Over voltage

highskyflyn · Post by **highskyflyn** » Sat Nov 26, 2011 2:15 pm

heres what I've been working

Snakeoil · Post by **Snakeoil** » Sat Nov 26, 2011 9:52 pm

I put some answers within your post so please read thru the quote as well.

highskyflyn wrote:Well gentleman, My system still isn't charging. It just lasted a couple more days this time than the last trial because I wasn't running with lights on. I just went to the auto parts store and had my battery tested since I've ran it dead 3 or 4 times now and its still good. Im just puzzled on why I can't keep a good charge, but i will keep looking for different situations. Would y'all think it might be either the starter solenoid or the starter itself pulling power from the system while running?

Not likely, unless there is a high resistance short that is drawing down the battery in that circuit.

Also the starting sprocket seems to be slipping when its running, would that have anything to do with it?

It will effect the ability of the starter to crank the engine. But it is mechanical in nature and has no effect on electrical components.

I suggest you stop using the electric starter and just kick start the bike. I think you will see that your battery dies just as quickly. If not, then I suppose it is possible that the starter is killing your battery for some reason and the charging system is not capable of bring it back.

Ive ruled out the battery, stator, rectifier, headlight, brake light actuator, and ignition so theres not really much else to look.

How did you rule them out? Do you show charging current by running the test I suggested?

I would also suggest that you disconnect the ground lead on your battery and connect your DMM, again set on amps, between the battery and ground. With the ignition off and what should be nothing electrical operating, you should see no current flow thru the DMM. If you do, you have a high resistance short somewhere that is drawing your battery down when the bike is parked.

Oh also, one last question, can the starter solenoid connections from the bat. and the starter get backwards, or does that not matter.

I don't have a wiring diagram in front of me, but I would expect the starter to be grounded via mechancal attachment to the engine. So your only electrical connection should be the positive lead from the solenoid. The positive lead from the battery should go to the other connection on the solenoid and that is what provides power to the starter when the solenoid is activated.

I suggest you summarize what tests you did and what your findings were. It's better that everyone here knows as much as you do. You could have misterpreted a test and are telling us something is okay when in fact it is not.

regards,
Rob

Wilf · Post by **Wilf** » Sun Nov 27, 2011 9:38 am

Rob's suggestions should tell you a key bit of information--whether the battery is being drained when the ignition key is "off" or whether the problem occurs while the engine is running.

I'm curious about your comment that the starter sprocket seems to be slipping while the engine is running. How did you determine that?

Wilf

Snakeoil · Post by **Snakeoil** » Mon Nov 28, 2011 4:19 pm

By the way, that's a very clean looking Dream. I could not figure out why it looked so "solid" and then realized it is the blacked out headers. Makes a noticeable difference.

Did a job in Key West back in 1978. We installed a Gas Turbine power plant because the island would always black out around dinner time and all the restaurants were up in arms. I understand that you are not connected to the mainland and don't have issues like that anymore and the unit we installed has been moved. It was my first assignment as a field engineer and was actually a training assignment, so I had all the perks and no responsibility. I had a ball. Could not believe I was getting paid to work there in Nov and Dec.

regards,
Rob

highskyflyn · Post by **highskyflyn** » Wed Nov 30, 2011 2:23 pm

Alright so I did the tests that Rob suggested and here are the results.

1. I pulled out the wires coming from the stator, connecting to the harness and heres the amp results. (a pink, yellow, and brown)

a.) Pink: 2-3

b.) Yellow: 16-17

c.) Brown: 18-20

with light on its an additional 1 or 2 amps.

2. I put the DMM between the negative and ground wire with the key off and it shows no amperage. Indicating that the battery isn't draining while sitting.

3. I ruled out the battery because its only 3 weeks old and just recently went to get it tested at the auto parts store and it show good.

4. I ruled out the rectifier, headlight, and brake actuator because I've replaced it in the process of looking for this dis-charging problem and there was no improvement. Ive taken apart the ignition twice, looking for any grounding wires, grim, or anything to cause an issue with any changes.

5. I ruled out the stator because I've replaced it with another one that I had laying around and I'm have the same results, dis-charging.

Also, I figured out that the starter sprocket is slipping because I can hear it knocking randomly.

So in a summary, the system is some how discharging while the bike is running. I was thinking about switching the pink wire with the brown wire to see if the extra volts would help charge the battery. Is this a bad idea? Any suggestions?

Snakeoil · Post by **Snakeoil** » Wed Nov 30, 2011 4:14 pm

Honda manual does not give any specs for amps out of the stator. But it certainly looks like you have plenty. At 12 volts, that over 200 watts.

The manual does give voltages for the stator. I think you can simply read across the brown and yellow terminals on the rectifier to see the stator AC voltage. Manual says 11 volts at 2K rpm and 12.5 at 4k rpm with lights off. 12.5 and 14.5 respectively, with lights on. Rectifier has some resistance so I think it will work. Wilf or G-man can confirm.

So, if you are not getting similar readings out of the output side of the rectifier, ie. Black and Green wires or across the battery terminals for the same rpm, then your rectifier is not working properly or you have it connected wrong. Make sure the DC polarity you are seeing makes sense to you. Don't dismiss it as having your meter leads crossed.

Just because your rectifier does not mean it works. Had a rider on another forum with an oil pressure light coming on and he changed the switch and still had the problem. We had him put a gauge on the port and he had plenty of pressure. Both switches were trash.

So, look at voltage into the rectifier and out of the rectifier. Also make sure you are properly connected. I'm thinking you might have the black and green wires to the battery switched. This would provide power to the lights, which don't care about polarity but would not charge your battery. I think somebody like Wilf already mentioned this. Or it could have been in a thread on Triumph site I'm on where somebody has a very similar problem on a TR6R. Theory there is one of hte diodes in his rectifier died and he's only getting half the power out of the stator.

regards,
Rob

jensen · Post by **jensen** » Thu Dec 01, 2011 3:44 am

Hi,

I 'm almost certain that the currents you have measured are not correct.
Are you sure you didn' t measure 0,2 -0,3 A for pink, 1,6-1,7 A for yellow and 1,8-2,0 A for brown ?

If you measured indeed the current you displayed you found the reason why your battery is discharging,

Jensen