basic electrical questions

[LarryA_Texas]

another update

Thanks to all for the advice and technical information. I tried the strap from the stator (-) to the frame (three inch wire), and from that attach point to the battery neg post.

At the same time I tested the voltage by connecting a DMM + wire to the ground wires and the DMM neg to either the battery or the engine. The ground wire I used was firmly connected to all other ground wires within the harness and is an extra because this system used one black/white to the fuel tank probe and my gas tank is for a different year model with no gas gage.

There is still voltage on the ground wire. It's slight...about .07 volts with the headlight on. It's .03 with it off. Connecting the additional ground wire to the battery drops it by about .005 volts in either case.

The bike seems happy with this little bit of voltage. I have scrubbed corrosion off of the ground wire connector loops and it had no affect.

The only reason I question it is because my other motorcycles have ZERO voltage when measured this way.

[pdqford]

At the same time I tested the voltage by connecting a DMM + wire to the ground wires and the DMM neg to either the battery or the engine. The ground wire I used was firmly connected to all other ground wires within the harness and is an extra because this system used one black/white to the fuel tank probe and my gas tank is for a different year model with no gas gage.

There is still voltage on the ground wire. It's slight...about .07 volts with the headlight on. It's .03 with it off. Connecting the additional ground wire to the battery drops it by about .005 volts in either case.

So if I am following correctly, with that connection your DMM is measuring the voltage drop in the ground side of the circuit. (i.e., most voltage is going through the ground wires to the battery, while only .07 volts (with the headlight on) is trying to go through the DMM). I'd say thats pretty darn good and would only be concerned if you were dropping .75 volts or more through the ground circuit.