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Charging problem has me stumped


Furbird

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Here's the situation. About 6-8 months ago my rectifier took a dump on a Patriot Guard mission. I got another stock one from Bajjer and put it in and also ordered an R1 rectifier. I figured, the stock one lasted from 2000-2006, this new stock one should last plenty long enough and I can have the R1 one just in case. Well, this past weekend it happened again, but this is a little different.

At idle up to about 4500 RPM's, the battery will either not charge or barely charge, the dash lights stay dim, the horn doesn't work (just a little weak beep sound), and anytime the cooling fan comes on the HID starts strobing then shuts off (safety feature built into the HID unit). If you stay above 4500, everything is fine. I've been a lazy butt and never did the harness repair on my bike, so I figured that probably has something to do with it, as I have had an intermittent FI light a few times over the past couple of years. Sure enough, I pulled the bike down tonight, and it was corroded. So I fixed all of that, but I'm still having the same problem.

I've checked continuity between all the connectors on the stator at the rectifier and I have continuity (did not check it to ground yet though). The thing is though, if it was the rectifier, shouldn't it just not work at all, not intermittently like it's doing? Does anybody know what the ohm readings are supposed to be between the terminals on the stator so I can make sure that it's correct? Anybody got any other ideas as to what it could be?

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exskibum sent me an excellent trouble shooting flow chart when I bought an R1 r/r from him. Might pm him.

Also, sounds like your battery could be the problem. Do you have another to put in to give a try. I recently had a new one---less than two weeks old---that you could put a volt meter on and it would show 12.8 volts---turn the key on--everything went dead---including the clock. Never had that before---hope no one else does either---------happy trails kel

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I was originally thinking battery too, but now I'm thinking otherwise. When it died, I got a couple of guys to push me off. I rode back to the trailer (about 20 miles) and by then the battery was charged back up because I kept the RPM's around 5g's the whole way back. I cranked the bike once I got back home (about 2.5 hours later) with no issues. I cranked it last night (it's been sitting since this past Saturday) with no issues. If it was the battery, it wouldn't have started. Also, with a multimeter on the battery, you can see that it is not charging below 4500 at all, as the entire bike is running off of battery power alone. Once you get around 4500 the voltage increases to high 12's, low 13's. Once you drop below 4500, the voltage drops down at a consistent rate, until eventually stuff starts shutting off (headlight, gauges, etc.).

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Good luck on finding the problem. The flow chart linked above is the one I used and it worked great.

Happy trails kel

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It just sounds like only one section of the rectifier is working. Then it does not have sufficient output till you get more revs, no suprise there, that would give those symptoms. The big danger is that if the rectifier shorts instead of open circuits you might burn the stator.

A bad stator cannot harm a R/R, but a bad R/R can ruin a stator. Just replace it and I'll bet everything is fine.

If not then check the stator with a meter that can measure the low resistence.

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Follow that diagnostic chart precisely and check the alternator (stator) output. Make

sure you are seeing 50+ VAC on each of the three windings. It sounds a little like maybe

you've lost one winding in the stator. If the three windings read good, then it is most

likely the R/R. When my stator went, it first manifested itself as low charge voltage,

then went to no charge voltage. None of the winding produced more than 10VAC on

my burned out stator.

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Follow that diagnostic chart precisely and check the alternator (stator) output. Make

sure you are seeing 50+ VAC on each of the three windings. It sounds a little like maybe

you've lost one winding in the stator. If the three windings read good, then it is most

likely the R/R. When my stator went, it first manifested itself as low charge voltage,

then went to no charge voltage. None of the winding produced more than 10VAC on

my burned out stator.

I'd pop the cover and look at the stator. If it's fried it will be obvious. A well known Honda issue. The 04 1000RR's are dropping like dead crows. I'd wanna look at it if it were mine.

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Well, following the flow chart, I have come to the stopping point at a bad stator. Ran the bike to 5g's and checked AC voltage output. None of them put out the same voltage (which means a bad stator), and one set of wires put out a grand total of 1.2 volts! That sucks, as I'm 99.9% sure that none of the local dealers are going to have it in stock, which means I'll be waiting a week by the time I get it ordered online and shipped. I have close access to 4 dealers, so I'll be blowing up the phone tomorrow morning and praying somebody has it, regardless of the price. Cheapest I've found online so far is 158.63 from mrcycles.com for part #31120-MAT-E01 which they are showing to be the correct part for the 99 model. I'll also need the gasket, but if push comes to shove I can invent something if the stator is available locally.

I've got to find that new Yamaha R1 rectifier I have because I'm going to go ahead and put it on while I've got the bike in about 15 pieces. I sure do wish somebody made an upgraded stator that puts out more power because now would definitely be the time to do it.

Oh yeah. To prevent future discharged battery problems (and not have to get pushed off by Harley guys) I disassembled an old jump pack I had and have it permanently installed on the bike. No shit. It also has 36" long cables on it so I can jump off other bikes if need be. I don't plan on ever having to use it, but it sure is nice to know it's back there!

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