Author Topic: battery indicator flickering  (Read 1848 times)

Offline 5ehsx

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battery indicator flickering
« on: April 15, 2024, 05:42:16 PM »
Hi there! It happens that the battery indicator started flickering at idle or lower rpm. Goes off maybe over 2000 rpm.
Both stator and rotor are quite new, maybe one year and 6000 miles; some months and 1500 miles ago I replaced the ground cables with thicker ones: from battery to frame and from frame to engine; I replaced the positive cable from the battery too.
Can it be a problem with the voltage regulator? Or some other ground cable to replace?
Thanks!!

Luca
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Offline wytfut

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Re: battery indicator flickering
« Reply #1 on: April 16, 2024, 09:17:24 AM »
Luca.... appears you are heading the right direction.... good for you....
I can't imagine the stator cooking already, but I've heard weirder stories.

Test that stator at idle, at the connector to the voltage regulator. Stick your volt meter in any 2 slots..... switch over to AC. You can test at idle and at speed (2000 rpms will do it). If I remember right it should be reading 50 volts AC or more. Test all 3 slots. And these numbers should be fairly steady.... no leaping around. Bouncing ok, leaping not so much.
Hopefully your test is good. If not, its looking like its the stator. It looks like you know how to do this already? If you do this, take a very good look at the leg off the stator, and see if it was rubbing on the mag wheel (It happens right there). I've always have had issues with that silly wire clamp that is supposed to hold it away from the wheel. So much so I had a buddy make me one much more stout, and fail proof.

Stator tested good?  Go to the battery and switch to DC. At idle and lite flickering, it should read in the 13+ volts range at idle. Is it bouncing around drastically? I'd suspect the volt regulator, but I'd also be looking at all the wiring from the regulator to the battery (not a simple task).

Inside the loom that runs under the X, are 2 red (If I remember correctly) wires exposed to anything you could have hit. Ask me how I know. We get the occasional windrow of gravel at different points on our roads, shoulders on curves. Thats what knarled my wires to almost broken. I was getting sketchy readings at the battery, and replaced regulator. I found them, and was very surprised I was getting any charge at all. My regulator was fine.

Sorry about guessing on 2 items, but my shop book and schematic are both outside in my shop. ...

Need more help.... ? Hollar!!
Bruce
« Last Edit: April 16, 2024, 09:20:52 AM by wytfut »
Bruce
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Offline 5ehsx

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Re: battery indicator flickering
« Reply #2 on: April 16, 2024, 04:07:55 PM »
Thanks Bruce!
I actually was in the stator for some months ago, and it happend to me I did wrong and the leg of the stator rubbed on the mag wheel; results: the stator shorted and I hoped to make it home that day but it didn't.
I'll check in some days following your advice, I hope this week, and let you know.
Take care!

/Luca

Offline Donkey Hotey

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Re: battery indicator flickering
« Reply #3 on: April 16, 2024, 09:41:53 PM »
Luca,


It's important to understand what that red light is on our bikes. It's not a charging indicator or something to show an error in the charging system. The red light is simply a volt indicator. It comes on when voltage drops below (I think) 11.5V. It won't normally come on unless the battery is bad or the charging system is not charging properly.

You should check to make sure the battery charges up to a proper level using an external charger. Let it sit for a few hours. Check with a voltmeter. It should still be 12.5V or higher. If it has a dead cell, it could cause the light to come on at idle, even if the charging system is working.

As you already mentioned: check the grounds and connections in the electrical area under the seat if the battery and other things check out okay.
Greg

1525 since 2000 (Molly) 1989 since 2012 (Jennie) 0333 since 2015 (Beulah) 1663 since 2017 (Deadwood)
0738 since 2018 (Babe) 1940 since 2019 (Sinclair) 1555 since 2022 (Genesis)0315 since 2022 (Freedom)

Offline 5ehsx

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Re: battery indicator flickering
« Reply #4 on: April 17, 2024, 04:59:41 AM »
Thank you too Greg, I'll check as it seems batteries dies very fast since 1 or 2 years ago, it happened to me and to more than one of my riding friends: maybe one year use and the battery is gone, even with regular use and no issues in the electrical system.
Maybe someone in China pushed the wrong button...
Take care.
/Luca

Offline wytfut

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Re: battery indicator flickering
« Reply #5 on: April 17, 2024, 08:47:58 AM »
Luca...
Gregs point about the light coming on is an absolute good point.... I went deep too soon.
Also, the old loose battery cable will kick the lite on and off. But you didn't bring to the table, any back firing.
Just an idea for more stuff to look at.
Batteries to me seem to be fickle. Dennis Bennet had his OEM battery that came with his DWS last over 15 years... unheard of. And a guy will hear of batteries not lasting a year.
Good luck buddy, and Greg thanx for tossing that in.... I blew it...
wytfut
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Offline 5ehsx

