Stator or bad battery?
Thread Starter
|
Intermediate
Joined: Dec 2014
Posts: 32
Likes: 0
From: North Carolina W-S
Stator or bad battery?
So I have had this 2000 Electra Glide for about a month now.
I'm at 46k miles and 1K have been put on by me. I went for a ride today and noticed the battery gauge was sitting at 10 volts. I rode another 20 miles or so and noticed it was slowly dropping. Right before I got home It was dead on 8 and the bike started to have some issues.
The speedo start ed to go in and out and it started to run a little rough. I got home with barely any juice left. I hooked it up to the trickle charger which I do every time it is parked in the garage. After a couple of hours it is still charging but it seems that it will not charge much above 10v according to the bikes gauge. When I checked the battery with the voltmeter it was showing between 11.16 and 11.28...As I remember hearing it is supposed to be around 13 or 14 volts. Does this sound like a stator/alternator issue or a bad battery?
I'm at 46k miles and 1K have been put on by me. I went for a ride today and noticed the battery gauge was sitting at 10 volts. I rode another 20 miles or so and noticed it was slowly dropping. Right before I got home It was dead on 8 and the bike started to have some issues.
The speedo start ed to go in and out and it started to run a little rough. I got home with barely any juice left. I hooked it up to the trickle charger which I do every time it is parked in the garage. After a couple of hours it is still charging but it seems that it will not charge much above 10v according to the bikes gauge. When I checked the battery with the voltmeter it was showing between 11.16 and 11.28...As I remember hearing it is supposed to be around 13 or 14 volts. Does this sound like a stator/alternator issue or a bad battery?
Advanced
Joined: Nov 2014
Posts: 73
Likes: 0
From: Wichita Kansas
It's the battery if not up to proper voltage after charging.
But the charging system on the bike could still be bad. May be what ruined your battery.
Unhook the battery from the bike and charge overnight. Check voltage. If less than 12.5 volts or so replace.
Google the charging system diagnostic. You use the multimeter to check voltage at the battery and stator plug. Fairly easy to do once you know how.
But the charging system on the bike could still be bad. May be what ruined your battery.
Unhook the battery from the bike and charge overnight. Check voltage. If less than 12.5 volts or so replace.
Google the charging system diagnostic. You use the multimeter to check voltage at the battery and stator plug. Fairly easy to do once you know how.
Grand HDF Member
Joined: Nov 2012
Posts: 3,751
Likes: 459
From: Here and now
Sounds like it is a charging issue. The battery should read about 12.6 volts fully charged and it will take longer than a couple of hours with a trickle charger. Also even with a weak battery you would not have lost voltage while riding. After the battery is fully charged start the bike and put the volt meter on it. The voltage while running at 2000 RPM's should be 13.5-14.1 volts. If it stays at 12.6 or lower you have a charging issue.
Extreme HDF Member
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 14,744
Likes: 402
From: Phoenix '53, '88, '09 Big Twins
the charging system can't be checked with a bad battery- the readings will be skewed.
a trickle charger is not a battery charger...a trickle/tender is meant to maintain a charged battery...not to recharge a discharged battery.
so battery out, charge with a charger (2 or 3 amps overnight) then load test the battery, free at autozone...check the cables ( 4th time today I've typed that).
if those are good then we test the charging system.
a bad battery can fry the charging system ( so don't jump the bike with your car battery and ride around...if the battery is duff it can destroy the stator and the price tag goes from $100 to $600)
as above, there is a sticky on the tech board/electrical to test the charging system
16 to 20 volts AC per 1000 rpms at the stator plug ( so 3000 rpms should be about 45 to 60 volts AC ( yes AC volts, not DC ...the DC conversion is done at the regulator)
DC voltage at the battery never higher than 14.8 volts
mike
a trickle charger is not a battery charger...a trickle/tender is meant to maintain a charged battery...not to recharge a discharged battery.
so battery out, charge with a charger (2 or 3 amps overnight) then load test the battery, free at autozone...check the cables ( 4th time today I've typed that).
if those are good then we test the charging system.
a bad battery can fry the charging system ( so don't jump the bike with your car battery and ride around...if the battery is duff it can destroy the stator and the price tag goes from $100 to $600)
as above, there is a sticky on the tech board/electrical to test the charging system
16 to 20 volts AC per 1000 rpms at the stator plug ( so 3000 rpms should be about 45 to 60 volts AC ( yes AC volts, not DC ...the DC conversion is done at the regulator)
DC voltage at the battery never higher than 14.8 volts
mike
Last edited by mkguitar; Jan 11, 2015 at 11:25 PM.
