Odd Charging Question

V

Vince

Hero member
I had a volt meter fitted to my 3c,my bike has a full Redax 3 phase charging system, a couple of weeks back and had an odd thing happen today. Usually it shows 14.5 volts at anything above 2500 rpms. The first ride with the volt meter fitted started cold and a solid drizzle so in bad weather I usualy use the low beam of the headlight, 90watts, and the heated grips and with both on it went back to 13.5. So I am happy with these readings. Today heading home late in the day and with some clouds reducing visibility I turn the headlight on and the voltmeter goes from 14.5 to 15.1 and with high beam its 15.2 volts. The bike has been run hard for 2 days so the battery should be full charged.That seems a bit to high for me. So I turned on the heated grips and it went back to 14.2.Not fun heating my hands when the weather was fine, thankfully the winter gloves insulated it a bit and I didnt burn my hands. Why would the voltmeter show more voltage when you turn the headlight on, seems to my limited knowledge it should show less charge going into the battery with that extra demand. Happy to hear some ideas about this odd one.
 
Vince said:
I had a volt meter fitted to my 3c,my bike has a full Redax 3 phase charging system, a couple of weeks back and had an odd thing happen today. Usually it shows 14.5 volts at anything above 2500 rpms. The first ride with the volt meter fitted started cold and a solid drizzle so in bad weather I usualy use the low beam of the headlight, 90watts, and the heated grips and with both on it went back to 13.5. So I am happy with these readings. Today heading home late in the day and with some clouds reducing visibility I turn the headlight on and the voltmeter goes from 14.5 to 15.1 and with high beam its 15.2 volts. The bike has been run hard for 2 days so the battery should be full charged.That seems a bit to high for me. So I turned on the heated grips and it went back to 14.2.Not fun heating my hands when the weather was fine, thankfully the winter gloves insulated it a bit and I didnt burn my hands. Why would the voltmeter show more voltage when you turn the headlight on, seems to my limited knowledge it should show less charge going into the battery with that extra demand. Happy to hear some ideas about this odd one.
Click to expand...
Chinese voltmeter
 
Err, yes. Well I assume so, I forget how much. Don't tell Tom. It's one of those green digital units mounted on the dash.
 
That's the problem with gadgets. They brings worries that don't need to be. A bit like all these lights on modern contraptions.
" Stop. Proceed slowly to your nearest garage. "
Nearest garage tells you after 3 days and 500 £/$/€ that the sensor was dead.

Paul
 
Has the 3C got the other pole on the headlight switch that switches the third phase...?
That could explain a lot.

Otherwise, yeah, cheaparse meter, perhaps...
get another one for a second opinion..?
 
Its a simple gadget, and better that overcharging a sealed battery and an explosion or being stuck with a flat battery. The gadget seems to function ok, at first fitting we noticed a reduced charge that was a burned connection in one phase to the regulator now fixed.
 
I will stick my Multi on it tomorrow and see what the battery reads when the Headlight goes on and then the heated grips while revving the engine. At least that should check the gadget functions. Andy english please, to answer your question, HA
 
Paul Marx said:
That's the problem with gadgets. They brings worries that don't need to be. A bit like all these lights on modern contraptions.
" Stop. Proceed slowly to your nearest garage. "
Nearest garage tells you after 3 days and 500 £/$/€ that the sensor was dead.

Paul
Click to expand...
Had exactly that. My Outlanders engine management light has been on for the past 7000 miles. Garage said it was a duff sensor deep in the engine. Sensor only a couple of quid but getting to it would cost me so it's still on. Think I would miss it now anyway.
 
Vince seem to remember some burnt connectors are the regulator that we fixed so perhaps the culprit is the regulator itself when the lights on more load on the system so the regulator could be over compensating.....cant remember how its wired but pretty sure its not how it come aka not through the headlight switch from memory.
 
