Stator has given up the ghost

[alke46]

Ok, back at it. I got the new Caltric stator installed and checked it out. The leg to leg tests were all showing 70-72v which is good. The leg to ground test showed 0.00 on all three legs.

Problem is while running it yesterday I could see vom readings in the 14.0 range IF, I had the headlight off. When turning the headlight on the voltages would drop to low 13.0 range.

So I charged the battery up to full and these are the results of the quick test:

key off 12.8
key on w/headlight on 12.1
@1500 rpm 12.17
@2500 rpm 12.17
@5000 rpm 12.18
key off 12.6

This was followed by testing with the headlight off:
@1500 12.34
@2500 12.35
@5000 12.36
key off 12.7

This surely is pointing to a bad battery isn't it? I have read where a bad battery can produce all sorts of wonky stuff.

Please tell me if I am on the right track and I will go purchase a new battery.

TIA

[Rich82GS750TZ]

You should be staring all of this with a new or known-good battery. That said - Are you still using the original Reg/Rec? It looks like your Stator is putting out good voltage but your R/R is doing absolutely nothing with it.

[alke46]

You should be staring all of this with a new or known-good battery. That said - Are you still using the original Reg/Rec? It looks like your Stator is putting out good voltage but your R/R is doing absolutely nothing with it.

I'm using what I thought was a good battery. It is a Motobatt AGM purchased in May 2020 but has been used very very little.

No, not using the original R/R. Am using a SH 775 that I just put on last month.

And just for what it's worth, I questioned my own wiring install of the SH 775.

[alke46]

On the 1st two steps of the quick test when my voltage dropped from 12.8 to 12.1, wasn't that enough evidence that the battery is bad and should be replaced?

[Rich82GS750TZ]

Copied/pasted from one of Ed Ness's many posts on the topic.

Check this link for an install diagram...https://www.thegsresources.com/_foru...nstall-Diagram

Most forum members purchase the Triumph jumper harness (PN T2500676) and adapt that to fit the bike wiring. There are other aftermarket connectors as well.

The cheapest option is to use female spade terminals on some loose wire and attach those to the R/R directly. To do the job right you should then fill the cavity in the R/R and pot the wires with low acid electrical safe RTV.

SH775 Install by nessism, on Flickr

P1040151 by nessism, on Flickr

Ed


As for your quick-test numbers, I can only comment on what I saw after correctly installing new (used) SH775 and new stator on my bike. Pretty much in line with your starting numbers w/ headlight on.(I can't turn mine off)

1) Key Off - 12.85 VDC
2) Key On - 12.3 VDC

I don't believe your battery is bad, but you may want another opinion. You could take it to a local Auto parts place and have it load-tested.

[alke46]

I used the Triumph harness and I thought I had it right but ???????

[Gorminrider]

Ok, back at it. I got the new Caltric stator installed and checked it out. The leg to leg tests were all showing 70-72v which is good. The leg to ground test showed 0.00 on all three legs.

Problem is while running it yesterday I could see vom readings in the 14.0 range IF, I had the headlight off. When turning the headlight on the voltages would drop to low 13.0 range.

So I charged the battery up to full and these are the results of the quick test:

key off 12.8
key on w/headlight on 12.1
@1500 rpm 12.17
@2500 rpm 12.17
@5000 rpm 12.18
key off 12.6

This was followed by testing with the headlight off:
@1500 12.34
@2500 12.35
@5000 12.36
key off 12.7

This surely is pointing to a bad battery isn't it? I have read where a bad battery can produce all sorts of wonky stuff.

Please tell me if I am on the right track and I will go purchase a new battery.

TIA

Do you have another battery? a half-decent car battery will do in place-of.
If the bike is running, and only showing " @5000 12.36" your battery would have to be a short circuit to cause this reading. USUALLY, even with a bad battery, charging voltage is maintained, it just isn't "retained" in a bad battery.

