| Author | Message | ||
     Lowflyer |
11,300 miles. I believe it is a bad stator. The bike was running at idle. I was standing next to it talking to a friend on a GS. We were letting the bikes warm up when my headlights went dim and then the check engine light went on, then the gages went dead, then the engine quit. I checked the battery cables and they were a little loose, but still had good contact. I tightened them and we push started it. It fired right up and ran okay for a short time. Then the gages went flat and the engine light, then it quit. | ||
| Brad1445 |
Been there, done that, I think Its a regulator that they should give you three of and place in a position where you can snap in like a fuse. | ||
| Rays |
Lowflyer, I had mine die from a flat battery at a very similar point in its life (11,800 miles) and unfortunately it was about 25 miles from home at the time. I checked the output of the stator when I got it home and that was exactly as it should be but the regulator wasn't charging the battery. I took it into my dealer the next day and they couldn't fault the charging system and left me with the inspiring message that unless I brought it in in a failed condition there was nothing they could do. At that stage I was guessing on an intermittent fault in the regulator so took to checking the charging voltage every day before I left for work. It took 2 weeks of checking before it failed again. This time I was lucky enough to see the charging restored after unplugging / plugging the output connector of the voltage regulator. After removing one of the male pins on the regulator plug I saw that it had multiple arcing points and quite a bit of arcing residue. It ended up being both female sockets being quite 'spread' with the male pins fitting quite badly. This loose connection isn't possible to 'feel' because the connector is waterproof with firm fitting seals. I cleaned the pins up as best I could given the plating was quite damaged from arcing and re-formed the female sockets and it hasn't given a flicker in 2,500 miles. (new pins and sockets on order). The act of plugging in a new regulator could give misleading results with this fault (nice fresh pins on the regulator and the female socket partially cleaned by the unplugging / plugging action) so while this may not be you problem it wouldn't hurt to check. I suspect this problem could be the basis for some of the 'phantom' charging issues we've seen reported here from time to time. PM me if you want more detailed instructions on checking the charging system or the connector pins - happy to help. | ||
| Lowflyer |
Wow! Thanks for the info.  I will definitely check that connector. I hope that is all it is. I didn't get a chance to look at it at all last night. I was just glad to get it home. I plan to look into it at lunch today. I probably have the pins and sockets on hand to fix it if that is the case. A while ago, I found a non-HD (read: inexpensive) online source for Deutsch connectors. | ||
| Teeps |
Astute observation Ray, pinfits, pinfits, pinfits; if an electrical problem in not proven to be a bad ground; it's more likely to be a loose pinfit, than a component. | ||
| Red_chili |
Sounds like a voltmeter or ammeter would be a desirable farkle... | ||
| Rays |
Lowflyer, I wasn't certain enough of the exact parts to order via electrical outlets over the web but I think the Delphi Packard 280 series 'looks' right. I ended up ordering via the Buell dealer (30 times the price of an online deal but I could order 2 sockets instead of 55). You might have a better chance of getting a local supplier in the US because those connectors aren't something I have been able to locate over here 'off the shelf'.  | ||
| Lowflyer |
Waytek looks like they might have them. Minimum quantity is 53 at $0.09 each. | ||
| Red_chili |
I've not seen the connector yet (thanks for the heads up on a maintenance check though), but is the female pin something that is user-alterable for a snugger fit? Really glad ft_bstrd isn't focused on this thread, I kinda left myself open for abuse on that one... | ||
| Lowflyer |
No, but you can get a sleeve for the male pin that has ribs in it. | ||
| Jim_sb |
Brilliant sleuthing Ray. Jim in Santa Barbara | ||
| Lowflyer |
Okay, I checked the voltage output of the stator and it is within spec. I also checked the pins of the VR connector and saw no evidence of a spreading female or of arcing, but I know there is a weak link somewhere because the bike definitely discharged the battery not once, but twice last night. I ran the bike under the load of my high/low-beam, brake light and heated grips on high. Voltage at the battery was 14.x volts. I had a brain fart and forgot that, with the VR connector disconnected, it doesn't have a ground so I did not get an accurate reading of the isolated VR output. I surmise that it is 14.x volts since the battery voltage with it disconnected is 11-12 volts. Good news is that my VR and Stator appear to be functioning now. The bad news is that it started working again after I disturbed the harness.  Sonofabitch! | ||
| Lowflyer |
The problem turned out to be just what Rays said it might be. Thanks again!!! The female socket was not spread very far at all. Given the absence of carbon build-up or other evidence of arcing, I would have likely missed it. I was able to spread the male pin out a bit and pinch the female socket. It has been fine since then. I bought a cheap volt meter that plugs into the accessory plug from Wal-Mart so that I can monitor it. If it happens again, I will cut the connector off and replace it with a couple of butt splices. | ||
| Etennuly |
Yu'all are kinky   | ||
| Jlnance |
Don't you just hate them loose fitting females? | ||
| Bigdaddy |
Dunno  | ||
| Ft_bstrd |
Which is worse loose fitting females or getting butt spliced? | ||
| Lowflyer |
I suppose that since a loose fitting female can be remedied by an episiotomic reversal, the butt splicing may be less desirable. | ||
| Ft_bstrd |
 | ||
| Lowflyer |
Exactly. | ||
| Jlnance |
Which is worse loose fitting females or getting butt spliced? Depends if you butt splice the male or female end. | ||
| Jlnance |
Not that I'm a trouble maker or anything ...  Back when I was in college, I was taking a lab for my "transmission lines, antennas, and waveguides" class. We used a lot of connectors. I tried to put the girl next to me up to asking the professor why the connectors were called male & female. She wouldn't do it though. I'd have enjoyed watching him try and answer that for her.  | ||
| Etennuly |
You are missing the important point....the're recommending cutting off the connector, before the butt splice  |
