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What To Do When Voltage Is Too High Or Low?


auggius

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Okay, so you've installed a voltmeter and you're out on a ride and far from home.

Scenario #1 : You see > 15V. The battery is getting overcharged. Do you disconnect the stator to r/r connector to protect your battery? So in effect you are running total loss and relying on the battery charge only. You could probably re-connect occasionally to charge up the battery.

Scenario #2 : You see < 12V. The battery is not getting charged. Do you unplug headlights, if possible, and disconnect other current draws such as heated gear? What else can you do?

Carrying a spare r/r might be a good idea since it is easy to swap out, a stator not so much. Any other thoughts or words of wisdom? I figure I may as well be able to do something other than curse at the voltmeter and give myself the best chance at success.

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Are you on the road and far from home?

Voltage north of 15.5 would start to worry me, and under 12.5. First step would be to find shade, have a seat, and let the RR cool off. My hope would be that the failure is not terminal, that it's just getting warm and losing the ability to do it's job.

If I'm really far away from home, and things are going really bad, I find a nice diner and call AAA. That way I can wait in A/C bliss. The reason I have a voltmeter on board is so I can identify problems early, stop one thing from effecting everything else, and address them at my choosing.

So that's what I would do.

And I do carry a spare RR.

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Oh boy I'm glad you didn't use the "C" word(current or even worst the "A" word amps)

Yeh I like your options ....

Are you talking to me or mk2davis?
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Oh boy I'm glad you didn't use the "C" word(current or even worst the "A" word amps)

Yeh I like your options ....

Are you talking to me or mk2davis?

Just in general not you specifically.

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Workshop manual states 15.5 V DC WITH HI-BEAMS ON... as the upper limit... and 12.something as cricital lower limit.

Yes, carry a spare R/R... spare stator is not a comfortable option for roadside repair but can be done with the bike on centrestand... on removing the alternator cover you will loose a small amount of oil... not enough to render the roadside repair job inviable... just a dribble.

I would park in the shade and remove the RHS fairing and check your Stator-to-R/R connector and other connectors and wiring in that área. Inspect for signs of browning and or burning. If you carry a multimeter you can easily run the battery, stator and R/R checks on the spot... resistance for yellow cable to ground (0.1 - 1.0 Ohms, outside this spec = dead stator), continuity between each yellow cable and ground (there should be no conitnuity, if there is = dead stator) and V AC output at 11.5 V AC per 1000 rpm approx. and all three yellow wires producing the same amount of V AC across the board, if each gives a different reading, bad news... even if two are the same and one is different it's bad news.

if it's just the connector arcing and burning out... remove it and use a universal screw-down type connector to replace it... if wires are browned or burnt, cut back to healthy wires and use two screw-down connectors and some fresh new wire of similar gauge or thicker to extend the length.

I would remove that connector now if I were you and harwire the three yellow phase wires with a screw-down connector or other more reliable type of connector.

I would also remove the POS yellow connector (or orange depending on your model of VFR), in the front subharness... look for a thread titled EURETHRA on here somewhere... or another titled BYC kentucky fried connector.

I would do the Green cable to ground fix as well for the blue connector in front of the RHS radiator.

If it's just the R/R, swap it out for your replacement one and keep an eye on the voltmeter... I would still remove the OEM connector from the new R/R and use a screw-down substitute... the OEM ones are famous for burning out after having been disconnected and reconnected just the once!!!

If the stator is bad... call roadside assistance or if you are mechanically minded and have tools, gasket goo, the new part and a length of thin fencing wire or strong string... 'cause when you pull the old stator, the wire that runs over to the R/R goes through the "valley" of the "V" of the engine, and unless you run an extensión from the new stator wires around the front of or over the engine, you can tie the fencing wire to the connector on the end of the stator wires and as you pull the connector through from the RHS to the LHS when removing the old stator, the fencing wire will get pulled through as well, then you tie the new stator connector to the fencing wire on the LHS and pull it through (carefully) the valley of the motor, pulling on the fencinng wire from the RHS... if you follow me.