Interesting though. The headlight increases the voltage (odd) and the grips lower the voltage (normal).
Seems like two different results, so I'd probably be looking at the headlight circuits specifically, rather than the whole system.
Like you've said, check the readings with another device first, in case you're wasting your time, then do what Brett and Marty say... 😁
 
Maybe I have found a new free energy source that will save the Planet, just keep riding Laverdas and it will all be good.
 
my Mercedes E class has been telling me that I need new brake pads (it doesnt) and that light comes on every time I start it, and I clear it, without even thinking, then nothing until the next start, and yes the computer has been "cleared" it has already cost me a monkey and a tin barf, and they "think" its a wiring fault, the first time it came on, it didnt even then need new pads, but the discs (4) and pads have since been done anyway, fault light remains, a few years ago an orange light came on VISIT WORKSHOP, so I did ,and they said its a N/S/R wheel speed sensor, total bill to change out, a wheel off then push in with the fingers item was £250.00, the item was £26.00, but it didn't clear the light, I had to pay the money to be allowed to take the car away, a much smaller independant "any make" village garage fixed it for free, it was a corroded electrical male/female plug on the N/S/F wheel, unplugged, cleaned Dow Corning electrical greased and plugged back in, they did all four corners including the new one and said that it hadn't been changed, but had clearly been on and off.
CLEM
 
Andy said:
Interesting though. The headlight increases the voltage (odd) and the grips lower the voltage (normal).
Seems like two different results, so I'd probably be looking at the headlight circuits specifically, rather than the whole system.
Like you've said, check the readings with another device first, in case you're wasting your time, then do what Brett and Marty say... 😁
Click to expand...
If Vince still has the stock light switch set up, the 3rd alternator phase kicks in when the main bulb is switched on.

Lights probably don't use all of the additional current on offer, so the voltage rises...

Heated grips will sap a great deal of what's there, so the voltage will definitely drop.

piet
 
sfcpiet said:
If Vince still has the stock light switch set up, the 3rd alternator phase kicks in when the main bulb is switched on.

Lights probably don't use all of the additional current on offer, so the voltage rises...

Heated grips will sap a great deal of what's there, so the voltage will definitely drop.

piet
Click to expand...
With a 90 Watt low beam?

Paul
 
IIrc, total output of the ND alternator is around 240W, more than enough to power the ignition, a couple of sundries and a 90W headlight.

My RGS managed to power a 100W H4 high beam plus an additional 100W H7 driving light. Did have to keep it over 3000rpm to avoid draining the battery though, on-board voltmeter sank to less than 11 volts after a while of slow tootling around. Worked fine with the 80W low beam alone, plus the rear and instrument lighting of course.

The older Bosch system would be overwhelmed with such a set up.

piet
 
chrisk said:
My car tells me fibs on regular basis
Tyre pressure low
Oil pressure low

Most annoying is 80, 60, 40, 20, 0klm to empty
Fuel up, and it should tell me wallet is low.
Click to expand...
Hired a crap Nissan Duke in France and the fuel warning went from km remaining to simply 'please refuel' - very fukken frustrating as I had absolutely no idea how much further it was going to go on the Autoroute before we found a servo. How very bloody useful - 'please refuel'!!
 
I just got the chance to test it with my Multi,
Ignition on not started.
Muili xxx Dash Gauge
12,52 xxx 12.6
Engine stated at idle
12.8 xxx 13
Engine idle with low beam on
12.1 xxx 12.1
Engine at 3 to 4k Low beam on 90watts
13 xxx 13.6
Engine at 3 to 4k Hi Beam on 130watts
12.8 xxx 13.2
Engine at 3 to 4k Hi beam on and heated grips
12.8 xxx 13.2

So pretty close for my Multi and the Chinese dash voltmeter but no readings over 14 volts at all on either gadget, I expect the battery is fully charges. Would having the engine completely hot running at 120kph for a couple of hours on an expressway affect how much charge the alternator produces, eg upping it to the apparent 15.1 the dash as showing with low beam on. Next time I might feel how hot the battery is getting if I see those readings again.
 
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