Guest ryanhroets Posted June 23, 2010 Share Posted June 23, 2010 So the other day after a few hours of riding I was going to pull into a store and the bike died. It started back up and died again. This time I went to start it up and it was completely dead, no headlight, no gauges or anything. So I replaced the main fuse 30amp, all I could find was a 25amp for now. The bike started fine, but now I dont think that its charging the way it should. Would the lower fuse cause it to not charge properly? I go to start it and it has to be jumped, otherwise it doesnt have enough juice to crank over. Its charging now, Im going to check what its charging at in a little bit. I intend on replacing the fuse to a 30amp tomorrow, just curious if a simple fuse would make it not charge properly.... Thanks for any input! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 23, 2010 Share Posted June 23, 2010 So the other day after a few hours of riding I was going to pull into a store and the bike died. It started back up and died again. This time I went to start it up and it was completely dead, no headlight, no gauges or anything. So I replaced the main fuse 30amp, all I could find was a 25amp for now. The bike started fine, but now I dont think that its charging the way it should. Would the lower fuse cause it to not charge properly? I go to start it and it has to be jumped, otherwise it doesnt have enough juice to crank over. Its charging now, Im going to check what its charging at in a little bit. I intend on replacing the fuse to a 30amp tomorrow, just curious if a simple fuse would make it not charge properly.... Thanks for any input! Ok i got it running. Its only charging at about 11 volts tops. Voltage Regulator?... any tips? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer auggius Posted June 24, 2010 Member Contributer Share Posted June 24, 2010 So the other day after a few hours of riding I was going to pull into a store and the bike died. It started back up and died again. This time I went to start it up and it was completely dead, no headlight, no gauges or anything. So I replaced the main fuse 30amp, all I could find was a 25amp for now. The bike started fine, but now I dont think that its charging the way it should. Would the lower fuse cause it to not charge properly? I go to start it and it has to be jumped, otherwise it doesnt have enough juice to crank over. Its charging now, Im going to check what its charging at in a little bit. I intend on replacing the fuse to a 30amp tomorrow, just curious if a simple fuse would make it not charge properly.... Thanks for any input! Ok i got it running. Its only charging at about 11 volts tops. Voltage Regulator?... any tips? The electrical system is the VFR's achilles heel but I doubt the 25amp fuse is the culprit. You can download a troubleshooting guide from Electrex here. The r/r is likely the problem but it could also be the stator. The r/r is particularly prone to failure due to its location and poor design, especially the oem one that came with the 4th gen models (94 to 97). I own a 95 and my r/r went taking out the battery with it. The new, improved replacement r/r is heavily finned and comes with a heat sink plate. I just replaced my battery on a recent road trip. It was fine all day until we got to our motel. It wouldn't start up. That was after about 30 minutes in traffic which probably overheated the battery. Went to dinner and 2 hours later it started. Next morning nothing. Luckily we were only 2 minutes away from the Honda dealer. Bought a new battery and all was good for the duration of the trip. Check your wiring, especially the connectors to the stator and r/r. Hopefully they won't be charred. Did you smell smoke? I would recommend getting a new battery too, especially if it's the original one. When you're testing, you may find that the voltage readings are okay. Bad readings (under or over-charging) may not happen until the r/r gets hot so you may have to run or ride it for a short period. If you can get an on-board voltmeter you can take measurements while riding. You'll see it fluctuate between but it should settle around 13.5 to 14 at 5000rpm. Good luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer gll429 Posted June 24, 2010 Member Contributer Share Posted June 24, 2010 your R/R is dead.. when they are dead dead dead the main fuse keeps blowing. and the bike wont start. on the 91 and up. now.. get anew r/r.. and.... find your main green wire in the harness.. add eyelets and ground it to the FRAME .. front middle and back of bike.. CLEAN all your contact areas and on the wires and such.. and pray this solves the problem. also.. if this was my bike.. the green wires from the R/R.. ground them straight to the frame. and use silver heat transfer compound from the computer store.. put a BIG glob on the back off the R/R .. add a computer fan while your at it..only cost 10 bucks. :laughing6-hehe: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 24, 2010 Share Posted June 24, 2010 Im going to replace the R/R. At the time the bike was really warm from riding for a while. I feel like its the R/R, the battery should be fine. When you say find the green wire and ground it to the frame you mean splice it? Nothing is charred by any means. So Ill replace it and see what happens. Thanks for the help and I will keep you posted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer gll429 Posted June 24, 2010 Member Contributer Share Posted June 24, 2010 Im going to replace the R/R. At the time the bike was really warm from riding for a while. I feel like its the R/R, the battery should be fine. When you say find the green wire and ground it to the frame you mean splice it? Nothing is charred by any means. So Ill replace it and see what happens. Thanks for the help and I will keep you posted. yes.. splice in some ADDED grounds.. the main flaw in the vfr is bad grounding..and overheating r/r.. caused by bad grounding.. :laughing6-hehe: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 24, 2010 Share Posted June 24, 2010 Ok the part is ordered. Now I just wait. Im going to pick up some of the heat transfer compound as well. http://www.ricksmotorsportelectrics.com/proddetail.php?prod=10-115&pmc=OTdIb25WRlI3NTBG this should do the trick, it look heavily finned so I guess it should help out with the heat transfer? