are in good working order, if they are, then its time for a new cluster... take it to the dealer.. the other issues definitely sounds like VR.. | ||
| 1125rcya |
FYI I have the same exact problem as your's philp. I had HD pick up my bike with the System Voltage being displayed every time they started the bike, so HD replaced the IC. I am still having the same issues a before SYSTEM VOLTAGE sometimes the tach is stuck on 3 that means if I pull in the clutch and let the rev's down the IC will come back on line. If my tach is sitting like the bike is off, the bike has to be shut down for anything to work. The kicker I asked the tech if he checked the VR and he stated "that he and HD support had come to the conclusion that it was the IC". Com Error is the code that is thrown not high voltage like I see. 18v-16v's HD also gets an over rev which they state is from me riding the bike to hard? http://www.badweatherbikers.com/buell/messages/290 431/626010.html?1302523882 (Message edited by 1125rcya on April 11, 2011) |
