QuestionQUESTION: My 1988 883 was charging too high, around 16.9 volts, so I replaced the voltage regulator with a new one. I checked it with a volt meter, and it was reading 14.25, and when revved, it would peak out at 15.1. Shortly there after, my turn signals started flashing weird, and the high beam started to flicker on and off. At high speed (60MPH), the flashers were fast, at normal speed (40MPH) they were normal, and at idle they would flash really slow. I can turn the high beam on, which works fine, but when driving, it would flicker on and off as if a wire was loose and it was completing the circuit to go to the high beam from low beam, which also works fine at idle. Now I lost the use of the turn signals, and the rear yellow turn signal / markers aren't working at all (not even lighting up). I checked the bulbs and they are fine. The fronts are on, just the backs are off. Could it be the flasher relay, the circuit breaker, or some kind of short? Any idea what it could be, and how do I test stuff to figure it out?
ANSWER: 15.1 volts is to high for charging. Start by testing the stator. You need to test it with a AC volt meter not DC. Let me know what you get at around 2000 RPM
Mike
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QUESTION: OK, I don't know where the stator is on this bike. I got an electric volt / amp meter and retested the battery as it was running. The best I can come up with is that the battery is at 12.3 or 12.4 when I start the bike, then as I roll the throttle, it charges to 13.8 ( have to work fast because there are no clips on the volt meter and I don't have a tach or a way to hold 2000rpms - did the best I could), then it goes back down slowly at idle to about 12.8 12.7. I checked the wiring in the headlight, and I believe there was a ground happening with the turn signal relay, beause there are holes burned in it now, and since I moved it, the headlight does not flicker from normal to high beam. The issue started after I replaced the headlight, jogging the brain housing group, that ther may be something wrong with how I put it back together. I rode the bike to work, did not lose power, nor was there a dimming of the headlight. All brake lights work fine. Though the rear markers still don't work. Would the rear markers not work if the relay unit got fried? And is the fried unit the reason the rear markers would not be working?
AnswerCheck with a test light the make sure you have no power going to to the marker lights. If you dont follow the wire to the power sourse until you find the problem. If you were running a high voltage you might have burned a wire.
Good luck and happy riding
Mike
