Guest entropy Posted September 1, 2013 Share Posted September 1, 2013 I had to have the bike towed home a week ago, and I just now got around to checking the electrical components. Battery is at 11.5V Checked the yellow wires that run from the stator to the R/R, and I saw what is pictured (somewhere in my post): the plastic connector was mostly brittle, melted in spots, and generally fried! I made the mistake of not checking the resistance across the burnt connectors (my bad), but I'm almost certain this is the problem of my woes. No stator to R/R means no power and no charging of the battery. Balls! I checked the resistance across the yellow wires, per the manual, and I got readings of 1.2 and 1.1 ohms (manual states 0.1-1.0 ohm standard). I'm hoping this means my stator is still good. I checked all the R/R wires and I'm good there. So, I will order the VFRness tonight and couple other bits. I'm hoping for an easy fix! cheers, mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CandyRedRC46 Posted September 1, 2013 Share Posted September 1, 2013 looks about right.... before you direct solder the rr to the stator, look into getting the mosfet fh020aa regulator from roadstercycles.com also look into getting the vfrness from wiremybike.com. it adds a second path way for current to travel through the bike alongside (parallel to) the factory harness. that main 30amp fuse holder right next to the battery is also just as prone to failing as the rr/stator connection. top it all off with a voltage gauge. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auspanglish Posted September 1, 2013 Share Posted September 1, 2013 I'd check the stator out again with a well charged battery in perfect condition. This time check all 3 parameters; AC Voltage output, with R/R disconnected, for each phase should give some 11V AC per 1000rpm and be equal across all phases. Bike off..continuity for each combo of phases and to ground, there should be no continuity. Resistance as u know 0.1-1.01 ohms. Use a screw-down connector to substitute OEM pos. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bad Boy Posted September 1, 2013 Share Posted September 1, 2013 That stator connector and the 30 amp fuse holder by the battery are common problems for those putting enough miles on a 6th gen. At 50k miles they went bad along with the stator. Not too long after fixing everything and doing the wiring recall those connectors were heating up again. After replacing the connectors with better quality ones the bike had no problems at 90k miles when sold. I replaced the the bike with another lower mileage 6th gen. First thing I replaced were those two connectors before they went bad. Wiremybike.com's "VFRness" will fix the fuse holder and their "stator hard wire kit" will fix the stator connector. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DownAndOutNYC Posted September 1, 2013 Share Posted September 1, 2013 Been wanting to upgrade to one of these but I can't really find any info on how much capacity one of thoese Mosfet R/R's have, other then the normal 30A fuse on the output. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bad Boy Posted September 2, 2013 Share Posted September 2, 2013 The best way I have found to diagnose the charging system is first replace connectors that are heating up and start with a known good battery fully charged. Test voltage at battery bike running at different rpm and then do the stator tests as Auspanol noted. If all these easy to test things are working properly and the voltage is still off then the rectifier or other connectors could be the problem. Regulators/Rectifiers are difficult to test and verify, best to test it by eliminating the other options. The 6th gen. OEM R/R works well and is more durable than earlier VFRS. Replace it if you know it is the problem after properly testing battery, wiring, and stator. It is a matter of debate if other R/Rs do work better on this bike. I tend to keep things as designed since different parts have to work together and I am no engineer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer MBrane Posted September 2, 2013 Member Contributer Share Posted September 2, 2013 It's not just the connectors, but the connectors are usually the first thing to melt when things start to go. I still have the factory style Hitachi connectors on my 5th gen with nearly 40K on them now, but I have ungraded the main feed wire from the harness to the battery with 10G, and soldered all the main connections. I also clean/re-tension the pins on the Hitachis whenever I have them apart, and tie them back together so they can't vibrate loose. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted September 2, 2013 Share Posted September 2, 2013 nice ideas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer JZH Posted September 2, 2013 Member Contributer Share Posted September 2, 2013 Re-assemble with dielectric (silicone) grease to keep the corrosion at bay after you've cleaned them. Ciao, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted September 28, 2013 Share Posted September 28, 2013 so, charged battery (charged to 12.70 Volts), reassembled the bike, started up, battery voltage at 11.90 Volts and holding relatively steady. did a check of the stator and R/R and it looks like both are bad! I followed the steps shown here: http://www.electrosport.com/media/pdf/fault-finding-diagram.pdf (of course, i skipped the "replacement" steps and just checked resistance, voltage and the diode check.) There is a shop in Melbourne that rewinds stators so i'm hoping i can get them wire up a stator with 10 gauge wire; i'll get a new R/R and wire it to 10 gauge then have everything installed. I'm kinda worried the battery is bad, too. (i had it on a charger; it was 14.4 on the charger, 12.7 off the charger) not even a year I've had this bike and already $1000 put into it!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer MaxSwell Posted September 28, 2013 Member Contributer Share Posted September 28, 2013 Re-assemble with dielectric (silicone) grease to keep the corrosion at bay after you've cleaned them. Ciao, It is a common misperception: dielectric grease is for cleaning connections. It is non-conductive anti-corrosion stuff. Ox-Gard is anti-corrosion AND a conductor. Comes as a paste; put some on each male blade in a connection. And it has a little mild abrasive to scuff the metal for better conductivity. You can find it at your local hardware store. Highly recommended by my hdwr store owner. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer JZH Posted September 28, 2013 Member Contributer Share Posted September 28, 2013 Re-assemble with dielectric (silicone) grease to keep the corrosion at bay after you've cleaned them. Ciao, It is a common misperception: dielectric grease is for cleaning connections. It is non-conductive anti-corrosion stuff. Ox-Gard is anti-corrosion AND a conductor. Comes as a paste; put some on each male blade in a connection. And it has a little mild abrasive to scuff the metal for better conductivity. You can find it at your local hardware store. Highly recommended by my hdwr store owner. What is a common misconception? Dielectric grease is not supposed to enhance connectivity; it simply prevents corrosion because it keeps oxygen away from connector contacts. Connectivity should be accomplished through metal-to-metal contact within the connector, i.e., directly, rather than through a paste or other substance. Ciao, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted September 28, 2013 Share Posted September 28, 2013 Good discussion, but you've hijacked my thread. My recent post is below so, charged battery (charged to 12.70 Volts), reassembled the bike, started up, battery voltage at 11.90 Volts and holding relatively steady. did a check of the stator and R/R and it looks like both are bad! I followed the steps shown here: http://www.electrosp...ing-diagram.pdf (of course, i skipped the "replacement" steps and just checked resistance, voltage and the diode check.) There is a shop in Melbourne that rewinds stators so i'm hoping i can get them wire up a stator with 10 gauge wire; i'll get a new R/R and wire it to 10 gauge then have everything installed. I'm kinda worried the battery is bad, too. (i had it on a charger; it was 14.4 on the charger, 12.7 off the charger) not even a year I've had this bike and already $1000 put into it!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beck Posted September 28, 2013 Share Posted September 28, 2013 Voltage from the battery at 11.9 volts is too low. The system is undercharging.... I'd go ahead and fix the stator if it's not testing out good and replace the RR at least with the newest fversion for the bike from Honda..... Remember to check all the frame grounds. Clean them all up and tighten them.... Bad grounds are just as bad as a bad RR or stator.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bad Boy Posted September 28, 2013 Share Posted September 28, 2013 Entopy, How many miles/km on your bike? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted September 28, 2013 Share Posted September 28, 2013 58000 km Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer MaxSwell Posted September 28, 2013 Member Contributer Share Posted September 28, 2013 A youngster. Would it be a good idea to get a new battery when you get the stator, r/r sorted? Seems like cheap insurance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer JZH Posted September 28, 2013 Member Contributer Share Posted September 28, 2013 Good discussion, but you've hijacked my thread. My recent post is below so, charged battery (charged to 12.70 Volts), reassembled the bike, started up, battery voltage at 11.90 Volts and holding relatively steady. did a check of the stator and R/R and it looks like both are bad! I followed the steps shown here: http://www.electrosp...ing-diagram.pdf (of course, i skipped the "replacement" steps and just checked resistance, voltage and the diode check.) There is a shop in Melbourne that rewinds stators so i'm hoping i can get them wire up a stator with 10 gauge wire; i'll get a new R/R and wire it to 10 gauge then have everything installed. I'm kinda worried the battery is bad, too. (i had it on a charger; it was 14.4 on the charger, 12.7 off the charger) not even a year I've had this bike and already $1000 put into it!!! Sorry about that! How did you test the battery? 