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Re: battery indicator flickering
« Reply #6 on: April 30, 2024, 04:10:20 AM »
Here I am, but even more confused: the stator seems to be good but weak, goes never over 50, rather below.
The voltage regulator seems to be ok, testing at the battery the volts level is correct.
One more detail I THINK I can see is that the output from the stator seems to be worse when the engine is very hot, better only one or two minutes after firing it up, but this stator just has 3k miles on.
Meanwhile the battery indicator on the panel is not flickering any more, but lights all the time, and this means the battery hasn't been charged under my tests.
During one of the last rides the yellow check engine light came on one or two times for some seconds, and at this point I wonder if even the voltage regulator works worse after some hours of riding.
What to do? Change both the stator (even if quite new) and the voltage regulator?
Thanks for any guessing!!
/L

Offline wytfut

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Re: battery indicator flickering
« Reply #7 on: April 30, 2024, 09:47:57 AM »
Luca...
Don't like the term "guessing"...   but unfortunately it is somewhat when dealing with trying to help over the www....
I'm afraid you are going to have to pull the primary cover and take a good look at the 3 wire lead coming off the stator.... is it rubbing the magnetic wheel. Is it although almost brand new, all burned and coked up? Although I've experienced many times not stabile readings, it should be reading higher, at speed.
I don't remember is you stated whether you had a fan assisted fan cooler, or the latest tune. Both of these will contribute to issues of heat on that stator. I'm leaning to your stator, as your readings are not stabile at its connector. Anything after that point, including "idiot" lites is only compounded/magnified  by what ever that stator issue is.
We'll be here....   come on back as needed.
Bruce 
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Offline 5ehsx

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Re: battery indicator flickering
« Reply #8 on: May 01, 2024, 11:50:58 AM »
Thank you! I'm back asap maybe with some picture of the stator.
I have an oil cooler but not fan assisted, and I don't really know about the tuning: for about 10 years ago I bought the software SuperxTune v2.04 but I'm not sure I can change the tuning with this tool.
I read it's not for sale anymore, but I don't consider an option to ship the ECM to the US and back... think if it get lost...
If I remember right I bought the tool from good Jamie, who can I ask now?
Take care and ride safe, I'm back soon!
/Luca

Offline wytfut

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Re: battery indicator flickering
« Reply #9 on: May 02, 2024, 10:38:15 AM »
I'm absolutely no www/computer wizard.
But Mike Seastrome is. Give him a shout at EHparts.net. If your superXtune didn't include the passcode, and that you are across the pond. I'm sure Mike would be able to get you that passcode/key to let you download the latest tune somehow someway.
I'm not really up to date on the "rules of engagement" of downloading the latest tune at home.

Give him a shout..

wytfut
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Offline 5ehsx

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Re: battery indicator flickering
« Reply #10 on: May 02, 2024, 05:34:31 PM »
I allready have a passcode for my ECM, I had some contacts with Mike for some time ago, I'm going to hear from him soon.
Take care.
/Luca

Offline 5ehsx

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Re: battery indicator flickering
« Reply #11 on: May 26, 2024, 04:27:50 PM »
Here Is my statore now: looks burnt, smells burnt, must be burnt...
This stator didn't work long time at all, someone in this group had the same problem, so I can maybe guess that there was a manufacturing problem with some of the stators for a time ago.
/Luca

Offline wytfut

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Re: battery indicator flickering
« Reply #12 on: May 26, 2024, 07:09:56 PM »
Luca
definitely toast.....wow so soon too...
What is your climate (I know it isn't USA) but is it a high temperature location. Without that fan and hi temps (especially less than highway speeds), you could easily cooked that stator. AND....... without the latest tune (it throws more fuel at the engine and it runs cooler).
Order up a fan, or rig your own.... these bikes run hot...just gotta have it.
Track down Mike or even me if needed, and we'll get that tune loaded in your X.
With you across the pond, I'm sure there can be exceptions for your X.
Anyone with the superXtune will have the latest and greatest tune on their computer. As stated above I'm no computer wiz, but I'm guessing even I could send you the tune.
Bruce
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Offline 5ehsx

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Re: battery indicator flickering
« Reply #13 on: May 27, 2024, 02:02:10 AM »
I have a quite broad range of temperature: now and in summer in low speed traffic we can easy reach 100?F, and down to 30?F or 40?F if I ride near the mountains in fall and winter. While I changed my stator I took the chance to install an upgraded ECM and a fan cooled oil cooler (I allready had one but without fan); I'm probably ready today or tomorrow and I'm looking forward to take a test ride to see if everything is ok and if I kan skip noisy burned oil smoke.
Once again thanks for any advice I got!
/Luca

Offline wytfut

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Re: battery indicator flickering
« Reply #14 on: May 27, 2024, 07:19:09 AM »
Nice job Luca....
good luck and let us know how its all holding up

Bruce
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