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Buell Forum » 1125R Superbike Board » Archives 001 » Archive through May 19, 2011 » Dramatic charging improvement, for less than 5$ « Previous Next »

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Ridenusa4l
Posted on Monday, May 16, 2011 - 12:57 am:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Custodian/Admin only)

after following the advise in this thread

http://www.badweatherbikers.com/buell/messages/290 431/601431.html?1288005217

and putting a 4GA. ground wire from the voltage regulator to the frame my voltage went from ranging from 11.5-12.5 to 13.2-14.2, EVEN WITH THE BRIGHTS ON AT IDLE....its amazing the improvement it makes and with how easy and cheap it to do,that it couldnt hurt to try, i get NO MORE BATTERY LIGHT!!

Jake

(Message edited by ridenusa4l on May 16, 2011)
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Jules
Posted on Monday, May 16, 2011 - 03:11 am:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Custodian/Admin only)

EVERYONE should do this!! NO MORE BATTERY LIGHT!

That's your opinion... you should state it as an opinion NOT a fact.

Re-posting disputed information on the internet is an issue, I'm glad it's done something for you but what you are stating is your opinion that everyone should do this and that it'll fix everyone's battery light problems which is inaccurate.
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Bueller4ever
Posted on Monday, May 16, 2011 - 05:21 am:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Custodian/Admin only)

Yep, made no difference with my bike.
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Ridenusa4l
Posted on Monday, May 16, 2011 - 05:42 am:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Custodian/Admin only)

fair enough i will change it, i just figured that whats the harm in adding efficiency when its at most 5$...

Jake
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Jules
Posted on Monday, May 16, 2011 - 06:06 am:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Custodian/Admin only)

Cheers Jake - sorry if it looked as though I was giving you a hard time.

Just out of interest did you just add the 4GA wire to the VR mounting point and then run it either to the -ve terminal of the battery or somewhere else on the frame?

Considering the actual body of the VR unit has no earth connection (electrically) it's always seemed a bit odd that for some folk this does something..
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1_mike
Posted on Monday, May 16, 2011 - 11:23 am:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Custodian/Admin only)

Made no difference to the voltage indication on mine either.

I used a #10 wire and went to the neg. battery term.

Mike
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Dannybuell
Posted on Monday, May 16, 2011 - 01:28 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Custodian/Admin only)

Made no difference to the voltage indication on mine either.

I used a #10 wire and went to the negative battery terminal.

My current opinion (pun intended) is no opinion, the wire is still there.
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Ridenusa4l
Posted on Monday, May 16, 2011 - 01:31 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Custodian/Admin only)

i just went into checkers and asked them for the biggest ground wire they had and it was a 4GA, i figured the more the better lol. Then i connected it JUST like the pic in the thread above. from the VR mounting bolt to the subframe, the ground wire's main function is to transfer heat from the VR to the subframe, so that it can run more efficiently, so far so good : )

no worries Jules!

Jake
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Syonyk
Posted on Monday, May 16, 2011 - 02:14 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Custodian/Admin only)

Your ground wire shouldn't be transferring heat...

I did a writeup on this over on another board, but I actually sat down with a voltmeter and the various points.

On my 08, there was zero potential difference between the VR case and the subframe. Grounding the VR to the subframe accomplishes nothing.

However, there was a moderate voltage difference (0.02v IIRC) between the subframe and the battery ground.

Adding an additional ground from the subframe to the battery negative terminal *did* seem to have some benefits. Under extended idle, my voltage previously would drop to 11.9 or 11.8, and after this modification, I seldom see below 12.3v (long periods will drop it to 12.2v, but I've almost never seen below that).

If you go from the VR to the battery negative terminal, you're effectively adding another ground to the subframe, and it may help.

If you go from the VR to the subframe, you're likely not accomplishing much.

At least based on my measurements.

I'd be interested to hear what other people have found for voltage drops between various points and/or resistance (measured with the bike off).
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Bman12r
Posted on Monday, May 16, 2011 - 04:10 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Custodian/Admin only)

Interesting topic/reading. Electrical problems are a PITA to diagnose. Coincidentally, I have a Mitchell-On-Demand technical service bulletin that was issued by GM for diagnosing any mysterious electrical problems on any GM vehicle from 2011 and previous. I have an intermittent dead (no electrical) dash board and interior systems on my GF's Pontiac. Basically, the report refers to a condition that GM calls "fretting corrosion". This is a buildup of nonconductive insulating oxidized debris occurring between two electrical contact surfaces. Caused by: vibration, heat cycling, poor connection/loose terminals, etc.
Fix: clean connections and a light layer of Dialectric Lubricant

