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1Back to top Go down   Alternator Light issues? Empty Alternator Light issues? Thu Jun 06, 2024 11:17 pm

jjefferies

jjefferies
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Briefly the Alternator light will come on momentarily when revving the engine when first starting. I believe I've had this alternator out and replaced the brushes last year. But recently I've been noticing that the alternator light will start to light or glow briefly when I rev the engine on starting. Now the original incandescent alternator light was replaced with a LED last year as well. And I know the light serves to provide initial excitation for the alternator and wondered if this might be part of the problem. The LED of course doesn't provide as much amperage as an incandescent bulb and this is the rationale for revving the engine when first starting. Any suggestions or thoughts on what to look at?

best regards
J. Jefferies

    

2Back to top Go down   Alternator Light issues? Empty Re: Alternator Light issues? Fri Jun 07, 2024 2:07 am

Two Wheels Better

Two Wheels Better
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It takes a few more RPM to get the LED bulb to go out as compared to the original bulb. Unless I'm missing something yours is doing what it should. If you have doubt about the alternator's output, place an accurate multimetre across both battery terminals and watch the result as you rev the engine.


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"A long ride is the answer to a question you will soon forget!" ~ Anonymous
1977 R75/7-100, '93 K11/K12 Big Block, '93 K1100RS, '95 R100 Mystic, '96 K1100RS, 2 x '98 K1200RS, '06 K1200R & '09 K1300GT
    

3Back to top Go down   Alternator Light issues? Empty Re: Alternator Light issues? Fri Jun 07, 2024 2:19 am

jjefferies

jjefferies
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Hi Two Wheels.
My description is probably confusing. I rev the engine and get the alternator light to go out. Proper behavior for a LED alternator light. But for a few minutes afterwards if I rev the engine again the alternator light will try to come on again. Sometimes just a small glow and occasionally a quick blip of light. Let it run for a five minutes or just take off and the behavior ceases. I'm just wondering if the behavior presages more trouble.

best
Jefferies

    

4Back to top Go down   Alternator Light issues? Empty Re: Alternator Light issues? Fri Jun 07, 2024 6:10 am

Dai

Dai
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Possibly. Check your starter motor brushes for length or for sticking. The brush housings can and do rust up, preventing a good brush from making proper contact with the armature. It doesn't always prevent a good start. I hate BMW's stupid idea of earthing important stuff through the starter motor.


__________________________________________________
1983 K100 naked upgraded to K100LT spec after spending time as an RS and an RT
1987 K100RT
Others...
1978 Moto Guzzi 850-T3, 1979 Moto Guzzi 850-T3 California,1993 Moto Guzzi 1100ie California
2020 Royal Enfield Bullet 500
    

5Back to top Go down   Alternator Light issues? Empty Re: Alternator Light issues? Fri Jun 07, 2024 6:49 am

jbt

jbt
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BTW, is mounting a K1100LT alternator on a K75 a simple plug&play operation or is there any complications to expect?


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Let us enjoy the transient delight
That fills our fairest day.
    

6Back to top Go down   Alternator Light issues? Empty Alternator light issues Fri Jun 07, 2024 8:05 am

daveyson

daveyson
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Hi jbt, not sure about that combination, but there are possible problems. One possibility is that there might not be enough clearance when tightening down the alternator to ensure that it doesn't bind with the drive dog.

Ditto with Dai. A few years ago I had to replace the starter motor brushes, they were too short. In the lead up to that, the alternator light would sometimes glow, but only dimly, so that it was only noticeable if I was riding at night. If they're pretty new, maybe they're just dirty, then maybe the old - roll it backwards and drop the clutch trick - might just fix the problem. As a test (WITH ENGINE OFF AND KEY REMOVED) using an old fashioned test light clipped to battery positive and probe to the starter terminal, if the test light glows dimly, the starter has a poor earth.



