Charge indicator light

[fmikeh]

Hello All,

 

I'm new to this forum and to the 2002 LeMans. I purchased this bike and immediately rode it from San Francisco to Seattle. It performed marvelously. The only thing I really noticed was that the charge indicator light would come on from time to time. Didn't see much of a pattern to it but it was more likely to come on soon after starting. It would remain on for no longer than 1 minute per incident. Anyone seen anything like this and know why it is? Thanks.

 

Mike

[fotoguzzi]

Lucky guy, did you get the Gold color? welcome to the board! you must know of Moto International, yes?

my charge light never does that, start by checking the battery posts are clean and tight, and the ground wire from battery to motor or frame.

[fmikeh]

Hehe thanks! I feel like a lucky guy. I actually got the charcoal tank with red (or is it maroon) fairing. I like that color scheme the best.

Thanks for the tips. I absolutely know Moto International but mostly from my Breva 750 days of old. I've been rekindling my relationship with them lately and really do think they are the best. I'm glad to be back in the fold.

I don't think this light issue is a huge deal but would love for it never to come on. My Breva always had cranking problems in the winter which I attributed to a weak battery and subsequently a weak charging system. I wonder if the LeMans has a weak charging system too? I also wonder if this current issue could be related to the voltage regulator? I've heard the early ones are dodgy and tend to failure.

[Tom M]

Welcome Mike and congrat's on the LeMans.

 

When my voltage regulator failed I got a solid battery light, nothing intermittent like you're seeing. Does the light come on only at idle or at any specific rpm? If it's just at idle your idle may be too low and/or you have a weak battery.

 

If you search the board here you'll find lots of information on charging circuit troubleshooting. I used the info I found here to track my problem to the voltage regulator. The only "special" tool you'll need is a voltmeter capable of measuring DC and AC voltage. I'm sorry I didn't save the links to the threads but I'm sure they're still out there.

[felix42o]

I had similar symptoms a few years back, and it ended up that the rotor portion (attached to the crank) of the alternator was somehow out of round and was contacting the stator. Very strange. Having said that, I am the only one that I know of that has had such an issue, so you're probably fine. Worth taking a look though. Otherwise, check the usual suspects of battery connections, tight grounds, and the connectors on the yellow wires going from the alternator to the regulator/rectifier.

[fmikeh]

Thanks for your ideas. Interestingly, a pattern is now developing where I could not discern one in the past. Now it seems that this light will come on after every start and will turn off about 1-2 minutes into the ride. Funny how it's gotten to be more predictable. I wonder if that will make it easier to determine the problem. Could the battery be low? It cranks a bit slow at times. I might put it on my tender and see.

[savagehenry]

I put a LED Voltage Monitor from Signal Dynamics on mine. It's easy to install and very unobtrusive. It constantly tells you what charging rate is, including overcharging and not charging and I feel is great insurance against being electrically dead on the road unexpectedly. All for the price of a decent bottle of red...

[Greg Field]

Check for crustiness in the connectors from the alternator to the harness. Sometimes, there's a secondary connector hidden under some harness tape further up the steering head, and this is usually the one that is gooey. Then, check the 30-amp fuse. Is the plastic melty looking? If so, get an auxiliary fuse holder and jumper it in around the fusebox to carry the charging load. We have the fuseholders at MI if you can't find them elsewhere.

[Garsdad]

Mine just started an intermittent charging issue as well. Not a real "on" indication, but a slight glow at times from the charging system indicator. I cleaned all the connections at the battery. I think it is the original battery (7 years old) but I have no issues with it holding a charge and when I tested the system I had ample voltage. Granted, I was unable to test the system when the light was glowing. Love those intermittent things.

 

I'll check the wiring to the rectifier tomorrow. If there are further issues, I'll be posting for help!

 

Garsdad