Battery and Charging System

[Watsonic]

Hi Guys Can any one help

After running my virago 535 based trike this morning I put a volt meter across the battery. With all the vehicle electrics turned off the battery was discharging but stabilised at about 11.64 Volts.

Is it time for a new battery?

Also at tick over the charging system is kicking out about 13.75 volts but when the revs are applied this drops to about 12 Volts is my charging system knackered?

[BikerGran]

Hm, how long did you run it for and did you have the lights on?

[Watsonic]

It hadn't been run for a while so it had to be jumped,

Only ran it at tickover for about 15 minutes as the weather wasn't good

The lights were off

[ByzMax]

Stick the battery on a seperate charger. See what you get then. The only real way to test the battery is to get it drop tested. This involves sticking a resistive load across the terminals This mimics the starter motor and you will be able to see how much the voltage drops by.

Batterys are normally charged at about 14.5 volts so it sounds like it may be knackered.


Iain 

[BikerGran]

ByzMax - how can you tell whether it's the battery that's knackered or the charging system not charging it properly?

[toad]

535 viragos have a reputation for reg rec,s going awol. the charge rate at tickover should be around 13.5v rising up to 14.75v when the throttles opened. a quick test if you dont have a voltmeter when its dark  switch on the lights and open the throttle abit if they brighten then the charge system appears ok and it could just be the battery at fault. now if you have a meter you should be able to test the charging system easily by starting the engine and seperating the connecting plug to the regulator usually 3 thick yellow wires.each one of those should be shoving between 45 & 60 volts of current if you have agood rate of voltage at the plug connection  then reconnect and see if theres a 12v supply to the plain red wire at the reg rec no 12v no charge to the battery as the system is a switched  system if ya get stuck gis a pm and i,ll try to explain in english

[Watsonic]

Thanks Toad I'll give it a go over the weekend

[ByzMax]

ByzMax - how can you tell whether it's the battery that's knackered or the charging system not charging it properly?

The drop test is the best way as it places the battery under load similar to that required to turn the engine over. If the voltage drops below a certain level about 8.5 - 9 volts you can assume it's knackered.

The problem is that I've tested charging system and it's showing the corrrect 14.5 volts only find that you are not getting the current.

There are many other ways like the one described by Toad to test different systems.

[Watsonic]

Hi Guys

Update on the charging system

I.ve bought a new battery which I have not yet installed but will after Xmas

As suggested in on of the previous relpies I've started the bike and disconnected the Reg/Rec the voltage at this point rises with the revs up to 50 Volts plus

My next action will be to check the Reg/rec wiring and earth

I will update when I have more to report

Thank you all for your help and advice over the past 6 months

Happy Christmas to you all 

[Watsonic]

Ok next update

I've checked all wiring and all connections oppear to be good

The voltage at the Red wire from the Reg/ Rec is poor, 13 volts ish  at tick over dropping to below 12 Volts as the Revs rise

Time for a new Reg/Rec would you agree   

[toad]

thanks for the pm. from what you describe a new reg rec will cure it.

[Watsonic]

Loosing the will to live

Put a new rec/reg on. . . . . . . it made no difference
However as previously stated the AC voltage at the multiplug between the generator and the Rec/Reg is around 50Volts on all three windings but when the system is under  load IE the multiplug is reconnected this voltage drops to around 5-6 volts per winding.
so
Presuming that the fault must now lie with the generater I stripped everything down and removed the engine (only way to get the cover off because of the positioning of the engine in the frame) low and behold the generater oppears to be good. Rang Yamaha UK Technical department and went through all of thee signs and symptoms,Tested the Resistance of the Stator which is within the tolerance.
Where do I go next


All suggestions greatly appreciated as I'm now at the stage of putting the whole project on EBay and getting rid

[toad]

i take it the reg/rec you have replaced was a brand new one? have you checked the resistance on it?? and lastly let it tickover for about 10mins and see how hot the case gets i doubt very much that its the generator

[Watsonic]

Yes its a new one
Yes it did get warm

[manfred]

50v sounds a bit low, shouldn't it peak around 70-80v?
I may be wrong, it's been a year or three since i've played with bike charging systems.