Last edited by daveyson on Fri Jun 07, 2024 8:28 am; edited 1 time in total


__________________________________________________
11/1985 BMW K100RT (late model)  Vin. 0090567
 ~120,000 km
    

7Back to top Go down   Alternator Light issues? Empty Re: Alternator Light issues? Fri Jun 07, 2024 8:17 am

jbt

jbt
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Thanks, after a few searches I've learnt that it's necessary to change thewhole set with the cup.
No hurry for me. It's just because I have spare alternators that I was wondering, but mine works fine.


__________________________________________________
Let us enjoy the transient delight
That fills our fairest day.
    

8Back to top Go down   Alternator Light issues? Empty Re: Alternator Light issues? Fri Jun 07, 2024 10:03 am

Laitch

Laitch
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jjefferies wrote: I rev the engine and get the alternator light to go out. Proper behavior for a LED alternator light. But for a few minutes afterwards if I rev the engine again the alternator light will try to come on again.
Are you on the road doing this, or are you standing somewhere vroom-vrooming to pass the time? To shut off an LED, that circuit could need more resistance in the line, or more power from higher revs. Does light "try to come on" when the second revving is going up or coming down? I'm guessing it will go away when riding and return when starting the engine again.

This seems to be a knot easily released. Put an incandescent bulb back in there and move on. Laughing  The last place I'd put an LED is behind that red panel; it's bright enough with the old tech. The alternator bulb in my Brick's cluster has 90,000 miles of happy revving through it.


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1995 K75 90,000 miles
    

9Back to top Go down   Alternator Light issues? Empty Re: Alternator Light issues? Fri Jun 07, 2024 11:01 am

Dai

Dai
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Life time member
jbt wrote:BTW, is mounting a K1100LT alternator on a K75 a simple plug&play operation or is there any complications to expect?
If the K75 OEM alternator is the same as the K100 (which I believe it is) then the answer is almost none. You just need to change the alternator plug for an 8mm ring terminal (red wire) and a female spade terminal (blue wire).

Damn. Just read your second response.


__________________________________________________
1983 K100 naked upgraded to K100LT spec after spending time as an RS and an RT
1987 K100RT
Others...
1978 Moto Guzzi 850-T3, 1979 Moto Guzzi 850-T3 California,1993 Moto Guzzi 1100ie California
2020 Royal Enfield Bullet 500
    

10Back to top Go down   Alternator Light issues? Empty Re: Alternator Light issues? Fri Jun 07, 2024 12:56 pm

Laitch

Laitch
Life time member
Life time member
jbt wrote:Thanks, after a few searches I've learnt that it's necessary to change thewhole set with the cup. No hurry for me.
Both the 33A 1988 model and the 50A later K1100 model use the same driving dog. The difference between the early alternators and the later model K1100 50A alternators—besides output—seems to be the absence of Woodruff key slots in the cups and shafts. I used a K1100 cup without the key slot to replace the the damaged cup that had a key slot on a 50A alternator that was mounted in a K75. The cup fit snugly, the nut tightened to specification, and the alternator bolted down sweetly—no problems after 8000 miles. There was quite an improvement in performance. Laughing In this case there was a hurry.  Laughing
Alternator Light issues? Brick_13Alternator Light issues? Altern11


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1995 K75 90,000 miles
    

11Back to top Go down   Alternator Light issues? Empty Re: Alternator Light issues? Fri Jun 07, 2024 2:59 pm

duck

duck
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I've been using LEDs in the charge lamp for over fifteen years on over a dozen K bikes with no issues.

The 50A alternator "bolts right up" to a K75. I always use the 50A cup (12312305329), not the 32A cup(12311460302) without a washer under the cup's nut and have never had any issues. My 93 K1100LT has had this upgrade working well for over 50K miles.


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Current stable:
86 Custom K100 (standard fairing, K75 Belly pan, Ceramic chromed engine covers, paralever)
K75 Frankenbrick (Paralever, K11 front end, hybrid ABS, K1100RS fairing, radial tires)
86 K75C Turbo w/ paralever
94 K1100RS
93 K1100LT
91 K1
93 K75S (K11 front end)
91 K75S (K1 front end)
14 Yamaha WR250R
98 Taxi Cab K1200RS
14 K1600GT
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