dim gages

[Guest rrbasso]

Hay just want some input, on my way to work this morning my gages were dim more yellow then white and my head light was dim, then boom they would go back to being bright ! but only for a few seckonds then back to dim, mostly dim. I checked and charging system is good even when dim and all the usual connections seem sound ? any sugestions.....

Thanks Tony

ps just checked relays they seem good

[Guest ratchethack]

Tony, IMHO the ground path from the instruments and headlight is a prime suspect here. Many on this Forum, myself included, have added a heavy gauge multi-stranded flexible grounding strap between the fork and its ground connections (I wired mine direct to each) and the battery ground cable. This bypasses the typically weak stock ground connections, and eliminates the current path through the steering head bearings, which can (and will) otherwise deteriorate over time, being the only ground path provided by the Luigi's.

 

Carry on!

 

Cdr. Hatchracket

[dlaing]

I too would suspect the grounding and follow Ratchet's advice.

I did not know Guzzi ran the lighting grounds through the steering head bearings on the V11

The only counter indicator to it being the ground might be if the taillight dimmed when the other lights were dimming, as it is on the same hot circuit, but a different ground circuit.

Still much more likely to be a grounding problem.

[Guest rrbasso]

Thank you I will get on it after work tomarrow,

[Guest rrbasso]

Hay first thank you I couldent waite till the morning, and I couldent find this ground wire from the headlight and instrments is there a wire or do I run a new ground out of one of the exsisting conectors that disapeair under the tank ? are the grounds the Blk wires coming out ? Plese be pacent give me deatels looking at it, Where is the ground path connected I didnt see it? Hatchracket could you shoot me a photo of your fork ground a pitcher says a thousand words

Thank you sooooo much I just need a little more giddence and a spell checker

[luhbo]

There is no need for a separate ground conection, 'cause every harness and subharness has a ground cable spliced in.

Check your connectors and make sure the contacts are clean. That will do. You own a V11, not a 1100 Sport, don't you?

 

In case you prefere to just add a separate ground cable you will not fix the root cause, as my Nippon colleagues would say.

 

Hubert

[guzziownr]

Thank you sooooo much I just need a little more giddence and a spell checker

 

Verrry interesting posts on this topic. In the past folks have recommended separating and cleaning all connections where they join. Dielectric grease might help after you have cleaned:

 

"The primary purposes of dielectric grease is to keep out moisture, dirt, salt, and basically prevent corrosion. Prevention of corrosion helps to keep the metal-to-metal contact point of terminals conducting electricity.

 

But Dielectric grease is an insulator or a NON conductor of electricity. This is why dielectric grease is recommended for use on the inside of spark plug wire boots; so that it will help prevent arching around the boot."

 

Try Mozilla Firefox 2.0 for it's spell check features:

 

www.mozilla.com

 

DW

 

http://www.pbs.org/tesla/ins/index.html

[Guest ratchethack]

As Carl Allison knows better than just about anyone (see his library of Guzzi electrics schematics here: http://home.pacbell.net/guzzi007/sportissimo.html ), there are variations in the wiring scheme according to year and model. I do not know what years and models came with the ground path through the steering head bearings. The 2000 Sport shipped to the US has obvious ground connections inside the headlight nacelle and (if I remember correctly) the instrument housing. These are grounded to the fork on my Guzzi. I found them all and wired them together whilst installing relays, and put a heavy gauge multi-strand ground strap direct to the battery negative. If you don't have these, there's obviously been a change between models.

 

Wot's the story, Carl?

 

I'm within a week or so of having the headlight nacelle out on another task. If you can wait, I'll post some shots -- but if the ground path you have on y'er '03 is different, it would seem to be a moot point.

There is no need for a separate ground conection, 'cause every harness and subharness has a ground cable spliced in.

Not so, Hubert. As with the previous discovery of different stock springs shipped to the US and EU, I suspect that we may be about to ID yet another distinction (of which there may be many) between our Guzzi's.

[dlaing]

http://www.elexp.com/che_8463.htm

Something like this is probably what we should be using, but maybe antiseize is better

Antiseize does maintain a nice thin film very well, meaning it resists rubbing or washing away, and because the film is laid on thin, it won't trap moisture like a glob of silicone dielectric grease compound.

But for what it is worth, silicone grease is much better than nothing. I guess if you want to be sure you don't trap moisture, use a dielectric silicone spray.

Yes, it insulates, but not significantly if you have metal to metal contact.

I have always suspected that the insulation is a good thing because it reduces arcing and oxidizing where you NEARLY have metal to metal contact, forcing the current to flow where there is metal to metal contact.....but it is only my theory, I don't think I have read such a thing...

[al_roethlisberger]

And specific to the headlight, Gary put together a schmatic a couple years back on how to isolate the headlight circuit with a direct path to the battery. I installed this solution and it works great.

 

That is always an option to reduce the load on the stock harness, especially if you have a over wattage bulb.

 

Al

[dlaing]

And specific to the headlight, Gary put together a schmatic a couple years back on how to isolate the headlight circuit with a direct path to the battery. I installed this solution and it works great.

 

That is always an option to reduce the load on the stock harness, especially if you have a over wattage bulb.

 

Al

ye

Here is my colorized version of his diagram.

 

FWIW according to Carl Allison's diagram

the yellow wire is Green and Grey,

and the red wire is Brown.

To get to more of Gary's photos and diagrams, click on the link in his signture.

With Gary's help, I am going to do this modification.

If I am feeling ambitious, I'll take before and after photos.

[Guest rrbasso]

Now this is what I am talking about !

Thank you....

[luhbo]

Nevertheless you may think about installing two 15A fuses instead of one 20A.

 

Hubert

[luhbo]

Huh?

Where? how? why? BTW, I personally use a self resetting circuit breaker in the indicated fuse position. Don't understand the 2x15 amp fuse application.

 

 

Sorry, no sketch available on my side. But this one fuse can become quite annoying when it suddenly blows in the dark. Hope this brings light into your darkness

 

Hubert

[dlaing]

Why go with more than a 15A if you are using a 65/50W bulb?

Two fuses seems like overkill, and 20A seems like a lot of unnecessary headroom.

Once the wiring is upgraded, is the fuse rating determined by the wiring and not so much by what is on the circuit?

Is the reason for two fuses, in case your low beam blows you can switch to high beam?

Or more likely, if you hit the high beam flasher and blow a fuse I guess you would maintain the low beam

If you do go with two fuses, why not 10Amp?

How does a self recovering breaker work?

How long is the recovery delay?

If the circuit is well shorted, does the breaker keep breaking?

Keep in mind if the original fuse for the lighting goes, we'll be in the dark, but since we are taking a load off that fuse, which was only a 15A covering the Horn, headlights, brake light, warning lights, tachometer, and starter, I guess we should be better off. But maybe that should be replaced with a self reseting breaker?

forgive my ignorance