Voltage Regulator???
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From: Western Pennsylvania
Voltage Regulator???
Hey everyone, my 2008 Electra Glides check engine and Battery light came on tonight as I was leaving for a ride. I went back and grabbed my volt meter. While running I was getting 12.6 volts. I shut it off and started it back up. no lights this time. Checked voltage again and this time it was jumping around between 14 -21 volts. I'm thinking bad regulator. Would that be your guess. Thank you
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Joined: Sep 2010
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From: Phoenix '53, '88, '09 Big Twins
anything over 14.8 volts is a bad regulator
BUT
you MUST check with a known charged battery and good cables...tight at both ends.
the charging system checks are on the tech board/ electrical section
mike
BUT
you MUST check with a known charged battery and good cables...tight at both ends.
the charging system checks are on the tech board/ electrical section
mike
Last edited by mkguitar; Aug 25, 2014 at 10:40 PM.
1st Gear
Joined: Aug 2014
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From: Western MA
Same thing happened to me tonight. 04 CVO Glide, driving home, engine light and battery light came on. Volts gauge fluctuated from 10 to 13. Lights dimmed then light again. Battery is on trickle charge right now. Most likely regulator????? If so, is there a heavy duty one out there?
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Thanks guys. I'm also thinking regulator from the fluctuation in voltage. The battery is a good quality and isn't a year old yet. So unless I got a bad one I'm ruling that out. All wires were tight. Hope it's a regulator and not the stator. Don't want be down too long this time of year.
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From: Phoenix '53, '88, '09 Big Twins
but you gotta test- a bad battery can destroy your charging system...a $100 problem becomes a $600 problem.
the VR converts the AC voltage from the stator to DC voltage and then regulates that DC voltage to below 14.8.
the VR also prevents the battery draining back through the charging system to ground when parked.
you may be right in your guess, but you have to test, you cannot assume
( and many electrical problems are simply a bad connection...which is re-newed when parts are swapped out
i posted last year on a neighbor who spent $1300 at the dealer...2 VR's, 2 stators, 3 batteries.
he came to me and within minutes I found the $12 cable that looked like this inside:
a cable rotted like that can intermittently be "open"- no connection...or present a high load...high enough to burn up a charging system
mike
the VR converts the AC voltage from the stator to DC voltage and then regulates that DC voltage to below 14.8.
the VR also prevents the battery draining back through the charging system to ground when parked.
you may be right in your guess, but you have to test, you cannot assume
( and many electrical problems are simply a bad connection...which is re-newed when parts are swapped out
i posted last year on a neighbor who spent $1300 at the dealer...2 VR's, 2 stators, 3 batteries.
he came to me and within minutes I found the $12 cable that looked like this inside:
a cable rotted like that can intermittently be "open"- no connection...or present a high load...high enough to burn up a charging system
mike
Last edited by mkguitar; Aug 26, 2014 at 02:50 AM.
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From: Bedford UK
Thanks guys. I'm also thinking regulator from the fluctuation in voltage. The battery is a good quality and isn't a year old yet. So unless I got a bad one I'm ruling that out. All wires were tight. Hope it's a regulator and not the stator. Don't want be down too long this time of year.
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From: Western Pennsylvania
I took the battery out and giving it a full charge. Gonna go through the steps and double check all terminals and wires. Thanks for all your help. I will let you know what I find out.
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Joined: Aug 2014
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From: Western MA
Let me know how you make out. I read the detailed sections on checking the system, and will be conducting that at some point today....any recommendations on durable regulators and/or staters? Are the HD regulators improved?tks
