Hooked up lights, now bike isn't charging...

[Guest]

So here's the deal, I bought my motocross bike and it was in a right state. Disconnected all lights and got a daytime MOT. Anyway, not it's getting dark I decided to hook up the lights...

All I did was put front lights on and the rear tail light and now it doesn't charge.

Battery was fully charged and after 30mins of riding it started to give me bad earth symptoms of running like crap. Turned the lights off by switch and it ran fine again but when I got to rykas and had a chat with people, came back to my bike, it wouldn't start.

Started with a jump and it ran but really really bad. Terrible misfires and wouldn't go above 35.

I stopped the bike at a fuel station and didn't expect it to start and it didn't.

Since getting the bike back to the garage I've done a test on the reg rec and stator and getting consistency. Battery reads 10.4v and decreases not increases... It's not the battery because the bike succesfully discharged two good batteries.

I did disconnect a wire from each light which would have been earth or positive... So technically they aren't connected anymore but that didn't cure the problem.

I'm thinking it has to be something to do with the lights as that's the ONLY thing I've done for the bike to start misbehaving... I'm wondering if I hooked up the wires wrong, could that be a problem? But if I hooked up earth to positive... Bulb wouldn't work surely?

Any thoughts?

[TimR]

Bulb will work as long as it has a positive and a negative.

Think of household bulbs there are no positive or negative markings on bulb but it works .

[Joeman]

Where did you take the power for the lights from?

You put twin lights on, maybe pulling too much current from the rectifier.

[Guest]

So if I got the positive and negative the wrong way around, would that create the drain??

[Guest]

Where did you take the power for the lights from?

You put twin lights on, maybe pulling too much current from the rectifier.

Wasn't charging when both lights were turned off mate...

I took the power from what looks to be the connectors at the front. Two sets of the same colour wires, assumed them to be for the headlights. Well they are because they work when I set the switch to fill beam.

[Joeman]

So if I got the positive and negative the wrong way around, would that create the drain??

Bulbs don't care which way round they are wired up.

What voltage do you see at the battery with the engine running?

[Guest]

So if I got the positive and negative the wrong way around, would that create the drain??

Bulbs don't care which way round they are wired up.

What voltage do you see at the battery with the engine running?

~10.4 and it goes down with throttle not up!

Tacho stopped working too. That always works with good battery connections and doesn't work so well without.

[Stu]

fully charge the battery leave it stood for a few hours

test the voltage

then test with ignition on

then while starting

then while running with lights off

then with lights on

come back with all the readings

if its not charging at all its the charging system

you will need to check charging components to see if you are getting an output but you need to test as close to the reg/rec and stator as possible

If you get good readings its wiring

[Guest]

Ok Stu. I'm coming back to this thread on Saturday with my readings and findings.

[Joeman]

Something not right if voltage drops with increased revs.. get the readings and let's see.

[Stu]

Something not right if voltage drops with increased revs.. get the readings and let's see.

 

Usually a sign that there is a wiring problem and not enough current is getting through

[TimR]

May help

http://www.electrosport.com/technical-resources/diagnosis-center/fault-finding-guide

[Guest]

Sorted people. Thanks for the replies.

Turned out to be a couple of positive wires came away from the main connector. Assuming they will be stator and or reg rec unit.

All working great again.