Electrical Problem Caused Breakdown

[Nastytls]

2018 RG. Riding on the highway and noticed the voltage reading between 10-11 when it's usually at 14. Kept riding for a while then suddenly it dropped to the red under 9 and the idiot lights on the gauges lit up, fortunately I was right at a rest stop so I pulled in. The headlights were flickering, the navigation screen was cutting in and out and the gauge was all the way to the left. I had my wife bring the truck and we towed it home ( 111 miles  ).

This morning I plugged in the PV and the stored code was "low voltage ECM". The bike is under warranty, but if they plug in their diagnostic tool it'll void my warranty due to the PV and cams. Any ideas what might cause this scenario?

[rigidthumper]

Don't suppose you'ld be lucky enough the voltage regulator came unplugged? Charge the battery first, then  test the charging system, see what isn't producing...

[PoorUB]

Burned out stator or bad regulator are the obvious things. Could be a bad connection in the charging circuit, broken wire.

Pull the derby cover off, if it stinks like burned wires, it is the stator.

[smoserx1]

Pretty obvious it quit charging then drained the battery.  Charge the battery, crank it up and measure the battery voltage at the battery with a decent meter.  It should go up 1.5 to 2 volts at anything above a fast idle.  If it fails check the stator, if that checks out good you likely have a bad regulator (assuming you did not have a connection come loose somewhere).  Sounds like the newer pikes are electricity hogs and won't go very far if the charging system fails.

[machinist]

I bet if something happened, I mean really bad to the ecm, they couldn't read anything.

[Ohio HD]

Yeah, right. I bet when they fire it back up with a new stock tuned ECM and it runs crappy due to having a cam in it..... yeah, they'd figure that out.

Own your decisions guys.   

[Hossamania]

I bet if something happened, I mean really bad to the ecm, they couldn't read anything.

I'm not really sure how that works. How do you damage the ecm, and still get it replaced under warranty? And why fraud when one knowingly voids the warranty?
Like Ohio says, own it. Looks like it gets fixed on your own dime.

[PoorUB]

Either fix it on your dime, or drop it off and the dealer and let them decide. I wouldn't bring up the mods unless they ask. The warranty is void if anyone wants to get picky, but really, what difference does it make? The dealer will find out sooner or later, either this repair or the next.

[Hossamania]

Either fix it on your dime, or drop it off and the dealer and let them decide. I wouldn't bring up the mods unless they ask. The warranty is void if anyone wants to get picky, but really, what difference does it make? The dealer will find out sooner or later, either this repair or the next.

It's worth a shot.

[Nastytls]

I smelled the primary oil and it doesn't seem to smell like burnt wires ( a very distinct smell ). I'm just going to bring it in. I have a trip to Nova Scotia planned in a few weeks and can't have this thing break down on me in the middle of nowhere,  again.

My dealer knows that I modified my bike, I bought all the parts from him at the time of sale. When I bought it the owner of the dealership ( an old school guy ) said he wouldn't report me to HD. That being said, my understanding is that HD has it so that if you plug it in to the diagnostic tool it will automatically be sent to HD. Bummer because I also have oil transfer and now oil showing up around the shift shaft seal in the transmission, neither of which have anything to do with pipes or a cam.

It is what it is.

[Nastytls]

Dropped it at my dealer. Service manager said that he's had multiple M8's with symptoms just like mine in the past 3-4 months and they were all the regulator. Should have it squared away by Saturday.

[Hossamania]

Good news! Back on the road!

[Scooterfish]

Dropped it at my dealer. Service manager said that he's had multiple M8's with symptoms just like mine in the past 3-4 months and they were all the regulator. Should have it squared away by Saturday.

Well add that to the growing list of  M8 issues .

[chaos901]

Still love my old Twin Cams.

[BVHOG]

Yeah, right. I bet when they fire it back up with a new stock tuned ECM and it runs crappy due to having a cam in it..... yeah, they'd figure that out.

Own your decisions guys.   

[jmorton10]

How is that an M8 issue??

My 2007 RK quit on me a few weeks back & a new regulator fixed it right up.

I was 100% convinced it was going to be the stator before I got it home,  as I had just re-assembled the primary 2 days before.....LOL

~John

[IronButt70]

How is that an M8 issue??

My 2007 RK quit on me a few weeks back & a new regulator fixed it right up.

I was 100% convinced it was going to be the stator before I got it home,  as I had just re-assembled the primary 2 days before.....LOL

~John

Aren't regulators a third party item. Sounds like they got a bunch of bad ones.

[Jim Bronson]

How is that an M8 issue??

My 2007 RK quit on me a few weeks back & a new regulator fixed it right up.

I was 100% convinced it was going to be the stator before I got it home,  as I had just re-assembled the primary 2 days before.....LOL

~John

Aren't regulators a third party item. Sounds like they got a bunch of bad ones.

I would think so. Once solid state devices get beyond their 'infant failure' period, they should be reliable until their projected end-of-life. If they're seeing a higher than normal failure rate, they should start performing better incoming testing.

[rigidthumper]

They had that same problem in 2006- recalled a bunch of regulators, IIRC.

[rbabos]

They had that same problem in 2006- recalled a bunch of regulators, IIRC.

They actually did a recall on regulators?
Ron

[ViseGrips]

 ..I'm kinda thinking there was a recall.....I'm thinking it was discussed on the old MSN /HTT back then...had something to do with the part # tag on the bottom....a buddy of mine bought a new 06 and I think we checked the # out  and it was replaced...also there was something pertaining to the injectors...a certain color...they were replaced....it's all kinda foggy right now... that was 13 years ago eh... 

[Rusticwater]

Perhaps I missed it earlier in the thread, but 2012 models had a regulator recall...

[Nastytls]

Picked up the bike and all is well. I asked the service manager if this is on HD's radar since he said there were recent failures. His response was that this is nothing compared to others issues they are having with M8 and highly unlikely this is enough to get them focusing on it.

[Wide Glide]

<Still love my old Twin Cams.
LOL, will never get rid of my EVO.