Road Warrior
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 1,510
Likes: 23
From: Connecticut
It might not be the stator itself, but rather the connections between the stator and the voltage regulator.
Also, voltage regulators can fail as well.
Then again, might just be the connection -at- the regulator, or even a bad connection to the battery itself.
Also, voltage regulators can fail as well.
Then again, might just be the connection -at- the regulator, or even a bad connection to the battery itself.
Road Captain
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 601
Likes: 5
From: Pinellas County, Florida
This might help you.
http://blog.jpcycles.com/step-by-ste...arging-system/
http://www.hdopenroad.com/open-road/...rging-systems/
http://blog.jpcycles.com/step-by-ste...arging-system/
http://www.hdopenroad.com/open-road/...rging-systems/
Last edited by collin; Jan 12, 2015 at 05:29 AM.
Thread Starter
|
Intermediate
Joined: Dec 2014
Posts: 32
Likes: 0
From: North Carolina W-S
So I took the battery up to advanced. They said it looked good which It should be considering it was new as of july 13'. With the bike off it was showing 12.28 volts... when I start the bike even with an increase of rpms it stays around 11.87.
I did look at the Regulator which i'm assuming has been replaced since it is a Bosch model. I did the test on it by connecting one terminal to the frame and one to the frame ground stud forward of the battery as seen in the picture.
So does this rule out the battery and the regulator?
I did look at the Regulator which i'm assuming has been replaced since it is a Bosch model. I did the test on it by connecting one terminal to the frame and one to the frame ground stud forward of the battery as seen in the picture.
So does this rule out the battery and the regulator?
Trending Topics
Cruiser
Joined: Jan 2014
Posts: 102
Likes: 0
From: lincoln ne
You need to test the Stator. If stator is good your regulator is bad. A stator going bad can also take out the regulator or cause it to fail soon. Your year of bike with 40k miles causes me to bet that the stator is bad.
HD Forum Stories
The Best of Harley-Davidson for Lifelong Riders
7 Surprising Harley-Davidson Products that Are Not Motorcycles
Verdad Gallardo
8 Best Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Ever
Pouria Savadkouei
10 Worst Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Ever
Pouria Savadkouei
Killer Custom's Jail Break Is The Breakout That Refused to Blend In
Verdad Gallardo
Crazy Bunderbike Build Looks Amazing, But Is It Impossible to Ride?
Verdad Gallardo
Harley-Davidson Reveals Super Cool Cafe Racer Concept
Verdad Gallardo
Engraved Rebellion: Inside Bundnerbike's Glam Rock II
Verdad Gallardo
10 Motorcycles You Should Never Buy
Joe Kucinski
10 Things Harley-Davidson Needs to Fix in 2026
Verdad Gallardo
Extreme HDF Member
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 14,744
Likes: 402
From: Phoenix '53, '88, '09 Big Twins
That is an expensive guess- if the regulator is good and bad stator a hundred bucks out the window, already posted in this thread is how to find detailed info on testing the charging system.
OP, did they load test the battery?- that involves hooking the battery up to a load and measuring how the battery reacts.
"looks good" doesn;t tell us much...and back to the beginning without a known good battery ( and cables), other test results are skewed.
you HAVE to be methodical with this or you will spend 2 weeks chasing your tail, then end up spending extra money
mike
OP, did they load test the battery?- that involves hooking the battery up to a load and measuring how the battery reacts.
"looks good" doesn;t tell us much...and back to the beginning without a known good battery ( and cables), other test results are skewed.
you HAVE to be methodical with this or you will spend 2 weeks chasing your tail, then end up spending extra money
mike
Last edited by mkguitar; Jan 12, 2015 at 08:28 PM.