My Regulator/Rectifier died a couple of months ago and has since been replaced with an aftermarket one. This morning as I was riding to work I could detect a slight electrical burning smell everytime I was stopped at a light. I am dreading pulling the seat off to see what I find. If I am guessing right I'll be replacing a wire harness very soon.
I had a similar situation when I replaced the regulator.. I had to either replace the connectors between the Regulator and the stator (under the seat) or eliminate the connectors..
I chose to eliminate the connector AND soldered the wires together.
The Smell was VERY much like burning brakes..
I'll see when I get things taken apart and inspected. When I replaced the regulator I noticed the connector was brown and the wires stiff. I hadn't considered just eliminating the connector. If that's all it is that is probably the rout I'll go.Thanks
Quote from: Skydrol on July 06, 2011, 03:10:24 PM
I'll see when I get things taken apart and inspected. When I replaced the regulator I noticed the connector was brown and the wires stiff. I hadn't considered just eliminating the connector. If that's all it is that is probably the rout I'll go.Thanks
If there was brownness, then there was probably some resistance built up and the wires were damaged, this is a death spiral and the resistance will continue to build, causing more heat, causing more resistance causing more heat, etc. etc.. There are connectors you can buy, you just have to make sure you cut back the wire until it is clean and shiny copper.
To everyone else.. I suggest IF you have had no issues with your regulator, pull the connectors apart and put some dielectric grease on each spade connector to improve connectivity to help prevent this process from starting..
Not sure what aftermarket r/r you acquired, but check your charge rate, many of the Electro-something units fail in the overcharge mode. You may be overcharging and boiling your battery and overloading the wires/harness.
Finally got a chance to look into things and found both connectors on the r/r cooked. The 3 yellow wire connector was the worst and if I could figure out how to add pictures to this I would. I ended up doing like you did and just cut the connectors out and spliced the wires. Later, after some consideration, I was wondering what would happen if I need to replace the r/r again as I don't know which wire went to what tab of the connector, or if it even matters. I haven't looked at a schematic yet and don't know if anyone has actually had to replace the r/r more than once. Hopefully by the time that comes I'll have a new bike anyway :D
Quote from: Skydrol on July 12, 2011, 08:24:34 AM
Finally got a chance to look into things and found both connectors on the r/r cooked. The 3 yellow wire connector was the worst and if I could figure out how to add pictures to this I would. I ended up doing like you did and just cut the connectors out and spliced the wires. Later, after some consideration, I was wondering what would happen if I need to replace the r/r again as I don't know which wire went to what tab of the connector, or if it even matters. I haven't looked at a schematic yet and don't know if anyone has actually had to replace the r/r more than once. Hopefully by the time that comes I'll have a new bike anyway :D
With the yellow wires, it doesn't matter, they are all the same, just different point from the stator.. The other R/R connector (not Yellow) the connections matter..
Hope it helps.
There were 2 red wires with white stripe and 2 green wires. don't know if they matter. I wouldn't think so otherwise they would be 4 different colors, I would think.
Both of the green wires are ground. I think one of them was a case ground, probably because the OEM mount was to plastic. When I replaced mine with a junkyard substitute, it only had one green wire. I just soldered both of the one from the connector to the one coming from the replacement R/R.
I did run a piece of aluminum from one of the mounting bolts to the frame. This was to replace the broken plastic, but also gave me a good case ground.
(http://www.guywheatley.com/photos/regulator05.JPG)
Post from July 2008 when I replaced the R/R.
I got Maggie put back together and running again. I got a used regulator for $25.00. I had to change out the plugs. Like Charles mentioned, there is an extra green (ground) wire on the Magna. I just combined the two green wires on the Magna plug onto the single green wire coming from my used regulator.
One potential problem actually presented an opportunity. The case that the battery and tools sit in had one of the brackets for the mounting screw broken off.
(http://www.guywheatley.com/photos/reg070408-01.JPG)
I'd already mounted the regulator. As you can see in the photo, I attaced a wire to one of the mounting bolts. I was going to use this as a case ground.
(http://www.guywheatley.com/photos/reg070408-02.JPG)
I tried to reattach the original screw bracket using an expoy designed for hard plastics. It broke the first time I put pressure on it. So, I decided to make another bracket. It occurred to me that if I made it out of conductive metal, and attached it to one of the regulator mounting bolts, well you get the idea. Case ground.
(http://www.guywheatley.com/photos/reg070408-03.JPG)
(http://www.guywheatley.com/photos/reg070408-04.JPG)
Here it is mounted.
(http://www.guywheatley.com/photos/reg070408-05.JPG)
From the battery case side.
(http://www.guywheatley.com/photos/reg070408-06.JPG)
I put her back together and fired her up. I get a steady 14 volts, at any rpm. Cool.
The last thing was the battery. Charles told me to at least try charging the old one before buying a new one. When I started to charge it, I discovered that the battery acid had been boiled out. I keep and old battery around for a core exchange. When I need a battery, I'd just grab the old one and exchange it before having to pull the bad one out of my vehicle. I drained the acid out of my core battery, ran it through a coffee filter and dumped it in my dry bike battery. I checked it before I even stuck the charger to it and wha-la. 12 volt by just replacing the electrolyte.
I put her back together and took her around the block. We'll see how she holds up over the next few weeks.
Hanging out with the MOOT guys is paying off. Before that, I'd have just hauled it to the Honda place. $150.00 for a regulator, $50.00 for a battery. Who knows how much for the case. Say $50.00. $250 for parts, another $250 labor plus tax and I'm over $500.
Instead, $25.00 for a used regulator. I like this way better.
That was in 2008. I still going strong with that R/R. I did finally replace the battery last year.
You and Charles are related right? ROFL
Quote from: roboto65 on July 13, 2011, 07:24:39 AM
You and Charles are related right? ROFL
Not sure he'd claim me, but I'll take that as a complement. :D