Stator Regulator

Posted 2013-09-22 3:51 PM (#144802)
Subject: Stator Regulator

Visionary

Posts: 4278

Does extend warranty cover stator or regulator?

08 vision running at around 70mph with heated grips on

HID on and heated jacket on my amp gage went from 14.3v

to I'll say 13.7v and back up to 14.4v. Jacket was not getting me warm.

Shut off HID and jacket warmed me right up.

Shut every thing off and volts still went up and down. Checked

battery terminals and they were tight.

Today checked battery (still original) and it was at 12.4v

Started bike up and at idle 14.3v turned every thing on

and volts would drop to 13.7v and back you to 14.3v over and over.

Bike starts right up every time runs food no missing.

Am scared something is going bad but don't know what

and warranty runs out next spring.

Any one ells have this problem?

marcparnes

Posted 2013-09-22 7:15 PM (#144808 - in reply to #144802)
Subject: Re: Stator Regulator

Iron Butt

Posts: 802

Hi John,
If the voltage fluctuation is happening regardless if your accessories are turned on or not then I would say the regulator is failing. At first I wondered if maybe something like your jacket was cycling on and off which is what it does if you're using the switch originally designed by Mike at Warm and Safe. But even in that case it cycles so fast the voltmeter wouldn't show it. My voltmeter is steady regardless of what I have turned on. It will drop down at idle if I put the brakes on but only slightly. I did have my regulator fail on my 2011 bike. In that case it went to 16 volts and I had to put on all the accessories and keep the rpm down in order to get to the dealer without damaging anything else. Anyway, if yours is fluctuating and nothing obvious is cycling then I would get them to plug in a new regulator and see if that stops it. Its really easy to get to the plug so no big deal to try it. I wouldn't think the stator failing would cause a fluctuation. More like it would either die or show low output.

Marc

Edited by marcparnes 2013-09-22 7:16 PM

Oldman47

Posted 2013-09-22 7:26 PM (#144809 - in reply to #144802)
Subject: Re: Stator Regulator

Tourer

Posts: 573
Central Illinois

A properly charged lead acid battery at no load, meaning bike still turned off, should read about 13.2 volts, not 12.4. My guess is that your battery is about done.

Arkainzeye

Posted 2013-09-22 8:30 PM (#144811 - in reply to #144802)
Subject: Re: Stator Regulator

Visionary

Posts: 3773
Pittsburgh, PA

i saw this info and thought i would try and share.

Average battery life under the best of conditions is only about four or five years in most vehicles, and only about three years in places like Arizona and New Mexico where summer temperatures typically soar into the triple digits. Many motorists who are driving vehicles with batteries that are four, five or six years old may not realize their batteries are failing until their engine fails to start and they are stranded.

The best way to check battery charge is with a digital voltmeter. A fully charged battery should read 12.65 volts. A reading of 12.45 volts equals about a 75% charge and is good enough for further testing. Anything less means the battery is low and needs to be recharged.

The battery's state of charge doesn't tell the whole story because a fully charged battery may also be a weak or failing battery that can't provide its normal amp output under load. Battery condition can be determined one of two ways: by load testing with a tester that applies a calibrated load on the battery (this requires the battery to be fully charged for accurate test results), or by testing with an electronic "conductance" tester (which does not require a fully charged battery for accurate test results).

charging system should also be checked to make sure it is operating correctly and is capable of keeping the battery at full charge. As a rule, the charging voltage with the engine at fast idle should usually be about 1-1/2 to 2 volts higher than battery voltage.

Edited by Arkainzeye 2013-09-22 8:30 PM

Chef John

Posted 2013-09-22 8:48 PM (#144813 - in reply to #144802)
Subject: Re: Stator Regulator

Cruiser

Posts: 66
Delray Beach, FL United States

I agree with above, make sure it is charged and take it to AutoZone and have it tested for free. At least you have a starting point to work from

BrandonM7

Posted 2013-09-23 12:28 AM (#144815 - in reply to #144802)
Subject: Re: Stator Regulator

Cruiser

Posts: 178
LaGrange, GA

Yep, that's the battery. I spent several years hocking batteries at Advance Auto Parts while I was in college and these stories become second nature. Your charging system is sending out lots of current at a higher voltage than the battery, but the battery voltage isn't coming up to where it should be. It likely has one dead cell, and at this point it's a black hole of electricity - your charging system is just pouring juice into the batt to try to bring it up and doesn't have much to spare for running your accessories. Order up a new battery (might as well take the opportunity to upgrade -- see links at bottom) charge it on a bench charger if you have one, plop it in and live happily for another few years.

Don't waste too much time, though. I truly believe it's just a dying battery, but if you leave that charging system busting ass trying to save a lost cause you may end up with a problem in that as well.

http://www.amazon.com/Yuasa-YUAM620BH-YTX20HL-BS-Battery/dp/B000MX2...

http://www.batterymart.com/p-Big-Crank-ETX20L-Battery.html?Category...

johnnyvision

Posted 2013-09-23 12:05 PM (#145833 - in reply to #144809)
Subject: Re: Stator Regulator

Visionary

Posts: 4278

Oldman47 - 2013-09-22 7:26 PM A properly charged lead acid battery at no load, meaning bike still turned off, should read about 13.2 volts, not 12.4. My guess is that your battery is about done.

So you know jell battery's have been used on all bikes since the late 90's. Our bikes are jell and in the manual it states not to use acid battery's.

BrandonM7

Posted 2013-09-23 1:52 PM (#145836 - in reply to #145833)
Subject: Re: Stator Regulator

Cruiser

Posts: 178
LaGrange, GA

johnnyvision - 2013-09-23 1:05 PM

Oldman47 - 2013-09-22 7:26 PM A properly charged lead acid battery at no load, meaning bike still turned off, should read about 13.2 volts, not 12.4. My guess is that your battery is about done.

So you know jell battery's have been used on all bikes since the late 90's. Our bikes are jell and in the manual it states not to use acid battery's.

Should still read 13-ish at rest. Especially if you just turned the bike off - right after killing the bike it should be nearly 14 if it were brand new. After resting a few hours with no load it should still be above 12.4. 12.7 after resting is bottom-line time to start shopping, typically. A brand new gel battery is going to be at or over 13 after sitting a few hours fully charged. It doesn't seem like that big of a difference, but consider that those batteries start eating themselves when they're around 12.4V and below. Your battery is very gradually sulfating all of the time that it isn't being charged, so it will get worse and worse at a more rapid pace.