Parasitic drain - left blinker indicator?

[bryan]

When I went to start the bike the last two times, the battery was weak and cranked a few times before wimping out. Both times I noticed the left blinker indicator on the gauge cluster was on and lit solid (?). Charged up the battery and went for a ride with no issues.

Could the left turn signal indicator somehow be a parasitic drain? Would the signal indicator light have had anything to do with it?

I've been researching the forums and reading up on stator/rr issues and isolating parasitic drains. I haven't done any diagnostic tests yet because I'm at work. I went out and bought a multimeter over lunch and plan to test stuff tonight. Just thought the indicator light thingy was weird.

As you can tell, I'm new to electronic issues, and know just enough to get myself in trouble.

[spyug]

Welcome to the world of the (old) UJM......notorious for electrical issues.

Chances are the weak battery and blinker light issue are not related. It is likely you have the very common bike not charging properly problem and or bad grounds or simply a bad battery. Commonly, the reg/rectifier is not functioning correctly and a little less common...the stator is on its way out.

First things first with the new mm test your charging. Make sure your battery is fully charged ( i.e. boost it on a trickle charge for a few hours). Clean the battery terminals and the leads at both ends ( i.e. positive to solenoid and negative to chassis or engine ground). Make sure they are tight. Start bike and get idle to 2000/3000 rpm. On the voltage scale at lowest setting test across the battery poles. A good charging system will show high 13 to 14+ volts. Anything below 13v is not good nor higher than 15v. If you find the bike is charging properly then I'd say your battery is suspect. If the battery takes a charge but drops dramatically and quickly ( 2 or 3 volts in 30 minutes or less or down into the 10/11 volt range) then it is definitely a candidate for replacement.

If you are not getting 13v then try running a line from the negative (black) lead out of the rectifier directly to the negative pole of the battery. In many cases this fixes it. It did on mine. If it didn't you will need to go in deeper and the Stator Papers will be your next read.

A solid turn signal indicator is usually a burned bulb or occasionaly corroded wires or connectors, sometimes even a bad ground from the light or an unplugged or loose connector. With these older bikes wiring and connectors are always part of the problem so as time permits clean the connectors and or change them out to the spade type.

This should start you off in the right direction.

Good luck with it.
Cheers,
Spyug

[bryan]

Thanks, Spyug.

When I purchased the bike, the po put a multimeter on it to show me it was charging, because I knew it's a common prob on these bikes. If I remember correctly, it was showing OVER 16 under light throttle.

I'm guessing ("uneducatedly") this would point to the RR, or perhaps the need to do the negative to negative mod from the RR to the battery that you described.

[Greg O.]

If it was charging 16 volts, it may have boiled the water out of the battery, and warped the battery plates. Check the water level, add water if needed, then put a charger on the battery. After the battery has had time to charge, do a cell check with a battery hydrometor to see if each cell has charged. If one or more cells doesn't come up to charge replace the battery, but be sure to recheck the voltage output from the engine. If it is still over 15volts, preferably 14.5 volts, replace the RR. Mine runs in the high 14s and I have to keep an eye on the battery water level. Any automotive store should have a battery hydrometor, probably around $5.

Greg

[spyug]

I'm with Greg on this one. A high charge rate will likely have done damage to the battery.I would suspect the battery should be replaced but try and determine if it is taking the charge. If the battery case is warped in anyway then it is toast.

The R/R probably does need changing out but first try the negative lead modification. It likely will not help but it won't hurt.

Duaneage is the Reg/Rec guru and he has Honda versions that are recommended. Give him a pm.

Keep at it and you'll get this sorted.

Let us know ow it goes.

Cheers,
Spyug

[bakalorz]

I'll agree with all the above, but add two minor comments.

If you need to add water, make sure you use distilled water. It's available at any grocery store.

If your R/R is not OEM and has an additional sense lead, if the sense lead comes disconnected, it can cause the regulator to charge too high.

[82Shafty]

13.0-15.5 is the usual extremities of charging. Anything in between is acceptable.

Reg is what controls how much you need. Double check all connections from the R/R for corrosion/voltage drops/high resistance.

[bryan]

Battery checked out okay at auto store. Was a little low on acid on one cell, but it isn't overcharging. I must have been imagining the 16 plus when the po put his multimeter on it when I looked at the bike before purchasing.

At 2500-3000 rpm the bike is at about 13.15-13.2 v. Per the stator papers, that's less than 13.5 so I moved on to the next step. When I did the black multimeter lead to the battery(+)/red multimeter lead to the RED output wire of the RR and vice versa, I was getting less than .2 at .01-.02

I haven't gone to test phase B yet because I have a dumb question. Where do I disconnect the output wires of the stator? I took off the cover but didn't see any connectors or anything. Except something disturbing...

A washer was lying in the case that looked all gnarled up and a little burnt. The other washer on the shaft that gear in there rides on was there and intact. And none of the gears looked damaged.

I think someone dropped the old one and it got caught in the magnet and they thought they lost it, replaced it and reassembled everything with the stray washer in there.

Then I decided it was time to have a beer and wait until tomorrow to try to sort things out:?

[bakalorz]

I haven't gone to test phase B yet because I have a dumb question. Where do I disconnect the output wires of the stator? I took off the cover but didn't see any connectors or anything. Except something disturbing...

OH MY ... :shock:

You disconnect them Externally to the stator ... You dont have to take off any covers (probably the seat though)

There is a cable with 3 wires that loops from the stator to the regulator.
In the middle of it are 3 bullet connectors. You disconnect those.

I think bullet connectors make very poor connections; so after you disconnect them, get a wire cutter and cut them out and replace them with SPADE type connectors.

[bryan]

Thanks. I thought that was probably the case after I took the thing off. Oh well. At least I got that stray washer out of there, so it wasn't a complete waste of time.

I need a manual. And better lit, less cramped work space.

[bryan]

Update

The good/bad news.

Found the problem, I think. Based on the fault flow chart tests in the Stator Papers, it looks like I have a bad stator. Thanks for all the help, guys. And an extra special thanks to whomever it was that put together that nearly idiot-proof flow chart.