notes and ideas on electrics issues

[tyger]

My Girly has been acting odd lately.
My issues

- At idle if I use the passing high/low momentary switch (attempting to make the stop light motion detectors switch) the tach cuts out.
- After turning ignition on and pulling clutch in the starter will not fire for a few seconds
- a turn signal stopped working then started again
- one low beam was out for a long time and then started working again

So I started poking around last few weeks and seriously studying the issues today. I've already accomplished the Sasquatch fix.
Here's what I found:

- a lot of connectors are DRY, no dialectric grease to prevent oxidation. So I greased them up up front, but still have more to do
- fuses were oxidized, so cleaned/polished and greased them up
- the black ground wires from the old RR connector were hanging there, so I slapped a butt connector on it and added a ground to the back of the starter
- I ran ground all the way up front to instrument cluster. I measured 3v between the cluster frame and the battery which I thought was odd.

Seems to be running smoother and lights brighter... we'll see.

Thoughts or insights?

[Bixxer Bob]

When you say you measured 3v was that after the the ground was connected?

The instrument / light cluster mount isn't grounded and doesn't need to be as everything has return ground wires.  I grounded mine once when I first installed some lights but later removed that ground to eliminate it from other spurious electrical issues I was having.  

I would try to find a relationship between the light not working, the rev counter not working, your ground wire and the 3v.

[oxnsox]

Don't have my manual handy to check.. but....

Generally in Automotive use it is the Ground that is switched to contol things.  But as BB said, would be nice to know how / where you measured your 3v.

[tyger]

The 3v was before I hooked up the ground wire, I had the full 12.7 after. I was measuring inside bolt hole for fairing where paint could not interfere in both tests.

[Bixxer Bob]

I'm not understanding this now.  I think you say you had 3v between the cluster frame and ground on the battery before you rigged the independent ground but where were you measuring 12.7v after you hooked it up?

[tyger]

Yes, doesn't make sense, does it?

[oxnsox]

Tyger

Its as Bob says... can you give us the places you made the measurements at... may help it make electro-sense.

[tyger]

I measured from positive post to the frame supporting the instruments, notably in the bolt hole because it is paint free.
I'm suspicious of oxidation in the threads there and where this frame piece is connected to the bike frame.

[iansoady]

But AFAIK that subframe isn't designed to act as an earth so no effort will have been made to try and ensure a good connection.

Unlike my Velo (and other 50s bikes) whose designers thought electricity could get back to the battery via the steering head bearings and their associated grease.

[Bixxer Bob]

OK,  I think what you're saying is that from the +ve battery terminal to the clustyer frame you had 3v.  then you did the independent ground from the cluster frame to the battery -ve post and now you have 12.3v from the cluster frame to the battery negative post?

If so, as long as 12.3 is roughly what you have at the battery, you have a good ground.  But as I said before, you don't need it because all the cluster electrics have their own ground lines, and many of them are live switched to ground through the ECM or switch blocks so I can't see what you've achieved?

[oxnsox]

Bixxer Bob

and now you have 12.3v from the cluster frame to the battery negative post?

Think that should read ... POSITIVE post.

[Bixxer Bob]

Bixxer Bob

and now you have 12.3v from the cluster frame to the battery negative post?

Think that should read ... POSITIVE post.

 :oops: yup...

Too busy, too many jobs, sorting the UK meet, still getting the Yam back together and also renovating a 1980 Tokai Love Rock Les Paul copy as well as keeping track of this forum....  :?

[tyger]

Alright, so the cluster isn't necessary to ground.
Let me go back to headlights, because the left light (from rider's perspective) has been a little erratic.

Since I'm not the original owner, didn't get this new, can someone explain factory headlight operation? I've read threads about adding relays to do extra things with the headlights but since I'm not sure I'm starting at factory I don't know where I will go. You have to know where you're at to get somewhere. OK-- that's not true when you are on a Tiger and an open road is in front of you, but let's stick with the electronics instead of my analogy. :D

For near a year only the right light is lit on low beam. High beam <on> lights both lights. High beam <momentary> appears to light both bulbs in low AND high operation.

Then suddenly I noticed both were lit on low. At the same time I was having the the delay with the starter and started looking at grounds for the cluster and switches. (insert key, turn to on as pull clutch and hit the starter button and hold it or wait a couple seconds before it starts turning over).

Then the left low bulb is off again and the starter is quick to respond, and rarely has a delay. Actually, the left bulb does have a little glow to it, I'm not sure if it is indirect reflection or it is receiving a little voltage. I need to remove fairing and measure.

I'm wondering if the PO attempted to the relay to fix headlight operation and they are failing (half thrown, pulling too much power, etc).

[KuzzinKenny]

Location !! Location !! Location !! it might help if ya put what side of the pond yer on, update yer profile !! you never know who might live neer ya and can help !!

anyway !! have a looky here........

http://t955i.net/uploads/231928/Tiger%2 ... %20Mod.pdf

the correct relays cut power to the headlights when ya hit the starter button so if yours go out they should be the right ones   :?

KK

[tyger]

Thanks kuz.

Mine are definitely not stock and not right. I'll take a look at them post haste.