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    #1

    Short to frame

    Hi All,

    I have a positive charge going to my frame from the battery somehow. The bike seems to be charging fine.

    I can take a light and ground a wire to the battery and touch the housing of the light to the frame and it will light up but it is very dim.

    I need to make sure there should not be any continuity to the positive side of the battery and the stater.

    Also should the fuse box be grounded?

    Any words of wisdom would be greatly appreciated.


    Best regards,

    2 Stroke
    Tags: None
    #2
    Check all your ground connections.
    There should be no potential difference between the frame and the battery negative.
    ---- Dave
    79 GS850N - Might be a trike soon.
    80 GS850T Single HIF38 S.U. SH775, Tow bar, Pantera II. Gnarly workhorse & daily driver.
    79 XS650SE - Pragmatic Ratter - goes better than a manky old twin should.
    92 XJ900F - Fairly Stock, for now.

    Only a dog knows why a motorcyclist sticks his head out of a car window

    Comment

      #3
      Thanks Grimly, that makes since.

      Comment

        #4
        should the fuse box be grounded?
        NO! that said , if this bike has a fuse panel, there's probably an extra fuse for Auxiliaries...and beside the screw for a positive connection, a screw to ground the auxiliary device...

        I can take a light and ground a wire to the battery and touch the housing of the light to the frame and it will light up but it is very dim.
        I don't understand this as written, or the "housing" bit, but if you take a random lightbulb, touch it to Battery Positive and "Ground" it should light up BRIGHT, whether key is on or off.

        Lights are not grounded to "housings" on bikes I have. The headlight is a good example. The connection at the back has three wires. Ground,Hi+,Lo+. It doesnt ground through chromed plastic and glass through it's housing to bolts and the frame . Likewise brakelights and turn signals. They have ground wires.

        Comment

          #5
          Originally posted by 2stroke View Post
          Hi All,

          I have a positive charge going to my frame from the battery somehow. The bike seems to be charging fine.

          I can take a light and ground a wire to the battery and touch the housing of the light to the frame and it will light up but it is very dim.
          You didn’t say if you have the key on when the light lights dimly. If the key is on when it happens, you are providing an alternate path to ground for any devices that are grounded through the frame. The fact that the light lights dimly indicates that your regular ground from the frame to the battery negative is inadequate, and your test light is showing the voltage being dropped in the ground circuit. Could be dirty connections and/or corrosion in the ground cable.

          Replace your test light connections with a volt meter and see how many volts are being dropped in the ground circuit.
          Jim, in Central New York State.

          1980 GS750E (bought used June,1983)
          1968 CB350 Super Sport (bought new Oct,1968)
          1962 CA77 305 Dream (bought used Feb,1963)

          Comment

            #6
            Turns out it was a short between a positive and negative wire on my brake light (melted wire).

            Thank you for all the responses.

            2 Stroke

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