Electrical - I'm confused

[dougster]

I was working with the accessory outlets the previous owner installed, and when I put my tester on the rear one, it read around 15 volts, then after a bit jumped up to 24-30 volts. I don't get it. How can a 12 volt system show 30 volts?

He also installed one on the front and it worked fine. I wanted to move it, and I connected a different one to the same wires. That one reads 30 volts, also.

Can some of you electrical wizard school me a little on this?
Thanks.

[ringadingh]

It may be able to show 30v if your rectifier or stator is faulty, Nomads have dual stators in the alternator, and its possible that one outlet is on a different circuit than the rear outlet. Is this with the motor running? With the motor shut off it can't put out more than 12-14 volts.
Thats an unusual problem, that may take a bit of digging.

[dougster]

Motor off. Switch off. They are both wired so they are hot all the time. I have never had any problems with them. I just wanted to modify some things. It would make total sense if the engine was running, like you said. But, with them essentially direct wired to the battery, I don't get it. Unless my tester is all wonky. (or I am reading the wrong line, but I am sure I am not).

In theory, if I wire one of these accessory outlets directly to a 12 volt battery, they should only read 12 volts. It should be impossible to get a reading of anything higher (with just a battery, and no engine running, etc.), right? So how would one explain it reading 30 volts, unless my tester is bad? And how do you test a tester? Yikes!

[ringadingh]

I thought it may be the tester as well, Do you have it set correct? Check it on your car and see what it reads.

[dougster]

Good idea. I was too tired to try to figure it out. Your comments helped, Ring. Thanks a lot. I'll let you know what I find. I really do not think the bike's electrical system is at fault. More and more it seems like the tester might have issues. Makes the most sense.

[AlabamaNomadRider]

Doug I am with Steve in that the tester may be set wrong or it is faulty.

[macmac]

Is the meter digital, of course it is, was it sitting in the sun? Was it heated up some other way? Several of mine lie thru their teeth when they are hot. The problem is I have no idea where to find the teeth in a meter.

When that happens shade the meter awhile or get a old annalog with a needle.

The meter evidently flopped itself over to be in the 24 dcv range , probably over heated.

If the bloomin meter was cold, well I am not sure, but you go no 30dcv period with out the engine running.

[leadbelly]

Did you try a direct reading off the battery? With the same meter in the same conditions.
If you wire the accessory directly to the battery it should read whatever the battery voltage happens to be, unless you have a lose connection, corrosion etc. which willl cause a lower reading.

[ringadingh]

I had to use my digital meter today to check the voltage and it was reading something stupid. I got my other meter and it took a minute or so so to read the voltage at the battery. I think I'll check both meters as they contain a 9v battery that may be getting weak. Perhaps you should check the battery in yours as well.

[macmac]

Originally Posted by Ringadingh

I had to use my digital meter today to check the voltage and it was reading something stupid.

That's Classic.

[ringadingh]

I never get the easy fixes like some of the other guys, it seems the handier you are the harder the fix. ;)

[macmac]

I get that. Fix the car and a thruck breaks, fix that and it's the van, fix that and it's the bike , next is the chain saw, I don't have a boat anymore for this reason. I do have a canoe and sold the older than I am one lunger so i could just sail. So far the wind ain't broke, and if it is it ain't mine to fix.

On the other hand that same canoe has 3 rudder in the bottom of Sebago Lake, a mast is in the great salt pond with a sail. And so there is times i wonder why 2 feet ain't just good enuff.

[ringadingh]

I guess thats why my brotherinlaw trades in every two years, no matter what it is, he never fixes anything.
Although his new deisel pick up has been in the shop for an oil leak they can't fix about five times now. But at least he's not the one under the truck.

[macmac]

Yeah more money than enough is always nice. I don't have command of that sort of thing.

Guys with bad backs are a dime a dozen, and with the law as it is unhire-able. I either fix it or I walk.

[dougster]

Mac, no, my meter is analog with a needle. No digital. My range choices are 10V, 50V, 250V, and I think also 500V DC. I had it set in the 50V range.

I tested it on the car. It read around 25V on the car battery, straight across the terminals, with the car off. On the bike, straight from the battery, no engine running, and the switch off, it shows 30V. So, it appears my tester is wonky. I might change the battery, but why would that make any difference. Wouldn't that be primarily for testing resistance? When I am just checking voltage, the power to run the meter ought to just come from the system I am testing.

I liked this tester, though. Would hate to have to get a new one.