stator/regulator

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Aug 26, 2011 | 11:00 AM

#11

pnw_hd_rider

Cruiser

Joined: Jul 2011

Posts: 210

Likes: 1

From: Pacific Northwest

Just the fact that they told you that the problem was the regulator without testing the stator shows that their diagnostic procedures leave a lot to be desired. At best, it is very unprofessional, and makes them look like idiots.

I would be very suspicious that they only tested the DC output from the regulator instead of testing it properly. I would have asked them what tests they performed to determine that the regulator was bad, and I would ask them for the old regulator.

Aug 26, 2011 | 07:52 PM

#12

jlasoftail

Thread Starter

Road Warrior

Joined: Oct 2009

Posts: 1,664

Likes: 99

From: P.E.I. Canada

Quote:

Originally Posted by grf000

What would overheat and destroy the regulator would be a bad battery or wire going to ground creating a lot of load. It would also get the stator. The continuous maximum load would over heat the stator and the 30+ ac volts would take out a diodes that converts to dc. Once one of the 5 diodes went you would start getting a charge light at lower rpm. With only one gone it will charge above 2000 or so but never enough to keep a fully charged battery. Its very possible to have damaged the circuit breaker in this system under the cover in front of rear wheel. There is also a 15amp battery fuse in the fuse box that if it has a bad connection will cause a no charge indicator.

You're pretty close here actually. I went down to the shop today while they were putting the bike back together and I took a look at the old stator. It wasn't just bad, it was totally fried. It was shorted across a bunch of windings and had made a mess of the primary fluid. I'm a lineman and deal with similar stuff just on a bigger scale, and the fluid actually smelt like the oil in a transformer after a major fault. So the stator went bad, burned out some diodes in the regulator and, like you said, wouldn't charge much over 2000 rpm. Didn't seem to hurt anything else, and after a charge on the battery it test good with the proper cold cranking amps and maintained the right voltage. In the end, I didn't like how they went about it, but I'm convinced it needed the parts it got, and they cut me a pretty good break on the labor. I did make it clear that next time I better get a call from them before any parts get ordered or installed, instead of hearing from a buddy that was in that shop that day what all the problems with my bike are.
Thanks for the help anyways guys. Repair manual is on order, and hopefully other then a bit a help diagnosing, I'll be able to do most of the wrench turning myself.

Aug 26, 2011 | 09:51 PM

#13

fishcop

Road Captain

Joined: Jul 2007

Posts: 552

Likes: 1

From: las vegas nv

Reg/stator

Just to ease your mind some, that is exactly what happened to my 09 Heritage. The stator shorted and fried and then fried the diodes in the regulator. Luckily, for me the bike was still under warranty and didn't cost anything. So it can happen.