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer gll429 Posted June 24, 2010 Member Contributer Share Posted June 24, 2010 Ok the part is ordered. Now I just wait. Im going to pick up some of the heat transfer compound as well. http://www.ricksmotorsportelectrics.com/proddetail.php?prod=10-115&pmc=OTdIb25WRlI3NTBG this should do the trick, it look heavily finned so I guess it should help out with the heat transfer? yes.. the heat gets transfered to the air.. so a computer fan hooked up to it helps to cool it even more. :cheerleader: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 25, 2010 Share Posted June 25, 2010 Could you link a possible fan to use maybe? Just want an idea on what to use. Would I just splice it into the harness leading to the R/R? As for the ground wires, Im a little confused on what your asking here. Correct me if Im wrong please, strip parts of the green wire (ground?) and attach it to the frame (via existing bolts)?... Pic of the R/R Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer gll429 Posted June 25, 2010 Member Contributer Share Posted June 25, 2010 ok... all the green wires lead to bundle in the main harness.... so.. when you replace the R/R.. open the black wraping..at the harness and find a thick green wire... spice another THICK green wire to it.. ..and put an eyelet on the new wire.. ground it down to the frame.. where ever you want... do the same at the front near the headlights.. and in the tail by the brake lights.. it may be overkill.. but my bikes have not failed with ground problems.. look up "radio shack computer fan" get one with 2 wires... splice a connector for the fan..about a buck.. to the red wire in the main harness and the ground to the green ... make sure the fan turns off when the key is in OFF.. :cheerleader: then bolt the fan over the r/r. you may need to make your own spacers and use some long thin screws some people use zipties..or safety wire.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 25, 2010 Share Posted June 25, 2010 Sounds simple enough to me. Just wanted to be sure of everything so I didn't mess anything up. I appreciate all the input and help. Now I just gotta wait for the part to come in... Ugh... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer gll429 Posted June 25, 2010 Member Contributer Share Posted June 25, 2010 Sounds simple enough to me. Just wanted to be sure of everything so I didn't mess anything up. I appreciate all the input and help. Now I just gotta wait for the part to come in... Ugh... while your waiting.. practice your soldiering.. i prefer the small gas filled type.. but electric style also work.. remember.. the trick for a good clean soldier is getting the 1 small spot on the wire hot enough to melt the fluxcore soldier..( or rosin core..) get some shrink wrap tubes too. crimping the wires is ok.. but soldier is the best way to go... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 29, 2010 Share Posted June 29, 2010 Ok the part came in. I just unplugged the old one and plugged the new one in and jumped the bike and its still only charging at like 7.5v. Does the R/R have to be bolted to the bike? whats next? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer auggius Posted June 29, 2010 Member Contributer Share Posted June 29, 2010 Ok the part came in. I just unplugged the old one and plugged the new one in and jumped the bike and its still only charging at like 7.5v. Does the R/R have to be bolted to the bike? whats next? It shouldn't matter as long as you've made all the correct connections, but go ahead and bolt it on. That'll only take a couple of minutes to do. Did you run through the troubleshooting guide to check for other possible defects, eg stator? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 29, 2010 Share Posted June 29, 2010 I dont have a manual. The bike is fairly new to me. I guess I should invest in one then. Any way someone can tell me how so I can figure out the issue? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer auggius Posted June 30, 2010 Member Contributer Share Posted June 30, 2010 I dont have a manual. The bike is fairly new to me. I guess I should invest in one then. Any way someone can tell me how so I can figure out the issue? You can download the service manual here on VFRD. I would replace the battery with a new one and then start doing the diagnostics as outlined in the service manual (page 17-5) or the Electrex troubleshooting guide. It will likely be an issue with the wiring, stator or r/r. You just have to go through the steps to find out which it is. Check & clean all wiring connections. Check your ground connections. Check the sidestand switch. Check the ignition switch. Check the clutch switch. Oh, and did you check the kill switch? Good luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 30, 2010 Share Posted June 30, 2010 The 90-96 manual will work for a 97? I dont imagine to much changed. The wiring all looks good. I replaced the R/R the other day. So Im guessing when and if the R/R went bad it might have killed the battery. So Im guessing the stator or battery at this point. I can jump the bike and it will run and everything but only can maintain like 8volts tops, which isn't really seeming to be enough to power the headlight. Ill check the manual though and try to diagnose things now. Thanks soo much. