Charging system
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Cruiser
Joined: Nov 2008
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From: Beaver, OK. (No mans land)
Charging system
here is the ride 1994 electra glide classic. Symptoms not charging checked voltage at the new battery and it reads 12.7 volt turn key on and reads 12.3 volt, start engine and reads 12.4 volt. Let it run for a bit and all of a sudden lights go dim tach jumps around volt meter drops to zero at idle rev engine and everything brightens up volt meter jumps to around 13 volts and tach goes crazy. Have done all the system checks at regulator and stator. Stator ac volt reads 28 volt at 2000 rpm does not seam to be grounded but when checking resistance through the stator it reads 0 which makes me think it's shorted to itself. Here's whats puzzling I start it and let it idle untill all the symptoms occur and then unplug the regulator and the engine dies and lose all power to everything untill I plug regulator back into the stator then power returns. once the power returns I can unplug regulator from the stator and everything is fine untill I repeat the proccess. Any suggestions???
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Cruiser
Joined: Nov 2008
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From: Beaver, OK. (No mans land)
Sorry but I was leaving out a very important piece to the puzzle. When this all occured I was running the engine while tunning on the carb and forgot to unplug my battery tender to thinking this is the suspect.
Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Mar 2010
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From: Hallsville, Tx.
I don't think the tender could have done all that! The tender would only just be an extension of the battery. Have you redone the tests after unplugging the tender? It's possible that you may need a new tender now though, you may want to check it's operation.
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Cruiser
Joined: Nov 2008
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From: Beaver, OK. (No mans land)
All the test were done without the tender plugged in. Everything was fine and had done no work or made any changes to the bike. Had went for a 20 mile ride the day before and just fired it up after air filter change when this happened. I figure maybe the tender was causing a short in the stator.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Aug 2007
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From: NW AR
Sounds like a short somewhere. The stator resistance measure is of dubious value if it is low. It is difficult to measure the low ohms of normal and determine what is too low. Open is easy, and that's the primary measure. I assume you've gone through my test procedures. No, the tender won't cause a short in the stator. Your short is somewhere else.
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Cruiser
Joined: Nov 2008
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From: Beaver, OK. (No mans land)
Dr Hess
Yes I have done the test as you described in the other charging system post and the only test I find that fails is the Ohms at each pin of the stator, It reads 0 . It is not shorted to the case at either pin. I also noticed that when this problem occurs there is a whirring sound coming from somewhere but can't pin point where.
Yes I have done the test as you described in the other charging system post and the only test I find that fails is the Ohms at each pin of the stator, It reads 0 . It is not shorted to the case at either pin. I also noticed that when this problem occurs there is a whirring sound coming from somewhere but can't pin point where.
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Stellar HDF Member
Joined: May 2009
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From: Middle of Kansas
What scale on your meter are you reading your ohms on the stator? You want to be in the lowest ohms that your meter goes, 100 to 200 ohms at most. If your meter does not go this low, you cannot measure the resistance in your stator correctly. Just a thought as if you are in a higher scale it will only read "0".
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Thread Starter
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Cruiser
Joined: Nov 2008
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From: Beaver, OK. (No mans land)
Yes i double checked that setting on my meter and have been on 200k so switched to 200 scale and am getting 0.7 but when touching the leads together I get 0.6. I have messed with it for couple hours retracing all the steps. When connecting one lead to ground and the other to the pins of the regulator I get 0.33 at each pin. I hooked everything backup and the symptoms I described earlier with the lights dimming and tach going crazy does not happen now for some reason. Check voltage at the bat 12.6V nothing on turn key on 12.2V startup and the most I can get is 12.5V at 3000RPM. Thinking of just replacing rotor stator and reg.
Stellar HDF Member
Joined: May 2009
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From: Middle of Kansas
Since you are getting 28 "AC" volts at the stator plug, I would say your alternator is working just fine, and your trouble is elsewhere. Could be your ign. switch, a connector plug, or charging circuit breaker. Also, regulators can do funny things. I had one that would not charge until I got to about 2500 rpm, and sometimes it would be ok down to a 1000 rpm after that, and sometimes it would just drop out again. I could push on the back of it with my finger and make it work most of the time.