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Lights all burning out

  • Thread starter Thread starter bmlbytes
  • Start date Start date
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bmlbytes

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Recently, my lights have all started burning out on my '79 GS550L. I put in all new light bulbs and checked all the fuses. When I rev the engine, the headlight and tail light get very bright. The headlight usually burns out with even a light rev of the engine. The tail light can handle a bit more. I noticed the bulbs in the gear indicator have gotten so hot that they melted the numbers off. When I turn the turn signals on, they get very bright, and sometimes burn out too. The fuses do not blow before the bulbs burn out.

When I idle the engine, everything is fine.

What's going on here?
 
Do the tests but your voltage regulator is dead.
Stop and fix it before you destroy any electronics your bike may have.
 
Probably no regulation in the R/R and you are putting out 17-18V and burning bulbs. Keep it up and you can replace everything including the ignitor.

BTW a fuse does not protect against over voltage. It protects against shorts where high currents would be encountered and burn up wires.
 
Fortunately your bike does not have an ignitor, so all your electrical stuff is just that, ... electrical, not electronic.

You likely have separate units for your rectifier and regulator. You will be money ahead, and MUCH better off if you upgrade to a series-type combination unit, like the Polaris-sourced SH775. It will cost about $80 and will fix your over-voltage problem.

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Steve said:
Fortunately your bike does not have an ignitor, so all your electrical stuff is just that, ... electrical, not electronic.

You likely have separate units for your rectifier and regulator. You will be money ahead, and MUCH better off if you upgrade to a series-type combination unit, like the Polaris-sourced SH775. It will cost about $80 and will fix your over-voltage problem.

.
Click to expand...

Awesome. Is the Polaris one the best one to go with? I see a few "Universal Regulators" online, but am a bit wary of them since they look like cheap Chinese ones.

Does the regulator have anything to do with the charge of the battery? It seems like I go through a battery at least once a year, if not more often. I've even tried sealed batteries. It's probably just the Arizona heat that's doing it though.
 
Forget what you see online. They are old technology shunt type R/R's , all antiquated junk and then a few choices of Series R/R's. The SH-775 Polaris part will certainly do the job but the best part would be the Compu-Fire 55402 at twice the price. It has the advantage of being smaller but tough as nails. I have not heard of either ever failing, but some members have tried their best to destroy them from cobbed up installations. Your bike is putting out too much voltage and besides burning out bulbs it will boil out your battery, ruin it and possibly damage your stator. It's time to park it put away the keys and fix it before you do more damage. There is tons of information on required maintenance for electrical systems on this site if you will make use of it.
 
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Your battery should be lasting 2-3 years here. I'm in Phoenix and my bikes often go more than 3 years on a battery.
 
When you get the regulation sorted pull up to a wall/shady place and rev the motor. You should see a certain amount of brightening of the headlight and the neutral lamp and then a cutoff. When you get used to it it's as good as a voltmeter, well maybe not quite, but it's real easy as part of a pre ride routine and you'll know when something is wrong.
 
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