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 30, 2010 Share Posted June 30, 2010 The 90-96 manual will work for a 97? I dont imagine to much changed. The wiring all looks good. I replaced the R/R the other day. So Im guessing when and if the R/R went bad it might have killed the battery. So Im guessing the stator or battery at this point. I can jump the bike and it will run and everything but only can maintain like 8volts tops, which isn't really seeming to be enough to power the headlight. Ill check the manual though and try to diagnose things now. Thanks soo much. Yes, That's the correct manual. It sounds like the battery; you might want to charge it with a trickle charger and see if it holds a charge. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 1, 2010 Share Posted July 1, 2010 So when the R/R goes bad does it overcharge the battery and cook it or something? Just curious. If that doesnt solve it how bad is a stator to replace? Ive look and it doesnt seem all to difficult. Like always, I appreciate the help and will keep you updated. Im going to charge the battery over night tonight and see if it holds a charge while Im at work tomorrow. Thanks again for the assistance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer gll429 Posted July 1, 2010 Member Contributer Share Posted July 1, 2010 an R/R can go bad 2 ways.. 1) over charge the battery and boil the acid out... 2) under charge the battery making it drop voltage to the point where its almost impossible to recharge. changing the stator is a breeze.. put your r/r on first and check your running voltage before worry about other stuff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 1, 2010 Share Posted July 1, 2010 an R/R can go bad 2 ways.. 1) over charge the battery and boil the acid out... 2) under charge the battery making it drop voltage to the point where its almost impossible to recharge. changing the stator is a breeze.. put your r/r on first and check your running voltage before worry about other stuff. R/R is on. Jumped the bike, running at 8volts. Not even enough to power the headlights. Reeving brings it to 9.5 volts tops. Took the battery out, I put the battery on the charger and Im a bit stumped. The battery reads 6.4 volts, out of the bike and not hooked to the charger. When I hook the charger up it reads 13.5 volts. But the charger light (charging / not charging) remains lit saying the battery is charged. You think its just the battery at this point? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 1, 2010 Share Posted July 1, 2010 UPDATE: After on the charger for about an hr I wanted to see the status. The charger was lit "charged AND charging" at the same time. I took the charger off and checked with my voltmeter. It ready 8.5 volts, withing about a minute or less it dropped to 7.6 volts and I just took the voltmeter off. I feel as though this would mean the battery is junk? Correct? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer gll429 Posted July 1, 2010 Member Contributer Share Posted July 1, 2010 Take your battery to autozone.. Get a bat that's the same or slightly bigger.. Make sure it will fit in the battery box with the seat on before you add the acid.. I use autozone because the battery is inexpencive and will come with a warrenty..good at any autozone!! I write the date the warreny expires and let battery die about a month before hand..presto..new battery.. New warrenty..go vrooom! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 1, 2010 Share Posted July 1, 2010 Take your battery to autozone.. Get a bat that's the same or slightly bigger.. Make sure it will fit in the battery box with the seat on before you add the acid.. I use autozone because the battery is inexpencive and will come with a warrenty..good at any autozone!! I write the date the warreny expires and let battery die about a month before hand..presto..new battery.. New warrenty..go vrooom! Haha thats a brilliant idea! To late though, I already called up Rochester Motorsports (local parts store) and they have one in stock for 85 bucks. They are throwing it on the charger tomorrow and Im going to pick it up hopefully saturday or sometime next week when I get some time. This deff has to be a battery issue at this point? The highest it was charging while in the bike was 8.5volts. When I took it out the highest it got to was 8.5volts and dropped to 7.4 within 60 seconds..... Thanks again for the help guys. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 2, 2010 Share Posted July 2, 2010 Issue seems to be resolved. Replaced the R/R and the battery. I believe that battery in it was from 06'. No wonder the thing died. Runs fine now, rode a few hours and went out a while later and started right up with no issues. Thank goodness, the weather is supposed to be amazing this week. Thanks for the help guys. Now time to add in some more groung wires for safety! :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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