Help with charging system
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From: Straight Jacket Memories and Sedative Highs
Measure the AC at the stator wires, unplugged from the volt reg.
Last edited by Zerk; Oct 4, 2016 at 07:02 PM.
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Stellar HDF Member
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From: N.C.
Yes, and the AC voltage that is getting to the battery is not doing it any good, swap it ASAP. I really like my compu-fire series type regulator. It regulates in a different way than most of conventional shunt type regulators.
Both Cycle Electric and Compu-fire make a "series" type regulator. It basically lowers the load on the stator as the electrical load decreases. In turn, the stator runs cooler and lives a longer life. Here is a great right up (link below) on what both types of regulators do and how they work. It's a long thread but pages 1 thru 4 give all the information. Page 1 demonstrates how a shunt regulator works with real world amp and voltage readings, and page 4 demonstrates how the series regulator works with real world amp and voltage readings. It's worth the read. Prices for either one are better than buying a shunt style from the dealer.
http://xlforum.net/vbportal/forums/s....php?t=1648679
Good luck with whichever type you go with. FYI, when switching it out, make sure you get good connection at the block connector, that is a known trouble maker and if the connection is not clean and tight, it could give you other troubles. Also take the time to run the "charge" or hot wire all the way back to the circuit breaker terminal. Some guys cut it and splice, but, take the extra time to run the wire in the original location with no splices. YD
Both Cycle Electric and Compu-fire make a "series" type regulator. It basically lowers the load on the stator as the electrical load decreases. In turn, the stator runs cooler and lives a longer life. Here is a great right up (link below) on what both types of regulators do and how they work. It's a long thread but pages 1 thru 4 give all the information. Page 1 demonstrates how a shunt regulator works with real world amp and voltage readings, and page 4 demonstrates how the series regulator works with real world amp and voltage readings. It's worth the read. Prices for either one are better than buying a shunt style from the dealer.
http://xlforum.net/vbportal/forums/s....php?t=1648679
Good luck with whichever type you go with. FYI, when switching it out, make sure you get good connection at the block connector, that is a known trouble maker and if the connection is not clean and tight, it could give you other troubles. Also take the time to run the "charge" or hot wire all the way back to the circuit breaker terminal. Some guys cut it and splice, but, take the extra time to run the wire in the original location with no splices. YD
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Joined: Jul 2009
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From: Straight Jacket Memories and Sedative Highs
I would still measure AC output of stator, just to make sure. Volt regs are a problem for Harleys.
Are you sure it is 30 volts AC and not .30? This happens when reading meters. Manual ranging meters help, as opposed to auto scaling. But sometime you get confused.
I wouldn't replace volt reg just yet. Not sure if this is just a function of cheap meter or bad diodes volt reg.
Also 29.9 mV looks alot like 29 volts.
Also DC does not have a hot or charge wire. AC really doesn't either. We just typically ground the neutral. There are some old places that ground B phase still in use. You can ground any AC phase you want.
DC can be ungrounded or grounded.
AC or DC both wires are equally as important.
Are you sure it is 30 volts AC and not .30? This happens when reading meters. Manual ranging meters help, as opposed to auto scaling. But sometime you get confused.
I wouldn't replace volt reg just yet. Not sure if this is just a function of cheap meter or bad diodes volt reg.
Also 29.9 mV looks alot like 29 volts.
Also DC does not have a hot or charge wire. AC really doesn't either. We just typically ground the neutral. There are some old places that ground B phase still in use. You can ground any AC phase you want.
DC can be ungrounded or grounded.
AC or DC both wires are equally as important.
Last edited by ChickinOnaChain; Jun 15, 2017 at 12:47 PM.
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Stellar HDF Member
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From: N.C.
Like I said, HD service mgr. told me they would dx. for free. May regret rolling in there, but Iam taking the guy at his word. I want him to confirm the regulator is bad, and check the stator as well.
The 27.2 reading is ACV across the battery while the bike is idling. Iam certain I didn't misplace the decimal and read it incorrectly.
Thanks, appreciate the help.
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From: Brighton, MI
You really can't eff it up unless your talking about the condition of the rubber plug. There is no positive or negative regarding the stator output. Just be careful to not touch your meter probes together while the probes are in the socket of the stator plug.
Disconnect plug before starting bike, start the bike and set the rpms using thumb wheel before touching probes to plug. After getting your reading, remove probes, write down the value, adjust rpms to next level and repeat at 1000 rpm intervals.
