| Author | Message | ||
     Eryngium |
At least that's what it seems like to me. Mechanical stuff I can make sense of (eventually), but I just don't "get" electrical stuff. Having said that... So my Uly is not charging at idle (I installed a voltmeter). It does fine at more operational rpms, but when I drop back to idle so does the indicated voltage. Another potentially related symptom. At times the intensity of the light from my voltmeter suddenly increases. It probably decreases, too, but that doesn't jump out at me. It's been acting up for a while, but life has interfered with me investigating. Just getting back to it. Question, I'm pretty sure I have a cracked ECM. Could it be related to that? I know, I should replace it. For now, I'm starting by trying to understand what's happening. I do NOT have a multi-tester (but I did get a book and I'm thinking about getting one). Could it be a connection that's not quite good enough and takes a little more voltage to overcome? Does electricity work that way? I do have a manual, but I don't see anything about this specific problem, or does it fall into the broader category of "not charging"? I may also lack the patience and systematic logic for a thorough investigation. (I'm not asking for help with those symptoms. At least not from you all). | ||
| Teeps |
Check the "77" connector* for heat damage. That's the most likely cause for charging system problems. * 77 is a 2p connector located behind the front belt cover. http://www.badweatherbikers.com/buell/messages/142 838/667134.html?1326751428 look at the photos just after the model airplane engine. | ||
| Uly_man |
"Could it be a connection that's not quite good enough and takes a little more voltage to overcome? Does electricity work that way? " Yes and no. The 77 connector is not a very good part and is also in a bad place as water, engine heat, vibration and dirt gets into it. A bad (high) resistance of a wire joint and/ or plug will reduce its transfer of volts/ amps. It will also cause heat and arcing in the wires mechanical joint, and/ or plug, and in the end may melt the plug and could cause a short circuit. The charging system is not controlled or works via the ECM. It is Stator, VR and the battery. If you find the 77 connector bad then just hard wire it out as seen in the posts. | ||
| Arry |
I believe it would be normal to not have full charging voltage at idle. You can get an inexpensive multi meter (Home Depo,auto parts store,...). You could check voltage before starting, right after starting it might be lower from the draw of the starter, then it should start coming up (even at idle), if you rev it up a little above idle the voltage would probably come up a little faster. | ||
| Rayycc1 |
My bike runs 14.3-14.4V at any engine speed...Before the 77 connector was replaced that wasn't the case. Before i fixed the 77 connector my voltage would drop to 13.6 if I ran the high beams or used my electric cigarette lighter...after the fix...14.3-14.4V at all times. | ||
| Griffmeister |
Must have multi meter. Even a cheap one will give you some usable information. With it you can check for bad grounds, grounds where there shouldn't be any, voltage at various points including AC from the stator and general fun sticking the sharp probes into unsuspecting victims.  | ||
| Ratbuell |
What voltmeter? The kuryakyn meter has a light sensor - when it gets dark, it dims itself. Daylight, it runs on "bright". These systems are NOT DESIGNED to charge at idle. Any "charging" you see on a particular bike is a benefit of production tolerances. They shouldn't DIScharge...but they won't charge at idle. Only above 2200 rpm are they designed to charge. | ||
| Eryngium |
Hmm. Okay, so then what should my voltmeter display at idle? Should it be in the yellow or green? It's been in the yellow. Does that equal "not charging" or "discharging"? The kurykan adjusts itself. Huh. Didn't realize that, either. Thinking about it, there was one place on my way to work where I saw it get brighter a couple times. It was a more wooded area. Considering the time I go to work, that could 'splain it. You guys rock. | ||
| Tempest766 |
If randomly your headlight increases in brightness then thats a sign that the VR is going bad. I had that exact symptom in the weeks leading up to a complete failure of my VR. | ||
| Griffmeister |
Ha ha, usually it's the headlights increasing in darkness. |
