spicholy Posted June 28, 2010 Share Posted June 28, 2010 On my way home from work today the tachometer on my '99 went to zero. No jumping around, just dropped to zero. Speedometer was cool. No FI light. I just checked voltages. Standing not running: 13.17, Idle: 13.15, 5000 rpm: 14.61 and the tach dropped to zero again. I then took off the rear cowl to check voltages for the stator. When I pulled the boot off the connectors I found the following: Being as this is the connector from/to the stator, should I assume it is toast? Or is it the R/R that caused it? I have a PCII and HID low beam if that is in question. This fucking SUCKS! I just got her on the road with new shoes after having to wait a month. Any help from the various Gurus would be appreciated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keith Posted June 28, 2010 Share Posted June 28, 2010 The burnt connector indicates the R/R was sucking too much current, for whatever reason (burned out R/R, battery taking too much current, etc.). If you pull that connector apart (if you still can) and get at the three yellow wires coming from the stator, start the bike and see what voltage you have between any two pairs of yellow wires. Should be around 50V AC at 5000 RPM. If you don't have that, then I suspect the stator and the R/R are toast. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spicholy Posted June 28, 2010 Author Share Posted June 28, 2010 The burnt connector indicates the R/R was sucking too much current, for whatever reason (burned out R/R, battery taking too much current, etc.). If you pull that connector apart (if you still can) and get at the three yellow wires coming from the stator, start the bike and see what voltage you have between any two pairs of yellow wires. Should be around 50V AC at 5000 RPM. If you don't have that, then I suspect the stator and the R/R are toast. Thank you. I had to break the connector apart. It was toast anyway. 14-15 volts between any three combination's of the three yellow wires at idle. 48-50 volts between all combinations of yellow wires at an estimated 5000 rpm being as the tach is not working. So, it looks like I need a new R/R correct? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John01XX Posted June 28, 2010 Share Posted June 28, 2010 bump for the Ones who know the correct answer I don't know! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hobicus Posted June 28, 2010 Share Posted June 28, 2010 I discovered a similar problem after I crashed. During dis-assembly, I found that that the center connector was fried. I did the standard stator test, comparing the AC voltage across the wires, and it was all good. Since the bike was charging OK before the crash, I assumed it was loose and had been arcing for a while. My solution was to do the cut and solder routine, removing the connectors themselves, soldering the wires together and eliminating the connector. Bike is charging perfectly now, reg/rect wasn't the problem, stator wasn't the problem, connector was the problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cbrxxquad Posted June 28, 2010 Share Posted June 28, 2010 Yeah, I agree with hobi, the equipment may be fine but the connector does not have enough tension to make a good connection and as such makes heat. Do the test to make sure, and either make some permanent connections, or replace the connector with some good ones, I got bad rr and stators form those who replaced theirs and spliced with solder and heat shrink. Was fine then. I think that if they get hot from being bent stuffing in the area, the tension on the spring gets weak. Once it get weak, it's toast...made a funny. Don't stuff it...and give it air..to stay cool. and maybe clean and dielectric grease. On a side, I tried every kind of standard connector to replace the stock ones, I got nothing to transfer the electricity, without heating and burning. Good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spicholy Posted June 29, 2010 Author Share Posted June 29, 2010 So would the tachometer stop working just due to a bad connection in the bundle? Or is it a separate issue? Is there a test to see if the R/R is o.k.? The stator tested o.k. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hobicus Posted June 29, 2010 Share Posted June 29, 2010 So would the tachometer stop working just due to a bad connection in the bundle? Or is it a separate issue? Is there a test to see if the R/R is o.k.? The stator tested o.k. Low battery = dead tach. Fully charge the battery before any other test Once you've got the stator connected and power flowing to the RR (solder or replace the connectors, in other words) the best test is to start the bike, take your electric meter and check the DC voltage at the battery. If it's 12.x at idle, and climbs to 14.x-15.0 when you rev it, the RR is working. If it doesn't climb, or goes over 15.0 (the manual says 15.5) then it's fried. Note that since the RR and the stator connectors are all part of the replacement RR, you're better off for testing purposes just using crimp quick disconnects for testing purposes. If you've got to replace the RR, you'd just have to solder them again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zero Knievel Posted June 29, 2010 Share Posted June 29, 2010 I learned from improper ballast placement that if you short your instrument cluster fuse, most all your instruments go dead. Check to see if you blew a fuse. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slowrideCX Posted June 29, 2010 Share Posted June 29, 2010 Brian If you put the crimp connectors on make sure to use dielectic grease on all the connections . I had a problem with my bike last year and while working on it discovered the wire coming from the RR to the solinoid was getting toasty due to bad connection. I rewired that portion of the harness and went over all my connections and cleaned them and applied dielectic grease to avoid this again. Good Luck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spicholy Posted June 29, 2010 Author Share Posted June 29, 2010 Thanks for all the information and encouragement guys! I am relieved that this may be an inexpensive fix. Hobi, I will use the temp connectors to test the R/R then solder it up tight if all checks out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silverbird1100 Posted June 29, 2010 Share Posted June 29, 2010 I caught mine just as it was starting to burn. EVERYONE! Check your connection!