Electrex Stator & Regulator/Rectifier Failures

[Anonymous]

Has anyone experienced charging system problems AFTER installing Electrex components?
My wifes GS1100G had 495 miles on the new stator and RR befroe it stranded her 100 miles into a 1500 mile vacation.
Just this weekend my GS1100G with 5000+ miles on it broke down and it appears to be the RR. Hopefully not the stator too.
My other concern is my GS850G which also has an Electrex stator and RR with 1700+ miles.
All of these units were purchased in the last 11 months and installed by the Suzuki dealer. (don't know if that's good or bad, but he's done good work in the past).
I would appreciate any and all replys.
Thanks,
Bob Young
GS850G/GS1100G
bytes88@tco.net

[SqDancerLynn1]

before condeming the Electrex components You need to check the system. CHECK the 20 year old wiring maybe just bad connection. Did the shop re wire/repair connections or just replace parts??

[Hap Call]

SqDancerLynn1 makes a good point - connections and poor grounds in a 20 year old electrical system can cause charging failure even if you have brand new electrical componets. But if it is one of the componets, I understand that Electrex is very good about following up on customer problems.

Hap

[Hap Call]

SqDancerLynn1 makes a good point - connections and poor grounds in a 20 year old electrical system can cause charging failure even if you have brand new electrical componets. But if it is one of the componets, I understand that Electrex is very good about following up on customer problems.

Hap

[Anonymous]

Electrical Failure

Check all the connections.

Afriend in Tacoma, WA owns an aftermarket shop, rides a Yam XS650 (my other vice). His 650 did a meltdown of the main wiring harness this past winter while not running, just sitting in the garage. Dirty connections caused a short, let the smoke out of the wires.

Clean connections, dielectric grease them, then check resistance, etc.

The Electrex stator and RR on my GS have been in service a year and about 10,000 miles now without a prob.

I don't know much but I'm learning every day.

[Anonymous]

I just replaced both the stator and R/R on my 1982 GS650GL with Electrex replacements. The voltmeter, I mounted on my Vetter Fairing, is still doing weird things. At lower rpm is fine 13-14 volts, then around 4000rpm it flakes right out below zero, then around 5000rpm it reads 15-16 volts above that it reads 17+ volts. I know voltmeters are pretty unreliable but-----. I have checked the wiring several times, and yes I did find places where the insulation had rubbed bare. Also the multi connectors all needed a good cleaning. One was too close to the top of the engine and melted into a solod block. This I had to cut out and resolder the wires together. I will try a diferent voltmeter but I suspect the wiring still.
Its just as well I enjoy tinkering as much as riding my GS.

[Anonymous]

A good shop will look for trouble

I agree with all that's said here regarding old wiring. When I brought my bike in for the initial rebuild, the service manager advised me to let them go over the entire system to check for bad wires or connections. Now with more than 3500 miles on the bike since then I have had no problem with it except for a coil that went south.
Check all those grounds, connections and wire bundles.
GY

[Anonymous]

wireing

If your stator is still ok take two pieces of no 10 guage wireing and twist them together and tin and soilder a ring terminal on both ends then run this from the neg post to the frame . The ground cablerunning to the back of your motor should be clean at both ends use dielectric grease at the connections. Take the stator wires apart from their connectors and soilder them directly to the reg leads.It makes no difference about the colors,they all carry the same AC voltage. Next take the red wire coming from the reg. unit and go directly to the battery pos terminal.then run the ground wire from the reg. unit to the neg post If your battery is a good one and you keep it topped off and the oil level full your bike will carry you for years with out this problem.I ride a 1982 1100g with 72,000miles on it and I learned this the hard way. I still use the stock reg. unit and haven'thad any problems in a long time I will be traveling to the natural bridge in upper Va. this comming weekin and the charging system isn't even a concern. Good luck

[Anonymous]

Electrex Stators and Regulator/Rectifier Failure


Thanks for the info. I talked to Ritzo at Electrex this a.m. and he mentioned the same thing(s). But I forgot to ask: ALL electrical connections? OR only those connecting the charging circuit? I'm familiar with wiring and grounds and their importance from my trade (telephoney); and I also have two enlargements of the wiring diagrams for the GS1100G; one from the owners manual and one from a Clmer's manual. They have helped in the past. And I'm prepared to remove the tank (I've got the side panels and headlight shell apart now), I just want to get the thing running again soon before my trip in September (3500 miles from home) and I don't want to wonder when the next failure will be.
As far as cleaning the connections, I would use fine steel wool or emery cloth or sand paper. Any other suggestions? Dialectric grease? Where do you usually buy that? Auto parts store (NAPA)?
I'm sure the shop just diaganosed the trouble; told me what parts to get and will re-install the new stator and RR. I'm sure they won't take the time to trouble shoot the connections and make any repairs other than tose necessary to replace the stator and RR.
But, thanks for the replys. It's frustrating to have a bike you enjoy this much fail when you just want to ride. OK, I'm cheap.....I don't have a money tree for the newest and fastest.....I actually enjoy the GS's. I've had the GS850G since '86 and don't want it to go the same way as the other two.
Thanks again,
Bob Young
GS850G/GS1100G
bytes88@tco.net

[SqDancerLynn1]

What you might try is to eliminate other possibilities Try wiring your stator direct to the Reg/rect to see if it will work without going thru the rest of the wiring harnes

[argonsagas]

Check them ALL?

Yes. ALL.

You know you have problems, so why stop short? (pun intended)

If you have a 3500 mile trip planned, and you are already doing some of the work, then complete it. Your bike will be better off and you will feel assured.

[Anonymous]

Checking ALL of the connections is a very good idea. It only takes a single high resistance connection to cause problems. Especially check connections that are not fiddled with very often, such as fairings and light bulbs. I had my left side blinkers start to blow all the time. I found heavy corrosion inside the bottom of the saddle bag on that side. Cleaned it up and have never blown a bulb yet (1+ year).

[Anonymous]

Regarding my previous post about the voltmeter on my bike. I did a test run with my multi meter taped on and the terminals attached to the battery terminals. The multi meter read a steady 14volts at all engine rpm. This confirms that my voltmeter is shot and also talking to different auto mechanics, and as mentioned in one of the tech columns in one of the national bike magazines recently, voltmeters are not to be trusted unless you pay a lot of money for one. They are a guide not a measure.