750 Seca Computer Work-around Question -- Battery Sensor.

Which is the best work around for wiring the Computer to not show the Warning Light for the Battery Sensor.

I read one Post that said to wire-in a pair of 2.2 Resistors to the White wire with Red Stripe and connect that wire to the switched wire that supplied current to the Tail Light.

Another solution said to just hook-up the White w/ Red wire directly to the + Side of the Battery.

Which hook-up works best and why?

 

I think the resistor method would be a safer bet. that way you're not dumping more current into the computer than it was designed for.

 

dumping more current into any computer chip makes it unstable in the face if heat and it weaken all the connections too and could make it pop out of its solder points. ive put more current to computer chips to over clock then but after a while they get flaky from it. so i would say the resistor method too. i remeber a member on the fourm who was an electircal man and he had all the math to go with it. i think that his posts where about the led turn signals.

 

Re: 750 Seca Computer Work-around Question -- Battery Sensor

Correct me, but depending on which cell you put the battery sensor in, you could have up to 12v or so on that sensor wire...

On the Turbo, I tied the sensor wire to the 12v+ battery to dismiss the battery trouble light. No problems for a year or so.

 

Re: 750 Seca Computer Work-around Question -- Battery Sensor

Hi All,
I found this diagram while looking for a suitable battery sensor replacement. I cannot do remember where I found it but whoever designed it looks like they knew what they were doing.
HTH,
Kent

 

Re: 750 Seca Computer Work-around Question -- Battery Sensor

well...I thought I had attached a jpg, I'll try one more time..
I did not realize I exceeded the image limit sorry.
Kent

 

Re: 750 Seca Computer Work-around Question -- Battery Sensor

well...I thought I had attached a jpg, I'll try one more time..
I did not realize I exceeded the image limit sorry.
Kent

 

Re: 750 Seca Computer Work-around Question -- Battery Sensor

I just spliced into a 12 volt wire that is hot with the key on.
It eliminated the warning light. My Maxim and my buddy's Seca have suffered no ill effects.
A new sensor placed in the correct cell in the battery would not cancel the warning light on either bike for some reason.

 

Re: 750 Seca Computer Work-around Question -- Battery Sensor

Try to think of it this way...

Your original sensor was placed directly in one cell of the battery and therefore ALWAYS had voltage available. It also had a resistor tied in series to limit the current available to the computer. the resistor was simply a safety device. Not entirely necessary but certainly a good idea. Some people feel that it is best to wire the "work around" to a switched source (only on when key is on) as an added safety to prevent battery drainage. Personally, I feel that this is unnecessary due to the face that the factory sensor was always "hot".

So, to recap...

resistor = GOOD IDEA
wiring to switched source = your choice.

 

Re: 750 Seca Computer Work-around Question -- Battery Sensor

Based upon some fiddling I did when my battery sensor died, I determined the "chip" that the sensor connects to most likely be some derivative of a basic operational amplifer. And the funny thing with op-amps is they essentially have infinite resistance, meaning no current can flow into their input terminals, which means soldering the resistors in there is like peeing in the ocean, it may make you feel better, but it doesn't change anything. if you tie the sensor wire to the 12v battery terminal, resistors or not the computer "see's" 12v (no current flow means no voltage drop accross the resistors)

Jay

 

I don't know how the Computer works.
If the current from the Battery Sensor Input is supplied from the +-side of the Battery and not a switched source; will that prevent the Computer from doing any "Reset" function it's supposed to do?

The PO who had the Member's bike I just worked on sourced the Battery Sensor wire to the +-side of the Battery.
The Warning Light stays on.
We thought we had found the reason for the Warning Light when we found the Brake Master Cylinder low on Brake Fluid.

After flushing and topping-off the Master Cylinder; I expected the Warning Light to extinguish.
It did not.
So, I'd like to try and satisfy the Computer to have the Warning Light go out.

Or, ... do the Computer's on the Seca have a glitch in them that causes the Warning Light to stay on over time?

