Cooked Rectifier/Regulator

[SqDancerLynn1]

100% guaranteed you need a regulator. The stator needs to be checked..
You can get a cheap volt meter for less than $10 to do the tests.

[cowboyup3371]

The problem is that I have no idea how to do the tests and I don't have the tools or the space to tear things apart. I've read the stator papers but it's all Greek to me. If buying a new R/R will solve my issue then I'm fine with that. I can replace parts easily enough.

SteveM, trust yourself. I didn't know what I was doing either and I got it done with some help. Look around your area and see who on here is close enough to come lend a hand. You'll save money in the long run and learn alot more about your bike.

[taylorgaz]

i had the same problem last month with my 81gs1000g ,the battery ran dry while driving and bike stalled, I though it must have been r/r but before i bought anything i decided to do a full check on the wiring, it turned out that the stator cable was after dropping down on the engine block and melted through the wires . cheap and easy fix for me

[tom203]

Don't sell yourself short so quickly- you've read the stator tests and must have absorbed some info on charging system basics. As has been said and stressed, clean connections are a must even if you just bolt on a new r/r.
Get a digital multimeter- it will pay for itself many times over in saved troubleshooting time. A reliable charging system is a must for happy motoring!

[SteveM]

I've checked all the bullet connectors, fuses and fuse box, etc.. and all looks good to me. Judging by the brown burn mark on the back of the R/R, it looks to be done for sure and a replacement is required in any case.

With the battery not charging while running I am hesitant to start the bike, let it warm up and then proceed to do electrical tests. Won't this just do more damage and possibly hurt the stator?

[corporalagarn]

i ordered a honda r/r from duaneage. i think it cost $40 shipped, and it is a nice and clean product.

i haven't put it in yet, waiting for the winter, but hopefully it won't be too hard to do. i too struggle with all things electric, but i'm confident this board will talk me through it, especially how to tap into the brake wire.

not to hijack, but will i have to take out the battery box to get in there??

[cowboyup3371]

I've checked all the bullet connectors, fuses and fuse box, etc.. and all looks good to me. Judging by the brown burn mark on the back of the R/R, it looks to be done for sure and a replacement is required in any case.

With the battery not charging while running I am hesitant to start the bike, let it warm up and then proceed to do electrical tests. Won't this just do more damage and possibly hurt the stator?

I don't really think so. Remember though, one of the stator tests is while the bike is not running. In fact, the very first test is of the bike not running (see below).

Stop the engine. Disconnect the wires emerging from the stator. Switch the multimeter to Ohms, the lowest range on the meter. Connect the multimeter leads BETWEEN two of the three yellow wires. Check the reading on the meter. Switch one of the multimeter leads to another of the three wires and check the reading again. Switch the other multimeter lead to another of the three wires, and check the reading again. So, you need to take three readings.

One of the readings is lower than 0.5 Ohms or higher than 2 Ohms
Bad News. Stator is at fault. Replace the stator and return to START




Run that test. Had I done so in the very beginning, I would have found my bad stator a lot faster than I did and probably would have saved myself a little money as well.

[tom203]

Yeah, I agree- the brown burn mark is telling.
Checking the bullet connectors is a guessing game. They don't make real good contact (unless you crush them in place). The stator needs to deliver thru low resistance connectors to ensure a decent output especially at low rpms. Spade type connectors have more contact area- you could solder these connections but I think you're better off getting insulated male/ female spades. Put the female side on wires coming from stator- makes it safer to do open circuit stator test
The stator won't be hurt during these tests. Reread the stator papers again.
Does no harm to run bike without functioning charging system, plenty of us have done this already, though not always intentionally.

[posplayr]

Chronicly burning stators can be solved by switching to a SERIES r/r like COMPUFIRE see GS CHARGING SYSTEM HEALTH in my signature

[BassCliff]

Hi Mr. SteveM,

It looks like the "magic smoke" has been let out of that r/r unit. Electronics don't work too well after they lose their magic smoke. You should still perform the passive and active tests on the stator before you call it "done". With a fully charged battery, the bike will run without the stator or r/r unit connected, plenty long enough to test the output of the stator. Also, clean all the charging system connections, including the fuse box and grounds. There are guides with pictures on my website that should help you test your stator. Like Lynn said, a cheap multimeter is good enough for testing purposes on these bikes. Keep us informed.

Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff

[SteveM]

I will have to go out and buy a digital volt meter.

[tom203]

It's not that bad- You can use it on lots of electronic stuff too!

[SteveM]

Any recomendations on brand and model?

[tkent02]

Any recomendations on brand and model?

It doesn't matter, you don't need any fancy features and you don't need extreme accuracy. Any cheapo meter will work fine for this bike stuff. Even the $3 meter at Harbor Fright worked fine at first. It did fail within a week, so maybe it's not a very good choice. Dunno about their $9 meter. Under $20 should get a usable one at Target or someplace.

[Planecrazy]

This Harbour Freight Multimeter has been great!

Bought this copy of a FLUKE multimeter five or six years ago and it's worked perfectly - no problems at all! List price is $25 but is listed on the website right now for $17.99 ... great deal!



Here is the direct link to the H-F page... http://www.harborfreight.com/ac-dc-d...ter-37772.html

Regards,