Not sure what to do

[slayerdriver]

I have been chasing down a charging system problem. On the recommendationof a fellow rider, I replaced the stator. Charging system warning light still flashes. The new gasket that I had put on the side cover when I replaced the stator was leaking, so I went to replace it. Now, I can't get the transmission to shift out of first. I thought that maybe I had spun the shifter linkage when I put the cover back on, so I looked it the linkage and it appears to be ok. Put it all back together again, went to start it. It turned over for a few seconds then stopped. Now the clock reset itself, and when I turn the key to the "on" position, the clock goes dead and nothing is functioning.

I am beyong frustrated and have no ideas where to go from here. Is it time to get rid of it?

[frankd]

Jason,

 

FIrst off....the Venture doesn't have a 'charge' light, only a voltmeter. I suspect you mean the battery alarm in the panel on the dashboard. What that means is that your battery is low on water. Fill the battery and the light will turn off. Of course, if a battery without a port for the sensor has been installed, you'll have to force that alarm off. If this is the case, you can do a search for eliminate battery sensor, or I'll just tell you how to do it later.

 

Stuck in first gear--any chance you put the linkage back together backwards when you had the stator cover off? Try pushing the foot pedal down a click for neutral and see if it's backwards.

 

 

As for cranking for a few seconds and then everything went dead==that sounds like you have a dead or bad battery. Try charging it and see what happens. Another possibility is a loose battery lead connection or ground cable, but check the battery first. Do you have a voltmeter or a 12 volt test light? Measure accross the battery and see if you have about 12.5 volts. If so, turn the headlight on and measure it again. If it goes way down, you've got battery problems. Of course if the water level is REAL low, that could be your problem here too.

 

 

My brother is riding my old 83---it's got 148,000 miles on it and it still runs great. It's had 2nd gear rebuilt and the frame replaced when it cracked (now the state thinks it's an 84), but it is still a reliable motorcycle. I'd change the oil and head out on a trip on it anytime. So no, it's not time to give up on it.

 

Good Luck

 

Frank D.

[dingy]

Here are a couple of pictures showing the two shift linkages. Either one is easy to do wrong. I know.

 

Gary

 

Edited February 13, 2016 by Freebird

[Yammer Dan]

All good advice. It is very easy to mess up that outside one....

[Snaggletooth]

Frank has you going in the right direction. You are probably in better shape than you think.

 

The flashing warning light will indicate several problems depending on what Icon is shown on the display panel. If the battery icon is lit up the cell where the probe plugs into the battery is low on water. Top it off and charge it up and you should have power again. Clean and check all the battery connections while you are at it including the ground wire on the right side of the engine.

 

As far as the side cover leak, many times it's not the cover gasket itself but the rubber gomment on the wires from the new stator that is leaking. Lots of sealant and that problem is gone. Be sure to remember that crush washer at th 6 o'clock position on the second cover also. That is needed more than some think.

 

And yes, it is easy to flip the shifted link upside down when reinstalling. Done it myself.

 

Once you get that back in place you should be fine.

 

Once you get it fired back up be sure to take some readings with a voltermeter to check charging system. Right off the battery you should see 14.5 volts above 2,000 rpms but a little lower is still acceptable.

 

 

Keep us posted.

 

Mike

[newventure]

check your battery terminals for any corrosion. My 02 midnight ran normal and two weeks later the battery was dead. Found the terminals had corrosion which will interfere with the charging and drain the battery. My battery was a year old, and I figured it was ok. I put it on the charger for a day, cleaned the terminals, and haven't had any issues since then. A little corrosion can cause issues. After charging the battery, start it up and if you have a volt meter, check to see what it is charging- output, hope this helps.

[dingy]

This is what I did to the stator wires, not pretty, I don't care. It shouldn't leak.

 

The wires themselves on the stator leads are covered in black permatex then the connector was slid over the permatex.

 

Red stuff is high temp RTV I use on a lot of items.

 

Gary