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Flashing headlight!

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andyrint
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Joined: 14 Mar 2021
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PostPosted: 11:22 - 14 Mar 2021    Post subject: Flashing headlight! Reply with quote

Hi guys,

Keeway RKS Sport 125 EFI Euro 4

My bike's recently developed a weird electrical problem. When I start it up the headlight flashes! This usually stops after a few minutes but not always. When I rev the engine the rate of the flashing increases and slows down again when the revs go down. Flashing happens of high and low beam. All the other electricals work correctly including the side light.

I thought I might be something to do with the battery as I remove it every night after work (using spade connectors) as I've had 2 stolen. But that wouldn't explain why it worked fine for over 9 mths since I started removing it.

Any help greatly appreciated!

Tia Andy
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Nobby the Bastard
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PostPosted: 11:28 - 14 Mar 2021    Post subject: Reply with quote

Whatever is causing it it won't be the battery. With the engine running the charging system will provide as much as the battery anyway.

Does anything else flash. Try pressing the horn when it's flashing
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yen_powell
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PostPosted: 11:48 - 14 Mar 2021    Post subject: Re: Flashing headlight! Reply with quote

andyrint wrote:
Hi guys,

Keeway RKS Sport 125 EFI Euro 4

My bike's recently developed a weird electrical problem. When I start it up the headlight flashes! This usually stops after a few minutes but not always. When I rev the engine the rate of the flashing increases and slows down again when the revs go down. Flashing happens of high and low beam. All the other electricals work correctly including the side light.

I thought I might be something to do with the battery as I remove it every night after work (using spade connectors) as I've had 2 stolen. But that wouldn't explain why it worked fine for over 9 mths since I started removing it.

Any help greatly appreciated!

Tia Andy
Do your indicators now have a high and low beam?

The only time I have had a headlight that went on and off it was a dodgy electrical connection in the wiring loom and it started halfway down some icy rock steps at night on an Exmoor green lane.
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stinkwheel
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PostPosted: 13:36 - 14 Mar 2021    Post subject: Reply with quote

Is it a conventional filament bulb or an LED?
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andyrint
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PostPosted: 16:41 - 14 Mar 2021    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks for the replies

Nobby the Bastard wrote:
Does anything else flash. Try pressing the horn when it's flashing


Haven't tried the horn but the indicators and brake lights are fine.

stinkwheel wrote:
Is it a conventional filament bulb or an LED?


It's a normal halogen bulb
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jeffyjeff
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PostPosted: 17:14 - 14 Mar 2021    Post subject: Reply with quote

Sounds like the phenomenon is related to either engine rpm or charging system voltage. I would try bypassing the headlight relay (assuming the Keeway has one) and see if that changes anything. At least then you would know which circuit is affected. Does it flash at regular intervals like a headlight modulator?
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stinkwheel
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PostPosted: 17:57 - 14 Mar 2021    Post subject: Reply with quote

Just check the terminals are a good fit on the bulb and are free from corrosion. Might be worth squirting some WD40 in the light switch and wiggling it back and forth a few times too.
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I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.
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WD Forte
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PostPosted: 18:37 - 14 Mar 2021    Post subject: Re: Flashing headlight! Reply with quote

andyrint wrote:
Hi guys,

Keeway RKS Sport 125 EFI Euro 4

My bike's recently developed a weird electrical problem. When I start it up the headlight flashes! This usually stops after a few minutes but not always. When I rev the engine the rate of the flashing increases and slows down again when the revs go down. Flashing happens of high and low beam. All the other electricals work correctly including the side light.

I thought I might be something to do with the battery as I remove it every night after work (using spade connectors) as I've had 2 stolen. But that wouldn't explain why it worked fine for over 9 mths since I started removing it.

Any help greatly appreciated!

Tia Andy


It may just be down to bad connections grounding etc
but if its a fast flashing, a diode in the rectifer may have failed short
and be injecting some half wave AC in the circuit
I'd do a diode test on the RR just to be sure
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jeffyjeff
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PostPosted: 21:23 - 14 Mar 2021    Post subject: Re: Flashing headlight! Reply with quote

WD Forte wrote:
It may just be down to bad connections grounding etc
but if its a fast flashing, a diode in the rectifer may have failed short
and be injecting some half wave AC in the circuit
I'd do a diode test on the RR just to be sure

Good call. I'll bet you could also verify that by switching your multimeter to AC volts and placing the test leads across the battery. A reading over 0 volts AC would indicate a failed diode.

