Author Topic: Dim lights and panel (Read 2954 times)

Vidrazor · « **on:** November 13, 2005, 07:56:43 PM »

In an ealier post I mentioned I thought my rectifier was shot after I washed my bike, partly because my engine was running funky and partly because my lights and panel lights were dim.

Well, the shop found a charge coming from the rectifier, and also found a wet number three plug, partially disconnected internally at the plug cap. I thought that was the cause of some electrical smell I detected, but perhaps not.

Yesterday after a day's riding, as I parked the the bike, I once again noticed my lights and panel lights were dim. I shut the bike off, dropped something off at my apartment, and when I went to start the bike, it wouldn't start. All I got was a faint buzzing from the starter.

The bike bumped fine, so it seems juice is getting to the engine. So I'm wondering what may have happened the day I washed my bike that seems to affect the lights, panel, and apparently anything routing through the top of the bike, like the starter switch. I've looked at the mains heading up to the top of the bike, but didn't see anything unusual there. Not sure how to trace the wiring there.

Has anyone experienced anything like this with their B4? Let me know. Thanks.

Herr Tod · « **Reply #1 on:** November 14, 2005, 02:01:52 PM »

I think your battery is dead. The sound you hear from the starter motor is the relais. You hear this when the battery doesn't have enough power to feed the starter.

It's possible that the battery got shorted while you were cleaning the bike or it happened when you turned the ignition key.

Vidrazor · « **Reply #2 on:** November 15, 2005, 12:18:34 PM »

Well, the only reason I don't think it's the battery is because I'm getting a charge off the rectifier, and the battery itself is new (as of June). Something is affecting voltage flow on the entire upper section of the bike. I'm not aware of any single power source going up there, so I'm a bit confused. The whole thing started happening after I washed my bike last week.

interfuse · « **Reply #3 on:** November 15, 2005, 01:06:12 PM »

Sounds like a bad battery to me... try hooking the bike up do a known good 12v source and see if the lights get brighter. If it turns out to be the battery, then you'll have to look into what caused that battery to die so quickly.

Racerruss-ducati · « **Reply #4 on:** November 15, 2005, 01:40:25 PM »

Don't forget the other end of the electrical equation. If you have a voltage problem, it can only be a connection, either positive or negative. Because of it happening during washing your bike, I suspect a ground connection is corroded or loose. It would be extremely unusual for a power connection not to be sealed, but ground connections are never sealed and succeptible to corrosion. I am not sure where all of the ground points are on the harness for the B4, but look at a schematic, find each, and go from there. I expect you will find something quickly. You can check for a voltage drop from the negative on your battery to the wire harness side of the connection with the key on if you find one that looks questionable.

Good luck.

Vidrazor · « **Reply #5 on:** November 15, 2005, 03:00:57 PM »

Hmmm, ground, didn't think of that, there may be one common ground to the entire top section. Thanks!

Vidrazor · « **Reply #6 on:** November 18, 2005, 02:40:04 AM »

Well, looks like I was right in the first place. It WAS the rectifier. It was working intermittently for a while, so it gave the right readings the first time I brought it to the shop. Had to stick a Yamaha rectifier in there, as I didn't feel like waitng for the Suzuki piece. Other than a fat cable slightly bulging out, it fits.

Now I just need to find a tank to replace my leaking tank.