You would need a number 5 or 6 torx head socket bit to remove the stator from the cover... and some blue loctite for bolting in the new one. The gasket usually comes off fairly well intact... just use some gasket goo where it might have broken (this will be required around the rubber grommet where the yellow wires leave the housing) as you'll have no choice but to cut the gasket there to get the old ires out and the new ones in.

It is tedious but easy and perfectly doable.

Then connect everything up and ride to your nearest mechanic's... get the battery load tested as it may have suffered and a fugged battery will only mean the quick death of your new stator and R/R...

I have done this on the road (well, in a shadey spot off the road) and if I can, anyone can.

Thing is a stator is a heavy thing to be hauling a spare around... depends on whether you have done all the wiring and connector fixes and trust the bike won't let you down.

An electronic engineer friend of mine was looking at the case where only one of the three yellow wires is giving out low voltaje or has communicated to ground and he figures you could cut that wire and tape the ends off and run the bike like that for some (limited) time to limp home or nearest equivalent.

Edited to correct stator tests.

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Brad - I believe you have two portions of your stator tests reversed. You should get no continuity to ground and small resistance between pairings of yellow wires.

If voltage is too high, run the high beams. If voltage is too low, kill all extra accessories and 1 headlight (especially if you unplug the stator....)

Don't forget to verify that your voltmeter is reading correctly...had one go bad mid ride and I thought I was getting 21 volts....

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Don't forget to verify that your voltmeter is reading correctly...had one go bad mid ride and I thought I was getting 21 volts....

Did ya get a warranty replacement? ;-)
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Stator failed on a 5 day group ride, I was seeing under 12v so I disconnected the headlights and road home from Northern California to the Seattle area. No problems for two days of riding home, even took the longer fun twisty route.

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Stator failed on a 5 day group ride, I was seeing under 12v so I disconnected the headlights and road home from Northern California to the Seattle area. No problems for two days of riding home, even took the longer fun twisty route.

Good save ! !

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It would be a good idea NOT to cut out the connectors from the stator to the RR or any other connectors. Jumper them with wires so that, under emergency conditions, you can plug in a new RR while on the road by cutting the jumpers and unplugging the RR connector to free the bad one. Then plug in the new RR without the jumpers, just until you get home, then redo the jumpers to bypass those crappy connectors.

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I noticed low voltage about 40 miles from home and turned around immediately. It was dropping fast so I stopped and yanked the fuse to my headlights. As I recall, when it got down to around 8V, that's when she died. I twice let the battery recover enough to get going again. I was able to get within one mile of home when she went DOA.

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If voltage is low, how is your battery recovering by stopping? I would be afraid that it wouldn't start up again and just keep going.

So was the low voltage due to a faulty stator or r/r?

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If voltage is low, how is your battery recovering by stopping? I would be afraid that it wouldn't start up again and just keep going.

So was the low voltage due to a faulty stator or r/r?

I would run it until it died. Sit on the side of the road for 20 minutes or so and try to start. If it fired, I kept going until it wouldn't do it anymore. It ruins the battery to do that, but I was already resigned to the fact that I would have to replace. It turned out I had a bad stator, but I replaced the R/R and battery along with it. The stator test in the manual won't always reveal a bad stator. Sometimes they have to get hot before the short will manifest itself.

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i have learned my lessons my driving across the USA solo.

over charged the bike in AZ.. in the middle of NOWHERE.. :pissed:

i mean.. sand , sky and the yellow ball the fries peoples minds... uumm umm SUN .

i was smart enough to carry stash bag full of stuff. and pepsi.. and energy bars..

bulbs popped! battery was boiled DRY! fuses blown! ALL OF THEM :blink:

r/r and stater relay connectors melted.. :blink::blink:

so after calming down and thinking about what to do. i replaced the starter and ignition fuses.. broke off the melted blocks..separated and taped the melted wires .. now i had a simple thing to deal with, a dead battery.. that was empty.

thinking fast. drank 1 liter of pepsi... and filled the battery about 30 min later...

and yeah baby! started right up!! :bliss:

i think there is something true about all those ladies finding me shockingly attractive .. :goofy:

so now i always have a spare on my bike , and did my harness mods and keep my grounds clean!. and i have tools :happy:

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IS THIS A COMMON FAILURE? MY BIKE IS ONLY 1200 MILES AND I PLAN A LONG TRIP ABOUT 2500 ROUND TRIP THIS IS MY FIRST VFR 1200 DCT, I CHANGE OIL AND FILTERS AT 300 MILES FIRST TIME AND 650 SECOND TIME, I CONSIDER THE ENGINE BREAK-IN WAS DONE ALREADY. ALSO MY 1985 V-65 HAS 60,000 TROUBLE FREE MILES BUT THIS IS A DIFFERENT ENGINE I DON'T KNOW ALREADY.

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Excellent real-life experience and advice from Earthshake and gll429. This is the feedback I was hoping to get so that if (when???) it happens to me I'll know what to do. Although totally frying your electrical system like that gll249, you must not have had a voltmeter installed.

The charging system is a known weakness on the VFR. I don't know if it was addressed on the 1200. Most failures have manifested themselves after a lot more miles than what you have on your bike so you should be okay. The engines on the other hand, are very reliable and bullet proof.

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On my first '02 VFR I had 45k trouble free miles, replaced failed stator, weak battery, and R/R. Did some wire fixes. Then rode it trouble free for another 45k miles before selling it.

From what I have learned my plan for my present 6th gen. VFR is:

I replaced the prone to fail stator/R/R connector and the 30 amp fuse holder.

Radar detector has a good volt meter. Check system if voltage changes.

Keep charging system and ground connectors clean and use Ox Gard.

Keep battery on trickle charger, do not let battery get low charge.

Replace old weak battery before it completely dies. Weak battery puts more stress on whole charging system.

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Weak battery puts more stress on whole charging system.

Why is that?

It takes more amps to charge a worn out battery, I have noticed that is when I have had over heating connector problems.

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I noticed low voltage about 40 miles from home and turned around immediately. It was dropping fast so I stopped and yanked the fuse to my headlights. As I recall, when it got down to around 8V, that's when she died. I twice let the battery recover enough to get going again. I was able to get within one mile of home when she went DOA.

A few years back,

Ive not heard of the battery recovering in such a way, especially enough to turn the motor over after its already seen 9 volts, without actually recharging it. Like mentioned best not to stop, cause if it were to even turn over, you'll get less distance for sure. Having ran an agm to total failure somewhere around that 9volt range, mine was totally dead, no recovery without recharge. Unfortunately I could have stopped at a fuel station with a phone, but I kept going and died 2 miles later. I had a voltmeter, but was having too good of time to watch it, My RD alarm went off at 10.5 volt. Oh crap and headed as close to home as I could, which was a mistake . Didnt make it and costed me a $115 tow. Id have still had to tow, but I had no phone and had to flag someone down, which aint easy, stopping at the fuel station would have been easier, but I pushed my luck!

Having said that I know I left the driveway from home with 14.7vol on the readout, sometime whithin that 50 minutes my stator died, which I had a two week period of time, where I was only getting 14.2 volt output average and ner varied), in spec but very low output for my normal( i wont dismiss weirdness next time).

Ideally carrying at 3 amp trickle charger, find a plug in at fuel station disconnect headlights, charge for an hour, and complete the trip home, would have bee cheaper.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Brad - I believe you have two portions of your stator tests reversed.  You should get no continuity to ground and small resistance between pairings of yellow wires.

 

If voltage is too high, run the high beams.  If voltage is too low, kill all extra accessories and 1 headlight (especially if you unplug the stator....)

 

Don't forget to verify that your voltmeter is reading correctly...had one go bad mid ride and I thought I was getting 21 volts....

You are right as usual Joshua. I have corrected my post accordingly.

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