HELP: Reg/Rec Issue + More

squeak12 · September 12, 2011, 07:51:53 PM

Alright, I believe that I had a regulator issue to begin with. This summer I didn't ride my bike for about 2-3 weeks, so it sat in a fully enclosed garage with out any charging during the hottest weeks in GA. I replaced the battery with an AGM sealed battery. It was fine until about a week ago. It seemed a little weak when starting, but I didn't really think much of it at the time. I took a 45 minute trip this weekend, and when I arrived, my battery was dead. When it was time to leave, I charged it up for ~3 hours on 10A. My plan was to make it home and replace the reg/rec. Well 15 minutes from home, the bike started cutting out completely. It would cut off everything, then run again (Possibly from bump starting it since I was running 45-55 mph at the time). I coasted to a stop and the battery was gone again. Got a friend jump me off, he turned the car on while the cables were still connected. I've heard not to do it, but it didn't seem to affect the bike until I pulled the choke out to idle it up, but it stalled. After that, it didn't do anything with 12V other than the starter relay click uncontrollably.

I pulled the battery to get a new one hoping the above was a fluke, and I noticed it was pretty hot and started to think overcharging from a bad regulator. With the new battery, it wont do anything other than turn the lights on. It kept blowing the 10A ignition fuse when the starter was pushed. I put a 30A for a push to see if it was overcurrent or direct short. It didn't blow the 30A, and I quit doing it before I burnt up a wire...I hope.

And now your up to speed, did I fry the cdi or something more than just the reg/rec. I finally got the bike back to my house, so I'm hoping to get some wrenching time in this week after work to further diagnose the issues.

hootmon · September 12, 2011, 08:05:11 PM

Welcome to the forum from Florida...
There are more posts on the board about regulators than anything else.. Do a search I've been through 2 regs on my '94. One overcharge, one undercharge.. You need a volt ohm meeter which are cheap at Harbor Freight, if you have on near you.. There are some ohm checks you can do to chech both the regulator and the stator as well as the voltage output.

squeak12 · September 12, 2011, 09:38:12 PM

Is the second part normal where the bike won't even turn the starter over? I'm thinking maybe I blew the relay.

hootmon · September 12, 2011, 09:53:36 PM

Quote from: squeak12 on September 12, 2011, 09:38:12 PM
Is the second part normal where the bike won't even turn the starter over? I'm thinking maybe I blew the relay.

Maybe, but I doubt it.. You may have shorted your battery with over-voltage.. or you may have a loose connection in the circuit. Remove connectors, clean, (I suggest adding a little dielectric grease) and re-tighten. Loose connections (although they seem tight) is another common starting issue on the Magna.

Where are you located??

Here are some Harbor Freight Multi meters. Any of the 1st couple will do the job..

Lurkin · September 13, 2011, 07:57:50 AM

Quote from: squeak12 on September 12, 2011, 09:38:12 PM
Is the second part normal where the bike won't even turn the starter over? I'm thinking maybe I blew the relay.

Are you sure the second battery was fully charged when trying to start it? If so, then I would say something else is wrong,,, what I'm not sure about, but the second battery, fully charged, should turn the starter over regardless of whether the RR is functioning correctly.

I would find the wiring diagram and start tracing circuits around the fuse you keep blowing, sounds like a short somewhere.

Not to put too much paranoia into the mix, but someone on another board thinks they fried their wiring harness due to a RR overcharge and had to replace the harness and the RR. Not sure if this is your case from the RR or the jump, but just something else to consider.

squeak12 · September 13, 2011, 11:27:28 PM

I'm in Savannah. The second battery should have been good, but I didn't check. When I got the first battery from O Reilly's, it was charged and ready to go. The second battery that I just got was the same model from the same store. I have it on charge and should be able to do some wrenching tomorrow to try and diagnose this. I'm hoping to test the ignition by bypassing the relay and applying 12V directly to the starter.

hootmon · September 14, 2011, 03:02:32 AM

Quote from: squeak12 on September 13, 2011, 11:27:28 PM
I'm in Savannah. The second battery should have been good, but I didn't check. When I got the first battery from O Reilly's, it was charged and ready to go. The second battery that I just got was the same model from the same store. I have it on charge and should be able to do some wrenching tomorrow to try and diagnose this. I'm hoping to test the ignition by bypassing the relay and applying 12V directly to the starter.

I don't know if you already have it or not, but I did a search and found this link for the service manual.. There are instructions on how to test the stator and regulator as well as a wiring diagram in the back..

Service Manual

MagnaMikeD · September 15, 2011, 11:02:22 PM

When my reg went out the bike just died at an intersection. I could not even push start it. So, after it ran the battery completely down it had no juice left to run on. I too changed the battery first since it was 4 yrs old. I should have done more electrical checks like charging voltage. But, after replacing battery, same thing happened and it died at a traffic light after battery depleted. I changed the voltage reg. and all was fine. This sounds similar the your situation squeak12. Good luck!

ttooee · October 02, 2011, 10:32:35 AM

Have you tried disconnecting the FR completely and with a fresh battery and see if the starter will turn over?

squeak12 · December 15, 2011, 09:58:07 PM

I have just started back on the bike. I have been pretty busy at work, but need to fix this now.

I have everything back together. When the key is turned on, the RPM maxes out on the gauge. Everything else is normal. Bike cranks strong but it never starts. I will double check the connections tomorrow. Brand new regulator, also.

Jigger · December 16, 2011, 04:45:21 AM

Squeak it sounds like you might have a direct short on your coil. Your tach should not move when you turn the key on. The tach reads the inpulse comeing from the coil.

squeak12 · April 21, 2013, 07:20:32 PM

I know it has been a while, but I figured I would update the thread with the solution.

I replaced the wiring harness and a couple of relays first, hoping to get away with a cheaper fix. Neither did anything to help the cause, so I bit the bullet and planned to replace the ICM, more commonly known as a CDI. I had been searching eBay for months casually and couldn't find them under $200. Eventually I found one for $105 shipped and jumped on it. That fixed her right up. Bike ended up started after just a few seconds with no need to help with the throttle. Bike seems to run fine for sitting for nearly a year and a half. Now I'm just working on general tune up and cleaning/syncing the carbs since I had to pull them to troubleshoot a gas leak.

Magnum Magna · April 21, 2013, 07:39:01 PM

Glad to hear it is fixed and ready for this years riding season.
Run some Sea Foam it will help with the carbs. Depending on where the leaking gas is coming from it may even help that. If something is suck open and flooding the gas out.
The Summer of 2011 I had an electrical problem. I took it to the stealership to get it fixed. I believe it was the plug at the CDI / ICM. They replaced the plug and the Electrical problem was gone.

squeak12 · April 21, 2013, 07:45:57 PM

When I removed my ICM, I noticed the case was bulged out a little, so I assume something happened in there to cause it. I think the leak is coming from the tubes that connect the carbs, so I am planning to put new o rings on both the air and fuel tubes and check for cracks.