[Boarder255]

So I've been searching for my solution to my electrical issue and am now stumped. So my issue began about 3-4 weeks after a new TruGel battery was purchased. One afternoon (after riding it to work in the morning) the lights went dim and would get more dim as I gave it more throttle/used turn signals/brake light. Fortunate for me, it is a '99 and it has the kick start so I'm still able to start and ride it all day with no issues other than no electric start and very dim headlight/brake light/turn signals. So after going through the diagnostics for the charging system in the user manual, I arrived at the bottom of the flow chart, either a bad rectifier/regulator or wiring is bad. I got a new rectifier/regulator and it is not the solution. My ground contact is clean and very good.



Here's my voltage measurements on a freshly trickle charged battery:

Key turned off: 12.2/.4 volts

key turned on, engine off: 65 millivolts

bike running at idle: 12.8-12.9 volts

roll on throttle: ~9-10 volts (depending on how hard I roll on it).



I'm no electrician, but this would lead me to believe I have a short somewhere in a non-vital system since the bike runs after being kick started (correct me if I'm wrong please). Last night I tried to find the wiring issue. I started unplugging things then turning the key to rule out each individual system as not being the short. Before I knew it, I unplugged every single wire/system that I could find (consulting the wiring diagram, I'm nearly positive I got everything) and still got the same ultra low voltage once the key was turned from off to on. So I took apart the ingnition module, turned out there was a little corrosion on the contacts. I sprayed it down with cleaner and got it nice and shinny again, put a little dielectric grease on the contacts and re-assembled. STILL same thing. No power once the key is turned on. I did not pull the gas tank off and disect the wiring harness under there. Oh and I checked my fuse, it's good, both visual and voltmeter inspection.



So, does any one have any ideas before I disect the wiring harness? I'm considering taking it to a dealership, but I would prefer not to.



Thank you!



Dale

 

[qwerty]

Sounds like a possible direct short. Remove the battery and use an ohm meter to find which wire is connected to ground that shouldn't be. could also be a bad switch somewhere.

 

[tw200sgp]

I suspect a Dead rectifier/regulator. The rectifier is short circuited on the output side (a diode internally has goner).

 

[Boarder255]

Ok just so I don't spin my wheels. I'll test each wire to ground, looking for 0 ohm? And that should lead me to the promise land?



Thanks qwerty I'll give that a shot.



-tw200spg: already bought brand new purty rectifier/regulator and that did not fix the problem...

 

[tw200sgp]

Check for shorts between the stator coil and ground as well.

 

[tw200sgp]

The starter solenoid isn't shorted in (i.e. always on) is it? There aren't that many connections on a TW200 - it won't take long to work through them all - leave the switch on and unplug things until the batt V jumps up - then you know maybe where the drain is.

 

[lizrdbrth]

Your new battery has a shorted cell.



Dead giveaway is that the lights dim with rpm.

 

[Scottbenson]

I'll second the bad battery. Always go back to what was changed immediately preceding the problem......Battery was changed out.

 

[Boarder255]

Thanks liz. My thought that if the battery worked perfectly fine for 3-4 weeks it was something else in my system. But a shorted cell could happen anytime I guess. I think I have another battery at a friends house I can try. I'll let you know how it goes.



Dale

 

[lizrdbrth]

You were headed in the right direction. Wish everyone provided numbers as well as you have.



Anything in terms of a direct short sufficient to dim the lights would have blown the main fuse. Not so with a battery short.



If I'm right a new battery will solve the problem. But you'll still need to verify whether it was the chicken or the egg, so make sure your regulator is regulatin' before you call it good. Could be cincidence and your first battery died of natural causes and you just got a replacement battery that was built on a Friday, but given that this is battery #3 in such a short period it pays to check.

 

[mhomadness]

Ditto. A voltage drop from 12.xx to milivolts is a big red flag. What will fool ya is that 12 volt reading. We expect to see something closer to 10 volts if a cell is completely gone. m.

 

[Boarder255]

Fantastic! Got my buddies spare battery (reading 12.5ish Volts) prior to putting in. Hooked it up and turned the key. I've got headlight, neutral light and running like 12.2 V with the key turned. I'll take the measurements after I change my crank cover gaskets. Can't start it without oil in there...



Thanks Liz much appreciated. I will make sure I'm getting the correct operating charge and the old regulator is working properly before I return the new one.

 

[atleastbehandy]

did the new battery work?



I just had the exact same thing happen to me today. Battery totally dead.



So I pulled the battery and kick-started. Runs fine, but if I press the horn the headlight dims to basically nothing (and the horn does not sound)!