Charging System Help
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Tourer
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 440
Likes: 1
From: NW Burbs of Chicago
Charging System Help
84 Evo, 65K miles. I have been having charging trouble for the last year or so. New stator, regulator and battery last year. Dashboard voltmeter generally shows about 11 amps dropping to 10.5 then 10 as I ride. Occasionally it wakes up and shows 13 to 13.5 when I'm running at 2500 to 3000 RPM but mostly not.
I took the battery in for a load test. The dealer had a meter which they claim does a load test on the battery sitting on the counter (MOCO directive, I guess) and it checked out OK. Battery is showing 13 volts across the terminals on the bike. I unplugged the regulator and tested the pins to ground on the battery and showed no voltage.
I didn't show any resistance across the stator but my meter only has an x10 scale so I might not have seen more than the slightest twitch to show .1 to .2 ohms I was hoping for. Infinite resistance going from the stator side pins to ground.
I only showed 10 volts at the stator with the engine at 1000 RPM and I think I was supposed to get at least 16. Can a stator go partially bad and occasionally act OK? Anything else I should check before replacing the stator AGAIN (sorry for the shout).
I took the battery in for a load test. The dealer had a meter which they claim does a load test on the battery sitting on the counter (MOCO directive, I guess) and it checked out OK. Battery is showing 13 volts across the terminals on the bike. I unplugged the regulator and tested the pins to ground on the battery and showed no voltage.
I didn't show any resistance across the stator but my meter only has an x10 scale so I might not have seen more than the slightest twitch to show .1 to .2 ohms I was hoping for. Infinite resistance going from the stator side pins to ground.
I only showed 10 volts at the stator with the engine at 1000 RPM and I think I was supposed to get at least 16. Can a stator go partially bad and occasionally act OK? Anything else I should check before replacing the stator AGAIN (sorry for the shout).
Supporter
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 1,245
Likes: 69
From: Northford, CT
Stator should put out AC volts not DC. Unplug the regulator run engine RPM's up to around 2500 check on AC scale of meter. Don't have a manual here so not sure what it is. If you are putting out AC volts then stator is good.
Problem could also be in the plug itself. One of the pins moved in towards the engine and is not making a good contact with the regulator.
If you have a manual it is in there what the reading should be. If you don't have one get one.
Problem could also be in the plug itself. One of the pins moved in towards the engine and is not making a good contact with the regulator.
If you have a manual it is in there what the reading should be. If you don't have one get one.
Road Master
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 1,018
Likes: 1
From: cd. Obregon, Sonora, mx
With the stator unplugged, at 2500 rpms you should be reading around 42 volts. If less , the problem is with the stator. Also, with your bike running, check your voltage at the battery. It should be about 14.5 volts
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Tourer
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 440
Likes: 1
From: NW Burbs of Chicago
Thanks guys. Have the manual and it had said 19 volts AC per 1000 RPM. I think my reading at 1000 RPM was faulty - probably wasn't at 1000 RPM - I had it on idle and it settled down while I was getting to the plug. Checked the plug ends and had contact - cleaned everything. I was worried about having the bike at 2000 while trying to maneuver the test leads into the stator side of the plug - I think bad things would happen if I crossed them. But I went ahead and locked the throttle at 2000 and had 37 volts. Manual said I should have 38 to 52 so that is low or low end but the stator I put in last year is 32 amp instead of the stock 22 amp so who knows what it should be.
End of it - bad regulator. Put another new one in, took it for an extensive ride yesterday and it's charging fine. The one I put in is the same POS made-in-china one I bought last year, though, so I'm not fully confident. Not sure if the regulator itself was bad (high odds of future happiness) or if something else caused the failure (high odds of future unhappiness). Oh well - at least I can take the jumper cables out of the saddlebags for now.
I am going to keep the plug off the old regulator to use as pigtails in case I ever need to do this again.
End of it - bad regulator. Put another new one in, took it for an extensive ride yesterday and it's charging fine. The one I put in is the same POS made-in-china one I bought last year, though, so I'm not fully confident. Not sure if the regulator itself was bad (high odds of future happiness) or if something else caused the failure (high odds of future unhappiness). Oh well - at least I can take the jumper cables out of the saddlebags for now.
I am going to keep the plug off the old regulator to use as pigtails in case I ever need to do this again.
Last edited by wulffe; May 9, 2009 at 09:27 AM. Reason: added last paragraph
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