Charging system problems

[mcalex93]

Well I have a 1980 xs650, it will not hold a charge, with a new battery
checked the brushes ,wire connections they were fine , and various electrical readings ,but everything was in range that would be fine from other post I have read
,I have to carry a charged spare ,
I plans on replacing/ adding with new parts ordered below
- alternator stator
- Rotor alternator
- brushes
- regulator/rectifier, solid state
Would this solve the issue? The old parts dont seem to be functioning so fully replacing all parts listed ,

 

[Wulfbyte]

Well I have a 1980 xs650, it will not hold a charge, with a new battery
checked the brushes ,wire connections they were fine , and various electrical readings ,but everything was in range that would be fine from other post I have read
,I have to carry a charged spare ,
I plans on replacing/ adding with new parts ordered below
- alternator stator
- Rotor alternator
- brushes
- regulator/rectifier, solid state
Would this solve the issue? The old parts dont seem to be functioning so fully replacing all parts listed ,

Yep that covers the basic charging problems, have you checked your ohms between the two rings on your rotor yet? Should be in the 5-6 range if I remember correctly,anything lower or higher usually is the sign your rotor is bad,you might not need the stator or reg/rect. Unless you just want to get rid of the old! Always a good idea to get new brushes though!

 

[Wulfbyte]

And welcome to the site! Lot of great info here , check out the tech section ! There’s a good read on the problem your having!

 

[mcalex93]

If I remember correctly it was in between the 2 closer to 6ohm ,
yea I've been lurking on here to learn things here and there for a few months , but this one stumped me and couldnt realy find much except change out parts ,
so it was a toss up between replacing everything to be on the safe side , and just doing a pma convention and eliminating the battery altogether and charging system altogether, but it cost the same either way, and I'd like to keep it as close to original as possible,,(first bike sentiment values )

 

[Wulfbyte]

If I remember correctly it was in between the 2 closer to 6ohm ,
yea I've been lurking on here to learn things here and there for a few months , but this one stumped me and couldnt realy find much except change out parts ,
so it was a toss up between replacing everything to be on the safe side , and just doing a pma convention and eliminating the battery altogether and charging system altogether, but it cost the same either way, and I'd like to keep it as close to original as possible,,(first bike sentiment values )

Yep I’m the same way, had mine since 82, still running a lot of original parts! Original stator, second rotor, second reg/rect. only because I accidentally fried my first doing some electrical troubleshooting! 3rd set of brushes! Getting all New is definitely the way to go!

 

[mcalex93]

Thanks for the input , I've only had mine since April of last year and been tinkering on it since then , and I've got a problem, I'm trying to find another for a pma set up , bobber project

 

[xjwmx]

You need to test the individual parts. It might just be a bad connector, or a broken wire, or just miswired, and you'd be out for all those parts and still have the problem. Or it could be one of the things you listed and you'd be out for all of them...

P.S. did you run through the Curley's Charging Guide?

 

[mcalex93]

I have not. Rea that guide, but I tested and checked alot of the common problems I've read on the site, and my readings were all in acceptable ranges , so I'm going to replace it all at once , and see how that goes

 

[650Skull]

Welcome,

As you have not told us anything about you or your bike, i have posted some info that you may already know

Replacing parts that you say are all in the range will not solve your problem........It may even cause more as some of the aftermarket replacements are not up to the quality of the factory originals..........

I won't go into what the readings should be.........

Have you tested the Voltage at the battery when the bike is at idle and then revved up and was there a change.

This is important so we know if your doing things right and where your at with your capabilities
Post up all your readings for the Rotor, Stator, Rectifier part of the Solid stated Reg/rect, and the Voltage.

here a a few threads that may help.

http://www.dansmc.com/electricaltesting.htm
http://www.xs650.com/threads/expanded-charging-system-guide-in-progress.10561/
http://www.xs650.com/threads/grounds-so-important.41775/
http://www.xs650.com/threads/what-happens-when-you-turn-your-key-on.9625/

I've added wiring thingamedo's threads........on these old bikes the loom needs to be gone through thoroughly and all bullet connectors, couplings and earth connections, and switches need to be taken apart and cleaned. When doing this it also pays to do a full continuity test of all wires between connections, bullet and connectors, and switches looking for broken or oxidized wires and connections, and again after connections and switches have been put back together. This checks for bad switches or a missed something

All connections and switches loose connectivity over time, as they use up power it could be affecting your charging system and or a short could also be a cause.....Hence the full loom test.

http://www.xs650.com/threads/wiring-harness-musings.18925/
http://www.xs650.com/threads/soldering-connections.18305/

 

[mcalex93]

Thanks for all the info , I just assumed , 30 year parts, the bike reads , almost 100k miles, and measurements appear good, , its should be time to swap

 

[650Skull]

Oh yea and post up pics............Some of us can't read but have good eyes

 

[650Skull]

Thanks for all the info , I just assumed , 30 year parts, the bike reads , almost 100k miles, and measurements appear good, , its should be time to swap

.

Not necessarily..........Stators almost never seem to break down..........rotors do, (if within parameters do not need to be replaced), and it is best to get the original rewound.........very seldom do the factory SS Reg/Rect break down. If the reg part, (if they do its the reg part), does there is an alternative that is being done that is a reliable replacement. Aftermarket SS Reg/Rect can be bought cheep from $25 to $125 or more, and there is no guarantee these parts are going to last.........has be some sad stories about how long some of these lasted. Brushes are a wear item and need to be measured properly...........

 

[mcalex93]

New problem I wanted to specify what wire harness I had for references, now this problem

Need help my title says my bike is a 1980 Yamaha xs 650 , # 2f0-202***

Some charts say it's a 1980 sx650SG or it's a 1979 XS-F

 

[xjwmx]

An '80 and a '79 should be easy to distinguish by looks. Got a pic? The bike in your icon is an 80+ with an 81+ seat fitted.
xs650skull makes a good point that escaped me -- your replacement parts are not going to be as good as your originals, assuming the original isn't broken.