| Author | Message | ||
     Mikeyp |
After a few years of sitting i got my bike (98 S1W) running yesterday. New battery, cleaned carb, changed fluids etc.. Went ripping around for 20 minutes or so, and i stopped by a friends house for a minute. When i went to leave, i tried to start my bike, and all i got was click-click-click. Battery seemed to go dead. Anyway, i jumped it and got home. Thing is i want to know what shit the bed, my voltage regulator, or my stator? How do i determine which one is bad? What kind of diagnostic tests can i do to check the status of the stator and the voltage regulator to see if they are good? | ||
| Skntpig |
You can download the Service Manual from the KV I think. I think it may be your battery if it will drive when started but not start on batt power only. It drives so that makes me think it's charging. I may try the cheap ignition relay if your battery is in fact good. Look at this about batt maint. http://www.totalmotorcycle.com/maintenance/battery .htm | ||
| Jstfrfun |
Lots of stuff can be a problem but, before you go deep, check the battery to be sure it spent it's power on your ride. Check the cable ends(both ends not just the batt terminals)to be sure they are clean and good contact. Put a meter on it to verify if there is power above 1200rpm. diagnose the easy way first, you'll get to the expensive stuff soon enough. | ||
| Mikeyp |
Thanks for the help, and i already own a manual. And the battery is brand new. All cables are tight and clean, with no breaks. In the past i changed the stator, and the voltage regulator. Thing that i'm specfically looking for is this. I think there was a ohm reading when you took the connector apart that leads to the stator. With a multimeter you would take the reading through the windings of the stator. I don't remember what the value was, or for that matter the exact type of electrical test it was. I don't know if it was justa simple continuity test, or an ohm reading. Like i said, i changed that thing like 5 years ago. | ||
| Reepicheep |
Check battery connections, make sure they are clean. Could be the starter relay as well, letting that sit for a couple years could have made it weak. | ||
| Court |
I was going to say "call an electrician, but at this age it would be embarrassing to get my ass kicked.  | ||
| Nukeblue |
just replaced my stator. the test was at that connector while running at like 2,000 rpm you should have around 58 a/c volts measuring across them unplugged. i had 2. off hand i don't remember the ohm numbers but i can check my service manual later.. | ||
| Jos51700 |
A new battery can still be a dead battery. Test it. alzo, though the numbers are different, the procedure is the same: http://www.badweatherbikers.com/buell/messages/327 77/399541.html?1222892386 | ||
| Skntpig |
Try new starter relay if you know your battery is fine during a starting load. Mine did this with a new battery until I changed out the relay. It did this syndrome for about a year before I stumbled across the fix. | ||
| Blake |
I replaced my stator last year, but cannot recall the test I used to confirm that it was the culprit. I think you are on the right track with a continuity test at the pigtail though. It's in the manual somewhere. | ||
| Blake |
Yeah, an electrician would come in handy.  | ||
| Blake |
Mike, Diagnostic routine for charging system issues begins on page 7-24 of the service manual. | ||
| Blake |
Voltage Regulator Bleed Test | ||
| Blake |
Stator Check | ||
| Road_thing |
Mikey-- Are we talking a loud "click-click-click" from the solenoid or a faint "click" from under the side panel? Faint click points to the starter relay--cheap & easy fix. Loud click points to battery (prob not the prob if it's brand new) or maybe a bad connection. Check your ignition switch, too---they kind of shake themselves apart, especially if you throw your bike on the sidewalk and sit on it... rt | ||
| Mikeyp |
Hey Court, if i could sit still long enough, yea, an ass kickin might be in order...  I appreciate everyone's advice. I'll go over everything this sunday, and i'll let you know how i make out. (I even got the Big Kahuna to post on my thread! Thanks Blake!) | ||
| Mikeyp |
Road Thing... We're talking loud clicks! BTW... great inside old school reference! LOL! I gotta dig up those pics.. | ||
| Mikeyp |
Found One!  | ||
| Road_thing |
Yeah, that's the picture! Loud clicks, huh? Well, I still recommend you load test your freshly charged battery--even brand new ones go bad sometimes. If it checks out, you're probably not charging (duh--you already figured that much out--I'm just kinda walking through this for my own benefit!). I can't add much to what Blake and your FSM already told you, but here goes: 1) Burned stators smell real bad-no mistaking it if you open the primary and you smell something like burned hog guts rotting in a backed-up sewer. 2) The little clip that holds the stator leads steady can chew through the insulation pretty quick. Relieve the edges with a Dremel or a file, after repairing the damage. Good luck! rt | ||
| Road_thing |
PS--if it was me, and I found either the stator or the VR bad, I'd replace 'em both. Yeah, I hate pushing enough to spend the extra $$. Besides, Buells get a bad enough rap on reliability when they're running-if somebody makes some smart-ass remark to me while I'm already about 98% pissed off about pushing my bike home, well, I can't be responsible for my actions... rt | ||
| Sportyeric |
If your bike is currently faling to start, can you borrow someone else's starter relay? I had my S2 doing the same thing intermittently and when it finally refused to fix itself I was, fortunately at home. I swapped out the relay with the one from my Sportster and it fixed it. I think the relay only cost $10 at an auto shop. So I'd start there. | ||
| Jos51700 |
Loud clicks? Not starting?? Been sitting for ages??? I'm guessing Co-rosion onna starter solenoid plate...(Iffa da bat-tray tests otay) | ||
| Buellistic |
IMHO "PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE" should also be mentioned here !!! This would stop 99.9% of the "MYSTERY ELECTRICAl PROBLEMS" that occur ... Purchase a BATTERY TENDER PLUS" ...When not riding, keep battery on trickle charge ... If the the BATTERY will not "FLOAT" the GREEN LED will flash which means the BATTERY should be replaced ... If you get the VERY LAST "ELECTRON" out of your BATTERY, not only will you be setting on the side of the road/parking lot, "BUT" that last "ELECTRON" can and could take out the voltage regulator and/or stator with that last "ELECTRON" ... When that that last "ELECTRON" is leaving the BATTERY the CHARGING SYSTEM is trying to put "ELECTRONS" back into the BATTERY and of which can not accept them because the BATTERY is basically bad ... "BUT" the charging system will try to force the "ELECTRONS" back in which causes HEAT ... HEAT kills the stator/voltage regulator and/or both at the same time ... Mentioning HEAT, if your primary chain is adjusted too tight, this also causes the excessive HEAT(the FACTORY SERVICE MANUAL is wrong and chain should be adjusted to 3/4 inch on the tight spot) ... You should check the tightness of you BATTERY terminals once a month because a loose a BATTERY terminal causes a high resistance open and the charging system see's that as a low charged BATTERY which will cause excessive heat trying to force "ELECTRONS" through the high resistance open ... Now its talk about the "WIGGLE TEST" as you ride ... If you do not tye wrap all your wiring to where it dose not wiggle it will eventually cause a MYSTERY ELECTRICAL PROBLEM ... ie: broken wire and/or bad connection ... The reason "i" say this is that "i" have proven it to be correct ... Still running my OEM CHARGING SYSTEM and never had any of those "MYSTERY ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS" ... Have 105,362.9 miles on my 1997 S3T as of the last ride ... ONE THING ABOUT "MYSTERY ELECTRICAL PROMLEM/PROBLEMS" IS THEY ARE A PAIN IN THE "ARSE" TO TROUBLE SHOOT !!! | ||
| Skntpig |
One final time...LOUD CLICKS RIGHT? Try a new starter relay. If your battery is in fact good then I bet it's the relay. DID YOU TRY A NEW ONE YET? 1 minute and $10 fix. |