Let us know what you get. YD
Disconnect plug before starting bike, start the bike and set the rpms using thumb wheel before touching probes to plug. After getting your reading, remove probes, write down the value, adjust rpms to next level and repeat at 1000 rpm intervals.
Let us know what you get. YD
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Stellar HDF Member
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From: N.C.
You really can't eff it up unless your talking about the condition of the rubber plug. There is no positive or negative regarding the stator output. Just be careful to not touch your meter probes together while the probes are in the socket of the stator plug.
Disconnect plug before starting bike, start the bike and set the rpms using thumb wheel before touching probes to plug. After getting your reading, remove probes, write down the value, adjust rpms to next level and repeat at 1000 rpm intervals.
Let us know what you get. YD
Disconnect plug before starting bike, start the bike and set the rpms using thumb wheel before touching probes to plug. After getting your reading, remove probes, write down the value, adjust rpms to next level and repeat at 1000 rpm intervals.
Let us know what you get. YD
ACV @ 1000 RPM = 1.7
@ 2000 = 2.0
@ 3000 = 2.2
Guessing on the RPM, no tachometer.
Grand HDF Member
Joined: Apr 2007
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From: Brighton, MI
Are you sure your meter is set correctly? The motorcycle should be putting out approximately 18-20 ACV per 1,000 rpm so at 2000 rpm it should be 36 to 40 volts.
OK to guess on the rpm's...YD
OK to guess on the rpm's...YD
Grand HDF Member
Joined: Apr 2007
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From: Brighton, MI
OK, that's not good and I question those numbers...Do a resistance (ohms) check on the two stator leads per below...My concern is you mentioned earlier that you were getting higher amounts of ac volts (27.2) at the battery? Now only a couple volts at the stator?
"Set meter to lowest ohm scale, like 200 Ohms, typically. (Note: Not 200K ohms). Check resistance between the two stator plug pins. Should be fairly low. My Book says 0.2-0.4 ohms. The spec is in your shop manual. If it is infinity, stator is blown open - Replace. If it is 0, stator is shorted to itself – Replace. I hesitate to suggest the shorted to itself test, as the novice electrician with a cheap meter is likely to screw this up. Cheap meters may not be able to determine that low of a resistance, and the zero may not be correct on them. What you can do, if you want to put any faith in this (shorted to itself) test is to first touch your two meter leads together and note the reading. It could be 0, or 0.4 or even 1 or 2 ohms. Then when you test across the two stator pins, you should have whatever you just measured plus 0.2 to 0.4 ohms. So, a reading of 2 ohms with the leads shorted and 2.4 ohms with the leads on the stator is within the book’s spec. It is very rare for the stator to short to itself, so I wouldn’t worry about that one too much. Much more common for them to blow open or short to the case."
"Set meter to lowest ohm scale, like 200 Ohms, typically. (Note: Not 200K ohms). Check resistance between the two stator plug pins. Should be fairly low. My Book says 0.2-0.4 ohms. The spec is in your shop manual. If it is infinity, stator is blown open - Replace. If it is 0, stator is shorted to itself – Replace. I hesitate to suggest the shorted to itself test, as the novice electrician with a cheap meter is likely to screw this up. Cheap meters may not be able to determine that low of a resistance, and the zero may not be correct on them. What you can do, if you want to put any faith in this (shorted to itself) test is to first touch your two meter leads together and note the reading. It could be 0, or 0.4 or even 1 or 2 ohms. Then when you test across the two stator pins, you should have whatever you just measured plus 0.2 to 0.4 ohms. So, a reading of 2 ohms with the leads shorted and 2.4 ohms with the leads on the stator is within the book’s spec. It is very rare for the stator to short to itself, so I wouldn’t worry about that one too much. Much more common for them to blow open or short to the case."
Last edited by Yankee Dog; Oct 5, 2016 at 10:40 AM.
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ohm resistance meter test = .3
ohm test between the two stator pins = .5~.6
ACV @ the battery is still 27 with the regulator plugged back into the case and at idle as before.
Still getting 1.7 ~ 1.9 ACV output @ the plug on retest. Meter set on ACV 200.
ohm test between the two stator pins = .5~.6
ACV @ the battery is still 27 with the regulator plugged back into the case and at idle as before.
Still getting 1.7 ~ 1.9 ACV output @ the plug on retest. Meter set on ACV 200.