headlights dim unless brakes applied By godfeast (Read 9,282 times)

[godfeast]

this is happening on all three regulators, dont have a camera atm, but I can find some internet examples and post.

The one they replaced it with is slightly different, but again, same results on all three.

Is this indicative of three failing RR's or could there be another issue - possibly a bad stator they put in?

My two:

.regulatorrectifier.com/catalog/images/CH80-Regulator-Rectifier.jpg" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">.regulatorrectifier.com/catalog/images/CH80-Regulator-Rectifier.jpg

The new one:

.goscoot.com/images/Regulator/Regu4pin_Large.JPG" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">.goscoot.com/images/Regulator/Regu4pin_Large.JPG

All 4 pin.

[tvnacman]

ok reverse the red and white wire and see what happens .

John

Great idea JR

If you interested I have plenty of 4 pin regulators.

John

[godfeast]

So, take the red and white wires out of the plug that goes to the RR and switch them, then test?

In or out of RR?

Or did you just mean to stick the plug into the RR like that, put the headlight connection on and see what happens?

[tvnacman]

switch the wires , put it all together and test it .

John

[godfeast]

OK, so havent done what you asked...yet. sorry.

Itgot dark and I started doing more online research on this - cant believe how many other people have similiar issues with these scooters, but almost none get resolved or at least they dont post findings.

I did find an old thread (here I think) that had a post by "admin" where he speculates that it is likely a short between red+yellow or one of the two and a ground and that said short is most likely occurring around the taillight assembly since he read a schematic that indicated that as the most likely place for red+yellow to meet.

I had to go out and buy a new taillight bulb (yes, it had blown the running light filament) and when doing so I found A short (possibly "the" short) at the area just past the harness connection going under the gas tank to the taillights.

It seems the yellow turns to brown and then splits into two wires and at that location they just put a thin piece of electrical tape around the solder and that sits crunched under a metal bracket.

looks like the electrical tape got old and oily (probably from exhaust or something) and slipped down, thus exposing the solder to the metal bracket and then grounding out through the frame (and gas tank - good times).

I am replacing parts and will retest as is, then if problem still exists, will do as you asked.

[alleyoop]

Sounds very promising Godfeast, because the BROWN wire is for your lights
Alleyoop

[godfeast]

It didnt seem to have made a difference.

I'm about to do what you suggested because without headlights attached both brake light and dash lights work.

With headlights attached now, the dash lights and running lights dim and only one headlight lamp will operate at a time.

I have to still have a short somewhere, but I'm wondering if just rewiring the headlights themselves might be the most time effective solution.

[JR]

Godfeast watch these videos and pay very close attention to what he says about turning the R/R over because the one he got was wrong on the wioring and he changed the wires later to make it all work right.

thescooterprofessor.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=videle&action=display&thread=360

Also you would have been better off with a apples for apples R/R and lets hope these are still good.

JR

[godfeast]

Thanks. I rewired the headlights and then noticed that when the engine was revving, my dash lights grew brighter...ughhhh.

oh, and yeah, I've watched that video a few times.

Testing in the morning again as suggested.

[godfeast]

I didnt test wire switching as I found that if I tested the stator at the end of its own connection, I got readings that are exactly as they are supposed to be, but when testing at the other end (having reconnected harness) of the plug, I was getting no readings at all (unhooked from RR), so its obviously a break in the harness that I didnt see and somehow missed when testing.

Taking harness out and rewiring everything tomorrow all day... again.

Anyone wanna trade me a vulcan 750cc or similiar motorcycle for this scooter?

[godfeast]

I rewired the entire harness from scratch - including the instrument cluster.

White wire coming from the stator had separated somehow from a pinch on its way up to the RR area - replaced and tested at RR and now giving all appropriate measurements.

I have everything running, but still no headlights as the yellow feed at the headlight switch is only getting about 6-9 volts for some reason (maybe because its tied into several other gauges and lights?) - going to try to tap into the yellow line directly before the RR and see if it fixes the issue.

[godfeast]

Ok, starting to give up.

I've rewired and cAnt think of anything else, but this is whats happening now.

Start bike up - lights and tailights come on dimly.

Rev bike. lights and taillights go out until brakes applied, then on.

Flashers on while holding brakes makes lights brighter.

Tested wires coming out of stator and its putting out fine.

Tested wires at RR and its fine.

Tested yellow wire at headlight switch and its almost nothing.

CONFUSED

[justbuggin2]

disconnect the tail light harness and see if the headlightswork ok i had a problem with the bulb sockets causing all kinds of wierd stuff happening

[godfeast]

Tried that. I even took the entire taillight apart and checked wiring - found a single short but it wasnt the cause.

[JR]

Godfeast you have something wrong with the voltage or a bad wire. If the R/R is putting out 13VDC+ when revved by testing it at the battery then the yellow is correct along with the white wire also.

Since you have the flashers/brake lights get brighter while holding on the brake this is a dead givaway to bad sockets and or grounds, no way around it. On the bulb sockets the wires are attached via soldier and they go bad a lot. Also do you have the R/R bolted to the frame with no paint and it grounded well?

Also do you have the battery negative cable bolted to a clean paint free spot on the frame? Also is there a ground wire from the battery cable on the frame to the engine? If the engine itself is not grounded all will act stupid. Most people put the ground wire on the engine on one of the fan cover bolts or valve cover, the engine must be grounded.


Lastly every single bulb has a ground and it's better to loop them together and run them to the place where the battery ground cable connects for a good ground.

Again if you have good charging voltage to the battery then there is no issues with the stator and R/R it's somwhere else?

JR