charging system help

[barkcollar]

Hey guys don't forget about the rest of your system and assume it's the rotor. Not saying it isn't.
I had all the same symptoms as u guys. Fighting it for 2 weeks. Had the alt checked. It ended up being a bad ground to the voltage reg. Simple and cheap. Hopes it's the same for u guys

 

[Paddy]

Barkcollar, I'm not much with the electrical system. Do you remember what was involved in checking the alternator for a bad ground? Thanks for the tip!

Dennis, that sounds ominous! It's been over a week since I ordered the rotor and I've not received a shipping notification yet, even though I e-mailed them to inquire as to progress.

Can you recall whether the complaints were quality related, shipping, whatever?

Thanks,

Paddy

 

[XSLeo]

The one that seems to be a problem is on the safety relay. The yellow wire from the stator goes up to the safety relay, where it activates the relay to turn the starter off. If the winding in the relay shorts out it will be a ground path for the alternator. This will effect your test results when ohming the stator.
The regulator needs a ground. The regulator grounds through a black wire into the harness.
These things apply to all stock wired 650's.
When you do the Chrysler regulator the ground is through the body of the regulator. If you mount this regulator to the stock mounting of the 79 and earlier bikes, the battery box, it won't be grounded unless you run a ground wire from the body of the regulator to a frame ground. The battery box is rubber mounted, no ground.
On the early bikes check for continuity from the black wire on the regulator to the negitive on the battery. If you get a low ohm reading your good. If high then you need to trace along the black wire to find the place of high resistance. Often in the connections.
On the Chrysler regulator, from the body to the battery negitive.
When I did the Chrysler reg on my 75 I mounted it in the stock location on the battery box. I ran a ground wire from under one mount bolt right to where the battery ground cable bolts to the frame. A definite ground.
Making sure all your wiring connections are clean and tight, A dab of dialectric grease will help keep them clean. Not just the grounds but all of the connections.

 

[barkcollar]

yes what he said.
The Alt shop found that the carbon dust at the brushes was built up enough to ground them out at the brush guard.
Also my chrysler reg would not ground at the mounting bolt area.used a grinder and everything. went through 3 of those bad boys. I finally ground it at the chrome guard where the hookup is. it worked.
outside brush goes too reg.
inside brush goes to 12+volts.

 

[Paddy]

Well I finally got my new rotor from Electrosport and took it to my local shop. These are the guys who told me my old rotor was fried. Turns out the old rotor was in rough shape but serviceable. It was the stator that was pooched. Thanks guys! Great friggin advice.

Ten days later and with a used ($200!) stator, it's charging perfectly. But I'm pissed that they cost me @ $160 for a new rotor, then charged me 2 hundred for a used stator!

I must add that my starter motor barely worked and made a horrific racket when used because the gears were worn or some damn thing. I got a $30 kit from 650Direct (Canadian subsidiary of MikesXS, but without the spotty service reputation) and had that put in and it worked as advertised.

So now I'm charging and starting properly but at @ $700 all in, it was a painfully expensive experience.

Anybody want to buy a used rotor?

 

[Punkskalar]

Should have gone the Permanent Magnet Swap route.... Way cheaper and less frustrating...

 

[Paddy]

Bit late for that. My next challenge is a weak clutch. Revving it hard results in slippage and also I experience what feels like fuel starvation.

Is there no end to the xs650 learning curve?

 

[XSLeo]

Not really.