Still overcharging!!

[crc1214]

Man this has me puzzled....

I should say this first.. I found out my bike was overcharging - checked the components and everything checked out good - so I replaced the battery (I read that an internal short in the battery will actually cause overcharging).

Replaced the battery, hooked up the red output of R/R directly to + terminal of battery, and black ouput of R/R directly to - terminal (and of course 3 stator connections) - still overcharging.

So I thought maybe the R/R, while testing just fine using "bench testing" methods, was failing under load.

Went out and got a used Shindengen SH-232 R/R from a local shop.

Wired 3 stator wires in, red output to + term. of battery, green to - term. of battery, and DID NOT hook up the brown wire.

I've read many posts where guys have not hooked up this brown wire. So I didn't. Started her up this morning and the same damned thing.... overcharging. Even reaching 20V at high RPM's!!

So I decided to temporarily hook the brown wire to the + term of battery (I said temporary!).
V goes down, and stays at 15.5.

So what can possibly be up? 15.5, while better - is still too much right? I'm thinking it should top off at 14.5-14.8 MAX!

So what's the chances I could have 2 R/R units that test good using bench testing methods, but fail under load?

I think something else is up here. Anyone experienced this before?

I'm truly puzzled.

Only thing I can think of is the stator is putting out TOO much power - is there an upper end on the AC voltage spec coming from the 3 phases of the stator? But still..... even if that happened the R/R would dissipate this as heat!! This is weird, and it's 75 and sunny out!!! I should be riding!!! HELP!

[Jethro]

Only thing I can think of is the stator is putting out TOO much power - is there an upper end on the AC voltage spec coming from the 3 phases of the stator? But still..... even if that happened the R/R would dissipate this as heat!! This is weird, and it's 75 and sunny out!!! I should be riding!!! HELP!

Stator should push out around 80 volts AC on all three legs. Test all three phases of the stator and see what you are getting for voltage.

[bwringer]

You need to hook up the brown wire to a SWITCHED positive, not directly to the battery. It needs a loaded circuit that is only live when the key is on. Many people use a tail light or running light circuit. This does make a difference, and I'm not sure but it may explain the slightly high output.

Secondly, consider the possibility that your meter is inaccurate. Borrow another meter and compare readings. There's a reason some meters are $5 and some are $50.

Lastly, make sure you're getting 70-80 volts AC (switch the meter to VAC) between all three legs of the stator. (Unplug all three stator wires completely, and test AC voltage between all wire combinations: AB, AC, and BC at 5K RPM).

As always, corroded or bad connections will quickly destroy parts and create confusion. Once you've verified the stator and wiring are OK, solder the stator connectors. Bullet connectors simply do not work.

[crc1214]

Thanks, will do stator testing tonight.

As far as soldering... we've shedded some light on the subject in another post - "soldering aluminum to copper".

I think I may start a seperate post with the info.

I thought soldering was the primo way of connecting wires, but this morning I was converted!!

Chad

[rustybronco]

You need to hook up the brown wire to a SWITCHED positive, not directly to the battery. It needs a loaded circuit that is only live when the key is on. Many people use a tail light or running light circuit. This does make a difference, and I'm not sure but it may explain the slightly high output.

brown is a voltage sense wire...
if you don't hook it up it ain't gonna regulate.

[crc1214]

Just to clarify - I connected the brown to positive terminal of battery just for a quick test, not permanently.

I will attach it to the tailight power supply wire tonight.

This is wierd that some people on this forum claim they are charging just fine without the brown wire attached. I'd have a blown battery!!

[rustybronco]

My escapade.

http://www.thegsresources.com/_forum/showthread.php?t=83313

[crc1214]

Thanks for that link Rustybronco.

Now I've got another situation on my hands.....

I was going to tie the brown wire in to the fuel level guage + feed wire, since it's so close to everything. With the ignition switch to "ON", I'm only getting 8.1 V off that wire, with about 50 ohms of resistance between it and the + terminal of my battery.

No resistance between the + terminal and the repspective wires going to and from the fusebox, so that's cool. Now I just have to track it down from there. Working on that right now. Maybe this is what caused my original R/R to overcharge the battery in the first place... drama, drama, drama........I can't take it any more!

I'll probably just tie in the brown wire to the orange/white wire coming out of the fusebox, as the V between it and the - terminal of the battery is the same as the V between the - terminal and the + terminal of the battery.

[kalessin]

A lot of people have been tying to the rear-brake light 12vdc+ supply wire (check your wiring diagram to find the right wire color). You might get better voltage there.

[focus frenzy]

back to the original problem question.
the stator pages are flawed, the regulator test only test the rectifiers, it does not test the diode that actualy regulates the voltage.

have you tested your meter?? it could be reading wrong!!!

[crc1214]

It's reading correctly. I've got an old-skool analog meter that I compared it with, dead on. The battery in it is almost brand new.

Regarding the Electrex chart...... I always test my R/R units using the old-school methods outlined in the manuals (written in the era of analog meters) with an ANALOG meter - that's VERY important.

I strongly caution (and Electrex actually cautions as well) against using a digital meter if using methods outlined in factory or even Clymer manuals. Those methods were written in the era of analog meters, and using a digital meter sometimes gives false readings.

Check this out.

http://republika.pl/reg_mot/index_pliki/Diode_test.pdf#search='electrex%20diode%20testing'

[Boondocks]

It's reading correctly. I've got an old-skool analog meter that I compared it with, dead on. The battery in it is almost brand new.

Regarding the Electrex chart...... I always test my R/R units using the old-school methods outlined in the manuals (written in the era of analog meters) with an ANALOG meter - that's VERY important.

I strongly caution (and Electrex actually cautions as well) against using a digital meter if using methods outlined in factory or even Clymer manuals. Those methods were written in the era of analog meters, and using a digital meter sometimes gives false readings.

Check this out.

http://republika.pl/reg_mot/index_pliki/Diode_test.pdf#search='electrex%20diode%20testing'

My reading of the Elextrex advice is that the information in the old manuals was written for analog meters and is now outmoded. Elextrex does not recommend using analog meters and the old test procedure, but using a digital meter using the diode check scale to confirm the diode function.

I prefer to use a digital meter.

[SqDancerLynn1]

Another post you can check

http://www.thegsresources.com/_forum/showthread.php?t=65159&highlight=Regulator+Modification

[crc1214]

My reading of the Elextrex advice is that the information in the old manuals was written for analog meters and is now outmoded. Elextrex does not recommend using analog meters and the old test procedure, but using a digital meter using the diode check scale to confirm the diode function.

I prefer to use a digital meter.

Yeah, I worded that kind of wierd.....

I prefer to "double check" against the digital meter when I can. For that, I use the old procedures with an analog meter.

I don't think it matters what procedure you use, but the meter you use does matter. For procedures in factory and Clymer/Haynes manuals, use an analog meter. For the electrex chart, use a digital meter.

[ruddy]

I had the same problem. I solved it by getting an Electrix regulator from Dennis Kirk. It gives me up to a max of 14.5 volts. Works for me.