Charging issues

[HobieSun]

Very irritated right now. I just put in the second new voltage regulator and it is still not charging correctly. I went by the book and checked out the alternator, it checked out. Checked out the new voltage regulator and it was shot. Now I have a second new one in and it is still not charging. I guess that I will have to take the POS off and do a bench test on it. The only thing that I don't get if the Alternator isn't working (or if it isn't) the regulator is getting pretty hot, like you can't hold your finger on it for more then 5 seconds. I am so tired of messing with this thing!
1980 GS750L
New battery,New regulator, last time checked the alt checked out. :?

[HobieSun]

According to the book, well they really don't show how to check the regulator on the L models. Because the Reg/Rectifier are combined I guess. I ran the test on the rectifier but I am not sure if that bench test is even worthy or not. Either way, checking the resistance from all of the probes turned out good, until I switched the probes and they all showed bad so I don't know if I can go by this or not. Anyone?

[Steve]

When you do the check, then reverse the probes, you are not really measuring RESISTANCE. You are checking for current flow through a DIODE, which is an electrical check valve...it only lets current flow in one direction. Therefore, if you are seeing a reading in one direction, but not the other, THAT'S GOOD.

It is only improbable, not impossible, to have two bad regulators, so something else is likely the culprit.
You checked all three phases of the stator for continuity?
You checked all three phases of the stator for shorts to ground?
You checked all three phases of the alternator for AC voltage, and they were close to each other?

If the generating part and the rectifying part are good, check the battery and its connections. Make sure the rectifier/regulator is connected to a GOOD ground and has a good connection to the battery.

How good is the battery itself? If it is toast, it will screw up all efforts in trying to charge it, making you think everything else is wrong.


.

[HobieSun]

Yes, I realize that diodes only let current go in one direction. I guess I should have worded it differently. When I checked for continuity with the ground probe to the ground and the positive probe to the regulator it had continuity as it is supposed to. When I reversed the probes, (red to ground) and retested the regulator, it again had continuity. The book doesn't say to test it like this. In fact, for the year and model it doesn't even say how to test it, just the alternator. So I don't know if I can really go by this test or not.

As far as the alternator goes, they where all really close to each other. For TSCC models it shows its supposed to be 80AC volts. I have to recheck for the continuity and short to grounds.

The battery is about a month old, and the bike runs pretty good after I have it on the trickle charger, after long rides and after I haven't charged it, it runs funky. It doesn't want to take off under load, throttle response is very lax until it jabs back into life. I am going to go mess with the Alt now. Thanks for your input and please if you have any other ideas let me know.

[HobieSun]

Well, I just checked the AC volts from the yellow, white/blue, and white/green wires. All were way below spec. I swear that when I checked them after I installed the new regulator last time that it was fine, I couldn't get them much above 50v, 30v lower then spec. I also noticed that the white/blue wire was getting very hot. I will have to trace that one down and see why. As well, the regulator gets quite hot. It doesn't really make any sense to me that if the alt wasn't putting out what it is supposed to that the reg would be getting hot. Who knows, maybe its no volts and all amps. Either way, the white/green wire connection was fried and the white/blue wire was working on it. I rewired the white/green and it wasn't getting hot anymore. I guess it is time to put a !$%#*& stator in. Any theories?

[crc1214]

I feel your pain. I actually like tinkering with mechanical stuff, but tinkering with electrical stuff is a real pain. But it's not the end of the world, and won't be as expensive as you might think. The real fault of the GS charging system is the regulator/rectifier units, not the stators. Any kind of corrosion in the connections in your charging system wiring and the reg/rect tends to fry. Some are lucky enough to catch it and replace it, most don't find out anything is wrong until it takes out the stator as well and they find out there's insufficient charge going to the battery.

I am 90% sure I have not only a working stator and a reg/rect unit from a Honda CX500 (SH-232 model) that will fit your bike (you will have to splice the wires together though), but I also will 100% guarantee these parts are in fine working order.
I get windy during these forums, as I lead a very sheltered life and this is my only form of written communication, so I will be as brief as I can until you provide answers to the following riddle.....

1. Is your bike indeed a 1980 GS750L model? I'm trying to look up some info on the electrex site for stator fitment info, and they list the 77-79 and 81-83 models, but say nothing about the 80 models. Does it have round cam cover ends (8 valve models) or square ones (16 valve models)?

Anyhow, point is... if we find out this stator will fit your bike you can have it and the reg/rect unit for chump change.

The biggest thing right now is getting the cover off, getting the stator out and ordering a new gasket. Use a torch to break the bond on the screws holding the stator and stator wiring in the cover, as they are held in with loc-tite.

Have you ever removed a stator cover before? The magnetic force will freak you out - just pull it off straight and don't get wigged out if a couple of washers and 2 miniature sprockets fall out..... seriously, it's not a big deal.

Chad

[HobieSun]

Ok, I just removed the stator, everything looks ok, nothing obvious. I checked the continuity in all three wires, everything seems ok as far as that goes. YtoW/B 1.7, W/G to W/B 1.2, W/G to Y 1.2

So other then when I did the voltage test, the book says that there should be 80AC volts and there was only about 45 to 50 ac volts. Is there any other bench test that I can do to it?

[mixongw]

If your stator voltage is low, that can still be the R/R causing it by loading it down. From your resistance measurements, it sounds to me like your stator is good. I would suggest getting a R/R from a Honda. Shindengen SH232-12 or SH532-12 work great. The R/R that came on these bikes are barely marginal with regard to their capacity. It wouldn't suprise me at all that you have another bad one. All my charging problems went away after installing the Shindengen. Check out Ebay. There is also a thread on here about building your own from scratch. I'm not sure if it works or not.

[HobieSun]

So you think that I got two bad voltage Regulators?

[mixongw]

So you think that I got two bad voltage Regulators?

It sure sounds like it to me.

[HobieSun]

How can the Regulator hold it down when it isn't pluged into the reg? In the book it says to disconnect the yellow, w/b, and w/g wire and then check the voltage between all wires. The book says if it is lower then 80 volts then the stator is bad. I may possibly have another bad regulator, it may have been taken out by the stator, but according to the book its a bad stator.

[mixongw]

How can the Regulator hold it down when it isn't pluged into the reg? In the book it says to disconnect the yellow, w/b, and w/g wire and then check the voltage between all wires. The book says if it is lower then 80 volts then the stator is bad. I may possibly have another bad regulator, it may have been taken out by the stator, but according to the book its a bad stator.

I'm sorry. I wasn't reading the procedure. You are correct. Obviously, if the regulator isn't plugged in, it can't load the stator. (Duh.)

[duaneage]

checked the continuity in all three wires, everything seems ok as far as that goes. YtoW/B 1.7, W/G to W/B 1.2, W/G to Y 1.2

A good stator reads .5 - .8 ohms. Over 1 ohm and it's bye bye.

[HobieSun]

Yeah, I started thinking that I should have asked what the norm is on those. 1.7 didn't seem to excessive to me but my book doesn't show a bench test on the stator, just the A/C voltage test which it failed horribly. Thanks everyone. I hope that it didn't take out the new regulator as well.

Has anyone had any problems with "Ricks Electric"? That is who Dennisk Kirk uses heavily and who the regulator and soon to be in the mail stator will probably be coming from. Thanks again. [-o<

[HobieSun]

Ok, Changed out the stator and after a new regulator (2) and a new stator it is still not charging. The only thing that I can think of to do is to tear it down and check every inch of wiring. I fixed one of the main wires W/G that had a problem before I started changing parts on this pain, but I am thinking that there must be more. I am not sure what else to do. Starting to lose it![-o<