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spicholy Posted June 30, 2010 Author Share Posted June 30, 2010 Well, the splices are soldered in place and she is buttoned back up. All voltages check out according to Hobi's suggestions. I will see if anything else weird comes up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spicholy Posted July 1, 2010 Author Share Posted July 1, 2010 Well, she runs fine. But, I still have a strange issue with the tach. It reads zero for about the first 30-60 seconds after start up. Then it works fine. I am wondering if maybe there is a loose or corroded ground connector for it. Where does the tach. get its reading from? I guess I will probably have to take the front cowl off to get to the back of the dash now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ccriderXX Posted July 3, 2010 Share Posted July 3, 2010 Don't know what is going on with the Tach. But the connector issue was real common on '80s Honda Sabres and Magnas. Grit and dirt increase the resistance in the connector shell and it heats up and melts. On my Sabre I cut the connectors out and used solder and heat shrink to connect them. I had no other problems. I guess it does take a few more minutes to replace a regulator though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beestoys Posted July 5, 2010 Share Posted July 5, 2010 Here is a great link as well to help you check out the RR as well just to give you peace of mind Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
willxx23 Posted September 17, 2010 Share Posted September 17, 2010 Well you can add me to the "Cooked Connector" list, very new stator and R-1 RR but I did make use of the original connector's when I replaced the old. Guess I'll just strip, solder, heat shrink the wires straight through and see how that holds up, any update on how your's is doing Brian? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BarryG Posted September 17, 2010 Share Posted September 17, 2010 Maybe I should check mine since it's been awhile. I put a new R/R in there about a year and a half ago.....aftermarket one from an electronics co. someone recommended here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LogoMan Posted September 20, 2010 Share Posted September 20, 2010 My connector was fried, too. I replaced it with a terminal block that I velcro'd in place on the fender under the seat. All is well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spicholy Posted September 21, 2010 Author Share Posted September 21, 2010 Well you can add me to the "Cooked Connector" list, very new stator and R-1 RR but I did make use of the original connector's when I replaced the old. Guess I'll just strip, solder, heat shrink the wires straight through and see how that holds up, any update on how your's is doing Brian? All is running well. Even my tach is working well. Go figure. I just broke the connector apart and cleaned up the wires, soldered them together, heat shrink then electrical tape. So far so good. I guess it was just a corroded connector. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
willxx23 Posted September 21, 2010 Share Posted September 21, 2010 Well you can add me to the "Cooked Connector" list, very new stator and R-1 RR but I did make use of the original connector's when I replaced the old. Guess I'll just strip, solder, heat shrink the wires straight through and see how that holds up, any update on how your's is doing Brian? All is running well. Even my tach is working well. Go figure. I just broke the connector apart and cleaned up the wires, soldered them together, heat shrink then electrical tape. So far so good. I guess it was just a corroded connector. Great to hear, that's exactly what I'm going to do with mine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spicholy Posted September 26, 2010 Author Share Posted September 26, 2010 Well you can add me to the "Cooked Connector" list, very new stator and R-1 RR but I did make use of the original connector's when I replaced the old. Guess I'll just strip, solder, heat shrink the wires straight through and see how that holds up, any update on how your's is doing Brian? All is running well. Even my tach is working well. Go figure. I just broke the connector apart and cleaned up the wires, soldered them together, heat shrink then electrical tape. So far so good. I guess it was just a corroded connector. Great to hear, that's exactly what I'm going to do with mine. Well, how's it coming? Did you fix the old girl up yet? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
willxx23 Posted September 27, 2010 Share Posted September 27, 2010 Indeed I did, Now I am only getting 12.5 back at the battery,did I not solder the 3 wires from the stator in the correct sequence? Well you can add me to the "Cooked Connector" list, very new stator and R-1 RR but I did make use of the original connector's when I replaced the old. Guess I'll just strip, solder, heat shrink the wires straight through and see how that holds up, any update on how your's is doing Brian? All is running well. Even my tach is working well. Go figure. I just broke the connector apart and cleaned up the wires, soldered them together, heat shrink then electrical tape. So far so good. I guess it was just a corroded connector. Great to hear, that's exactly what I'm going to do with mine. Well, how's it coming? Did you fix the old girl up yet? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
willxx23 Posted September 29, 2010 Share Posted September 29, 2010 If anyone has a reasonably priced source for the OEM Stator and RR please let me know, I'm considering just shotgunning the whole works and being done with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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