| Author | Message | ||
     Pso |
Folks: I had a VR go out 10k miles ago and I was stranded. Result of the #77 plug. Put new VR in and hard wired the VR in per several posts on this board. Now my question; I was in the Catacton Mts. last week. Voltage readings were between 13.2 and 14. for most of first day but in the afternoon after riding for about 6 hours V's dropped to 12.2 to 12.6. Second day V's stayed in the mid to upper 13's. Two days of commuting back and forth to work (30 minutes each way), v's upper 13's. Due to my paranoia I was wondering what was possibley causing the drop last thurs. in the Mt's. I am able to read the voltage on both my Garmin GPS and also my Escort radar detector and they both read the same. is this a sign of a stator problem starting or is there no reason at this time for concern. As a side note I had my heated grips on and also my electric vest during the trip. I tirned both of them off when the v's seemed to drop but I was not able to get the v back up to the 13's. | ||
| Od_cleaver |
Four thoughts.. 1. Excessive load. 2. Low engine speed. 3. High resistance connection(s). 4. Short between the stator windings. | ||
| Murraebueller |
I use all of the same stuff all at the same time with no issues. How old is the battery? One easy test is to read the voltage at the battery with everything off, start the bike and read with no accessories on, then turn each one on and check the reading. You should check at idle and at 2500 RPM.One of our Ulys is an '06 with 20k plus miles and the original battery but we keep it on a trickle charger when my wife isn't riding it. I just prefer to test it right at the battery or at the stator. | ||
| Shopguy10 |
Your voltage regulator should do just what the name implies...regulate voltage. There should not be any drastic swings in the voltage if the regulator is doing its job. Unfortunately the VR's on the XB models are temperamental and it's not uncommon for them to only last 10K. I just hit 10K on my 06 and just like clockwork, I needed a new VR. I had similar problems as you,PSO, after fixing my 77 plug and replacing my VR did the trick! You can find them pretty cheap on ebay. Good luck | ||
| Pso |
Od Cleaver-1) I cut the load w/out an increase in V's. 2) I uped the RPM and was not able to noticed an increase in v. 3) Not sure where to check this out, but will persue, 4) how best to check or do I wait for failure to occure? Murraebuller-New battery (1k miles) form big crank,I will check v at battery and when I had turned off all acc there was not an increase in v Shopguy10-VR went out at 10K two weeks after warrenty expired, Buell picked up tab for new VR. I hardwired new VR into system like on this board and eliminated the #77 plug and have a spare VR just in case. I am wondering if the drop is just the VR doing its job when battery and system is up to par and trickle charging at 12.2/4 v's or is this the beginging of another failed VR? Thanks for the ideas so far and suggestions as to further exploration. Going for ten day camping down in Ashville area thurs, hope bike holds up. | ||
| Murraebueller |
Have you checked all of the grounds? A ground that isn't secured can drop charging voltage or eliminate it completely. We see bad/unsecured grounds from HD from time to time. Once in awhile with Buells- everyone has a bad day. The shop manual will tell you how to test all of the above. | ||
| Od_cleaver |
PSO, If your voltage measurements are accurate, you appear to have a problem. A fully charged battery should measure 12.7V. At idle with your accessories turned off, you should see around 13V across your battery. At highway speeds I would expect ~14V even with accessories. Your Buell shop manual has a procedure for checking the charging system. | ||
| Od_cleaver |
PSO, I had another thought. Perhaps your battery is failing. You mentioned charging problems in the past. These batteries do not like to be "deep cycled". Deep cycling will shorten the life of your battery. I would charge the battery disconnected from the bike. See if the charge will hold over night. And then start my debug. Remember, this advise is worth exactly what you paid for it. Good luck with your trip. |
