| Author |
Message |
    
Moarant
| | Posted on Thursday, September 19, 2013 - 10:22 pm: | 
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All:
Please some advice....
Last week my xb12ss blew both headlights – at 70 mph on a freeway in the morning traffic in the dark! Was fine until I accelerated onto the highway and then the low beam “flashed” and went out. Flipped to high beam and “flash” it goes out. Lights were fine for the prior 10 minutes from the house.
Replaced both bulbs and went through the bike. No frayed wires. Stator pushing AC voltage as it should (16-20 VAC / 1000 rpm). Resistance across stator sockets is good. All stator sockets isolated from ground. Voltage at battery is good (14.2 VDC at 2000 rpm). The only test I cannot do is a draw test (do not have a load tester).
Replaced bulbs and drove it twice with no issues. Then on the way home (in the day light), the low beam “flashes” and goes out. I did not flip the high beam on so I saved that one. But obviously the problem is intermittent and not solved.
Here is what I do know:
1) Problem is not a damaged wire or short.
2) Problem only occurs above 3000 rpm (I suspect above 4000 rpm).
3) Problem is (probably) not a bad stator (smells fine, tests fine).
4) It seems that voltage regulators are a “known” weakness based on other posts here.
So the question is can the regulator fail intermittently like this? From all indications, it seems that the bulbs are over powered at high RPM when the stator is pushing ~70 VAC. I am leaning toward a regulator replacement but given that I cannot “test” it failing, I thought I would ask to see if others had been through this before.
Thanks! |
Moarant
| | Posted on Thursday, September 19, 2013 - 10:27 pm: |
|
Duh.... Forgot... 2006 XB12Ss with 25,000 miles. Never a mechanical issue. On my 5th electrical issue. |
Froggy
| | Posted on Thursday, September 19, 2013 - 11:48 pm: |
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Your most likely culprit is the Voltage Regulator. When they fail, sometimes they do what you describe and will send too much power the bike, and a shot of 20v instead of 14v will blow your headlight bulbs.
If you buy a new VR, it will come with a different connector, as they revised it later on due to the old connector causing its own issues. It also comes with the matching connector for the bike so you can retrofit it. |
Moarant
| | Posted on Friday, September 20, 2013 - 10:27 am: |
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thank you very much |
Moarant
| | Posted on Friday, September 20, 2013 - 01:37 pm: |
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Froggy:
Any good web sites to order from?
thanks |
Froggy
| | Posted on Friday, September 20, 2013 - 02:08 pm: |
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American Sport Bike is your best bet, they usually have what you need in stock. Local dealers are a bit hit and miss at best, odds are they won't have it on hand. |
Bluzm2
| | Posted on Tuesday, September 24, 2013 - 09:01 pm: |
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Do it sooner than later. If you wait you make take out the stator and or the battery. |
Moarant
| | Posted on Friday, October 04, 2013 - 06:03 pm: |
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update. VR was the issue. 500 miles since replacement with no issues |
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Blowing headlights