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Author Topic: Voltmeter is fluctuating while riding?  (Read 9612 times)

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Cat Eye

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Voltmeter is fluctuating while riding?
« on: September 18, 2017, 01:54:47 PM »

2015 Street Glide 41K Miles

I have noticed that my voltage gauge is fluctuating while riding.

When I am at idle it seems solid at just over 14v

When I am riding at steady speed, let say, 2800rpm on smooth road the voltage will sometimes fluctuate down to just over 13v and as high as just over 15v.

I would appreciate any trouble shooting assistance on this.

Thanks

Jim
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Cat Eye

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Re: Voltmeter is fluctuating while riding?
« Reply #1 on: September 18, 2017, 02:33:16 PM »

Hooked up a digital meter

Voltage with motor off is 12.6 on meter and gauge

Voltage with motor at idle (1k rpm) is a steady 13.7v on meter and steady just over 14v on gauge

Voltage with motor at 20K idle is a steady 13.8 on meter and the gauge was fluctuating between 13-15v

Time to check out the gauge?

« Last Edit: September 18, 2017, 02:56:34 PM by Cat Eye »
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J.D.

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Re: Voltmeter is fluctuating while riding?
« Reply #2 on: September 18, 2017, 02:34:51 PM »

You posted as I was typing my original reply.  Yes I would suspect the gauge based on those test results.
« Last Edit: September 18, 2017, 02:37:03 PM by 2002FXDWG3 »
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Cat Eye

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Re: Voltmeter is fluctuating while riding?
« Reply #3 on: September 18, 2017, 02:41:25 PM »

You posted as I was typing my original reply.  Yes I would suspect the gauge based on those test results.

I guess that the good news about the bad news is that the gauge is relatively a minor problem to fix.
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hd-dude

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Re: Voltmeter is fluctuating while riding?
« Reply #4 on: September 18, 2017, 03:43:26 PM »

Did you hook the voltmeter up at the gauge? If not you may want to check it there first before getting a new gauge as it could be the wiring to the gauge.

bakon

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Re: Voltmeter is fluctuating while riding?
« Reply #5 on: September 18, 2017, 05:50:48 PM »

It's your wheel bearings.  I had same problem. Pulling wheel and they will have a rough or gritty feel on one side. I could feel it in my fingertips when spin by hand. I  posted a longer troubleshoot to this before including all thehook ups and measurements. It's not electronic, it's physical and the vibration causes the gauge, which is not accurate but more of an estimated reading, to bounce.  Post back your results.  This is becoming common as the front wheel bearings were changed around 2007 and mileage is creepy up on all them
« Last Edit: September 18, 2017, 05:53:04 PM by bakon »
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Will

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Re: Voltmeter is fluctuating while riding?
« Reply #6 on: September 18, 2017, 08:11:01 PM »

Jim-
My volt gauge started fluctuating from 14V to 15V on my trip to Colorado.  Did it all the time up and down and it didn't matter if I had the passing lights, radio, or high beams on.

When I got home I had to replace the lifters (one roller had the needle bearings fail.  While I had bike a part I found the negative battery cable loose (even though it started ok ) and I pulled the main 50A fuse and cleaned the prongs on it.

I rode it 1350 miles to MV and gauge stayed steady.  You pick which one fixed it.  Good luck..  Let us know what you find as a lot of people never come back to the post to tell what fixed it.   
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Cat Eye

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Re: Voltmeter is fluctuating while riding?
« Reply #7 on: September 18, 2017, 10:00:55 PM »

Did you hook the voltmeter up at the gauge? If not you may want to check it there first before getting a new gauge as it could be the wiring to the gauge.

Yes, I unhooked the plug going into the gauge and measured the voltage at the plug. The voltage did not fluctuate when measured with a volt meter.

