Battery light flicker

[Guzzi2Go]

 

Yet, Guzzi2Go, the "special" regulator failure case: can that be tested?

 

With "special failure case" I meant the one where regulator partially fails. so the lamp still works, but the rest of the circuitry does not. As a test, perhaps the output diode test Kiwi_Roy suggested a long time ago - one way conductivity between yellow (alternator) and red (output) leads.

 

Provided you're well equipped (no pun intended) and posses a regulated voltage supply in addition to diode tester (connected to red and case), you should be able to hear a beep once input tension (black) drops below 13.8V or so, according to the schematic and data Kiwi_Roy posted earlier.

 

And if you want to include the effects of paranormal, you can do the test above with the supply connected to light switch relay (red-black) and the diode tester to red-green and battery negative (F3 fuse removed) . See if there is a difference (voltage drop) and it takes more Volts for the regulator to shut off.

[docc]

Looking for help interpreting my "reference voltage"/ "sense wire" on the factory type Ducati Energi regulator with 1999-2001 Sport-style wiring:

 

Voltage drop to the connector is 0.10  volts DC.  (My headlamps have a separate, dedicated circuit.)

 

[static battery voltage cold: 12.80v; idle: 14.20v; "reference wire": 14.10v]

 

What does this voltage drop mean to my regulator?

[bbolesaz]

So, assuming you have a plain ol 55W headlight, it is pulling about 5 amps.  You don't say where your reference line connector physically is, but in any case you are dropping 0.1V along the headlight circuit between your battery and where the reference circuit is.  Ohm's law tells us 0.1V / 5A = 0.2 ohms of resistance loss between those 2 points which is very low (i.e. good).  Nothing wrong with that system !

[Guzzi2Go]

That means the regulator will shut off 0,1V later and the voltage on the battery will be 0,1V higher.

[Kiwi_Roy]

The poster did say he has a dedacated headlight circuit so little Voltage drop in the original headlight wires.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[docc]

Rode for hours in the rain today. The Charge Light Flicker became maniacal.

 

Then would quit. And return with a vengeance. Worst when the rain was worse. Connectivity at the black/white regulator connector?

 

FWIW, charge voltage checked out once home (14.2 above 2000 rpm). Light stayed on.

[Kiwi_Roy]

Rode for hours in the rain today. The Charge Light Flicker became maniacal.

 

Then would quit. And return with a vengeance. Worst when the rain was worse. Connectivity at the black/white regulator connector?

 

FWIW, charge voltage checked out once home (14.2 above 2000 rpm). Light stayed on.

The Charge and Oil pressure lights have 12 Volts on one pin and the other is pulled to ground to turn the lamp On

This is probably a case of the wet causing the bulb to ground out, the same thing will happen to the oil pressure light if you let the switch insulator get too dirty in the wet. This is particularly noticeable with LED lamps as they need so little current to turn on.

[docc]

 

Rode for hours in the rain today. The Charge Light Flicker became maniacal.

 

Then would quit. And return with a vengeance. Worst when the rain was worse. Connectivity at the black/white regulator connector?

 

FWIW, charge voltage checked out once home (14.2 above 2000 rpm). Light stayed on.

The Charge and Oil pressure lights have 12 Volts on one pin and the other is pulled to ground to turn the lamp On

This is probably a case of the wet causing the bulb to ground out, the same thing will happen to the oil pressure light if you let the switch insulator get too dirty in the wet. This is particularly noticeable with LED lamps as they need so little current to turn on.

 

So, could not be the black-white connector getting wet?

 

[edit: all dried out today, and light back to "normal".  Best news is the Speedhut gauges lasted through the event! >whew!

[docc]

I ask about the connector because, 1) I removed the heat shrink from it before this ride to test the voltage drop at the black wire and didn't seal the connector as well replacing it, and 2) I admit don't really understand what the white wire does. The black one, I "kinda" understand. 

[Kiwi_Roy]

I ask about the connector because, 1) I removed the heat shrink from it before this ride to test the voltage drop at the black wire and didn't seal the connector as well replacing it, and 2) I admit don't really understand what the white wire does. The black one, I "kinda" understand.

The white wire is the charge light, ground it and the light comes on, hence  the flicker if it gets wet

 

It could also be tracking across at another wet spot

 

[docc]

Makes sense, then, that the white wire got wet and that was my annoying, bright and erratic charge light in the rain? Once out of the rain it returned to normal until the next deluge.

 

(Also trying to be certain that the trouble is not in my gauge cluster. In that case, my Speedhuts are doomed . . .)

[docc]

In preparation for the upcoming Fart-eenth South'n Spine Raid, I've opened this regulator connector, cleaned out all the old nasty dried-up copper anti-seize paste (which I used to think was a good idea).  Applied CRC Electronics Cleaner, scrubbed with a pipe cleaner, spread the male connectors slightly, Caig DeOxit G5 (with lubricant), and a more tight fitting heat shrink. Not planning on riding in another rain like that last one, but ya never know!

[Kiwi_Roy]

Docc, I don't think it would track across at the two way connector.

One side of the lamp is supplied from the black wire or at least the red/black its connected to the other side is grounded by the regulator to turn the light On, There's a connecter at the headstock the idiot lights plug into, my guess would be there, perhaps spray with WD40 next time you are going to be out in the wet.

[swooshdave]

Those SAE connectors are pretty robust. I've never had an issue with one regardless of conditions.

[docc]

Curious. Thanks for the feedback, Gentlemen.   I had suspected this connector because it's sealing is something that changed since the last time I got caught out in the rain. I have now resealed it and got caught on a fairly brief , but heavy downpour last weekend with no flickering.

 

@K_Roy: That idiot light connector at the headstock is a sealed AMP connector?

 

(Truth be told, though, the rain and wet roads that accompanied the flickering light was high on the Frog Strangler Scale, and we were in it like six hours.)