 

Rick -

that light should only come on along with one of the other fault indicators on the LCD. if it comes on by itself, something is hosed inside the computer assembly.

 

Re: 750 Seca Computer Work-around Question -- Battery Sensor

Its mine Kent. It is in my gallery.

 

i agree, if there are no faults listed on the LDC screen your warning light should not come on. If it does, something is wrong inside your computer. Having the battery work around tied to a constant +12VDC source should not have caused anything of the sort.

 

I'm beginning to think it might be something to do with the Lower of the two front headlamps having been removed.

What's the function of the small toggle switch on the Right Hand Control that's on the control just to the Left of the Start Button on the 750 Seca?

 

Re: 750 Seca Computer Work-around Question -- Battery Sensor

Rick,
That toggle should be for the aux. low-beam lamp that mounts under the head light. If the bike had one originally and it's been removed the computer may be registering that as a burned out bulb which would throw a warning light, but the LCD "HEAD" should also be light up.

Jay

 

Re: 750 Seca Computer Work-around Question -- Battery Sensor

read this over it might give ya some ideas
hope this works

 

my bike had the aux light and is now removed. no warning. the aux light should have nothing to do with the warning light.

 

Ok heres what I know about the wiring for the battery sensor. I followed my sensor wire back to the ignition switch which disconects the sensor when the switch is off,hence not a drain on the battery. (don't jump out the switch inside the headlight it will drain your battery) I Have gotten all of my bikes that have the LCD readout to work perfectly by cleaning the contacts in the ignition switch and puting fresh sensors in the proper place in the batteries. If you pull the ignition switch out you will see little phillips screws that hold the contact block onto the switch. Remove them and carefully remove the contacts. Clean and lube them and put the switch back togeather. Now look at the sensor. See that it reads at least 4-6 volts to ground whith a good volt meter. If you have that your sensor should be ok. Hook it all up and check to see if the battery light goes out. If it does not you can check the red wire with the white stripe on it inside the headlight. Clean and lube those connections and that should take care of it. I am thinking that the current and voltage is so low its hard to get good connections back to the computer for it to pick up so the light doesn't come on. I personally like all of the indicators working on my bikes. Hope that helps and works for you.

 

That switch controls the factory fog light.

 

There is no Sensor.
The PO cut-off the Sensor and connected the Sensor's wire directly to the Hot side of the Battery when the Battery was replaced by an aftermarket Battery having no place for a Sensor.

The PO also removed the "Fog" Light.
The Master Cylinder Reservoir was nearly empty.
The RED wire on the Voltage Regulator was not making a good connection to the RED wire on the Harness.

As each of these things were troubleshooted and resolved; I had hoped the Warning Light would go out.
It didn't.

I am not exactly sure about the Ignition System being trouble-free.
I Ohmed-out the 1-4 Coil several times and got different readings.
The Primary's Ohmed-out ZERO - twice; and tried to make it to 2 Ohms - once.
The Secondary side reached 11,000 and held.

I have no "Electronics" experience and the wiring schematic for the Bike printed in the Haynes Manual looked like an opened box of spaghetti thrown onto a light-brown tarp and photographed in Black and White.

I have no idea why the bike needs Computer Monitoring of things a simple "Idiot Light" could handle ... but, staring at a 3-Inch Wide, Red, Warning Light is irritating during the day ... I imagine it would be really a bother at night.

 

Rick, Any luck with that battery warning on the LCD display. I was thinking it must be a bad connection somewhere. If the computer is picking up there is no voltage back, its tripping the warning light. I wonder if one or more pins inside the cluster could be loose or just not making good connections. Too bad you don't have another cluster to swap out to try to narrow it down.

Ron

 

That Wasrning Light became the least of our worries.
We got cold Exhaust Pipes on a running engine to sort-out, first!

Since the miss seems to be bouncing around from 4 -to- 3 (with the likelihood of BOTH Coils not being bad ... I'm having the Owner come and get a Shop Igniter and run the Bike on a different TCI to see what happens.