I then plugged it back into the gauge and the gauge showed fluctuations.
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Cat Eye

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Re: Voltmeter is fluctuating while riding?
« Reply #8 on: September 18, 2017, 10:15:47 PM »

It's your wheel bearings.  I had same problem. Pulling wheel and they will have a rough or gritty feel on one side. I could feel it in my fingertips when spin by hand. I  posted a longer troubleshoot to this before including all thehook ups and measurements. It's not electronic, it's physical and the vibration causes the gauge, which is not accurate but more of an estimated reading, to bounce.  Post back your results.  This is becoming common as the front wheel bearings were changed around 2007 and mileage is creepy up on all them

I did read about the wheel bearings causing the gauge to fluctuate. However, I get gauge fluctuation while the motorcycle is stationary with motor running.

Therefore, I thought that wheel bearing cause was not applicable here.

Were you getting voltage fluctuations while your bike was stationary?
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mjb765

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Re: Voltmeter is fluctuating while riding?
« Reply #9 on: September 18, 2017, 10:20:09 PM »

I had the exact same issue with the voltmeter at MITM in June. Hooked up an external voltmeter and it's all normal. Figure I will look at it over the winter....

Also a 2015 CVO Street Glide..
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Cat Eye

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Re: Voltmeter is fluctuating while riding?
« Reply #10 on: September 18, 2017, 10:41:29 PM »

Jim-
My volt gauge started fluctuating from 14V to 15V on my trip to Colorado.  Did it all the time up and down and it didn't matter if I had the passing lights, radio, or high beams on.

When I got home I had to replace the lifters (one roller had the needle bearings fail.  While I had bike a part I found the negative battery cable loose (even though it started ok ) and I pulled the main 50A fuse and cleaned the prongs on it.

I rode it 1350 miles to MV and gauge stayed steady.  You pick which one fixed it.  Good luck..  Let us know what you find as a lot of people never come back to the post to tell what fixed it.

Bob
Sorry to hear about you lifters,  but glad that you got in front of it before it fried your motor.

I did check for loose battery connections and both were tight.
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grc

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Re: Voltmeter is fluctuating while riding?
« Reply #11 on: September 19, 2017, 08:55:19 AM »


Lots of issues in recent years with voltage regulators, but if I'm reading your post correctly you get a steady reading with a diagnostic voltmeter but not with the actual cheap Harley gauge.  That would lead me to believe the gauge has a bad connection, either internally or externally.  It appears you've already checked the harness up to the gauge and found it to be OK with your diagnostic voltmeter, but you still need to verify the harness connector is making good clean contact with the Harley gauge.  If it is, try subbing a known good gauge (beg, borrow, steal) to verify it's the gauge, then order the correct one for the bike.

I may have missed it, but are you seeing this same fluctuation with the ignition on and the engine not running, or just with the engine running?  Bakon could be on the right track concerning vibration induced bouncing of the gauge needle.  These stock gauges are about the cheapest gauges I've ever seen in terms of construction and quality, and needle damping is often nonexistent.

Jerry
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WTF Chuck

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Re: Voltmeter is fluctuating while riding?
« Reply #12 on: September 19, 2017, 11:27:56 AM »

My volt meter has been doing the same thing for about 25000 miles now. I will fix it when it breaks.
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barrhill

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Re: Voltmeter is fluctuating while riding?
« Reply #13 on: September 19, 2017, 02:28:00 PM »

mine did the same
the last time my primary was of found that the glue had failed on half of the magnets on the stator . this is the second time this has happened in 60000 miles .. now this time I but an after market complete alternator set in including different style regulator / still not sure if it better only 5000 miles . but the weird thing the voltage gauge never moves  when its running
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Re: Voltmeter is fluctuating while riding?
« Reply #14 on: September 19, 2017, 03:36:31 PM »


Take a photo of the gauge face when it shows 14.5 volts (spec setting for voltage regulator), then carefully cut it out and glue it to the face of the actual gauge.  This will make the late model electrical monitoring system work just like the oil pressure monitoring system.  When the voltage (or oil pressure) drops to nothing, an idiot light will illuminate (assuming the idiot lights work).  Don't need no steenkin' gauges.

OR, remove the volt gauge and replace it with an air speed gauge, boost gauge, etc.  See if anyone ever notices the new gauge.

Jerry ;)
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