charging
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Joined: Dec 2004
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From: Texas! Ya mean there's someplace else?
RE: charging
The manual I have is for my Sloptail and stops at 1990. It calls for a load tester to be hooked up to the system. Since few of us po' folks have such a tester, there are a few other checks to try. Make sure your battery is good, and all connections are clean and tight, including the regulator base.
Stator Check:
Turn off ignition, disconnect regulator from stator at plug on left side of case. Connect a digital ohmmeter on Rx1 scale to good ground on crankcase and to either pin of stator. There should be no reading (infinite ohms). Any other reading indicates a grounded stator. That usually means replacement, but sometimes it's the leads from the stator to the plug, and they can be repaired.
Next read the resistance between the stator pins. It should be about 0.1 - 0.2 ohms for 1989 & later. If it is lower, the stator is probably shorted, if it is significantly higher or infinite resistance, it is open. An open indication might also be due to one of the leads from the stator winding to the pin being broken, This can usually be repaired.
Output Check:
Start the bike with the regulator still disconnected from the stator. Run the engine at 2000 rpm. Output for '89 & later (32 amp alternator) should be 32-40 VAC (16-20 per 1000 rpm). Run it up to about 3000 rpm and check that the output increases appropriately.
If these checks show the alternator is OK, then hook the regulator back up to the stator. Check the voltage at the battery from idle through about 3000 rpm. The output should increase to a high of about 15 VDC. Any higher is bad, too much lower is bad.
Stator Check:
Turn off ignition, disconnect regulator from stator at plug on left side of case. Connect a digital ohmmeter on Rx1 scale to good ground on crankcase and to either pin of stator. There should be no reading (infinite ohms). Any other reading indicates a grounded stator. That usually means replacement, but sometimes it's the leads from the stator to the plug, and they can be repaired.
Next read the resistance between the stator pins. It should be about 0.1 - 0.2 ohms for 1989 & later. If it is lower, the stator is probably shorted, if it is significantly higher or infinite resistance, it is open. An open indication might also be due to one of the leads from the stator winding to the pin being broken, This can usually be repaired.
Output Check:
Start the bike with the regulator still disconnected from the stator. Run the engine at 2000 rpm. Output for '89 & later (32 amp alternator) should be 32-40 VAC (16-20 per 1000 rpm). Run it up to about 3000 rpm and check that the output increases appropriately.
If these checks show the alternator is OK, then hook the regulator back up to the stator. Check the voltage at the battery from idle through about 3000 rpm. The output should increase to a high of about 15 VDC. Any higher is bad, too much lower is bad.
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