Edit: A diode failed open might cause the rectifier bridge to supply a pulsed-DC output that could conceivably cause the headlight to pulse accordingly. If so, I imagine that the tail light and brake lights would also pulse when illuminated.
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andyrint
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PostPosted: 02:09 - 15 Mar 2021    Post subject: Reply with quote

jeffyjeff wrote:
I would try bypassing the headlight relay (assuming the Keeway has one)


I don't know either - can't find a wiring diagram for it Sad

jeffyjeff wrote:
Does it flash at regular intervals like a headlight modulator?


Not sure what you mean by 'headlight modulator' but the flashing is regular and increasing frequency with engine rpm

stinkwheel wrote:
Just check the terminals are a good fit on the bulb and are free from corrosion. Might be worth squirting some WD40 in the light switch and wiggling it back and forth a few times too.


Headlight terminals look ok - there is no light switch. Lights come on when engine starts up. only high/low beam switch.

jeffyjeff wrote:
Good call. I'll bet you could also verify that by switching your multimeter to AC volts and placing the test leads across the battery. A reading over 0 volts AC would indicate a failed diode.


This is worth a shot although - to my mind - doesn't explain why the flashing usually stops after a few minutes. I'll try it tomorrow and update you all.

Big thanks to everyone that's contributed - this has been driving me nuts lately!
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Easy-X
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PostPosted: 03:17 - 15 Mar 2021    Post subject: Reply with quote

If I were to guess I'd say it's some sort of weird earthing issue where the headlights are somehow finding ground via the ignition system. Once warmed up some other path is found by the magic electricity piskies Smile
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MCN
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PostPosted: 06:33 - 15 Mar 2021    Post subject: Reply with quote

Broken Bulb. Change the bulb.
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andyrint
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PostPosted: 12:21 - 15 Mar 2021    Post subject: Reply with quote

MCN wrote:
Broken Bulb. Change the bulb.


First thing I did!


Just put my (very old and very cheap) multimeter across the battery terminals while the light was flashing and it's reading about 30v AC. So looks like the diode is faulty, however... That's something the bike shop said they had replaced last time I took it to them - unless they replaced a different diode??? Or the root problem is something that is making the diode fail.
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Robby
Dirty Old Man



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PostPosted: 15:51 - 15 Mar 2021    Post subject: Reply with quote

30V AC would suggest a very unusual failure mode for a reg/rec, where it's neither regulating nor rectifying. It's just passing the alternator output right into the battery.
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jaffa90
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PostPosted: 18:20 - 15 Mar 2021    Post subject: Reply with quote

""""Just put my (very old and very cheap) multimeter across the battery terminals while the light was flashing and it's reading about 30v AC."""
What is the reading in DC volts??? 15?
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MCN
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PostPosted: 18:20 - 15 Mar 2021    Post subject: Reply with quote

andyrint wrote:
MCN wrote:
Broken Bulb. Change the bulb.


First thing I did!


Just put my (very old and very cheap) multimeter across the battery terminals while the light was flashing and it's reading about 30v AC. So looks like the diode is faulty, however... That's something the bike shop said they had replaced last time I took it to them - unless they replaced a different diode??? Or the root problem is something that is making the diode fail.


If your alternator is running direct to the battery then the bulb could be flashing due to an over-current causing a diode to break down.

Fix the charging issue.

Can't be arsed scrolling up.
Doe the light flash with the engine off?

Scrolled up.

The alternator regulation is causing the flashing.
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WD Forte
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PostPosted: 19:24 - 15 Mar 2021    Post subject: Reply with quote

andyrint wrote:
MCN wrote:
Broken Bulb. Change the bulb.


First thing I did!


Just put my (very old and very cheap) multimeter across the battery terminals while the light was flashing and it's reading about 30v AC. So looks like the diode is faulty, however... That's something the bike shop said they had replaced last time I took it to them - unless they replaced a different diode??? Or the root problem is something that is making the diode fail.


