charging problems

[gsx1100]

I have an 83 gs 1100 e and last season i knew the battery was overcharging causing the fluid in the battery to boil out. So I put a new rectifier in the bike. This seemed to solve the problem; the voltage was about 13.5 at idle and around 14.6 at 5000 rpm. I recently took the bike on a 90 mile trip, shut it off and then it wouldn't start. I next checked the battery to see if it was still good and it was. Now i'm only putting 12.8 volts at idle and it drops when i rev it to 5000. Could the new rectifier have killed my stator?
Thank you

 

[posplayr]

I have an 83 gs 1100 e and last season i knew the battery was overcharging causing the fluid in the battery to boil out. So I put a new rectifier in the bike. This seemed to solve the problem; the voltage was about 13.5 at idle and around 14.6 at 5000 rpm. I recently took the bike on a 90 mile trip, shut it off and then it wouldn't start. I next checked the battery to see if it was still good and it was. Now i'm only putting 12.8 volts at idle and it drops when i rev it to 5000. Could the new rectifier have killed my stator?
Thank you

check the stator pages especially phase 1 ; you might just have bad connections

Finally STEP #3.) Perform Stator Paper Checks. The stator pages checks are not perfect, but they are designed to help you through a process of elimination in determining what is wrong with your charging system. The good news about doing steps #1 and #2 above first, is that when the stator pages say to check your connections you know you already have done it. Here is the update.


http://www.thegsresources.com/statorpapers4.php

Link to Revised PHASE A of Stator Pages:

ORIGINAL_STATOR_PAGES

The most important thing to do checks at 5000 RPM which is typical cruising speed. You might find that you will need to clean your fuse box to get the positive side voltage drops below 0.2V at 5000 RPM. In steps #1 above you should of gotten most of the connections between the R/R(+) to battery (+) in good shape except the fuse box.

 

[850 Combat]

In my personal experience those symptoms are repaired by cleaning connections and adding grounds. Good luck.

If you intend to check your stator ohms, be very careful to make sure your meter is making good connections to the leads. I have a new Ricks stator for a GS850 that I didn't need to buy...

 

[FiftyGS1100G]

Cleaning the connections worked for me!

Cleaning the connections worked for me!

Hi I have an 82GS1100G and was also having charging issues and also bought a brand new Ricks Stator convinced that mine was faulty as well as one of Duanege's lovely R/R's only to find that the fault was through the + side from fuse block to battery. Disassembly and cleaning and an application of die electric paste fixed the problem immediately. Cost - under 10$. Ricks stator plus rect almost 200 hundred bucks needlessly spent.
The other thing I learned was that using a good meter with a diode tester is a great investment! Accurate readings YES! I found it very surprising to see how much corrosion exists between the washers and nuts and inside the bullet connections. Happy cleaning!! Paul

 

[gsx1100]

I checked the stator and all appears to be good. The ac outputs were around the same within 1 volt for each leg. Do they have to be exactly the same.

 

[gsx1100]

I was also reading up on the r/r connections and stator. It appears that all stator legs should go to the r/r but only two of mine do and the other goes to a green wire in the main harness. Could this be a problem or just one of the legs running through the headlight system.

 

[posplayr]

I checked the stator and all appears to be good. The ac outputs were around the same within 1 volt for each leg. Do they have to be exactly the same.

No dont need to be the same; You got 80 volts at 5K RPM?

 

[posplayr]

I was also reading up on the r/r connections and stator. It appears that all stator legs should go to the r/r but only two of mine do and the other goes to a green wire in the main harness. Could this be a problem or just one of the legs running through the headlight system.

It is generally recommended to go straight to teh R/R with the stator conenctions. If yours is stock the 3rd leg is running to the left hand switch, returning on a W/R wire.

You have seen this yes?

http://www.thegsresources.com/_forum/showthread.php?t=152769

 

[gsx1100]

i have 60 volts at 5000 rpm. what bass cliffs stator test said it should be. Is this a problem?

 

[gsx1100]

Also how would i eliminate the handle bar switch loop and connect the r/r directly to the stator.

 

[posplayr]

Also how would i eliminate the handle bar switch loop and connect the r/r directly to the stator.

see the posted instruction

 

[posplayr]

i have 60 volts at 5000 rpm. what bass cliffs stator test said it should be. Is this a problem?

That is the low side but it should charge above 1500-2000 rpm

 

[gsx1100]

I think I found my problem. I did step 2 of the stator pages and found the voltage to be about 1.25 volts, which is way over .25 volts. This is assuming i did the test correctly. I disconnected the red lead of the r/r and left the rest connected and performed the test with the meter. Is this correct?. If this is right is there a way of just running a new wire connection to the fuse box then the battery because the red lead goes into the main harness and I dont know where it goes. Thanks so much for the help, i wish i was better with electrical stuff.

 

[posplayr]

. I disconnected the red lead of the r/r and left the rest connected and performed the test with the meter. f.

Dont do that it wil heat up the R/R and the stator

 

[gsx1100]

so i should leave connected totally and probe it at the connection and the battery to perform that test.

 

[posplayr]

so i should leave connected totally and probe it at the connection and the battery to perform that test.

Yes as a general rule when an instruction says to measure a voltage it doesn?t mean to disconnect. When opening the loop is indicated it is usually called an "open circuit" test.

 

[gsx1100]

A little update to my on going problem. I redid most of the connections; single point grounding, step 2 and 3 of the phase a were all about .25 volts after redoing the test, and i eliminated the left handle bar switch loop. Im still only charging 13.46 volts at 5000 rpm. Im a little concerned that im only putting about 67 volts from the legs of the stator where my manual states a minimum of 80. I'm gonna try another known battery in case that's the problem. Any input on possible problems would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you

 

[posplayr]

A little update to my on going problem. I redid most of the connections; single point grounding, step 2 and 3 of the phase a were all about .25 volts after redoing the test, and i eliminated the left handle bar switch loop. Im still only charging 13.46 volts at 5000 rpm. Im a little concerned that im only putting about 67 volts from the legs of the stator where my manual states a minimum of 80. I'm gonna try another known battery in case that's the problem. Any input on possible problems would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you

If the battery is down it will pull your voltage down. Also the 67 volts is low and the two together is giving probably giving you the marginal results. The stator may be partially shorted due to over heating. At least the R/R seems to be working but you need to make sure that it limits the output to about 14.5V

 

[gsx1100]

Yeah i tried a charge known working battery as well as mine which was tested. Im getting the rectifier checked tomorrow and but unfortunately its probably the stator. Could the new rectifier suddenly of fried the stator? If not which brand stator would you recommend.

 

[posplayr]

Yeah i tried a charge known working battery as well as mine which was tested. Im getting the rectifier checked tomorrow and but unfortunately its probably the stator. Could the new rectifier suddenly of fried the stator? If not which brand stator would you recommend.

That is a bit of a mystery at the moment. I have an electrosport (about $110) but with aggressive riding it started to fry (at the time I have the FET R/R paired to it). That is why I got to what most seem to figure are extreme measures but I will not have to worry about it any more.

You can try a Rick's they are about $130 so the most expensive. Another really cheap option is to try an early Kawazaki stator. If you go to the Dennis Kirk website and look for a cross reference for an electrosport stator they will list all of the early Kawasaks that cross over. From there search ebay; I picked a spare up for $25 in excellent shape.

If you want to fix it once and for get an Electrosport or Kawi stator and one of these:

http://www.thegsresources.com/_forum/showthread.php?t=161397