All I need to take care of the Warning Light are some Black vinyl tape and a sharp pair of scissors!
I want to get the guys bike running good before we sort-out incendentals.

 

Hey rick, i may have missed it here, but does the LDC display say anything on it for warnings? if my warning light is on, i have at least one thing pop up on the lcd display.

 

Blue,

If any of the items stay on when the display goes through the check. It will trip the red warning light. Just the computer telling you there is a problem.

 

MN, i know that the warning light is tripped that way. i was just wondering if he had any warnings on the LCD when the warning light is on. If not, there is a malfunction in the computer.

 

I'm putting getting the Computer Display to work on a back burner.
I want to unravel why the engine isn't running good; first!

I have a feeling, due to the history of the Bike, that there are gremlins that nobody wanted to take the time to troubleshoot.
Multiple snowballing malfunctions ... those kind of gremlins.

So, we're going to try running it on a Shop "Test" Igniter and see what shakes-out.

This is one of those bargains that come-along and require doing a good bit of "Restoration-maintenance" to bring it back from the dead.
You conquer one problem at a time and get closer to it running good; when some other problem it has pops-up and set you back some.

It presents a challenge.
The Member who bought it is a Fireman. His job is to be there for everybody.
The very least I can do is help him get his bike ironed-out.
I thought it was going to be one of those simple "First round knock-outs".
No dice.

We're already into the fifth round and the gremlins are ahead on points!

 

Re: 750 Seca Computer Work-around Question -- Battery Sensor

Very good tips. I'll have to follow MN's advice of cleaning connectors. Corrosion could very well hinder the computer from getting the levels it needs. So, I'll check that out. My problem is a blinking warning light and the "BATTERY" indicator on. During the ride to work, it turns off. Sometimes it turns off while idling too, so it's not RPM related, thus not alternator related (am I wrong). Either way, YES, it is annoying during the day and at night!

The PO on this one spliced the sensor wire into another hot wire. I fixed that and now am tormented by blinking red. My search that led me here is simple: "What does the blinking battery warning mean?" Is it the liquid level in the battery, or the voltage coming from the battery?

Thanks.

 

Re: 750 Seca Computer Work-around Question -- Battery Sensor

Both, really.

If your battery is dead, and the alternator is doing all the work, the sensor won't "sense" any voltage and the warning indicator will flash.

Also, if your battery acid is lower than the sensor, the sensor can't "sense" any voltage, causing the indicator to flash.

It's kind of an "all around" battery warning.

 

Does hooking the battery sensor wire straight to the possitive side work to make the light go out? I could care less about having a battery sensor but the one for the kickstand I like. Otherwise I would just take the bulb out of the warning light.

But if that red light does not quit blinking I may just do it anyway

 

It should.

 

Re: 750 Seca Computer Work-around Question -- Battery Sensor

so...there are problems with the battery sensor?

I wished I had known that BEFORE i bought a new battery!!!!

Ok, so anyway I replaced my battery, but I still get a battery warning light on the cluster. You guys are saying I can tie it to the battery directly and it will fool the cpu into thinking it's good and shut that stupid red light off?

 

Re: 750 Seca Computer Work-around Question -- Battery Sensor

If you are using the sensor make sure the tip is clean and make sure you have continuity from the tip to the connector. I repaired mine not too long ago whwre the wire was partially broken right where it enters the sensor probe. Also make sure the sensor is actually making contact with the battery acid inside the battery casing.

 

Connecting it directly to the Battery does NOT "Cycle" the Board.
Connecting it to the Battery gives you +12V-- Constant ON.

You really need to add 2.4K Ohms of resistance to the Sensor Wire and splice the Sensor Wire with the added resistance to:

The + 12V Switched Source that you will find nearby, ... which runs back to the Tail Light.
+ 12V Switched On/Off fm Ignition ... powering Tail Light.
NOT the Brake Light.