Charging or Battery problem?

J

Joe699

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Hi All,

After getting away on the bike in the weekend I have found another issue, It runs sweet BUT the battery doesn't charge so once it gets too low the bike dies.

I charged the battery at the camp we were heading to and the next day it ran fine again. We checked it and the charging system show it was charging so we head of on a run. A way down the road the same thing - bike dies after the battery losses enough charge? I got home but another battery on and it fired up.

The other issue is if I leave the battery terminals connected over night it also losses charge?

Could a loose or worn wire etc being draining charge some how?

I have a combined rec/reg and a smaller sealed battery - but I also tried it on a stock sized battery.

Any insight much appreciated.

Cheers
 
Start with a charged battery (charge it on the bench). Install it on the bike. Normal voltage for a charged battery with the bike off is approx. 12.5 volts. OK, now start the bike and let it idle............after about 3 or 4 minutes measure the battery voltage...........it should be around 13.5 volts. Next rev the engine to about 3000 rpm............battery voltage should go up to about 14.5 volts.

Report back what voltages you measure.

What year is your bike/engine?
 
Thanks guys,

Here are the readings I got :

I bench charged the batt and it read 12.59, then connected to the bike it reads 11.78.

After idleing for a few mins the batt reads 11.96.

At approx 3000 rpm the highest it would go was 12.89.

I'm about to go and look at the bushes.
 
Brushes are step one. If they get much under 3/8 inch long they don't make firm contact with the slip rings.
As RG asked, what year is your bike/engine?
If you put your bike info in your signature we can do a beter job of helping you and we wouldn't have to ask you every time you ask a question.
 
Thanks, With the combined reg/rec it's less apt to be a bad reg.
Is it a later model reg/rec or an aftermarket unit?
 
It's after market - mike xs from memory. A friend went battery less so I got it of him basically new.
 
Your charging system is not working at all. Remove the brushes and measure resistance from one slip ring to the other slip ring (copper rings on the rotor)............should be approximately 5 ohms. Use the lowest scale on the meter.

From either slip ring to the rotor body should be very high ohms .............infinity.
 
Thanks guys, I've just printed out Curleys charging trouble shooting tips too.

I'll post how I get on.

:)
 
The reg/recfrom Mike's has different color wires than the stock reg/recs. He also sells two, one for the early bikes and one for the later bikes. They work differently.
What year bike was your friends?
They changed the reg/rec and how they are wired in 80.
Did the new reg/rec ever work right or is this something new?
 
I have just done the thin feeler gauge test - seeing if it slaps against the generator cover - what I found was that the feeler cauge (0.0015) slapped against the cover even before the key is turned on?

I have simplified, cleaned up and tidied up the wiring loom as one/all of the PO's had had a bit of a play around and it was a bit of a mess. I have no indicators, headlight, a hi/lo beam indicator light, tail light and stop light. The key isn't original either as the gauge set up was a home job too, it is a on,off only and I have hard wired the lights on ie key off =nothing/key on = lights on. I have also moved the key to just below the seat.

Cheers
 
A 0.0015" gauge is too thin for this check. Its being pulled over by residual magnetism, not the magnetism from current flow in the rotor.

Use a 0.003" gauge. Hold it at 3/4" from the alternator. Turn on the key..........it should be pulled over to the alternator if the rotor is producing a healthy magnetic field.

Have you measured the resistance from one slip ring to the other slip ring?
 
Thanks RG and Leo, I re-checked with 0.004 (no 0.003 on mine?) and it doesn't move. I took the cover of just to see how it would react then and it only moves towards the rotor nut.

I rechecked the reading of the rings and with a probe touching each ring I get a reading of 0.00 and if I touch one probe to the engine I get the same reading...so, all this s leaning towards tyhe rotor being no good isn't it?
 
It appears so. Do you have a rotor puller? Using the wrong puller can damage the rotor. A damaged rotor might not be able to be rewound. Call Gary at Custom Rewinds 1-800-798-7282 If the price hasn't changed it cost $125. They often have a puller to loan.
After you get the stator off you can clean up the slip rings with a very fine sandpaper. Recheck the ohms. At the price of a rewind you want to be sure it is bad.
If you get no continuity on the slip rings check where the winding wires hook to the slip rings. The wire may have come loose or broken, is so resoldering the wire to the slip ring might fix it. Usually the ohms go high or low when the rotor wings go bad. Seldom open.
 
Just got another rotor of a friend and I'm getting the same reading 00.0, I've triple checked i'm doing it right going by this
so looks like that ones shot too :(
 
In the video, he says his meter sucks because the zero check gives him 2.1 ohms. The meter iis probably ok. By touching the leads you are checking the resistance of the leads. The lead resistance can vary because of the leads being dirty on the ends where you test and on the ends in the meter or the sockets in the meter. If you get a high reading clean the leads and sockets with a good contact cleaner. A q-tip with alcohol works. If you still get a high reading the leads might be bad. Try new leads.
His procedeure was correct.
At this point what I might reccomend is going to Radio Shack and getting a pack of 10 ohm resisters. A two pack is about $1.99. Lay the resisters side by side, twist the wire ends together. This will give you a 5 ohm resistance. Now use your meter to check the resistence. If you can't get a 5 ohm reading then you meter has problems. A low battery in the meter?
 
Hi All,

First of thanks for all the advice - it help me a lot to narrow down the problem. In the end a mate who has been a bike mechanic for years popped over to have a look. When I rewired I put the 'tell' wire on the wrong side of the key, now everything seems to be doing what it should :)
 

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