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Buell Forum » XBoard » Archive through October 20, 2011 » Starter, voltage regulator, alternator, or battery?.... « Previous Next »

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Iman501
Posted on Sunday, August 21, 2011 - 10:40 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Custodian/Admin only)

So went out riding today, made it about 60 miles out into BFE using twisties roads. then I stopped to take a picture, and when I went to start the bike again, I got "click click click". well a guy pulled up and helped me push start it, I made it to a gas station barely with it bogging down and hiccuping. At the gas station I found a guy with jumper cables and jumped the bike, and took off again. I'd make it about 2 miles or so before I had to find somebody to jump me again, all in all I had to get jumped about 9 times to make it home. My battery won't hold a charge so I'm thinking I need a new alternator, and maybe a new battery.

How can I test to see if my alternator is toast, or is it a more eerily problem?...

BTW its an 03 9R
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Terrys1980
Posted on Sunday, August 21, 2011 - 11:02 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Custodian/Admin only)

You can do the smell test by opening the primary inspection cover and taking a wiff.

Check the resistance of the stator. Disconnect the voltage regulator connector which is located under the sprocket cover. Check all 3 phases of the stator to ground with a meter. They should read pretty much infinite.

With the bike running check the AC voltage coming out of the stator on pins 1-2, 2-3, and 1-3. It should be 32-40 volts AC @ 2k rpm or 16-20 volts AC per 1000 rpm.



(Message edited by TerryS1980 on August 21, 2011)
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Cataract2
Posted on Monday, August 22, 2011 - 02:39 am:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Custodian/Admin only)

Smell test is easiest. If it smells like burnt popcorn then your stator just fried.
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Andymnelson
Posted on Monday, August 22, 2011 - 09:01 am:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Custodian/Admin only)

Start with the easy:

1) give the battery a full charge, then take it to an auto parts store to have it load tested.
2) if the battery checks out ok, then do the smell test
3) if the smell test checks out ok (when my stator fried, it only burnt out 1 node and did not smell at all), then do the above mentioned stator tests. They really are pretty sway tests.
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Gentleman_jon
Posted on Monday, August 22, 2011 - 03:38 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Custodian/Admin only)

This subject has been thoroughly covered, and a Google search of the Knowledge Vault on this site will uncover a wealth of material.

The electrical system on the Buell, and most other motorcycles, is marginal, at best, as the constraints of size, weight and cost all preclude a really adequate system of the sort of reliability of any normal car.

In addition, the wiring of the Buells is a bit below average, which doesn't help.

I mention that here, because in the photo thoughtfully posted by Terry above, one can easily see the location of the failure prone connector #77, (#5 above).

This connector and associated wiring is undersized, causing the connection from the voltage regulator to fail to get to the battery in order to charge it.

Checking and replacing this connector if necessary is always a good idea when trouble shooting the charging system.

Once you have the stator, regulator, wiring and battery all operating properly, may I suggest that keeping the bike on a Battery Tender if at all possible is an excellent idea, because the stator and regulator really only work correctly into a fully charged battery, ie: one that reads 12.7 volts or more at rest, with the key off.

There is a constant drain on the battery from the bikes own electronics, so that it is very easy for the battery to go below this level. At 12 volts it is really discharged.

When everything is working properly, you should see 14.4 volts on the battery terminals with the engine turning 2000 rpm or so.

Just remember that a healthy charging system requires that battery, stator, regulator and wiring are all in good shape, failure of any one, leads to the failure of the others.
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Iman501
Posted on Tuesday, August 23, 2011 - 09:42 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Custodian/Admin only)

so if i do the AC output test, and it passes that with all the numbers being good is it safe to say that my alternator is good?
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Gentleman_jon
Posted on Wednesday, August 24, 2011 - 02:57 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Custodian/Admin only)

Yes.

Now the three other things to check are the regulator, the wiring and the battery.

Since your battery has been run flat a couple of times, even if the charging system is working, it probably wont' hold a charge. These batteries are very small, and easy to ruin.

As mentioned above, fully charge it, then load test it.

There is no easy test for the regulator, but I would take a look at connection #77 and measure the voltage there with the regulator and battery connected. You should get 14 to 14.5 volts with the battery connected and the engine running at about 2000 rpm.

If that is working, then you need to take a close look at #77. Very commonly burnt out. Mine was. Replace if at all doubtful.

Now reconnect and check voltage at battery with engine running, you should see 14-14.5 volts.
With the battery rested overnight, and the key off, you should see 12.7 to 13 volts.
With the key on, you should see 12.4 volts. 12 volts means your battery can't hold a charge, replace battery.

The most common problem is burn connector #77, bad battery, bad regulator, and bad stator in that order.

Also check the ground wire from the battery to the frame. This needs to be clean an tight for the whole system to work. Kind of hard to find.

Good luck, let us know.
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Buellistic
Posted on Tuesday, October 18, 2011 - 09:14 am:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Custodian/Admin only)

If you run your PRIMARY CHAIN "TOO TIGHT" it causes excessive heat on your STATOR/ROTOR and excessive HEAT kills electronic parts !!!

The FACTORY SERVICE MANUAL is "WRONG" !!!

PRIMARY CHAIN ADJUSTMENT Class 101, just PM me for a copy ...

Iam Noone'
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