Forum

[stevem]

Hi there any thoughts on this one, 91 500 ammeter never been much cop,in 6 years never flicked on tdc, power box new alternator, bike is charging up to 14 volts on a rev up about 12.9 on fast tickover put lights on and it drops to about 12.3 to 12.6 ammeter shows slight discharge, how ever about a year ago ammeter started to work as it should with no probs then acted up again, changed the plug then it sprung back to life, a quick stop then fired her up and now back to not showng a decent charge or flick, I have had the ammeter out and tried it on a battery it works fine all connections appear fine, as I said any thoughts

Steve

[jaffa90]

I`m new to enfields,my 2003 535cc has a 4 wire alternator,2 for the battery and other 2 for headlight,sounds like your alternator is charging (mine`s 14.5v) but your power box?????????? cannot handle everything.Q,why don`t you have a battery?????????

[jaffa90]

Oh forgot,my ammeter does not work but T.D.C. is hard to kick past.I was a cell down in the battery when i noticed the flashers would not flash when switched on only.

[Leon Novello]

If it never worked properly in six years, but works off a battery, I would be looking for a loose connection/bad earth somewhere along the wiring. Not much help, but just a thought.

[Les H]

Hi Steve. I reckon it is just a physical fault within the Ammeter rather than an electrical fault. If the ammeter had burn't out or there are connection problem on the terminals, you would have no electrics sourced from the battery. You say it works when removed but that would not be unusual as sometimes the workings rub on the back of the face plate and stop the needle moving. I would do a substitution test, noting that the Indian ammeters are pretty cheap, but no excuse to waste money if it isn't broken so try more tests off the bike to make sure the fault isn't there in all physical orientations of the unit. A 1.5V C or D cell battery has enough oompth to deflect the needle a good way across the scale and reverse the battery to check needle swing the other way.

[Dennis C]

If you have a multimeter to check voltage then can it be used on amps as a temporary measure in place of the ammeter?. ------- if this shows a charge/discharge then your ammeter is faulty.

[Alan R]

Hello STEVE M ......I've just re-read your initial posting and am a bit puzzles re}--- "I have had the ammeter out and tried it on a battery------"..... I hope that was the merest of a "flick test" as the battery would be effectively short circuited (not nice !!) & I'm not surprised it worked, what with an instant 10 AMP's or more kicking it's rump !! I think it has a PHYSICAL fault within the meter itself, maybe the return coil spring was never aligned correctly in the first place and is rubbing somewhere ??.........Electrically speaking, as your bike appears to be running normally in all other functions I would agree first with DENNIS H ie use a Multimeter (set at max. amps range initially---just in case !!) in lieu of the suspect item,--- then with LES H ie Obtain another unit-----and guess who happens to have a couple of spare, unused ones ??

[stevem]

Well after much head scratching and spagetty pullin turned out to be one to many positive wires to the battery, more by luck than judgement, somehow over the years and my limited electrical nouse, I had 1 feed split two ways from powerbox to battery and from powerbox to ign switch and back via an inline fuse to the battery, the first feed to battery sort of got unplugged by mistake and low and behold every thing now works as it should, so decided to tidy the weird and messey wires, up will let you know if it all works when finally put back together proper, very many thanks for all info.

steve