G
Guest
Guest
ok, thanks, will check the headlight circuit next
-
Required reading for all forum users!!!
Welcome!
Register to access the full functionality of the GSResources forum. Until you register and activate your account you will not have full forum access, nor will you be able to post or reply to messages.A note to new registrants...
All new forum registrations must be activated via email before you have full access to the forum.A Special Note about Email accounts!
DO NOT SIGN UP USING hotmail, outlook, gmx, sbcglobal, att, bellsouth or email.com. They delete our forum signup emails.A note to old forum members...
I receive numerous requests from people who can no longer log in because their accounts were deleted. As mentioned in the forum FAQ, user accounts are deleted if you haven't logged in for the past 6 months. If you can't log in, then create a new forum account. If you don't get an error message, then check your email account for an activation message. If you get a message stating that the email address is already in use, then your account still exists so follow the instructions in the forum FAQ for resetting your password.Have you forgotten your password or have a new email address? Then read the forum FAQ for details on how to reset it.
Any email requests for "can't log in anymore" problems or "lost my password" problems will be deleted. Read the forum FAQ and follow the instructions there - that's what we have one for...
-
Returning Visitors
If you are a returning visitor who never received your confirmation email, then odds are your email provider is blockinig emails from our server. The only thing that can be done to get around this is you will have to try creating another forum account using an email address from another domain.
If you are a returning visitor to the forum and can't log in using your old forum name and password but used to be able to then chances are your account is deleted. Purges of the databases are done regularly. You will have to create a new forum account and you should be all set.
Were these voltages at 5000 RPM? If it is they are very good. If not you have not tested at load.
Is your voltage dropping as you previously indicated?
You need to setup the fault condition so we can monitor the voltage in that condition to see what the source of the problem is.
JC actually at this point it would be best to not upset what is causing the problem (what ever it is) so the source can be identified. Psyguy you need to get to the state where you are seeing 13 volts a RPM and check the voltages. Knowing the battery voltage and those R/R drops really tell you everything you need to know about the charging system.
Last edited:
G
Guest
Guest
yes, tested at 5000rpm. all the connectors are NEW on all the rr leads so i thought the readings should be good.
with the headlight ON (and only then), yes, there is a continuous voltage drop at the battery, to under 13V in a few secconds (and it continues dropping further. with the headlight OFF charging is at 14.8V and stable.
i don't understand what you mean here
the battery voltage is 13.4V
Sorry to not be clear, when you say "no change" you mean the discharge continues with lights on at 5000 RPM (I guess?).
Well if with lights on you are getting the voltage to drop as you say, and you previously checked the stator at 80 VAC, then it seems to indicate that your load is more than the R/R can supply.
Did you swap higher power bulbs in the headlights or add other accessories. If not maybe you have a short some where.
You can check for a short easily by turning off all systems and then remove the positive side of the battery. In a dim light tap it lightly against the positive terminal. If there is a short, you will see little sparkly sparks. You could use an amp meter is you have one, but its sounds like it is a 2-5 amps of shorting current if you did not add any other loads.
If no shorts then perhaps a new FHA012A with higher power rating would be in order. Alternately if you have an old R/R swap it back in to see if the problem still exists. Could be a bad Honda unit???
Well if with lights on you are getting the voltage to drop as you say, and you previously checked the stator at 80 VAC, then it seems to indicate that your load is more than the R/R can supply.
Did you swap higher power bulbs in the headlights or add other accessories. If not maybe you have a short some where.
You can check for a short easily by turning off all systems and then remove the positive side of the battery. In a dim light tap it lightly against the positive terminal. If there is a short, you will see little sparkly sparks. You could use an amp meter is you have one, but its sounds like it is a 2-5 amps of shorting current if you did not add any other loads.
If no shorts then perhaps a new FHA012A with higher power rating would be in order. Alternately if you have an old R/R swap it back in to see if the problem still exists. Could be a bad Honda unit???
G
Guest
Guest
thanks guys, i'll do both tests, the headlight circuit voltage drop and the battery + lead sparky thingy (for a lack of a proper term, lol).
btw, no extra load on the system, just a standard H4 bulb 55/60W
btw, no extra load on the system, just a standard H4 bulb 55/60W
K
KiwiGS
Guest
Psyguy, I would start with GS110GK's tests they are quick, simple and eliminate a potential problem area.
If the lighting circuit is not the problem then you can get into the charging circuit.
Sometimes with electrics the KISS method is the best.
Its not "rocket surgery" but it's close.
Cheers
If the lighting circuit is not the problem then you can get into the charging circuit.
Sometimes with electrics the KISS method is the best.
Its not "rocket surgery" but it's close.
Cheers
The fact that the battery voltage was dropping and your cable drops are low, directly indicates the charging system is running out of capacity. This could be excess loads or a short.
Since you have a standard configuration, then either the R/R has given up the ghost or you have a short adding to the load.
If you had an amp meter you could confirm, but the sparky test will be a good confirmation.
The fact that you had a
Since you have a standard configuration, then either the R/R has given up the ghost or you have a short adding to the load.
If you had an amp meter you could confirm, but the sparky test will be a good confirmation.
The fact that you had a
G
Guest
Guest
did the first test:
no sparks in the dark from the + lead to the + batt terminal.
posplayr, i think i may have a suitable amp meter (V / Ohm / A meter). what would i do?
will do the lighting circuit test tomorrow.
Last edited:
G
Guest
Guest
so, i tested the headlight circuit:
- voltage at the battery terminals: 13.1V
- neg at the bat, pos at the headlight bulb socket: 11.6V
.
K
KiwiGS
Guest
The volt drop is caused by a high resistance in the circuit.
Check all the connections and the wires thenmselves if you can.
What I would do is run a couple of tempory wires to the light and and then see what happens when you are charging.
Cheers
Check all the connections and the wires thenmselves if you can.
What I would do is run a couple of tempory wires to the light and and then see what happens when you are charging.
Cheers
G
Guest
Guest
From what I have been reading you are having an issue providing the required power to the system. It could be partially due to a short somewhere. The fact that you did not have sparks does not mean that a switch power wire might not be shorting. Unfortunately the test I gave you would only test for unswitched shorts, not a switched short.
There is no easy way to chase down a short although there are a few things that would help.
If you have done a visual inspection looking for any wires that might have gotten cut and grounded, then the next easiest tact is to replace the R/R and see if that doesn't fix the problem.
If you had a clamp on amp meter I would say to measure the charging current and see if you are trying to deliver more that 10 amps I have previously measured.
This might be a tricky set of measurements to make if you are not familiar, so i would probably just go and get the FET based R/R and see if that doesn't cure your problems. At this point you either have a short or a faulty R/R. It is easier to swap out an R/R than to find a short. :-&
BTW, the low voltage to the lights is a symptom not a problem. The lower the voltage the less power is being drawn from the system. Running direct wires will just make it worse if resistance is the issue.
(This should check your grounds, at least in this part of the circuit, which can lead to r/r and charging issues, too
- JC
His R/R is well connected as per his prior measurements of about 0.15V drop at 5000 RPM. The connections to the lights might be bad, but that will not cause charging issues.
JC
I made the unequivocal statement that the R/R connections were good, based on Psyguy's voltage drop measurements. You made an incorrect assessment when you suggest that the low voltage to the lights might possibly be linked to poor R/R grounding. That statement is clearly false as it dos not take into account the relevance of the voltage measurements that were reported.
That is my dispassionate technical assessment of your comments.
Pos
Corrections above. Now come on...this kind of sniping is why some folks are afraid to offer suggestions or ask advice.It's not helpful to the OP or the board in general.
So how about you continue with your best advice to the OP and everyone else will do the same.
- JC
sniping???
I'm sorry for not always being able to follow your logic, but this one is truly befuddling. I was simple trying to point out to you , the thread and more importantly Psyguy that he should not have any concern for R/R connectons despite your comments because the Step #2 and Step #3 measurements he had already made confirmed there was no R/R connection issues.
As should be obvious if he would have taken your words as having any relevance in view of the measurements already taken, he might have been enclined to check him R/R grounds (as a waste of effort) once again or continue looking at headlamp grounds which if anything minimize the problem he is having which is demand in excess of supply current.
Electronics seems to be a mystery to most, so I thought I would at least set the above point straight. Perhaps you should be less free with your technical assessment of electronics if you are so sensitive to any comment that might contradict your own.
Corrections above. Now come on...this kind of sniping is why some folks are afraid to offer suggestions or ask advice.
So how about you continue with your best advice to the OP and everyone else will do the same.
- JC
Sound suggestion. You guy's will have my little Kiwi friend ducking for cover if you keep this up. It smacks of arrogance, much like the English after they receive their titles/knighthoods, if you get my drift
Sound suggestion. You guy's will have my little Kiwi friend ducking for cover if you keep this up. It smacks of arrogance, much like the English after they receive their titles/knighthoods, if you get my drift
I did not realize my arrogance had such a royal air :-$? I know JC's smacks of a different kind
. So I guess I have done enough damage here and so will bow out and allow the "sparks and magic" class continue without me.
G
Guest
Guest
ok, fellow gsr's, what i get from this is that a bad neg wire in the headlight circuit is most likely not the problem causing low charging voltage.
but what works for me is being practical (rather than only measuring with a voltmeter) so i'll try the temporary direct wiring for the headlight and if the charging is still low than we can all be happy that it's most likely the bad rr, ok?
i don't mind doing surplus tests as i then can improve things along the way, like cleaning or replacing conectors and wires, etc. which is always good. while i had the headlight off today, i replaced all the connectors in the headlight bucket :dancing:
it's great to have your suggestions coming not only as an advice but as a moral support as well
but what works for me is being practical (rather than only measuring with a voltmeter) so i'll try the temporary direct wiring for the headlight and if the charging is still low than we can all be happy that it's most likely the bad rr, ok?
i don't mind doing surplus tests as i then can improve things along the way, like cleaning or replacing conectors and wires, etc. which is always good. while i had the headlight off today, i replaced all the connectors in the headlight bucket :dancing:
it's great to have your suggestions coming not only as an advice but as a moral support as well
Yep, I agree. Believe me, if you were closer, many of us would drive by just to help you find the solution once and for all!
- JC[/QUOTE]
I'm travelling up to Auckland to meet Psyguy with a group of friends at the end of the month. If this problem still persists, i'll wrench that old switch out and have it replaced.
- JC[/QUOTE]
I'm travelling up to Auckland to meet Psyguy with a group of friends at the end of the month. If this problem still persists, i'll wrench that old switch out and have it replaced.
C
Colin Green
Guest
I'm travelling up to Auckland to meet Psyguy with a group of friends at the end of the month. If this problem still persists, i'll wrench that old switch out and have it replaced.
[/QUOTE]I have a bunch of spare parts we can put to use (RR, headlight switch unit etc) Have to see how you go for time when you get up on Saturday.