12.7v after sitting for 5-6 hours, or 12.7v immediately after disconnecting the charger? If the former, it is a good battery (at least near as you can tell w/o a load tester). When did you get the 11.9v reading? At idle or at 5,000rpm? The only reading that matters, really, is the latter, because your bike won't be charging the battery at idle anyway. I'm skeptical of any diagnosis that suggests two parts have failed at the same time. I suppose it could happen, but seems unlikely to me. Ciao, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer MaxSwell Posted September 28, 2013 Member Contributer Share Posted September 28, 2013 I sorry about the hijack also. My '01 died at 88k. It went through a new battery on the way out. Took it to the dealer who pronounced the R/R bad. Said he could not be sure the stator was bad (my memory's bad; there were details I cannot remember now) but they frequently went out together. So I had one ordered, and during installation the stator was found to be burnt (dead). I'm not discounting the skepticism but I trust my dealer's staff. YMMV. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer kaldek Posted September 28, 2013 Member Contributer Share Posted September 28, 2013 There is a shop in Melbourne that rewinds stators so i'm hoping i can get them wire up a stator with 10 gauge wire; i'll get a new R/R and wire it to 10 gauge then have everything installed. If that's the same shop I'm thinking of (City Auto Electrical) they quoted me $800 to rewire my stator. It's much cheaper to just buy a replacement stator (wreck, or even new off the Internet) and one of the new Series regulators from Shindengen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bad Boy Posted September 28, 2013 Share Posted September 28, 2013 Stators typically last 40k to 60k miles (65k to 95k km). You are close to that and it is a 10 year old bike so not unreasonable. Aging corroded connectors can shorten life. My '02 went out at 50k miles (80k km) on a 5 year old bike. I replaced with aftermarket stator which which lasted only a few months, I got a free replacement that lasted a week. Replaced that with OEM stator, R/R, and battery. The bike was trouble free for the remaining 35k miles that I owned it. The R/R I replaced could have been good, I got desperate after the bad fortune I was having. The 6 gen stator and R/R tend to last well compared to other bikes. I would recommend OEM stator, load test the battery at a shop, replace if fails. With a new stator and battery, if the voltage is good you may not need a new R/R. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted September 29, 2013 Share Posted September 29, 2013 Stator rewire, or something like that. 12.7 volts immediately after coming off the charger. 11.9 volts at about 3000 rpm. I'm partial to putting all new components so that i know there is no weak link. No worries about the hijack. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer JZH Posted September 29, 2013 Member Contributer Share Posted September 29, 2013 You need to test the battery after it has been disconnected for 5-6 hours after charging. Or load test it. You want to determine if it can hold a charge, so testing it right after charging doesn't help. The test rpm specified in the workshop manual is 5,000, but it shouldn't be that low at 3,000, either. Ciao, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spud786 Posted September 29, 2013 Share Posted September 29, 2013 an agm battery coming off a charger and only reading 12.7volts is weak, a good one will hold above 13 volt for weeks in a rested state, . Once the battery is about half life or after and weakening, They can no longer hold 13 volt for very long, maybe an hour , 12.8 or 12.9 is usally where they quickly settle for a sustained rested state although you may get no issue performance for months or years at 12.9 or 12.8. But 12.7v is extremely borderline and weak, if you dont already have flakey battery issues, they wont be far behind. The 6th gens OEM set up charges very early, just over idle should get 14 volt. Id do a stator ground check, highest mega ohm setting, check all 3 yellow wires from stator to ground, for any continuity, there should be none(ensure your checking on the highest ohms setting or you can miss a short). But just by your numbers your not charging, in addition you have a weak battery. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer CHUCK2 Posted September 30, 2013 Member Contributer Share Posted September 30, 2013 Voltage from the battery at 11.9 volts is too low. The system is undercharging.... I'd go ahead and fix the stator if it's not testing out good and replace the RR at least with the newest fversion for the bike from Honda..... Remember to check all the frame grounds. Clean them all up and tighten them.... Bad grounds are just as bad as a bad RR or stator.... Where are these grounds to the frame? Is there more than 1 on a 5th Gen? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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