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    #1

    Electrical/Charging cleanup/troubleshooting

    Moving this project into the correct section of the forum. The original post.

    I have the battery out and charging now. The fluid levels were right on the low end of the acceptable range, so I topped them off.

    I visual inspection (a more in-depth inspection to follow) shows that there some lines have been cut and soldered back together. I need to see why. More electrical taped joints like this than I'd prefer to see. Not sure I'm ready to tear into the harness but I know these joints are going to cause some resistance.

    I will be heading to the store shortly to get some contact cleaner, some wire brushes and dielectric grease. Maybe, just maybe, my charging system is OK and I've just have contact/grounding issues. Fingers crossed.
    Tags: None
    #2
    You've been riding since spring on luck- fully charged battery (with a failed charging system) would only last about an hour before it couldn't spin starter. You've got to do the tests- maybe summer's heat killed battery, R/R or stator- or your connections . The PO's handiwork is always suspect, so follow the advice on connecting the charging system components.
    1981 gs650L

    "We are all born ignorant, but you have to work hard to stay stupid" Ben Franklin

    Comment

      #3
      Got some pictures of my R/R. Is this original?



      The PO cut and soldered the ground wire. It was wrapped with electrical tape. I'm going to clean that up and use some shrink wrap.


      How about the red lead. Is that dark red under the rubber jacket normal/OK?

      Comment

        #4
        The brown under the clear plastic is signs of too much heat someplace. I'd go through and clean it up real good and make sure the rest of your wiring is good.
        Cowboy Up or Quit. - Run Free Lou and Rest in Peace

        1981 GS550T - My First
        1981 GS550L - My Eldest Daughter's - Now Sold
        2007 GSF1250SA Bandit - My touring bike

        Sit tall in the saddle Hold your head up high
        Keep your eyes fixed where the trail meets the sky and live like you ain't afraid to die
        and don't be scared, just enjoy your ride - Chris Ledoux, "The Ride"

        Comment

          #5
          Looks like the PO, for some reason bypassed the connector for the ignitor. The connection is still there but the connectors were ripped out of the connector and the end soldered together with a short length of wire. Looks like that'll need to be replaced.

          Comment

            #6
            see GS Charging System Health


            Read about GS Charging Health Charging system sanity Quick Test and COMPU FIRE THREAD
            SERIES R/R.

            Comment

              #7
              OK after the quick test: No change in voltage at all once the bike was started. No increase at all at idle or revving up to 5000 rpm.

              Using the Stator Test, from BassCliffs site, the OHM test shows 0s for all the connections, no resistance at all. Do I bother continuing with the tests or just assume that the stator and R/R are bad at this point?

              Continued the Stator tests. Stator to ground resistance was infinite for all three leads.

              However, with engine running the voltage was 0 across the board. I was expecting to see SOMETHING, but it was nothing. Did I do the test wrong or can a stator be that fried? EDIT: Ugh...reread the instructions. I didn't take the bike out of idle for this test. Already cleaned up for the day...football later this evening, so it'll have to wait.
              Last edited by Guest; 09-08-2012, 04:58 PM. Reason: continued testing

              Comment

                #8
                The stator disconnected from R/R has very little resistance ( < 1 ohm) lead to lead- some meters can't read this low. Try another
                So you saw no voltage change at all during quick test? Just caught your edit- review the testing and redo.
                1981 gs650L

                "We are all born ignorant, but you have to work hard to stay stupid" Ben Franklin

                Comment

                  #9
                  Originally posted by MAJikMARCer View Post
                  OK after the quick test: No change in voltage at all once the bike was started. No increase at all at idle or revving up to 5000 rpm.

                  Using the Stator Test, from BassCliffs site, the OHM test shows 0s for all the connections, no resistance at all. Do I bother continuing with the tests or just assume that the stator and R/R are bad at this point?

                  Continued the Stator tests. Stator to ground resistance was infinite for all three leads.

                  However, with engine running the voltage was 0 across the board. I was expecting to see SOMETHING, but it was nothing. Did I do the test wrong or can a stator be that fried? EDIT: Ugh...reread the instructions. I didn't take the bike out of idle for this test. Already cleaned up for the day...football later this evening, so it'll have to wait.
                  It is always difficult to provide sound advice when the person you are trying to help does not provide all the information required (re: Quick Test Results) because in their uninformed opinion they "think" that they have "provided enough information". So at the risk of offering improper advice based on inadequate information I would say your stator is hosed.

                  Comment

                    #10
                    Originally posted by posplayr View Post
                    It is always difficult to provide sound advice when the person you are trying to help does not provide all the information required (re: Quick Test Results) because in their uninformed opinion they "think" that they have "provided enough information". So at the risk of offering improper advice based on inadequate information I would say your stator is hosed.
                    A bit harsh, but fair. I have a cheap analog voltmeter so my test results didn't provide super accurate information. But here is what I have:

                    1.) key off................Normal 12.7 volts-12.9 volts
                    Mine was ~11-12v

                    2.) key on (but not cranking with lights for 10 sec).....Normal 12.2-12.5 volts
                    Minor drop, still in the ~11-12v range

                    3.) at idle (1500 rpm).....12.6volts - 13.2volts
                    No change in voltage

                    4.) at 2500 rpm 13.5 -14.0 volts
                    No change in voltage

                    5.) at 5000 rpm.....14.0 -15.0 volts
                    No change in voltage

                    6.) key off.....slightly higher than measurements # 1 (12.8-13.0 v)
                    No measurable change from start.

                    All of these tests were performed with the probes on the battery terminals.

                    Comment

                      #11
                      most tests require the battery to be charged; that means over 12.5V.

                      A cheap digital meter costs $20; an old analog meter is not worth the trouble it gives.

                      Comment

                        #12
                        Borrowed a friends digital multimeter. My battery was definitely not fully charged. It was sitting at 11.5v. It's on the charger now.

                        I went back and checked the OHM ratings of the stator.

                        With the stator unplugged the values were:
                        B/W - R/W : 1.8
                        R/W - Y : 1.8
                        B/W - Y: 1.7

                        With the stator plugged back in and the probes plugged into the connectors leading to the R/R:
                        B/W - R/W: 0.6
                        R/W - Y: 0.6
                        B/W - Y: 0.5-0.4

                        Comment

                          #13
                          Battery charged up, but it's discharging without anything even connected. About 1 hundredth of a volt every 30 seconds or so. Guessing the battery is bad. Will I be able to perform any other tests accurately or will the battery throw the results?

                          Comment

                            #14
                            Originally posted by MAJikMARCer View Post
                            Battery charged up, but it's discharging without anything even connected. About 1 hundredth of a volt every 30 seconds or so. Guessing the battery is bad. Will I be able to perform any other tests accurately or will the battery throw the results?
                            The first step in any integrated charging system test for a GS is to have a good charged battery.

                            Comment

                              #15
                              OK Well now I'm just confused. I went back to BassCliff's Stator test and checked the voltage coming from the stator. I'm still getting 0 volts, even with the bike running at 4000 rpm.

                              I"m going to risk sounding ignorant because I clearly don't know how this works. I thought the battery was basically to get things going then the stator/generator took over from there. Can a bike even run with non-functional stator for long?

                              Maybe I'm still doing something wrong.

                              Obviously, for this test, aside from starting the bike the battery was not a factor.

                              Comment

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