I just stuck a meter across a spare battery and got
12.45V DC
Doing the same test on the AC range I got nothing, nada, sfa.
just some 0.1V AC ish noise value.
You might get some small noise/interference value on a running bike
but 30VAC is bad...... very bad.
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WD Forte
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PostPosted: 19:34 - 15 Mar 2021    Post subject: Reply with quote

andyrint wrote:
MCN wrote:
Broken Bulb. Change the bulb.


First thing I did!


Just put my (very old and very cheap) multimeter across the battery terminals while the light was flashing and it's reading about 30v AC. So looks like the diode is faulty, however... That's something the bike shop said they had replaced last time I took it to them - unless they replaced a different diode??? Or the root problem is something that is making the diode fail.


The diodes (6 on a 3 phase stator) are buried inside the regulator and not 'user serviceable'
Changing it doesnt mean they fitted a good one.
Some of the cheap chinese made ones can be pretty poor quality

As on any bike/scoot they also need good grounding and ground continuity throughout the bike or all sorts of odd symptoms can happen.
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andyrint
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PostPosted: 11:15 - 16 Mar 2021    Post subject: Reply with quote

jaffa90 wrote:
""""Just put my (very old and very cheap) multimeter across the battery terminals while the light was flashing and it's reading about 30v AC."""
What is the reading in DC volts??? 15?


Yeah, about that.

However, I just measured the voltage across a battery that was being recharged (on a home charger) and that shows 30v Ac / 15v Dc - Is something wrong with my multimeter??
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jeffyjeff
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PostPosted: 14:58 - 16 Mar 2021    Post subject: Reply with quote

andyrint wrote:
However, I just measured the voltage across a battery that was being recharged (on a home charger) and that shows 30v Ac / 15v Dc - Is something wrong with my multimeter??

Make sure that your meter is not displaying millivolts -=(mV). Often times, the lower case "m" that indicates millivolts is displayed in fine print, and easily overlooked. If that be the case, the meter is actually displaying 30 mV, or 0.030 volts. That would be a reasonable expectation.
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andyrint
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PostPosted: 23:34 - 16 Mar 2021    Post subject: Reply with quote

jeffyjeff wrote:

Make sure that your meter is not displaying millivolts -=(mV). Often times, the lower case "m" that indicates millivolts is displayed in fine print, and easily overlooked. If that be the case, the meter is actually displaying 30 mV, or 0.030 volts. That would be a reasonable expectation.


It doesn't have millivolts - it's not that good a multimeter!
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jaffa90
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PostPosted: 01:19 - 17 Mar 2021    Post subject: Reply with quote

andyrint wrote:
jaffa90 wrote:
""""Just put my (very old and very cheap) multimeter across the battery terminals while the light was flashing and it's reading about 30v AC."""
What is the reading in DC volts??? 15?


Yeah, about that.

However, I just measured the voltage across a battery that was being recharged (on a home charger) and that shows 30v Ac / 15v Dc - Is something wrong with my multimeter??


Hold on a minute, this bike is coming in at a 2019 model with a 2 year warranty,
""""I thought I might be something to do with the battery as I remove it every night after work (using spade connectors) as I've had 2 stolen. """"
Are you talking 2 bikes or 2 batteries?
Spade connectors that i know of are for light duty currents.
Also why are you charging the battery?
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andyrint
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PostPosted: 10:57 - 17 Mar 2021    Post subject: Reply with quote

jaffa90 wrote:
Hold on a minute, this bike is coming in at a 2019 model with a 2 year warranty,

Purchased in August 2018

jaffa90 wrote:
""""I thought I might be something to do with the battery as I remove it every night after work (using spade connectors) as I've had 2 stolen. """"
Are you talking 2 bikes or 2 batteries?

2 batteries - ripped out from under the seat

jaffa90 wrote:
Also why are you charging the battery?

I was charging a spare
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jaffa90
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PostPosted: 01:52 - 19 Mar 2021    Post subject: Reply with quote

From what you say/state and the electric start works then did you try stinkwheel advice?
Just check the terminals are a good fit on the bulb and are free from corrosion. Might be worth squirting some WD40 in the light switch and wiggling it back and forth a few times too.
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