Alternator/(generator?) not charging

[Purloined]

Immensely helpful. 

Thank you. 

 

[Weegie]

Agree @docc, I usually learn something from them too

I don't know what to expect from measuring the AC voltage with the regulator in circuit.

I think the regulator will effect the volts measured, but I'm not an auto electrician, simply an enthusiastic amateur.

If you could get your buddy to test the Alternator open circuit, i.e. disconnect the 2 yellow wires and then measure AC volts across the wires you'll know if the Alternator is good or not. That way the Alternator is isolated from the rest of the electrical system.

Perhaps greater minds than mine will chime in @Kiwi_Roy is probably your best bet.

[docc]

Yes, yes, those AC readings are between the two yellow alternator output wires disconnected from the wiring harness.

[Purloined]

Hi, kids.  

They booted me from nursery school early, so I'm back with chapter . . . I haven't kept track, but it's nearing War and Peace level page count.

I did as was suggested and checked output with yellow alternator wires isolated from the wiring harness of the bike.

18v AC at idle

45v AC at 3,000rpm

65-ish at higher rpm, prlly about 5,000, I hate spinning a motor at rest high, don't know why. 

This seems to comport with what is specced for it and indicates the alternator is functional?   

Would this point to the regulator?

[docc]

Great news! Those voltages are solid. Regulator time!

Take time to run a dedicated ground wire from the regulator case to the timing chest of the motor.

 

[Weegie]

From these values it does not appear to be the alternator

Your battery voltage sounds good from your previous posts, so it's starting to point at the Reg/Rec.

I suppose the next thing to do is to ensure all the connections to the Reg/Rec are secure and clean and the unit is adequately grounded ( @docc beat me to it)

I don't know how to test a single phase, series Reg/Rec and I think that's what this unit is.

We could really do with @Kiwi_Roy here, I'm going to drop him a PM and hope he responds

Sorry I can't help more

[docc]

@Weegie makes a good point about the connections, including the stack of ring terminals on the battery as well as fuse 5 and Relay 2 (faults in those last two would be giving you other outages).

12.4v is maybe 40% on an AGM battery. I would be inclined to  "condition" that battery and not expect the V11's weedy charging system to bring it up.

 

 

[Purloined]

Help more? 

You guys have been great and patient and thorough in walking me through this. I can't thank enough. 

The bike has a one year old battery and since there is a battery drain with the key out of the ignition (I ran some better grounds, all the connections at the battery have been cleaned up. I thought I had it licked, but it is still present.) I keep it on a tender. 

I will order the regulator from ElectroSport that docc linked to. The website says they have them in stock, so I'll roll off this post and order one before the giant truck backs up to their loading dock to fulfill the giant order from Tennessee. Rumor is that there's a hoarder sitting on heaps of them down there. 

cheers,

Marcus

 

[Purloined]

The counter guy at the electrical repair shop here in New Haven has no idea the bullet he dodged in not having to endure my babbling incoherence. You guys cannon fodder instead. His gain, your loss. 

[Weegie]

Damm I forgot about Fuse 3, when you mentioned fuses @docc would that not stop the bike charging, it looks like it could to me?

I keep forgetting about it as none of my bikes have anything like that

That's so easy and well worth checking, as well as all the other stuff

[docc]

26 minutes ago, Weegie said:

Damm I forgot about Fuse 3, when you mentioned fuses @docc would that not stop the bike charging, it looks like it could to me?

I keep forgetting about it as none of my bikes have anything like that

That's so easy and well worth checking, as well as all the other stuff

Ha, duh on my part. For sure the nefarious 30 amp Fuse#3 should be inspected for continuity and sign of heat damage. I’ve had them burn off a blade without blowing the fuse.

[Purloined]

I did visually inspect all the fuses at the onset. All seem to be in order. No sign of any burning etc. Checked the 30amper for continuity and all good.

I ordered a new regulator. 

[Weegie]

47 minutes ago, Purloined said:

The bike has a one year old battery and since there is a battery drain with the key out of the ignition (I ran some better grounds, all the connections at the battery have been cleaned up. I thought I had it licked, but it is still present.) I keep it on a tender.

Ahh damm on the fuse thought I might have found a really easy fix, but it was not to be!!!

This is just a shot in the dark, but as I mentioned earlier sometimes when a rectifier goes bad (although I don't what's inside that particular one) it can cause a parasitic drain through a bad diode, to ground.

You might find that if it is the rectifier that's at fault then your parasitic drain on the battery disappears with it

[Purloined]

I'm pretty sure the regulator was last bolted onto this bike in late 1999 in Mandello del Lario.

The grinding pain of an undiagnosed, crippling malady festers; so if the price of exiting an exotic, cryptic failure is the cost of a voltage regulator,  I will praise that outcome.

Maybe it don't fix it, but the fact that I was able to get to here so quickly was because you guys kept coming back with helpful suggestions; and quickly.

In the sweltering heat of last Monday night, I was pushing my Chernobyl radiator of motorcycle through the city, back to my garage after it sputtered. I got schooled on Tuesday, Wednesday and today I didn't buy a stator I don't need and somebody in California is putting a box in a box and sending me a voltage regulator. 

A huge triangle from which to clink glasses and cheers from; but y'all know why. 

And yeah, I sipped at the trough of too many electrical calamities, tales of woe published on these pages the last few days, and also think that there's an account of someone's new regulator curing their battery drain malady.   I'm sometimes in bed at night thinking about the battery blood-sucking going on in yonder garage.  it's not calming.  

Hyar.     Hope is by reputation, a balm. I will let you know.

[footgoose]

20 minutes ago, Purloined said:

account of someone's new regulator curing their battery drain malady

That be me, sir. 14k mi. and third r/r. I didn't test anything. Looked at fuses and relays, checked the 'prone to break' stator wire (per docc) and then replaced the r/r. I think the r/r can be considered 'prone to fail' now as well, especially when subjected to unnecessary heat as my last one was. For some reason the arrangement on the Tenni places the r/r in the worst possible position for any cool air to reach it. I tried to find a better spot... to no avail. Considering a fan. Anyway... next time I have a no charge event I will just order another r/r. If that does not cure, I will have a spare, which I will need in future... anyway*.

*this is an UN-scientific approach by a "parts replacer", but since I said 'science' first... it must be ok.