As said by Rich~, your R/R is suspect. Check the connections, particularly where it is grounded. You have a meter, so you can at least set it to ohms lowest scale ,touch probes to BAT NEG and the place grounded to ,and it should read between 0 and 1.2 (most meters set to lowest ohms scale show "1.2" or near when you touch the probes together This value is subtracted from any reading to give you an accurate value of ohms. It's a way of "zeroing the meter")

Where stator and regulator are both good, Your bike will actually run at the regulated voltage (14+) WITHOUT a battery. But don't do it. (a "symptom" where this is actually happening is a pulsing headlamp)

[alke46]

Do you have another battery? a half-decent car battery will do in place-of.
If the bike is running, and only showing " @5000 12.36" your battery would have to be a short circuit to cause this reading. USUALLY, even with a bad battery, charging voltage is maintained, it just isn't "retained" in a bad battery.

As said by Rich~, your R/R is suspect. Check the connections, particularly where it is grounded. You have a meter, so you can at least set it to ohms lowest scale ,touch probes to BAT NEG and the place grounded to ,and it should read between 0 and 1.2 (most meters set to lowest ohms scale show "1.2" or near when you touch the probes together This value is subtracted from any reading to give you an accurate value of ohms. It's a way of "zeroing the meter")

Where stator and regulator are both good, Your bike will actually run at the regulated voltage (14+) WITHOUT a battery. But don't do it. (a "symptom" where this is actually happening is a pulsing headlamp)

Today I have found a connection problem and corrected it--I think.
Now I just checked it again and with the headlight "OFF", I get better numbers. I'm seeing 13.1 at 1500rpm. 14.4 at 2500 and 14.4 at 5000 rpms.

Turn the headlight back on and those numbers drop to 12.5---13.1---and 13.4 respectively.

I can retry this same test tonight after the wife gets home as the battery in her car is pretty new.

Thanks for your advice.

[Rich82GS750TZ]

You’re charging now, which is great. But the headlight-on numbers aren’t exactly stellar. Curious what difference you might see if you installed an LED headlight like a Trucklite. Steve may have done some tests before and after with one of the bikes in his stable. I did not.

[alke46]

You’re charging now, which is great. But the headlight-on numbers aren’t exactly stellar. Curious what difference you might see if you installed an LED headlight like a Trucklite. Steve may have done some tests before and after with one of the bikes in his stable. I did not.

I agree, it sure seems the headlight is overwhelming the charging system but did this just start? I don't know.

[alke46]

When I get ready to test with a car battery, should I just jumper it or would it be better to remove the bike battery to isolate it from the car battery?

And don't worry, I do know not to have the car running when jumping ��.

[Rich82GS750TZ]

Sorry, I have now experience or opinion using a car battery for any kind of testing on the bike.

[Burque73]

When I get ready to test with a car battery, should I just jumper it or would it be better to remove the bike battery to isolate it from the car battery?

And don't worry, I do know not to have the car running when jumping ��.

Larry, for what it's worth, I jumped my Yamaha Venture Royale using the truck, not running of course. Bike battery dead but still in place. It started but ran rough, even staying connectedto the truck. Replaced the bike's battery and it started easier and ran smoother.

[grcamna2]

Larry,
I had a similar problem before when testing the output voltage across the battery + & - posts and later found that I had a defective Hi/Lo beam dimmer switch on my left handlebar switch which caused both Hi and Lo beams to be lit,both at the same time.This caused more draw from my system and made it look like the battery/charging system was weak.The little spring which returned the dimmer switch to the center position was gone and the contacts were touching both beams.

[alke46]

Larry,
I had a similar problem before when testing the output voltage across the battery + & - posts and later found that I had a defective Hi/Lo beam dimmer switch on my left handlebar switch which caused both Hi and Lo beams to be lit,both at the same time.This caused more draw from my system and made it look like the battery/charging system was weak.The little spring which returned the dimmer switch to the center position was gone and the contacts were touching both beams.

So if this was the case, were they both lit all the time? I just checked my dimmer switch and I still have both low and high beams separately.