Regulator Failure's

[Greg Cothern]

Please help with this poll, thanks.

[magnagregcan]

It does not reach 90 Far here more than twice a year here, and then for only a brief period. I have a 2000 Magna with 35,000 miles (56,000 Km) on it. Works like a Swiss watch! I have a 95 Magna with only 4400 miles on it (US model, from Maryland). It needs the carbs cleaned, but other than that, she looks like new. Both are keepers. I like this forum alot; much great info, no BS!
Cheers!
Greg

[drkngas]

Haven't had a failure but my battery sure goes dead alot in the summer when the cooling fan comes on alot.  it has been like that for at least 4 summers.  would a slow regulator failure cause that?

[Dlcarrales]

Go to Harbor Freight and pickup a digital multimeter.  Check the regulated voltage at the battery by bringing up the RPM's to 3,000 and it should read between 14 - 15.5V.  If it is less that its not charging the battery sufficiently.

[lragan]

Go to Harbor Freight and pickup a digital multimeter.  Check the regulated voltage at the battery by bringing up the RPM's to 3,000 and it should read between 14 - 15.5V.  If it is less that its not charging the battery sufficiently.

The voice of experience speaks with authority.  The DVM's are dirt cheap (I paid less than $5 for one!)  Don't leave home without one.

[drkngas]

Go to Harbor Freight and pickup a digital multimeter.  Check the regulated voltage at the battery by bringing up the RPM's to 3,000 and it should read between 14 - 15.5V.  If it is less that its not charging the battery sufficiently.

I'm a computer / control geek.  Every toolbox has a multimeter in it.    I do get >15VDC at 3500 RPM. My batteries seem to slowly drain and during the summer when the fan comes on more, it drains faster.  When I go for more than a few days at a time I carry a solar trickle.  I've tried 3 batteries.

[Chad in Michigan]

i'm not in the texas heat, but i wanted more of a 'reserve' in the bike battery. i noticed that i had a harder time trying to start in the heat and cold weather as well. i found a battery that just barely fits (it's 5/8" taller), has more CCA(260) and more AH(14)than the stock battery. I've been using it all season so far and works fine. It even seems to crank over faster now as well. I got my battery with free shipping at this place below. It is made by Yuasa in the states, but rebranded under another label. It is also a AGM style battery and maintenance free.  $89 and free shipping. I ordered that and a battery tender and they were here within a few days.
http://www.batterystuff.com/batteries/motorcycle/YTX14H-BS.html

[BudMan]

My "No" vote is on a 1st Gen.

[Smoked U]

Go to Harbor Freight and pickup a digital multimeter.  Check the regulated voltage at the battery by bringing up the RPM's to 3,000 and it should read between 14 - 15.5V.  If it is less that its not charging the battery sufficiently.

I'm a computer / control geek.  Every toolbox has a multimeter in it.    I do get >15VDC at 3500 RPM. My batteries seem to slowly drain and during the summer when the fan comes on more, it drains faster.  When I go for more than a few days at a time I carry a solar trickle.  I've tried 3 batteries.

I hate electrical problems.

Am I thinking right. Can you disconnect the postive terminal on the battery, connect the red lead to the battery and the black lead to the disconnected positive battery cable and with the key in the off position, check the VOM in the Amperes mode to see if any current is flowing out of the battery when it is not supposed to???

[Capt. Howard]

Quote:
I hate electrical problems.

Am I thinking right. Can you disconnect the postive terminal on the battery, connect the red lead to the battery and the black lead to the disconnected positive battery cable and with the key in the off position, check the VOM in the Amperes mode to see if any current is flowing out of the battery when it is not supposed to???

Hmmm.....I have to think on that one....

[Chad in Michigan]

to check amps that's what you would do. you have to 'disconnect' the circuit and get in between what you want to test. so disconnecting one lead of the battery and placing the meter lead on the battery and the other on the end of whatever cable you took off the battery and have your meter set in amps will show you an amp reading. the problem comes into play how much can your meter handle.. if you want to check current draw (see if any circuits are active) when the key is off, this would be fine. to check and see how many amps your alternator is putting back to the battery may blow the fuse in your meter. my fluke meter only goes to 10 amps. the magna will put out over 30 at times. make sure your meter can handle whatever it is you are trying to check before attempting.

[Smoked U]

to check amps that's what you would do. you have to 'disconnect' the circuit and get in between what you want to test. so disconnecting one lead of the battery and placing the meter lead on the battery and the other on the end of whatever cable you took off the battery and have your meter set in amps will show you an amp reading. the problem comes into play how much can your meter handle.. if you want to check current draw (see if any circuits are active) when the key is off, this would be fine. to check and see how many amps your alternator is putting back to the battery may blow the fuse in your meter. my fluke meter only goes to 10 amps. the magna will put out over 30 at times. make sure your meter can handle whatever it is you are trying to check before attempting.

Yeah, that's what I was thinking. With the key off, there should be no ampereage draw indicated on the meter (all systems off). If there is an indication of current flowing, you are grounded somewhere in the system and are drawing the battery down when the bike is supposedly off and parked.

[IndianaMatt]

  i got my 98 magna in november 08 with 15k miles on it. around march or so i rode it about 60 miles nonstop and it quit firing on all four cylinders for a few seconds but it came back into it. I figured i just flooded it and brushed it aside. in april i rode about 40 miles with a group of people and they told me my headlight was dim when we stopped at a light. i checked it out later that night after i'd let it sit for a few hours and it was fine, didnt think much of it.

It did the firing problem to me a few times since then so i changed the plugs before i headed down to the dragon last week. oh man.

We headed out no problems it ran really good. way faster than any other bikes with us. Well we stopped at a gas station a few hours into the trip on the first day and i went to turn the bike on, nothing. completely dead, the lights on the gauges wouldnt even light up. i rode my friends bike over to wal mart and just grabbed a new battery and i figured that was that. id never checked the battery before maybe it was just time for a new one.
  8 batteries later ive come to the conclusion that my regulator is bad. i did manage to make it through the dragon just fine. it was boiling them over until they went dead. i used my wal mart receipt to keep getting new ones for free. 

that should fix every problem my bike has had though

[TLRam1]

Indian, welcome to the site!

Can you post your regulator here, keeping a post of the particulars.

http://www.magnaownersoftexas.com/forums/index.php?topic=2622.0

Also can you add in your signature your name and location, thanks.

[Smoked U]

What part of Indiana are you from?