| Author | Message | ||
     Ccryder |
Hey Jeff: R-T's probably correct in that it is a magnet issue. On a happier note, Stripe'r is all well and charging fine. It was one of the two wires from the stator in the grommet. One was broke, but the ends were close enough to arc and produce a little voltage. When I did the ohm check I got an open circuit, but no ground at the stator and only 17-19 volts AC output from the stator plug. The offending stator was replaced and I'm Rock'n & Rolling again. Ride more, Lean more, Grin more. Neil | ||
| Hootowl |
I haven't torn into it yet, so I don't know about the magnets. I think if they had come loose, I would have heard about it. They would have had to tear some things up in there including the stator, and then it would read open or shorted to ground and not exactly as it should. Ccryder... how much was the stator? I know you're an extended warranty kind of guy, so it cost you $50, but do you know how much the part was? Thanks all. Confused as ever, Jeff | ||
| Road_Thing |
Jeff: Is it possible that your rotor has sheared its key and is spinning on the crank? That might cause no output. r-t (I'm grasping, here...) | ||
| Hootowl |
R-T: Gawd I hope not. Jeff (I'm praying here...) | ||
| Blake |
Resurection of the "Add a Message" screen complete. ![:]](http://www.badweatherbikers.com/buell/clipart/proud.gif) Thanks for the heads up RT! | ||
| Leeaw |
Can I get some more assistance with my turn signal problem? I traced all wires and took off the left switch housing and found nothing wrong. There is a slight bit of green corrosion in the plug that joins the switch to the wiring harness. If that is not my problem then it is inside the wiring harness. I register resistance in the violet/brown wire in the section from the plug under the tank to the relay. How would you bypass that wire since it goes right into the relay? How would you go about cleaning the contacts in the plug? I can get each pin out if necessary, but do not know the proper thing to do. In addition, what can you use to stop rust buildup in the areas around under the tail section that you never see or clean? My battery tray paint is chipping away in bits from rust, and while I am waiting for a new switch, I might as well clean something. | ||
| Road_Thing |
Leeaw: Green corrosion may or may not be the problem, but it is not helpful. Soak both ends of the connector with WD 40 or CRC or something like that, then clean each pin with a Q-tip or a small screwdriver wrapped in a shop rag. To get into the wiring harness will probably involve cutting the wrapping open, which I doubt you are in a hurry to do. Is there any indication of chafing or burning anywhere on the outside of the harness? For the price of a harness (or the dealer's shop rate to diagnose the problem) you could replace the flasher AND the relay and still have money left over for beer! r-t | ||
| Andrew |
Leeaw; Before you put the connectors back together. Put some dielectric grease in the connectors. It will seriously help prevent more corrosion for starting up. ps you can get the stuff in a tube from HD./Buell give Danbury a call | ||
| Leeaw |
RT, That is what I want to avoid. Cutting open the wiring harness is not my idea of fun, nor is replacing it. I did replace the flasher and got an extra one to boot. Just wish I knew more about electrical. I see no visible signs of rubbing or chaffing, and the wire that seems to be shorted is in the harness. I have a new switch housing on order, but what the heck else can I check? Andrew, I will try the dielectric grease, thanks. | ||
| Road_Thing |
Leeaw, here's where I think you are: You've replaced the flasher and the relay, have the proper fuses in place, and can see no evidence of internal or external damage to the wiring harness, but nothing happens when you try to turn on the signals. Does the relay click when you turn on the signals? Have you checked the bulbs and sockets in the signals for corrosion or damage? How about other connectors in the wiring? Is the indicator bulb in your dash good? I'm really reaching, I don't know where to go from here, unless there's a troubleshooting procedure in the service manual that you haven't tried yet. Keep after it, it's a simple circuit so it's a simple problem, it'll be a "head-slapper" when you figure it out! r-t | ||
| Andrew |
like a bad ground maybe? | ||
| Leeaw |
Both wires at the lights check out ok with no resistance when I take the bulbs out. Ok there I guess. Relay clicks when you put the fuse back in, so that is not it. The wires don't llok burt anywhere and I found no bare wires. Headslapper, yes, that is what I have been doing. I did not check the indicator bulb, but I forget if it is working. Good thought though. But if I see resistance from one end of a wire to the other end at the relay, it has to be inbetween, but I can't see squat. Argh! | ||
| Blake |
Inspired by Carl of Sling Blade fame... "Do you reckon it needs new bulbs?" Seriously, have you positively verified that your bulbs are good? Had such an instance bite me once when diagnosing a flourescent light fixture. After an hour of checking each and every component in the fixture, I discovered that one of the brand new bulbs was bad.  | ||
| Leeaw |
Blake, I just picked up some extra bulbs but have not tried them out yet. I will kick myself if that was it. I will also kick myself if I have to bring it into the dealer. Sometimes I kick myself for no reason, but that comes from Tae Kwon Do training. | ||
| X1glider |
