Voltage regulator plug

Energy One

Dlamesa

Member
My 08 K9, finally got to ride this past weekend but died after 45 mins to hour notice it wasn’t charging. Before I took my K9 out for a ride i decided to install a good battery, Been reading about battery so I bought one with 320 cca had it load tested, test good. So now I Tested the regulator with bike running and it’s at 12.8 and slowly climb down. So I checked the plug to see if it’s plugged in correctly so how would I know if it’s pluged in incorrectly or is there a difference. Before I turn bike back on or damage something . Any info would be awesome.
 

Jwooky

Well-Known Member
Unplug the VR from the stator and check the Voltage at the stator.

Should be ~18-20 VAC at idle. (make sure you use V-AC, not DC)

It you have it, then you know its the VR. Dont just guess.
 

Jersey Big Mike

100K mile club
if its the Stator, reach out via PM to me and maybe I can make you a good deal. -- I have one I just pulled with VR from my 08 K-9 as I choose to install the Compu-fire 40A system -- Overkill I know but I like it.
 

Sven

Well-Known Member
Set meter to infinity:
1. Place black probe on engine case. Place red probe on one wire prong out of the stator.
a. Did the meter move, as if holding both probes in the air and not touching anything or each other. No. That's a good sign.
b. Did the meter swing to infinity as if touching both probes together as in checking the meter itself? Yes. That means the stator is short to ground and that is where whatever AC is grounding, not traveling up the wire to the V/R.
c. Did you test the other prong and read either a or b showing the answer?
2. Place black probe on prong, the other red probe on the other prong.
a. Did the meter swing as if touching both probes together? Yes. That's a good sign.
b. Are the male ends of the stator's connector green in color? Yes. That's a resistance problem.
c. If the stator test shows good, the male and female ends just might need new metal contact to send the AC up the wires to the V/R.

Well charged battery voltage:
1. Place meter to 20 DCV.
a. Place the black probe to any ground on the bike.
b. Place the red probe on the battery (+) side of the battery. Start bike.
c. Does the battery show static voltage, i.e., 12.8v and remains steady? Yes. Then it's the stator.
d. Does the battery show volts exceeding 15v? Yes. Then it's the V/R.
 
Last edited:

Dlamesa

Member
Thanks for the info i will definitely try all the above this evening when I get off work. Thanks again
 

Dlamesa

Member
Set meter to infinity:
1. Place black probe on engine case. Place red probe on one wire prong out of the stator.
a. Did the meter move, as if holding both probes in the air and not touching anything or each other. No. That's a good sign.
b. Did the meter swing to infinity as if touching both probes together as in checking the meter itself? Yes. That means the stator is short to ground and that is where whatever AC is grounding, not traveling up the wire to the V/R.
c. Did you test the other prong and read either a or b showing the answer?
2. Place black probe on prong, the other red probe on the other prong.
a. Did the meter swing as if touching both probes together? Yes. That's a good sign.
b. Are the male ends of the stator's connector green in color? Yes. That's a resistance problem.
c. If the stator test shows good, the male and female ends just might need new metal contact to send the AC up the wires to the V/R.

Well charged battery voltage:
1. Place meter to 20 DCV.
a. Place the black probe to any ground on the bike.
b. Place the red probe on the battery (+) side of the battery. Start bike.
c. Does the battery show static voltage, i.e., 12.8v and remains steady? Yes. Then it's the stator.
d. Does the battery show volts exceeding 15v? Yes. Then it's the V/R.
Did your test every is good so I assume metal contacts are bad so do I need to open primary?
 

Sven

Well-Known Member
You did the test and everything shows good, but you're saying metal contacts are bad? Before you open the primary, let's make sure you understand how simple this test is. Theory goes something like this:
I'm looking at a 2 terminal plug. That means this is one long wire and you are seeing both ends of that 1 wire. You're using the meter to see if there is a break in the wire. So if the meter did not read anything there is a break at that wire. The wire is wrapped on itself and there is a thin epoxy that covers the wire so when it lays on itself in the wrap it does not touch metal to metal. So when you take the meter and hold one probe to the wire and one to the engine, you are looking to see if the epoxy got so hot at one spot of all those windings, the wire did melt on itself and you are seeing the meter move showing it is going to the engine case. And also, if the one long wire is grounded on the epoxy melt, then the other wire end is going to show the same grounding effect.

So my test goes something like this:
1. Needle moves...
a. When I touch both ends of the wires with the (-) and (+) meter probes = Good. No epoxy melt. Still usable.
b. When I touch one stator wire with the (+) probe and the (-) probe to engine = Bad. Epoxy melted. Replacement needed.

2. Needle does not move...
a. When I touch the one stator wire with the (+) probe and the (-) probe to engine = Good. No grounding between parts.
b. When I touch the (+) probe to one stator wire and the (-) probe to the other stator wire = Bad. Break in one strand of wire.

Make sense? Test again and show your test results so we pull primary or not.
 

Dlamesa

Member
You did the test and everything shows good, but you're saying metal contacts are bad? Before you open the primary, let's make sure you understand how simple this test is. Theory goes something like this:
I'm looking at a 2 terminal plug. That means this is one long wire and you are seeing both ends of that 1 wire. You're using the meter to see if there is a break in the wire. So if the meter did not read anything there is a break at that wire. The wire is wrapped on itself and there is a thin epoxy that covers the wire so when it lays on itself in the wrap it does not touch metal to metal. So when you take the meter and hold one probe to the wire and one to the engine, you are looking to see if the epoxy got so hot at one spot of all those windings, the wire did melt on itself and you are seeing the meter move showing it is going to the engine case. And also, if the one long wire is grounded on the epoxy melt, then the other wire end is going to show the same grounding effect.

So my test goes something like this:
1. Needle moves...
a. When I touch both ends of the wires with the (-) and (+) meter probes = Good. No epoxy melt. Still usable.
b. When I touch one stator wire with the (+) probe and the (-) probe to engine = Bad. Epoxy melted. Replacement needed.

2. Needle does not move...
a. When I touch the one stator wire with the (+) probe and the (-) probe to engine = Good. No grounding between parts.
b. When I touch the (+) probe to one stator wire and the (-) probe to the other stator wire = Bad. Break in one strand of wire.

Make sense? Test again and show your test results so we pull primary or not.
Well I end up changing the voltage regulator, when I did my test. I touch both prongs with meter it would act like one wire then I test my other big dog and it was different. After changing the VR I test again and it starting charging, So thanks to Kris H. For the extra VR due to him install RIP on his pit bull. Once again thanks for your help I really appreciate it. Whenever you come to West Tx. You will be taken care of thanks. If it’s wasnt for this Big Dog Biker form I would be lost.
 
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