Sidecarist needs HELP

@ben-franklin  If you scroll back up you can see the pictures i took and one of them is the big red lead connected to

the numbered relay in another shot it also has a fuse holder in the middle but actually goes nowhere the relay is just loose.

Disconnecting the accessory panel sounds a good idea. Maybe disconnect the red relay lead first?

@calvin-watson Morning Cal lets see what i can find =)

@none yep, start there, see what, if anything stops working, then maybe check battery voltage prior to and after starting the engine.  Should always be above 13.3v with the engine running.

Ben sorry of course the red lea goes to the numbered relay and there are wires coming out of the back of that relay. With a waggle one of the leads popped out the back of the relay. It was the red lead that goes to the top of the accessory panel. do these help

Well, unless the accessory panel is clearly powering something you need, I would take it out of the equation as I proceeded to diagnose the system.

If you can get it as close to factory, with solid power and ground connections at both ends, that will give you a Baseline to work off of.

If the battery will hold a charge after spending a night on a charger, the system should stay over 13.3v while running.  You will want to verify this with a voltmeter while running at various rpms.

Alternators can fail, but that is sort of rare.  At least they are easy to change, if it comes to that:  https://youtu.be/jzgIIgDmJMY?si=T7Y2YRdh6LvbLw-V

If the voltage is low and all connections are good, I might next suspect the regulator/rectifier.  When they fail, usually voltage will be low and stay low.  They generally do not go intermittent.  Connectors do, though.

Keep wiggling the wire that caused the instrument panel to go off and on, until you know what connection is causing that.  That will need to be fixed, regardless, for sure operation.

When it failed on your trip, did it die while running, or just fail to restart at a stop?

Generally, I like and use relay panels to run accessories.  However, that one sort of looks like trouble, waiting to happen.  If you do not need it to run something specific (driving lights, heated gear, etc.), then I would get it out of there, along with the wiring tied to it.  That may not fix your problem, but it might make it easier to zero in on it.

@ben-franklin Ok i 'think' i can remove the access panel i guess thee is only one way to find out. I will find out where the rectifier hides and have a look see Died while running stuck in traffic

This guy is kind of long winded, but shows how the fusible link should be inspected for cracks that could make charging intermittent...  worth the watch:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xshw9z2PrvY

This one is not GW specific, but gives a good summary of how to test regulators and alternators (mostly stator testing.) Revzilla Charging System Vid

PM me for a phone number if you want to ask any questions. I might be able to help (or not!)  

@ben-franklin

From what i have read the regulator is part of the alternator so my next step is to put a meter on and find out before i start removing things. At the moment when i start the Wing (its a 1995 GL1500SE) the meter drops slowly one number at a time 12.89 to 12.88 etc. The relay that was affecting the dash is normally for lights dash etc. I did find a small spot on the wire terminal where the outer insulation had worn off. I have ordered a new relay and will repair the connection. Finding a few screws that are not tight

Interesting i am getting inconsistent charging. Using the small two pin charger cable. Normally Red goes to the red on the battery but the Red black goes to the bottom of the accessory panel. This could be because the last owner had no room on his battery. So the two pin is now connected to the battery directly.

Battery is now being charged with a different charger Scuhmacher

Not sure what some of the wires do coming off of the acc panel though. As earlier see what does not work. Any recommendations for a decent relay panel?

@none I like using the Eastern Beaver PC8 panel. I have used that one on a couple of bikes and been real happy with it:

Guy is in Japan and seems to have access to decent connectors for Honda.

Did I read that is a litium battery? Does it need a different kind of charger?

@calvin-watson That's the theory that a few will argue with i have both. wanted to try and confirm charging and the schumacher works just fine or seems to. Mind you i am only using low voltage

Disconnected the panel but before that i realized that i had forgotten to plug the relay back into the group of wires; dash and lights etc seem to work just fine without it. Disconnected the access board cigrette lighter and i suspect heated grips not working.

So the question will likely be what alternator is the best replacement if its needed?

All things being equal checking the alternator itself for charging is first on my list tomorrow.

I'm increasingly convinced and appreciate why Miles and Ned and others I have witnessed are SO obsessive about their wiring.  Labels, connectors, strain relief, etc.  Electrical gremlins are the worst to track down.

@thane-lewis Yeah i am not one for wiring but when you add my lack of experience, oh boy!