Electrical Question

Hi guys

My trike is working fine now, thanks to continued help off here! However At the recent MOT (annual Ministry of Transport test here in the UK) the examiner said that because at tickover the side lights go very dim when the indicators are turned on he would want it fixed for the next test, I want to fix it now!

System: XJ650 headlight, twin LED side lights, twin LED back lights, normal small registration plate light, normal indicator bulbs.

Now, this problem has only occured since I changed my engine, I put in new alternator (generator) brushes, so I know it is not that. I get 13 volts output at tick over, 14.5 at 3000rpm and 12 .2 volts at the battery with engine off. Another thing I've noticed recently is the solenoid won't click over to the starter motor, sometimes, when the lights are switched on before the engine is started.

Am I correct in thinking the battery may be on its way out (its 3 years old, never been out since I've had it on the road), or is it the Alternator. If it is the Alternator, how easy are these things to change? (I have my old xj650RJ engine still in my garage)

Any help would be gratefully received, cheers, in advance.
Lea

 

I am definately not the last word on this, but 3 years on one battery seems pretty normal, and it may be time to change it out. My bad behaviour of punishing my battery through a whole winter of riding in anything except freezing rain makes me think I may need another one next fall. The Alt (stator) would create the charge the battery would need to hold, but if there isn't a deep lake of charge to draw from, it would dim out.

 

My vote is on the battery, too. You could hook another battery to it with jumper cables and see if, with the added capacity, the problem goes away. I bet it does. If not, check all your grounds.

 

It's a trike--you have room for a car battery ! 1,000 AMPS !

 

1.21 gigawatts!!!