V7 Sport Intermittent GEN light **SOLVED**

[jwinwi]

Morning All,
73 V7 Sport has developed an annoying habit: GEN light often will not light when key is turned on - before cranking. Since I only ride her close to home I've been ignoring it and riding 60 or so miles without turning off the motor. On returning home I'll shut down the motor,  turn the key back on and GEN light is lit.
Bulbs are not the glass wedge type, they have round bases. Pulled out the receptacle and removed a little corrosion from the contact point in the receptacle. The light never comes on when the motor is running. Headlight, so far, has stayed bright.
Any advice appreciated...

John Wendt in Wisconsin

[guzzisteve]

John,       I would check the wiring connections and grounds, then the slip rings on the rotor and brushes. It just illuminates from batt power then w/starts to charge it cancels cause power is going the other way. Light should come on anytime below 1200 rpm. I could be as simple as not a good ground at the bulb.

[jwinwi]

John,       I would check the wiring connections and grounds, then the slip rings on the rotor and brushes. It just illuminates from batt power then w/starts to charge it cancels cause power is going the other way. Light should come on anytime below 1200 rpm. I could be as simple as not a good ground at the bulb.

Thank you Steve. I'll check those things first.

[jwinwi]

John,       I would check the wiring connections and grounds, then the slip rings on the rotor and brushes. It just illuminates from batt power then w/starts to charge it cancels cause power is going the other way. Light should come on anytime below 1200 rpm. I could be as simple as not a good ground at the bulb.

Got to where the Gen light would not light at all. Socket and bulb checked out fine.
There were a couple sketchy connections inside the warning light housing so replaced those and still nothing. After checking everything else it was the ROTOR. Thought I checked the slip rings early on but was completely thrown off because the light was always off. All previous rotor failures had the Gen light come on and stay on.

Why didn't the light stay on?

[Wayne Orwig]

The current through the rotor is what lights the bulb. Another way to look at it, is that the bulb energizes the rotor.
An open rotor, no current, no light.

[jwinwi]

The current through the rotor is what lights the bulb. Another way to look at it, is that the bulb energizes the rotor.
An open rotor, no current, no light.