[tuckerman]

So I installed a voltmeter on the wee. I decided to tap into the OEM heated grip wire, and the ground back to the battery neg. I tapped into the orange, switched hot wire but on the grip side of the connection behind the radiator. Everything works fine. Until I turn on the heated grips. Then the meter drops to nothing. Not knowing anything about electricity other than that it can hurt you, did I do something wrong by being on the distal side of the main harness connection? My thought in doing that, was that it would be an easier fix if I messed something up.

Thanks in advance.

 

[tuckerman]

And I just hooked up heated jacket and gloves, with the JM CB 2003 all running and it stays nice and green. The heated grips just send the meter to nothing no matter what the rpm's.

 

[greywolf]

Are you sure you got the voltmeter and battery polarity right? Do the grips work?

 

[tuckerman]

The grip heaters work fine. It's the Kuryakyn meter with a red and black coming out. The black to the neg terminal of the battery, and the red to the orange wire on the grip side of the connection behind the radiator. If I turn the grips up just under half, it will stay green. Anything higher than that and it goes to nothing. Even with rpm's up at 6k with nothing else turned on.

 

[tuckerman]

And Greywolf, I think it's working because when I turned the heated gear up all the way, it dropped just into the yellow. When I twisted the throttle a little bit, it came back to green. I say I think it's working, but there isn't any way that it should read 0 with OEM heated grips which I've had no problems with. Just thought I may have been affecting something by where I hooked into the switched hot wire.

 

[tuckerman]

Alright, this is killing me. Is it the voltmeter, the grips? Since I don't know anything about electricity, what is the best way to tell? Should I put a different meter on the battery while the bike is running? I just don't want to get stranded. Ignorance was so blissful.

 

[sbdep]

And Greywolf, I think it's working because when I turned the heated gear up all the way, it dropped just into the yellow. When I twisted the throttle a little bit, it came back to green. I say I think it's working, but there isn't any way that it should read 0 with OEM heated grips which I've had no problems with. Just thought I may have been affecting something by where I hooked into the switched hot wire.

Really hard to tell what you are talking about. What part is turning green/yellow etc? the voltmeter?

And the voltmeter also has a digital readout of the actual voltage?


You sure you didn't tap into the heated grips connector after the controller? (between the controller and the grips?) if so you are measurign the voltage going to the grips which may either change with the controller setting (using a different resistance) or change the duty cycle (a digital controller). Either way will screw up the voltmeter reading.

You should have your voltmeter connected into the heated grips circuit before the grips or the controller.

 

[zorlac]

You could save yourself a lot of headache by running two thin gauge wires directly to the battery terminals through an on/off switch to your voltmeter.
That's the most accurate place to measure the voltage anyway.

 

[biker128pedal]

Where did you mount the meter? I have one and am trying to figure out where to mount it.

I was thinking about just tapping into the back of a the panel lights plug.

 

[sweetcreek]

i agree

I agree, you're reading the voltage in the grips. Suggest you fine a "switched" hot wire and tap into it, or run wires from your battery directly to the meter. Do your like the multi light deal??

Remember do not use the frame for your grounding system. = Greywolf can explain that better than I can.

 

[tuckerman]

Really hard to tell what you are talking about. What part is turning green/yellow etc? the voltmeter?

And the voltmeter also has a digital readout of the actual voltage?


You sure you didn't tap into the heated grips connector after the controller? (between the controller and the grips?) if so you are measurign the voltage going to the grips which may either change with the controller setting (using a different resistance) or change the duty cycle (a digital controller). Either way will screw up the voltmeter reading.

You should have your voltmeter connected into the heated grips circuit before the grips or the controller.

Yeah, the voltmeter just has LED lights, and a scale on the bottom. Green, yellow, and red. When I put the grips on past halfway, the red light blinks that I'm not charging at all. It doesn't have a digital readout, I put a radio shack voltmeter on the terminals and found that I have just over 14v at idle, about 13.5 when I put the grips on full blast. I've also found that when I apply the brake, the LED goes into the yellow, so something must be messed up.

Behind the radiator, I found the controller connected to three wires, with those connectors your just push together (clear rubber). I also followed each grip to its own plastic connector with two wires going into each coming from the bike. I chose the one on the starboard side and using a Posi-Tap connector and spliced into the switched hot wire. (orange). I did this on the grip side of the grip heater connection, figuring if I messed something up, that would be easier to fix than something coming out of the bike harness. I then took the black wire from the voltmeter and took it directly to the negative terminal of the battery.

I hope that makes more sense, and thank you for the help.

 

[tuckerman]

You could save yourself a lot of headache by running two thin gauge wires directly to the battery terminals through an on/off switch to your voltmeter.
That's the most accurate place to measure the voltage anyway.

Okay, for fear of showing my ignorance...I did see at Radio Shack some nice on/off switches which would mount nicely into the side of the fairing. They all have two or three fittings on the underside which get connected to what, I am not really sure. I didn't know if there was a female part they connected to, or put the wires directly to them? But you're right, that would be the easiest way, since I really only need the voltmeter working at certain times, like spring and fall. Assuming that my charging system is running well under normal conditions of course.

 

[tuckerman]

Where did you mount the meter? I have one and am trying to figure out where to mount it.

I was thinking about just tapping into the back of a the panel lights plug.

I temporarily put it onto the left side bracket that carries the cables up in front of the handlebar with 2 pieces of velcro tape. I would like to drill a small hole and mount it on the semi-horizontal part of the fairing behind the clutch.

That is a good spot. I also thought of tapping into the tail lights, but I have already done that with the P3 lights, and phonton blasters. When I get time, I am going to have to take the bike apart again and figure out where to put this thing permanently. Sounds like leads to the battery are the place.

 

[ozart]

Do yourself a favor and ditch the idiot lights. Install a voltmeter you can actually comprehend.

 

[tuckerman]

Do yourself a favor and ditch the idiot lights. Install a voltmeter you can actually comprehend.

Care to recommend something? Although it's not the voltmeter I can't comprehend, it's the whole installation.

 

[zorlac]

Care to recommend something? Although it's not the voltmeter I can't comprehend, it's the whole installation.

Cyclemax, The place to get discount aftermarket Honda Goldwing Parts and Accessories!! - Mini LED Digital Voltmeter

The wire from the battery plus terminal would go to one terminal on a SPST switch and then a short length of wire from the other switch terminal to the meter's plus terminal.
The negative wire runs straight from the battery to the meter's negative terminal.
Switches

 

[tuckerman]

Cyclemax, The place to get discount aftermarket Honda Goldwing Parts and Accessories!! - Mini LED Digital Voltmeter

The wire from the battery plus terminal would go to one terminal on a SPST switch and then a short length of wire from the other switch terminal to the meter's plus terminal.
The negative wire runs straight from the battery to the meter's negative terminal.
Switches

I thank you Sir! So this hurricane is going to be the opportunity to take this all apart and start again. So I'm going to find a single throw, single pole, SPST switch and try this again. Do I have to worry about how many amps the switch can handle, or should they all be able to do what I'm going to ask?

 

[ozart]

^^ Exactly what Zorlac says, switch and all. That particular meter draws miliamps, so any switch will do.

 

[tuckerman]

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Gentlemen, thanks for all your help. Although I still have the original meter, it's on a switch to the battery and works as it should. I'm going to grab that other meter soon and put that in this ones place. :thumbup: