How Do I Test My Charging System Components?

[sckego]

Backstory: '04 VFR, 42K, ridden daily, wiring recall NOT performed (I never got the letter, and it's run fine up till now). Two weeks ago I took a long trip (1500mi), two-up, and we were running two heated vests. My quick calculations showed that as long as I left the high-beams off, it should be ok, and we had no problems on the trip. A week after we got back, I was trying to leave work (I commute on the bike every day, 30 fwy miles one-way), and the bike wouldn't start. Dash lit up, lights were on, just not enough juice to get it started. I bummed a jumpstart from someone and rode home. Plugged it into the tender and left it there for 36 hours. Two days later, I took it off the tender and it fired right up. Hopped on and rode to work, no problems. Again, when I was trying to leave in the afternoon, it wouldn't start, so I jumped it and rode home.

I pulled the battery and took it to the local shop. They charged it and load-tested it, and told me it checks out fine. So, my problem is on the bike somewhere. The shop told me when they get problems like this, they replace the R/R ($150 quoted) and stator ($242) as one, because when one goes bad it usually kills the other. I'd like to get away with replacing as few components as possible, but if that's the way to do it, so be it. If not, though... how do I figure out what's wrong? I'm pretty lost with electronics, though I have a multimeter to diagnose basic problems.

So, questions:

1) Is it really a good idea to replace both R/R and stator at the same time, or is it OK to just replace whichever one has crapped out?

2) Is there a way to fire up the bike and take a few multimeter measurements, and figure out which specific component has crapped out?

3) Are the replacement prices quoted reasonable? If not, care to recommend a place to procure reasonably-priced components?

4) If I'm going to be replacing components anyways, are there any reasonably-priced upgrades to the stock bits, so that I could, say, run two vests AND high-beams at the same time?

Thanks for any help.

[Baileyrock]

Found this in the FAQ in the tool bar, hope it helps! :wheel:

http://www.vfrdiscussion.com/forum/index.p...;showarticle=15

[Tightwad]

Replacement prices are way too high....if it is worth bringing it to Little Elm I would be willing to help you test it if you want, my pleasure. I can also get the parts much cheaper.

I sometimes agree on replacing parts together, but not usually when i am the one paying for them. In this case I would bet you can get away with just one of them.

[elizilla]

These guys have some terrific diagnostic charts that you can use to determine which parts need replacing:

http://www.electrosport.com/technical-reso...osis-center.php

[sckego]

Thanks for the links and advice, all. After doing a bit of poking around, I believe I have a bad stator. Battery voltage with the bike off shows 12.8; at 5K RPM it shows 12.3. Battery leak is somewhere around 1.2 mA, well within the allowable. I pulled the RH fairing* and found the 3P connector with the 3 yellow wires; resistance between the wires were all .1-.2 ohm (correct), but all three showed continuity to ground (NOT correct). D'zoh.

All the R/R tests seem to based on a operational stator, so I don't think I can verify whether my R/R is still good or not... or am I mistaken in this?

*The maintenance manual shows a picture with the wire coming out of the frame next to the VIN plate. This would make me think it is on the LH side (isn't that where the stator is anyway?), except the coolant bottle is in the way, and I couldn't find any wires that looked right. Found the one connector on the RH that looked right, so I tested that one. Did I test the right connector?

The procedure for stator replacement didn't look too bad in the maintenance manual, so I think I might try going at it myself. Tightwad, if there's any way you could get parts at a discount from what I quoted earlier, that would be awesome. Send me a PM if you can, let me know how you'd want to work things out.

Thanks for the help, all.

[spud786]

You definitely have a shorted stator, the RR is probably good unless it has obviously over heated connection issues

I have replaced stators without doing the RR, cause it checked out good

you have to do a meter diode test on the RR, current will flow one way but not the other, run it down to a shop and they can test it.

I wonder if the vest actually created the failure , or it was just its time. my 06 at 51,000 mile so far so good, but I'm about to install a electric vest and radar detector.

cross the fingers , was your vests coming directly off the battery?

[sckego]

I wonder if the vest actually created the failure , or it was just its time. my 06 at 51,000 mile so far so good, but I'm about to install a electric vest and radar detector.

cross the fingers , was your vests coming directly off the battery?

Yeah, we had the two vests wired directly to the battery. I didn't think we were overloading it, though. Can trying to draw too much power fry the stator? I figured it would just drain the battery and cause the bike to die. Anyone know?

[HispanicSlammer]

When I wear my vest I usually unplug a headlight, assuming I am riding in daylight - 55 watts saved doing that and still legal. I burned out a couple of stators in over 100k of riding my 98, replaced 3 RR's - one probably was still good but I wasn't gonna trust if for a 4000 mile ride to California.

[Auspanglish]

This just happened to me not long ago with the added luck of the bike shutting down on me in the fast lane on the Hway... could have been killed.

Tightwad fixed me up with the parts. I opted for the R/R as well as the stator as it was all going to be cheaper than just the stator over here in Spain (560€). Josh is your man!!

Thanks for the links and advice, all. After doing a bit of poking around, I believe I have a bad stator. Battery voltage with the bike off shows 12.8; at 5K RPM it shows 12.3. Battery leak is somewhere around 1.2 mA, well within the allowable. I pulled the RH fairing* and found the 3P connector with the 3 yellow wires; resistance between the wires were all .1-.2 ohm (correct), but all three showed continuity to ground (NOT correct). D'zoh.

Yeah my battery survived the ordeal no problem.

All the R/R tests seem to based on a operational stator, so I don't think I can verify whether my R/R is still good or not... or am I mistaken in this?

I couldn't comment on this. It's obvious the R/R is kaupt when you twist the throttle and the output voltage keeps climbing, but we are dealing with an undercharging issue here so I couldn't say. I know what I know from the experiences I've had to deal with, but I haven't actually installed Tightwad's R/R yet, mine seems to be fine. I'll be running intermittent tests at the battery to see if all looks OK.

*The maintenance manual shows a picture with the wire coming out of the frame next to the VIN plate. This would make me think it is on the LH side (isn't that where the stator is anyway?), except the coolant bottle is in the way, and I couldn't find any wires that looked right. Found the one connector on the RH that looked right, so I tested that one. Did I test the right connector?

Yes you got the right connector. You'll have to charge up your battery as you're going to have to run a test with the bike running and disconnect the connector, so the bike will be running directly off the battery for a bit. No drama, just don't dilly-daddle. Set your multimeter to Voltage AC and test between the three different combinations of the prongs on the connector (stator side). You should get approx. 13 V for every 1000 RPM. Twist the throttle and hold it at say 3000 RPM and test each combo. They should all read the same. In my case, one read what it should, another was only slightly lower, but the third was pittance!! Bum stator.

The procedure for stator replacement didn't look too bad in the maintenance manual, so I think I might try going at it myself. Tightwad, if there's any way you could get parts at a discount from what I quoted earlier, that would be awesome. Send me a PM if you can, let me know how you'd want to work things out.

It's a sinch. Easy as. Just follow the manual to the T. Be sure to use blue locktite on the screws for the stator. Don't fix the new seal for the alternator cover to the cover itself, apply the sealant in the specified areas to the surface on the block and place the seal on the block, it's too finnickey if you try putting the cover on with the new seal stuck to the cover. There's a powerful magnet in the flywheel and it rips the cover out of your hands all of a sudden as your replacing the cover. You don't want to crease the seal... but don't worry, it's still a sinch. The trickiest part is the rubber grommet through which the cables run, it tends to dislodge easily as you orientate the cover this pulls on the cable and dislodges the grommet... patience and firm hands...

[sckego]

Finally got around to installing the new stator. I followed the advice of another post on here and pulled a wire through the frame when removing the old stator, and used that to pull through the new stator's wire, instead of removing the throttle bodies like it says in the manual. Buttoned everything up and fired her up... showing 14.5V at the battery both at idle and at 5K rpm. Guess I'm good to go (knocks on wood)... Thanks for the advice, everyone!