Charge and Neutral lights when hot

[AndyH]

What's Tick Over, by the way? It's the same as Idle?

Yeah "idle", and I thought English was converging!

Cheers

A

[AndyH]

The Ducati Energias set the Voltage at the regulator, not at the battery. If you look at the modern Guzzis the regulator is wired directly to the battery, positive and negative.

Rather than replace a failed Ducati I would go with something modern, I predict they won't have nearly the same failures the old ones do.

Since I'm getting lumpy running and a red charge light at 'idle' something's still not right (and so not to be ignored). And I've already swapped in a new non-OEM reg replacement alternator and relays. So I can't help thinking it's caused by general degradation the connections of other circuit components as you suggest.

 

To be quite frank, I'm running out of culprits to shoot.

 

I'll try wiring the new Electrex reg +ve direct to the battery (via a fuse) and use the Engine to carry the -ve back for a fat Earth/Ground. There's no wire out of the reg for the red/green reference wire in the loom so I'll leave that unconnected (as, if I understand correctly the Ducati reg just uses this for polling voltage).

 

However for good measure I'll also clean up...

• Ignition Switch contacts
  
• Relay mountings and contacts
  
• Fuse contacts
  
• Earth/Ground contact behind seat lock
  

...as suggested above.

Want to get this sorted as the weather's clearing up a bit!!! and I have to make the call soon: Highlands and Islands tour by Guzzi or tin box

[luhbo]

The charging system works well right off the factory btw. No real need to add cables and/or other things. Hubert

 

...

 

Roy, I really don't think that quoting others correctly would have any negative effect on what you want to say. That's an important thing if you want to stay properly grounded I say.

 

Hubert

[luhbo]

 

... To be quite frank, I'm running out of culprits to shoot...

 

Tick-borne encephalitis (TBE)?

 

Hubert

 

(Sorry, couldn't resist )

[docc]

All of the things you are doing are good things, and much good advice here. I especially found my main fuse contacts simply too small to handle the 30 amp load and soldered in a MAXI fuse- no more melting/ burning.

 

Yet, a couple posters had mentioned this already (and I recall your tach is not functional), but could this simply be low idle speed? Even with the tach, Veglia are often 300-500 "optimistic" leaving the lump to idle at 600-700 rpm. Better to err on the high side and idle her a bit high, I'd say.

 

At this point, there would be little wrong with bringing the idle speed up and rechecking voltages.

[Kiwi_Roy]

The charging system works well right off the factory btw. No real need to add cables and/or other things. Hubert

 

...

 

Roy, I really don't think that quoting others correctly would have any negative effect on what you want to say. That's an important thing if you want to stay properly grounded I say.

 

Hubert

Sorry Hubert,

I didn't re-write what you had written, just abreviated it a bit.

I get a bit carried away sometimes when I get on my hobby horse.

It's back in full.

 

Roy

[AndyH]

...At this point, there would be little wrong with bringing the idle speed up and rechecking voltages.

I think you may be right: the idle speed has probably dropped over time without me noticing. I know I have to do the Throttle stuff some time soon (already printed out the TPS post in FAQs on that one - v comprehensive), just been putting it off.

 

So, noted and added to the list of things to do.

[Kiwi_Roy]

If you were to take the alternator cover off and put a white paint mark on the crcumference of the magnet under a flourescent light it should appear stationary at 3,000 1,500 or 750 RPM

 

For 3 marks spaced 120° apart they would show in sequence at 1,000 RPM

 

A single tube flourescent is best for this.

(no - this doesn't apply to Nth America )

[AndyH]

If you were to take the alternator cover off and put a white paint mark on the crcumference of the magnet under a flourescent light it should appear stationary at 3,000 1,500 or 750 RPM

 

For 3 marks spaced 120° apart they would show in sequence at 1,000 RPM

 

A single tube flourescent is best for this.

(no - this doesn't apply to Nth America )

That answers my next question!

 

I'm waiting on some white faced clocks from dave that will hopefully sort the lack of tacho but we're trying to find a reasonable carrier that won't charge a significant proportion of the cost of the clocks themselves!

[AndyH]

Update:

• Fat wire (27 amp rating) added, soldered connections, from Electrex Regulator to Maxi blade 30 Amp fuse then to battery +ve.
  
• Fat (27 amp rating) earth/ground wire added from Electrex Regulator to Engine timing cover.
  
• 12 amp rating earth/ground wire added from clocks to Engine timing cover.
  
• Engine earth/ground strap removed, contact surfaces scrubbed clean and re-tightened.
  
• All relay blades cleaned and vaselined.
  
• Most block connectors around frame spine taken apart, inspected, contacts cleaned, vaselined and reassembled.
  
• Oil pressure switch connectors cleaned, vaselined and reassembled (this had just stopped working for some reason, but works now)
  

Result:

- At idle (charge light on) Voltage at battery: ~13.25

- Charge Light goes out at faster idle, Voltage: ~13.5

- High revs, Voltage levels out at ~14.15 - ~14.2

- High revs, Headlamp on, Voltage: ~13.75

- Charge light is much stronger when on and comes on and goes off more decisively.

This helps me to identify clearly when idle is too slow, and I have to agree with docc, idle could be low but without a tacho, I have to use Roy's marks on the Alternator method (and I have strip light in the garage).

 

I think I'm on the way to sorting this and now have to fix the idle and other throttle stuff. A 200 mile test ride next weekend should show whether this has all been in vain or not.

[docc]

I know this is not very precise, and you can get it all perfectly tuned later, but just crank the throttle stop in on the left until you like the way she sounds at idle. There should be no lump-bump (which I like), but a smooth vrrrrrr like an aircraft warming its manifolds.

 

Why the left? It's the easiest to get to.

[Trevini]

Sounds like you're on thr right track now, Andy. Your voltage readings (for the same reg/rec)and more or less the same as mine. I'd be inclined to agree with the idle being a bit slow.

 

Trev