I have a 2009 Electra Glide Classic , I went for a day trip to Laconia last Friday (about 400 miles round trip). The charging system was working fine all day, reading about 14. Got home pulled in the driveway and the reading dropped to below 13. The battery was getting old so I figured it’s time to replace it. Ordered an ETX30L and installed it two days ago. Battery is fully charged. Went for about a 50-mile ride today. Stated off the charging system was up around 14 but when I got home and pulled into the driveway it dropped below 13. Reved up and it did increase to slightly above 13.

Time for a new voltage regulator? BTW in March 2013 a new stater & compensator was installed by HD in Daytona.

 

use a real voltmeter

the regulator

1.) converts AC voltage to DC - via a rectifier bridge- 4 diodes

2.) limits DC voltage output to under 14.8 volts DC

3.) prevent drain back of power from battery via same diodes


your stator should be providing 16 to 20 volts AC per 1000 rpms
( so this means that at idle you stator is making 16 or 20 volts, at highway speed it is making 44 to 60 volts...a BIG difference.)

the in dash voltmeter is affected by other loads in the fairing such as horn, high beam, turn signals etc...it is an indicator but not a specific measure of battery voltage


diagnosis is key and correct diagnosis will prevent you from wasting money on un-needed parts and services
mike

 

Just because you changed the stator in 2013 does not mean that it can't go bad again. Better do as Mike suggests and check the output AC voltage from the stator at idle. Also, measure the voltage at the battery terminals at idle and compare that to what you faring voltage meter is reading. At the terminals, you should be reading in the high 13's or the low to mid 14's (dc voltage). And make sure your battery terminal leads are tight.

 

Same thing happened to me and it turned out the bolts were loose on the regulator. Check those cuz it grounds it

 

Obviously you want to properly troubleshoot the charging systen, including checking all connections, grounds and wiring.
Having said that, I have had an HD service manager tell me that low voltage = a bad stator, high voltage = a bad regulator

 

HERE is a good place to start. This is a sticky from the electrical section.

There is another thread sticky in the electrical section HERE that may have slightly more info.

 

Check the bolt on the top of the starter to make sure it's tight. That is the path of voltage from the regulator to the battery.

 

Charging system notes from 2015 Electrical Diagnostic Manual


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Voltage Regulator
Rectifies 3 phase power from stator and regulates voltage output.
In other words the Stator produces a 3 phase AC, (alternating Current) and the Voltage Regulator uses Diodes to change the AC to DC. It also limits the voltage to somewhere around 14.7 V. The output of the Voltage Regulator is connected to the battery.

Alternator
Consists of 2 main parts: Rotor and Stator
The Rotor is attached to the crankshaft and has a series of permanent magnets. The Stator is attached to the crank case and has a series of wound wire coils.
The rotating magnetic fields around the stationary coils induces an AC Voltage in the coils.


The 3 phase AC Voltage from the stator is sent to the Voltage Regulator to be rectified to DC Voltage and to be regulated to a useable limit, generally just over 14.5 Volts.
The output of the Voltage regulator is connected to the battery. The positive output goes through the Maxi fuse and to the starter before connecting to the Battery.
Battery testing
First check and clean battery terminals and ground cables.
Voltmeter test:
Connect voltmeter positive to positive terminal on battery and voltmeter negative to battery negative terminal.
12.7 v = 100% charge
12.6 v = 75%
12.3 v = 50%
12.0 v = 25%
11.8 v = 0%
If you are unsure of the battery’s condition charge it fully and take it to an auto parts store and have it load tested. If the Battery passes all tests check the charging system.



Charging System Testing
With the bike in neutral and voltmeter attached to the battery start the engine and rev to 3,000 rpm. If the voltage measures above 13 v the charging system is operating properly. Voltage above 14.7 V indicates the voltage regulator may be bad.
Stator testing
If less than 13v disconnect the Stator from the Voltage Regulator.
The end of the connector from the stator has 3 sockets. Set your meter to ohms and connect one lead to the battery negative. With the other lead make contact with the conductor inside each socket. You are checking for a grounded wire, each socket should show an open circuit to ground, no continuity.
Now take the lead you had on the battery negative and with both leads check resistance between each of the three sockets, 1-2, 2-3 and 1-3. The resistance should be 0.1 – 0.3 ohm.
Next check the Stator’s AC output. With the Stator unplugged from the VR and the bike in neutral, start the bike. Run the bike at 2,000 rpm and check the Stator output between sockets 1-2, 2-3 and 1-3. The voltage should read approximately 32-46 Volts AC.
One other indication that the stator may be bad is if your primary oil smells like a burnt circuit board.
Voltage Regulator Testing
If the output is less than 13V from the Voltage Regulator to the battery disconnect the output cable from the VR. Check the resistance of the negative lead from the connector to the negative battery terminal. If the resistance is less than .5 ohm replace the VR. Greater than 0.5 ohm replace the wire and test the output of the VR again.

 

Vernal, tHanks for the info. Been too busy to check the charging system but have free time this weekend. Planning a trip from RI to Pensacola, Fl to visit daughter and son in law then up to WV for a week before heading home. Certainly don't need any problems .

 

We are aware that our charging system uses magnets to produce a permanent field for the generator. This 'constant' source of energy must be well maintained to evacuate heat and power it produces.
IMO all power and heat dissipation connections must receive regular preventive maintenance based on common sense. Use of contact grease and doing a pull-test/insertion-test on both connectors of the voltage regulator can bring peace of mind.

There is a nice publication here.