[Camelrider]

Over charging problem.

My bike is from 1996, the whole electric system is from 2008.

The only part that was left over from the 1996 electrical system was the regulator /rectifier and it worked fine for the last year, with the 2008 system.

Since last weekend the voltage goes up to 20-21 volt, with the lights on to 18-19 volt.

I measured between the 3 white wires and got 3 readings of 0.9 Ohm.

The 2001+ manual mentions that it should be 0.5 ~ 0.7 Ohm

Measured between the white wires with running engine and the regulator/rectifier connected is 16 volt AC, constant, no matter the rpm,high and low rpm is the same 16 volt.

Measured between the white wires and chassis, with ohm meter, there is no short. This of course with the plug disconnected.

Measured between the white wires from the alternator with running engine and disconnected the voltage goes from 40 volt and up when accelerating, so the alternator should be good.

With another regulator/rectifier, the same result.

With a different battery, the same high voltage.

This is a simple charging system, 3 white wires from the alternator to the regulator/rectifier and a red wire to the battery.

It looks like it that there is no apparant reason why this is going wrong.

The only thing that changed in last weekend, when this happened,

is that the bike was in the repair shop of the Yamaha importer where a new rear shock was installed.

Maybe if I put the old rear shock back in and the problem will go away?

That does not make sense, but the whole problem does not make sense , so far.

I got another regulator/rectifier to try out, with the same result, high voltage output.

The replacement regulator /rectifier’s are both from a XTZ750, in principle that should work.

This XTZ regulator /rectifier did work before on the 1996 electrical system.

By placing a lightbulb in line, in the red wire that goes from the regulator /rectifier to the battery,

the voltage got down to 15.5 volt . The lightbulb has a resistance of 0.4 Ohm.

Maybe, by placing a resistor of 0.5 Ohm in line, the voltage will go down enough so that I can ride the bike.

When I order a new regulator /rectifier it will take about 2-3 weeks till it arrives here and I need to ride the bike on my commute to the job.



Now I have a question, is there any known difference between the before and after 2001 regulator /rectifier?

Yes I know, that's a difficult question, its a black box and hard to know what's in there.

 

[Camelrider]

For the time being, I think that I can ride again.

Today I bought a 24 volt 70 watt lamp that had a resistance of 0.8 ohm.

This lamp I connected in line between the regulator/rectifier and the battery.

This brings the voltage down to around 14 volt.

Tomorrow I will see how this holds up on the road.

 

[Camelrider]

Well, I got to my job and back, about a 60 km round trip.

I can control the voltage with the front light, when the light is on the voltage goes down, slowly.

When it gets down to 13 volt, I close the light and the voltage will go up, slowly, till 14.8 volt and light on again.

Each cycle takes between 5 and 10 minutes.

I still have not figured out what causes this trouble.

 

[admiral]

Strange problem, wish I new electric's better so I could help. Clever temporary solution though. Hope you are able to get it figured out. Good luck!

 

[Camelrider]

Thanks Admiral, I have ordered a new regulator/rectifier, but that will take 2-3 weeks to get here.

Until then it remaines a question if that will solve the problem.

In the mean time I have to move around and this is my only motorcycle, my wife needs the car most of the time.

I am a mechanical engineer and a licensed electricien, automotive electricity is a special branch that I am not too familiar with.

 

[Skyking]

Seems to me that it has to be the regulator. The rear shock change is coinsidental; unless perhaps the mechanic laid a wrench or something on it, and shorted it. Your temporary fix was inspirational. I hope your r/r arrives soon. What kind of voltage are you getting into your regulator?

It hurts me to hear what is going on in your country. I pray for it regularly.

Shalom





Ride on Daddy-O.

 

[Dell]

It sounds like some trauma happened at the shop-- as in a gentle bump with a welder or whatever, but I'm not accusing them either.



I am concerned that the other R/R didn't fix it. But having been raised where you had to improvise, I applaud your making do.



A friend was in Nepal for 3 years, and ran out of batteries for his tape player. A junked vehicle had a 3-speed heater fan, none of which worked right.



Then he lit on the idea of the rheostat in the dash-light switch, and picked the perfect speed. I hadn't conceived of this on a TW! -GB

 

[Camelrider]

[quote name='Kwizard' date='20 November 2012 - 11:43 AM' timestamp='1353429818' post='61540']

Seems to me that it has to be the regulator. The rear shock change is coinsidental; unless perhaps the mechanic laid a wrench or something on it, and shorted it. Your temporary fix was inspirational. I hope your r/r arrives soon. What kind of voltage are you getting into your regulator?

It hurts me to hear what is going on in your country. I pray for it regularly.

Shalom



Well, who knows what happened at the repair shop, the TW was for 50 minutes out of my sight.

But that is history now, we move forward and do not look back on things that can not be turned back.

The voltage coming into the regulator from the alternator is between 40 and 80 volts, depending on RPM.

Yes it is unpleasent what is happening in the south of our country, fortunately I live more to the north, so no trouble for me in this round of fighting.

 

[Camelrider]

It sounds like some trauma happened at the shop-- as in a gentle bump with a welder or whatever, but I'm not accusing them either.



I am concerned that the other R/R didn't fix it. But having been raised where you had to improvise, I applaud your making do.



A friend was in Nepal for 3 years, and ran out of batteries for his tape player. A junked vehicle had a 3-speed heater fan, none of which worked right.



Then he lit on the idea of the rheostat in the dash-light switch, and picked the perfect speed. I hadn't conceived of this on a TW! -GB

That the other R/R did not fix the problem has me concerned also, I will have to wait for the new 2008 TW original R/R and see how that works and if that works.

 

[Camelrider]

Well the postman took his time, but yesterday the new R/R arrived.

Today I put it in, it needed some modifying of the baseplate where it is mounted, but it works.

I am not too happy with the place under the seat, the R/R is giving off much heat.

Most likely I will move it to the front, somewhere around the headlight, where it will have a little more air to cool it.

 

[Dell]

Johanjos,

Is it giving off to much heat because it still is over- charging, like the other one?

-GB

 

[Camelrider]

Johanjos,

Is it giving off to much heat because it still is over- charging, like the other one?

-GB

No overcharging any more. It gets pretty warm, I do not know if it is too hot.

The old R/R was never checked for temperature.

Maybe this is a normal temp, still I would like to move it to a place with more air.

I suppose that now, in winter with low air temps it could be good, but in summer some more air would not hurt.

 

[lizrdbrth]

They do give off a fair amount of heat. Yamaha swapped back and forth seemingly at random with the regulators a few times over the years. Some years had regulators with heat sinks, others not. If yours is of the non-heatsink type you could probably mount it on heatsink salvaged from some electronic device.

 

[Camelrider]

Moved it up front beside the headlight.

Obviously the wires where too short,so I changed the wires for longer ones.

This took up the most time, for I had to open up the cabelboom.

Placed like this it is easier to keep an eye on it and it gets lots of air to keep it cool.

It may even look cool.

 

[Rainman]

You did a nice and clean install. The rectifier should get some good air flow now.