Charging Problem + Highbeam Indicator dead

[posplayr]

"Am I grasping for straws with that thought?"

big grasp! when you get your replacement harness installed, test everything VERY carefully- don't plan on getting lucky!

I have this strange feeling he connected the battery posts while the battery was out and then tried to wrestle it into place.

[sam000lee]

Okay, I have my new wiring harness in. Cleaned all my grounds and checked connections and everything seems to be okay there. Battery still doesn't charge - the potential across the battery doesn't change at all with higher revs.

So I'm thinking I might as well replace both the stator and the R/R while I'm at it and now am faced with which ones to buy. I was looking at this thread: http://www.thegsresources.com/_forum...d.php?t=212088

and am left with the question of is there any reason why a cheaper stator is a bad idea? Theres a $60 one from Caltric that is pretty appealing. Would it fail faster or perform worse?

One more thing is that in the manual it seems as if you can just take of the left side cover and unscrew/replace the old one and then reconnect wires. Is it really as simple as that? I've never opened the case for anything and it is a little intimidating to do for the first time.

[Gorminrider]

"...the manual it seems as if you can just take of the left side cover and unscrew/replace the old one and then reconnect wires. Is it really as simple as that?"
Yes, but take the side cover over the chain sprocket off first to access the stator's side-cover's screws... Pretty easy, but you'll probably need to use an impact driver to get the stator screws loose, so be gentle as you hammer down against the side cover on your bench. You will need a new gasket for the sidecover too.

[bwanna]

My advice is to test each component first to verify what the problem is.

1. First test the stator wires. Using the manual is fine, but there are also some great processes identified by members here. Basically, you're looking for an equal output (>67 volts) among the 3 wires from the stator at 5k rpm.
- Also check to see that these 3 wires do not show continuity with the ground... meaning they are to some degree touching the ground.

2. Second check the R/R for output and continuity. This is slightly different in that the internal diodes should be tested.

My advice. IF you need to replace anything, buy good products. You may want to consider buy the newer non-shunting type of R/R with the switching MOSFET type... if you replace that. The stator's and R/R (shunt type) have a bad history. The newer R/R will last probably the life of the bike if treated properly.

I hope this helps.

Okay, I have my new wiring harness in. Cleaned all my grounds and checked connections and everything seems to be okay there. Battery still doesn't charge - the potential across the battery doesn't change at all with higher revs.

So I'm thinking I might as well replace both the stator and the R/R while I'm at it and now am faced with which ones to buy. I was looking at this thread: http://www.thegsresources.com/_forum...d.php?t=212088

and am left with the question of is there any reason why a cheaper stator is a bad idea? Theres a $60 one from Caltric that is pretty appealing. Would it fail faster or perform worse?

One more thing is that in the manual it seems as if you can just take of the left side cover and unscrew/replace the old one and then reconnect wires. Is it really as simple as that? I've never opened the case for anything and it is a little intimidating to do for the first time.

[posplayr]

My advice is to test each component first to verify what the problem is.

1. First test the stator wires. Using the manual is fine, but there are also some great processes identified by members here. Basically, you're looking for an equal output (>67 volts) among the 3 wires from the stator at 5k rpm.
- Also check to see that these 3 wires do not show continuity with the ground... meaning they are to some degree touching the ground.

You also want to check AC voltage at 5K RPM between each leg and ground as a primary test.

2. Second check the R/R for output and continuity. This is slightly different in that the internal diodes should be tested.

With all of the variations in R/R's these days the success rate on getting this right is probably very low. The only tests I would even trust are the diode tests and the MOSFET shunt R/R doesn't even have them.

My advice. IF you need to replace anything, buy good products. You may want to consider buy the newer non-shunting type of R/R with the switching MOSFET type... if you replace that. The stator's and R/R (shunt type) have a bad history. The newer R/R will last probably the life of the bike if treated properly.

Not sure the OP will understand that statement. Typically MOSFET refers to SHUNT type (even though a series R/R might us a MOSFET). And you are the first to refer to a Series R/R as a non-shunt which can also lead to confusion.

I hope this helps.

responses above

[sam000lee]

Whew! Looked at my connections again, cleaned some more stuff off and made sure my stator connections were solid. Turns out that did the trick! Battery charges now and I'm going to replace it and also think about putting in a new R/R.

Thanks all for the help as frustrating as it may have been for you, especially since it was such a minor thing!

[bwanna]

Great! I was going to write back suggesting just that. I recently had some low charging voltage issues that were fixed by simply running a new heavier ground grin the r/r to the battery. Fixed it right up!

This is good advice to others to Shasta examine the quality if the current connections before trying anything else.

Glad you had you got it working!
Bwanna

Whew! Looked at my connections again, cleaned some more stuff off and made sure my stator connections were solid. Turns out that did the trick! Battery charges now and I'm going to replace it and also think about putting in a new R/R.

Thanks all for the help as frustrating as it may have been for you, especially since it was such a minor thing!

[sam000lee]

Uggh. Okay - so I thought this was resolved but I guess not. I have been riding around the past few days, and the battery charges SOMETIMES. Before I leave the house I test the voltage across the battery during revs, and it increases as it should.
Two times I have taken it out for an afternoon/evening which includes riding it around for at least 60 miles and stopping, turning off the engine, doing something coming back and starting it up and everything works fine. Then the next day I go to start it up and the battery is dead. I charge it for an hour, start it up, ride around for half an hour and the battery has charged.

It seems like the battery is charging MOST of the time, and then every once in a while doesn't charge and leaves me stranded somewhere where I can charge the battery for a couple of hours to start the bike.

I've triple checked grounds/connections and everything is clean and tight. I tested the 3 wires across the stator, getting a reasonable signal from everything.

Could this be an R/R problem? It seems to me like its bad connections somewhere but I've gone through pretty much every connection.
I thought maybe it was discharging somehow when the bike was sitting so I've been disconnecting the battery terminals when I park it.

[posplayr]

Uggh. Okay - so I thought this was resolved but I guess not. I have been riding around the past few days, and the battery charges SOMETIMES. Before I leave the house I test the voltage across the battery during revs, and it increases as it should.
Two times I have taken it out for an afternoon/evening which includes riding it around for at least 60 miles and stopping, turning off the engine, doing something coming back and starting it up and everything works fine. Then the next day I go to start it up and the battery is dead. I charge it for an hour, start it up, ride around for half an hour and the battery has charged.

It seems like the battery is charging MOST of the time, and then every once in a while doesn't charge and leaves me stranded somewhere where I can charge the battery for a couple of hours to start the bike.

I've triple checked grounds/connections and everything is clean and tight. I tested the 3 wires across the stator, getting a reasonable signal from everything.

Could this be an R/R problem? It seems to me like its bad connections somewhere but I've gone through pretty much every connection.
I thought maybe it was discharging somehow when the bike was sitting so I've been disconnecting the battery terminals when I park it.

You should mount a cheap LED volt meter. They can be had for less that $5 (at least till this is solved).

http://www.ebay.com/itm/330904912319?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649

I woudl say do a quick test, but seems you have been doing that (more or less).
It sounds like a temperature dependent problem which would normally be associated with the Stator shorting out. Have you done the revised Phase B tests?

Check voltage leg to leg and leg to ground (all around) at 5K RPM? IIRC that was a previous suggestion.

[sam000lee]

Oh yeah, awesome those will definitely come in handy. I'm going to go ahead and put a new stator in since. Unfortunately I'm moving today and am putting her into storage for a couple months so I'm going to have to wait a while (or at least until labor day).

Talk to you all then!