Don't know how this applies to a bad stator, but a LOT of electrical problems are related to bad connections and bad grounds.
FWIW
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Boohoo
Posted on Monday, May 16, 2011 - 04:19 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Custodian/Admin only)

I read in the link above that they have not had a stator go when the harness was installed on a new bike. Mine was and mine did. The harness (imho) is a placebo.
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Bueller4ever
Posted on Monday, May 16, 2011 - 05:18 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Custodian/Admin only)

I agree Boohoo, it's a placebo or rather a shot in the dark that missed. I removed mine.
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Jules
Posted on Monday, May 16, 2011 - 06:09 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Custodian/Admin only)

Well in my opinion (as we're sharing LOL) it's not a placebo as it does actually do something OK so it's not a "fix" but it is a reasonably clever piece of kit (especially considering how little it cost to develop).

IMHO it will extend the life of the stator, possibly at the expense of other other components (the jury is still out) but it does make the charging system marginal under certain circumstances (city riding in particular).

For some people it does work, for others it makes things worse, it all depends on where (and to a degree how) you ride.

If you lived in a cold climate and rode predominantly highway miles it'd be ideal.. In hot weather, in the city - not so much.

I'm happy to leave mine in place for the moment as I ride predominantly highway/high speed miles and the charging system gets a chance to recover.

If my riding circumstances change I'll revisit the decision...

I dount think it's a true fix, but it's better than nothing (IMHO)
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Zac4mac
Posted on Monday, May 16, 2011 - 11:32 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Custodian/Admin only)

An Anony said the R/R case is ungrounded. that much I know, I read it here.
I have not checked myself so I won't say it's so, but there's a VERY high probability. All Anony posts have high veracity historically.

That being said, a ground wire ONLY serves as an electrical component, not a thermal one.
Better thermal grounding is a GOOD idea but is not accomplished with a wire, not even a big one.

Placebos work(on perception of effect), it's scientifically proven fact.

Z
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Ridenusa4l
Posted on Tuesday, May 17, 2011 - 01:26 am:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Custodian/Admin only)

i was merely going off of what i heard, and so far it can idle with the brights on while running a GPS and gauges brightness all the way with an alarm system for 10mins+ (figured it was enough proof lol) without the battery light coming on....and before i couldnt go 10secs...ive had 3 stators and ALL of them had that problem, after the ground ALL is where it should be. I do NOT know how or why but its working and im NOT complaining : )

FWIW
Jake
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Dcmortalcoil
Posted on Tuesday, May 17, 2011 - 01:39 am:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Custodian/Admin only)

Bypassing the OEM R/R wiring/connector and directly connecting the output from the R/R to the battery maybe the solution.
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Dirty_john
Posted on Tuesday, May 17, 2011 - 02:00 am:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Custodian/Admin only)

This will only have had an effect if your bike has a poor earth path back to the battery from the R/R. I tried this on my 09 1125R (which has a measured good earth path) and there was no effect the voltage displayed at the IC whatsoever.
But every little helps and I left this auxilary earth connected.
As with all matters electrical it pays to check every single connector etc for resistance and continuity.
I changed to an FH0012AA R/R and so far so good, this will not stop the cooling issue of the stator at low rpm, that's what the quick fix harnesss/ECU mod is for but the OEM Ducati Electronica R/R may not be able to handle the greater 09 stator output for continuous operation.
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Americanmadexb
Posted on Tuesday, May 17, 2011 - 04:02 am:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Custodian/Admin only)

According to our best inside sources at H-D, although many stators have failed due to damage incurred by running hot prior to the update, they have found no actual failures on new stators that have spent their life with the new wiring harness update.



False

I have seen many Stators fail with harness uprgrade, including mine.

Mine went out on me last month. Harness was installed around 400 miles. Went out around 5,100.

From what i see, majority of these stators go out between 3500-6000 miles with or without the harness upgrade.
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Boohoo
Posted on Tuesday, May 17, 2011 - 11:45 am:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Custodian/Admin only)

Harness installed with 9 miles stator failed 3300 miles. rpm's kept above 4.5k with very little time spent in traffic at idle.
The hardly tech said "we have seen a bunch we don't no what the problem is and Erik Buell does not have an answer" his words not mine.
I don't think anyone really has one yet I'm following the rewind posts but we shall see

(Message edited by boohoo on May 17, 2011)
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