Charging system problem By rgmarsing (Read 571 times)

[rgmarsing]

This will take a few minutes but I want to explain what led up to this.
As some of you may have read on another of my threads, I just last week got back from my first long trip of the year up to the High Uinta Mts. of Utah. It was a great trip and I spent 4 days hiking and relaxing.
On the trip up I ran into some power problems (very low up hill speeds as compared to other simular trips) and lower mpg. So after I got back home I figured it was time to finally buckle down and finally do my first valve adjustment. I now have over 2800 miles on my scoot (yah yah I know, WAY over due) but I have to completely strip ALL the plastic to get at the valve cover and have room to work. As it turns out it wasn't as bad as I thought to get it off (I only broke one plastic tab, and found one that was already broke). I also finally found my CDI (behind the rear light cluster. Yes I have to strip all the plastic to get to it. Geat engineering huh?).
After taking off the valve cover (by the way only 2 long bolts holding it on, not 4 like in all the how-too's I've seen) I found TDC and made sure the 2 holes on the gear were lined up properly. I couldn't even get .001 feeler gauge into the valves. (Just wait Alley, I'm getting to it) So I ran the adjustment wayyy out and got them set to .003 and put it back together to give it a test run.
Wow, What a noise. Clankity clank, clank, clank.
Yah Alley, I had it 180 degrees out. I took another fifteen minutes and reset every thing correctly. and everything seemed to run great, so I packaged her back up and rode over to the gas station to fill her up, wanting to get an accurate reading on mpg to see if the valve job helped.
When I got there and tried to open my seat to access the gas tank, the lock would not work (even after using the appropriate "magic" words and well placed physical persuasive insentives. (Of course my tool kit is now locked in the storage under the seat) So back home and after about an hour of more of the aforementioned tactics but now with some tools I got the lock assembly out and the seat opened. (The next day I spent half the day working on it and got the lock assembly back in but haven't been able to get the spring assembly to pull the locking mechanism closed. It is now always unlocked).
Now it's the day after (yes I'm finally there) and I decide to go to the store, but when I start my bike I have to give it a boost with the kick start. I notice that my charging gauge is now barely over 12v (and I think that's because of my solar charger). I tested it with my voltage meter and while running only got 12.1v, even during reving. After setting a while not running it was down to 11.85v. I left it on the trickle charger the rest of the day and got the battery upto 13.35v then took the charger off overnight to see what it dropped to and this morning it was at 12.35v.
Sooo...what do you think is the problem. Could I have fried the RR with too much heat on my long trips? Is it the stator or maybe just loose wires I may have pulled out while taking off the plastic? I don't think it's the battery at all since it seemed to hold a charge over night and that shouldn't effect the reading on charging anyway. (By the way, is there an award for the longest explanation and post? at least for the month, anyway). (That last little bit was added to increase the length of the as is this part also).

Hope you guys have some good ideas to help me as I'm not the best when it comes to this electrical stuff.

Thanks
RG

[Bashan]

I have a couple ideas. If it is discharging while sitting overnight it could be the alarm system if you have one. The more likely explanation is the R/R went bad and a diode is leaking juice. You can test the drain on your system by setting your multimeter up like this for mA:

That's right, black test lead to red cable. It seems counterintuitive but that's correct. Make sure everything is off and if your over 10mA it's probably a diode and you need a new R/R.

[rgmarsing]

Thanks Bashan. I don't have a setting on my Harbor Frieght $5.99 multimeter marked mA. I do however have one marked 1.5v(4.0 mA) 9v(25mA). in the same location on the dial in your picture. On that setting I get a reading of 3.08. If that is the right setting and a good reading should I be looking at the stator or should I strip the plastic again and start checking wires and connections?

[Alleyoop]

HAHAHAHA, you need some MOJO my man, wow from one thing to another. I am sending some MOJO your way.

But what is this SOLAR "thingy" you mentioned? It could be the drainer.

Have you taken you volt meter and tested the battery as while it is running rev it up to about 3-4 k and and if your system is charging the volts on the meter should go up. If they do then it is charging but something is draining it.
Alleyoop

[rgmarsing]

I also am not as concerned with the drain on the battery (although I did just install a cheap chinese alarm $6.99 from dxExtreme postage paid. It is vibration motion activated and really only draws any significant power when it goes off). It's the fact that I get no change in the voltage reading when running even if I rev tne engine. Today it read 12.25v when I started it and remained the same all the time it was running, no matter the rpms.

[Alleyoop]

BUMMER then it is either your R/R or Stator. You can test your stator to see if it is feeding enough juice to the R/R if it is then replace the R/R if not then replace the Stator.
Alleyoop

[rgmarsing]

It is a solar battery charger to maintain batteries in any 12v. vehicle. It usually just plugs into the 12v outlet of most cars, but I wired mine directly to the battery. It is 1.5v and I think 4000mah, so it is just a trickle charger. I have had one on my scooter for about 2yrs since I was concerned with the small battery (4ah is the only physical sized one that will fit in my battery compartment) and the slow recharge rate you get on most scooters. When you make a lot of short runs around town there may not be enough run time to let the battery recharge after mutliple starts and if I don't use the scooter for a couple days the battery is still good). I have a picture posted with it mounted on my trunk in pic's "My Cadillac Scoot" in April 2012 I think.

[rgmarsing]

The pic's are Sept. 2012

[Alleyoop]

Measure the battery compartment I am sure you can find a bigger amp battery that will fit in there. 4AH battery is pretty small to turn have it turn over a motor several times. It takes a lot of juice out of a battery when starting and if it is small it will be low really quick. You should be able to find at least a 6AMP battery.

Measure the battery compartment and we can hopefully find a bigger amp battery that will fit.
Alleyoop

[Bashan]

Actually, I think you had the multimeter correct and that drain is within normal limits. Jumping off of what Alley said, I'm guessing you have white. yellow, and green wires in your stator pigtail. If you don't, stop what you're doing and tell us. If you do, unhook the white and test it to ground with your multi set to AC. You should get 20vAC+, if you don't the stator is toast. The white supplies the charging circuit.

[rgmarsing]

First of all let me say IT'S FIXED!!!! I just went out and stripped all the palstic off again including the trunk and luggage rack (all has to come off to have access) and I started checking wires and connectors and found the connector to the r/r was loose. (no I didn't touch it any of the last 3 times I had the plastic off). I immediately got 13.75v read on idle after plugging it back in. Well at least now I know I can strip it down in only about 20 minutes. Practice really helps.

And also I have measured the battery compartment and can not find a battery to fit it at any of the retail outlets but have located one at "The Battery Store" that is 7ah but am waiting until I need it to order. The one I now have is almost 2years old and still works fine. If I don't have any other problems (like now) it usually maintains 12.5 to 12.7 volts with my erractic riding habits. I guess I'm just the son of my father who grew up during the depression and learned to use what I have and don't buy things that you don"t need. If you take care of things they will last.

Thanks for all the help guys. Even if it was something a simple as a loose connection I still learned a lot finding the solution, and I now feel I know my scooter better and am able to solve problems easier and faster from this experience.

RG

[Alleyoop]

That is great, easy fix and no parts and money out of the wallet those are the best solutions.
Ride Safe
Alleyoop