85 Honda Spree HELP PLEASE

B3nallen · Post by **B3nallen** » Sun Aug 24, 2008 3:39 pm

Hi all, ive been working on an 85 honda spree that will become a gift for my younger sister in about a week. The engine has great compression and ill post some pics when im done with the paint job. i am however having one big problem. the electrical system seems to be all in order but the headlight is about as dim as a candle. does anyone know what this could be caused by? i just put a new battery in and i thought it would help but it appears to have had no effect. Like i said its a birthday gift for next weekend, any quick insight would be very helpful, blinkers and brake light still good, although now the rear blinkers dont want to do anything and front ones stay on instead of blinking. HELP please my sister will appreciate it! thanks for you guys that read it. We live in the detroit metro area, maybe ill get her to join the mmm

chevyguyjay · Post by **chevyguyjay** » Sun Aug 24, 2008 3:52 pm

try swapin' out the rectifier.

Kenny_McCormic · Post by **Kenny_McCormic** » Sun Aug 24, 2008 4:44 pm

sounds like a rectifier or stator.

mousewheels · Post by **mousewheels** » Sun Aug 24, 2008 6:19 pm

Dim headlight - chevyguyjay and Kenny have it covered.

Front turn signals stay on, because with the back not working the flasher will not start flashing, it just stays on. So trace down your rear turn signal problem - bad bulb, bad grounds or connection, and the front & back will start working.

B3nallen · Post by **B3nallen** » Mon Aug 25, 2008 5:39 pm

ok thanks guys, any idea where i could pick those up?

Kenny_McCormic · Post by **Kenny_McCormic** » Mon Aug 25, 2008 6:05 pm

You should be ale to get a rectifier anywhere honda dirt bike or motorcycle parts are sold.

B3nallen · Post by **B3nallen** » Mon Aug 25, 2008 9:27 pm

yea my local dealer wanted $127 for the rectifier and $105 for the stator that is no longer in production.

Thanks for all your help guys, it turned out to be a loose ground on the rectifier, everything runs like a charm. The headlight dims and gets brighter as you accelerate but i assume thats inoperable and its fine with me. thanks again guys.

mikehelms · Post by **mikehelms** » Mon Aug 25, 2008 10:17 pm

B3nallen wrote:The headlight dims and gets brighter as you accelerate but i assume thats inoperable and its fine with me.

Yup - I think all of our bikes do that. I remember my brand new Aero 50 (back in the day) did the same thing; I believe the headlight is driven directly off of one of the stator coils, which would explain the brightness at speed.

-- Mike

Bear45-70 · Post by **Bear45-70** » Tue Aug 26, 2008 12:06 pm

mikehelms wrote:
B3nallen wrote:The headlight dims and gets brighter as you accelerate but i assume thats inoperable and its fine with me.
Yup - I think all of our bikes do that. I remember my brand new Aero 50 (back in the day) did the same thing; I believe the headlight is driven directly off of one of the stator coils, which would explain the brightness at speed.

-- Mike

My 1985 Spree's headlight does the dim at idle thing too. It has to be driven off a seperate set of coils in the stator. I just checked my manual's wiring diagram. Headlight is driven straight off one of two coils in the stator, NOT through the rectifier, so this is dim at idle is normal.