Does anyone have experience with the Crane Fireball voltage regulator/charger? At $170, I'm trying to figure out if it's worth getting over the $85 stock item. They say it disconnects the alternator when it isn't needed and at high rpms. My knowledge is limited to hardwired items like switches and knobs, so please help me understand this. | ||
| Hootowl |
The stator is a coil with a rotating magnetic field in it. (When the engine is running of course) This generates an electromotive force (EMF) or voltage which pushes current through the load (the regulator, battery and the rest of the bikes electrics.) As long as the stator is connected to a resistance of less than infinity, there will current flowing in the stator. Disconnecting the regulator effectively removes the load from the stator, and the corresponding drag on the motor. The thing I like about the Fireball is it has that built in battery charger. If my stock one ever goes out, I'll probably end up with one. | ||
| X1glider |
That's almost the answer I was looking for. I'm wondering if the stock regulator does the same thing and I just don't know it. If it doesn't, is it possible our batteries are being overcharged and hence have a shorter lifespan (even tho vibration and engine heat probably have more of an effect). As far as the magnetic field goes, do you think that magnetic field is dragging so much that we would notice. It's not exactly a LifeCycle exercise bike. | ||
| Hootowl |
No, I don't think it would be that noticable. There is some drag, but how much, who knows. Somebody with a dyno want to do a base run and then disconnect the stator and try again? The regulator contains a rectifier which converts the AC from the alternator into DC. It also regulates it so as to not overcharge the battery, so if the battery is already charged, the regulator is not going to be able to push any more current into it. Disconnecting it would make all your electrics run off the battery. Maybe you'd want to do that if you were racing to reduce drag on the motor, but most of the race bikes I've ever heard about don't have batteries to save weight, so the drag on the motor from the stator has got to be less than the weight penalty from the battery. I'm not sure I worded all that right. Hundreds of race teams wouldn't be running without batteries if it was better to have the battery and not have drag from the stator. If any of this is wrong, I'm sure someone will correct me. | ||
| Blake |
I think you got that backwards. At least for roadracing bikes. Ignition modules need power. Racing batteries can be very compact though. | ||
| Hootowl |
See, I knew someone would correct me. But doesn't the battery primarily allow you to start the bike? Doesn't the alternator really provide the power from then on? | ||
| Reepicheep |
I don't think the parasitic losses of the stator can be very high. One horsepower is (thinking back to a 10 year old machines and power class) 745 watts. Thats almost 8 100 watt lightbulbs worth of heat (or a small microwave on high), all being dumped somewhere. If this much power is being "wasted", where on earth is it going? The voltage regulator has a decent sized heatsink, but one probably not good from more then 15 to 20 watts. If it were dumping even one horsepower of loss from the engine, that thing would be hotter then your headers and would be a molten pool of aluminum at your feet. So I can't see how it would make a huge performance difference. I think the racers remove the charging system to reduce weight and opportunities for failure, not for parasitic power loses (but I could be wrong). But as Donald Knuth once said: "Beware the following code, I have only prooved it correct, not actually run it". | ||
| Aaron |
Bill, I agree ... I have fiddled with removing and reconnecting charging systems and series type regulators versus the stock shunt one, and I can't get it to show up on the dyno sheet. One thing, though, that removing the charging system does for you is it gets rid of the rotating weight of the rotor. | ||
| Chrisg |
I just installed the Crane regulator Sunday. Ordering direct from Crane it was $75, free shipping. At that price I'd say its worth it just for the built in smart charger and status LED, which might help you catch a charging problem before you get stranded. Any improvement in terms of drag over the shunt style is a bonus. Installation was straight forward, though it has the connectors for a big twin. I think they'll give you an adaptor, but I just cut the connectors off the old regulator and soldered them to the Crane unit. Didn't want to deal with the excess wire. | ||
| Leeaw |
Blake, I put another new relay on and replaced the bulbs in the turn signals. I owe you a six pack or your favorite drink. I learned my lesson to check the easy stuff first. | ||
| Road_Thing |
Now slap your head... r-t | ||
| Blake |
That's good news Lee! I'm glad my pain and suffering was of some benefit. My dad and I still laugh over the flourescent light fixture incident. | ||
| Xgecko |
In the Navy we have a saying "Always Check Fuses" (ACF) that covers checking the easy stuff first. I once flew to Australia to fix what turned out to be a burned out fuse. Australia was nice though | ||
| Leeaw |
I learned a new lesson. I would slap myself but I got Lyme's this weekend with a nice size uncomfortable rash on my leg and the doxycycline is making me feel a bit queasy. Only 20 more days to finish the antibiotics. | ||
| Bomber |
Lee . . .. don't slap yerself (this from the man that rebuilt both carbs, at night, in the rain, to diagnose an out-of-fuel condition . . . | ||
| Leeaw |
Bomber, I bow to you sir. |
