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Author Topic: Alternator Light  (Read 1495 times)

Offline MikeFossl

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Alternator Light
« on: July 23, 2018, 07:20:38 PM »
Occasionally the light stays on after starting when cold.  It usually winks out after a minute or two but it seems to be staying on longer and happening more often.   Where should I start looking for a cause?

Brushes?  Bad ground?  Bueller?

Thanks!
1985 R65

Offline Tony Smith

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Re: Alternator Light
« Reply #1 on: July 23, 2018, 07:48:36 PM »
There are a whole mess of things it might be, so I'll throw in some assumptions followed by my 2c worth.

If the light is staying on strongly after startup my first port of call would be the brushes, check to see if they are worn down, and if not worn down, whether or not they are sticking. That white plastic gets terribly fragile with age and as a BMW part it will make your eyes water.  The good news is that as far as Bosch are concerned, a brush holder is a brush holder is a brush holder, your local auto electrician should be able to supply you with a brand new Bosch brush holder for under $20.

If you need new brushes try and find a (non-genuine) set that has little flat terminals on the end in preference to the solder type. Better yet, buy one of each and after fitting the solder type one yo will know why I think the ones with pre-fitted terminals are the bee's knees.

If it isn't your brushes, on a low useage rate bike the circular contact areas on the rotor can grow verdigris and if can take a few secs to a minute for the brushes to polish that off. A spray of CRC electrical cleaner/lubricant will keep that nonsense at bay.

Next, check your low current terminals by breaking and making them, after that do the same for the high current connectors on the alternator and diode board.

If you have not cured the problem at this point, then you have a wiring fault int he alternator (most likely the rotor cause it is the bit that moves) or a developing fault in the low power circuit of the diode board.

Hint. For diode boards and rotors it is probably cheaper to swap out than it is to pay an auto electrician to find an intermittent fault. When the fault disappears the thing you changed last is the culprit, store it in a safe place for a month and then bin it if the fault has not reappeared.
1978 R100RS| 1981 R100RS (JPS) | 1984 R65 | 1992 KLE500 | 2002 R1150GSA |

Offline Bob_Roller

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Re: Alternator Light
« Reply #2 on: July 23, 2018, 08:27:00 PM »
If the engine rpm's are too low, the light stays on .
You need to get the engine above the 2500 ish rpm area before it goes out on first start of the day .
The R65's and the Guzzi I have, have same Bosch charging system, do the same thing .
All bikes are different, so you may need to rev the engine higher to get the light out .
« Last Edit: July 23, 2018, 08:30:46 PM by Bob_Roller »
'81 R65
'82 R65 LS
'84 R65 LS
'87 Moto Guzzi V65 Lario
'02 R1150R
Riding all year long since 1993 .
I'll give up my R65, when they pry my cold dead hands from the handlebars !!!!!

Offline mrclubike

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Re: Alternator Light
« Reply #3 on: July 23, 2018, 08:43:10 PM »
I hate to disagree with Tony
But if the the rotor circuit is is open the gen light will fail to illuminate not fail to extinguish

First you will want to   make sure it is actually charging after the gen light goes out when RPM is above 1200

If it is
The problem is that the diode board is not feeding the  B+ to the rotor circuit  (that is why the Gen light stays on )

Since it is intermittent I would start by checking the connection of the Blue wire to the D+ on the diode board
 If that is not it test the diode board cold   with a volt meter 
and then check all the other connections and solder joints 

Then it could be the voltage reg

Last likely is the stator
the are made from heavy wire and not as likely to fail
« Last Edit: July 23, 2018, 08:47:55 PM by Mrclubike »
1982 R65 running tubeless Snowflakes
2004 R1150R

Offline Kookaburra

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Re: Alternator Light
« Reply #4 on: July 24, 2018, 12:56:22 AM »
I don't want to hijack the thread but this seems an appropriate place and time to raise the question.-

Sometimes the alternator light on the R65 comes on momentarily at very high revs. Whats that all about?

Offline Tony Smith

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Re: Alternator Light
« Reply #5 on: July 24, 2018, 02:31:08 AM »
Quote
I hate to disagree with Tony
But if the the rotor circuit is is open the gen light will fail to illuminate not fail to extinguish


You are of course 100% correct. I don't know what I was thinking other than perhaps conflating two entirely different faults. I have actually re-soldered the lead in wires on a couple of rotors - the failure mode being that the "potting mix" used to sort of secure the wires to the rotor fails over time, the wire(s) flex and ultimately fail. If you are lucky you can fish the broken end out and solder a new section of wire in and then stick it all down with a modern epoxy.

1978 R100RS| 1981 R100RS (JPS) | 1984 R65 | 1992 KLE500 | 2002 R1150GSA |

Offline Bob_Roller

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Re: Alternator Light
« Reply #6 on: July 24, 2018, 08:09:10 PM »
Kookaburra, light coming on at high rpm's for a second or two, I'd check the alternator brush length .
'81 R65
'82 R65 LS
'84 R65 LS
'87 Moto Guzzi V65 Lario
'02 R1150R
Riding all year long since 1993 .
I'll give up my R65, when they pry my cold dead hands from the handlebars !!!!!