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I have a 2007 Street Bob. The book says i have a 3 phase 40-amp charging system. The code it gave me was low voltage when the check engine and battery light came on. I checked the battery, which is only a couple months old, (4th time i replaced it in the past 2 or 3 years), and it says 12.6V. Under load (start up) it doesnt drop below 10.6V. Im thinking toward a bad charging system. So i checked the Voltage regulator side of the stator plug to battery negative and im getting voltage. And i have continuity to ground on the stator side of the voltage regulator plug. I just want to confirm my suspicions that it is a bad charging system. Also, if i need a new one, why cant i find a 3 phase 40-amp charging system? Would a 321amp system suffice? I dont run any extra lights or radio or anything like that. Ive already checked the search and nothing specific came up. I appreciate any help in advance.
Just befoe the check engine light and battery light came on, the speedometer light would go out every time I got on the throttle. Then it would come back on every time I engaged the clutch. Even through all this funny business, the bike ran great all the way to the house.
Ok, I just ordered a new stator and primary gasket. Ive already got the itch to ride. Ill check the VR as soon as i replace the stator. Someone told me not to ride it if the V regulator is no good. Mabe i should just get a new one and just swap both at the same time. Just got kind of a second thot peace of mind thing.
I searched on here how to check the system and i did what it said. Unplugged the VR from the stator. Hooked up black volt meter lead to battery negative. Used red meter lead to contact each pin on VR. I get voltage for all three pins. What throws me off is that the guy on the thread said the new three phase systems will show voltage. But doesnt say how to check the new three phase system. How can i tell if the three phase regulator sysyem is bad?
Unplug both sides of the Voltage regulator. The AC side from the Stator has 3 wires, one for each phase. The DC side has 2 wires Positive and negative.
What you are checking is the condition of the diodes used to rectify the AC to DC. A Diode can fail open or shorted.
Diodes allow current to flow in one direction and block it flowing the opposite direction.
Set you meter to Ohms or to the diode check setting if it has one. You will connect the meter + lead to the DC + output lead and touch the other meter lead to the AC input wires. All AC input wires should show the same continuity. Now reverse the leads, meter neg. lead in the Regulator + output. Check all 3 AC input wires and they should all show open, no continuity. If this is true you just proved half of the diodes in the reg. are good. Now put the negative meter lead in the negative reg. output and check the 3 Stator leads With the positive meter lead all 3 should have continuity. Reverse the meter leads and all 3 should show open.
In the diagram the top is the positive regulator output going to the battery. If your + meter lead is hooked to the top and the negative meter lead to one of the stator leads you are forward biased and current will flow. Switch the leads and you are reverse biased and current is blocked.
Did you check the Voltage output of the Reg while the bike was running? 14.7V
Did you check Stator output and Continuity?
Hope I explained this correctly, if not I'm sure someone will straighten it out
Thanks. Thats awesome. I havent come across this in this level of detail on the subject before. I will check it and update my findings as soon as i get back home from work. Ive checked the battery with the bike running but i dont remember what it was. I know the voltage didnt change when i reved it up, but again, I might have been doing it wrong. Im a but leary about unplugging electronic components while running.
Also, yes the stator showed grounded. I checked it with the bike off. I unplugged the VR from the stator. Then touched volt meter black to ground, and red to all three points on the stator side of the plug. I found continuity.
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charging system
