Voltage Regulator?

[Wbowen]

Originally posted by DiverRay
Wes,
Check the 6 connector gang BEHIND the fuse block. If it has burned, you may not be getting any voltage to the regulator. The plastic should be white, and if it's dark brown, it's probably the problem.

I Will take a look and let you know what I find. Thanks

[jimboreeno]

OK... Here is what I have going and what I think is the problem.

The other day I had an issue where the bike died on me I had just replaced the rec/reg so I was running my driving lights and thinking I was the energizer bunny. Unfortunately the bike began running like crap, belching fire, and died.

Last night I put the battery on the charger. This morning I started up and went the 40 miles to work. No problems except at a stopsign/light the idiot lights would reset as if I was restarting the bike and the tach would jump or register 0. Up the RPMs a little and it got more charge and seemed fine.
My thoughts... I need a new battery and my stador must be charging..why else would the bike be better whith increased RPMs?! (pertty smart cookie huh?!) Also I got a new rec/reg from Tony so I am pretty sure it is not involved.

Now for the near death experience part of the story....

About 15 miles into my homeward jounrey I stop for gas (pesky habit) I can not start the bike and get jump from a nice guy in a Lexus.
About 15 miles later the bike begins sputtering coughing and running like crap. I am going up a steep hill that curves to the right on a narrow 2-lane highway that has an average of 3-4 fatalities a year. Literally NO shoulder just the white line then the 3-4 foot drop to the ditch. That is where the old girl croaked. Cars were stacking up and stopping behind me. Then they went around. As I carefully backed down the white line in an attempt to get to a driveway that was across the highway and below me, I occassionally had to stop my progress to evaluate whether I was going to have to dump the bike and leap into the ditch to keep from getting hit. Keep in mind I am on the white line, on a blind curve with cars and semis litterally wizzing by at 60-70 mph. The only reason I am alive to write this is that a local cop went by, pulled a U and blocked traffic for me.
so...
I think I need a battery and to replace the melted stador plug... and, what the heck, perhaps a new stador.

[skids]

BINGO! If you have magnetic pull on the right case with the key on, the regulator portion of the VR is trying to excite the stator.
I think you do NOT need a new battery and do NEED to replace the stator connectors. The fact that it melted is an indication that it was probably arcing due to a bad connection. There is not a lot of extra wiring, so try to preserve as much length as possible. Just for grins, make yourself some jumper wires and run the three white wires to the VR. Then start the bike and rev it to see if the headlight burns brighter with rpms.

Originally posted by jimboreeno
OK... Here is what I have going and what I think is the problem.

(snip)
I think I need a battery and to replace the melted stador plug... and, what the heck, perhaps a new stador.

[jimboreeno]

Thanks Skids,

Question,
my stador wiring has 2 plugs, the larger (melted) one has 3 wires coming in and 4 wires going out. is this right or has the PO done some other bit of wiring genius?

[skids]

The smaller plug is for the field coil. The stator plugs, behind the fuse panel, should have 4 wires (3 white and one yellow) in and 4 wires out. The VR I think has only 3 whites, no yellow. The yellow goes to (eventually) the tachometer and the headlight relay.

Originally posted by jimboreeno
Thanks Skids,

Question,
my stador wiring has 2 plugs, the larger (melted) one has 3 wires coming in and 4 wires going out. is this right or has the PO done some other bit of wiring genius?

[jimboreeno]

The electrical on this bike has been jacked with quite a bit. I believe the original XJ engine caught fire which is why it now sports an '80XS engine.
The stador plug is now located in front of the battery in the open space. I will have to figure out what has happend to the 4th wire.

[skids]

One thing at a time... Don't you want to try and fix your charging circuit first?

[morticiaann]

voltage regulator

I have a burned stator plug and a missing wire on my 4-wire connector, also. My manual says that the stator is now junk so I'm going to get a new one. Does the wire from the stator go directly to the Regulator/Rectifier for the XS11? Maybe this is burned also. I would really like to get my bike started.

[Geezer]

Before you go replacing that stator try testing it with an analog meter properly zeroed. Digital meters aren't as good at checking low resistance circuits as analog meters are. The resistance between the white wires is only 0.75 ohms and on some meters this could look like zero.

Make sure you have continuity between all 3 white wires and that none of the white wires have continuity to ground.

I have all the plugs you will need to fix this up and I can make repair harness sections on custom order. Generally this only cost a little more than the plugs alone.

Geezer

[morticiaann]

Voltage Regulator? or..............

My meter is ok because the replacement stator gave me visible readings. I recognized the ride to nowhere and how it gets worse at the end. I put mine on a tow-truck and a mechanic got the bike running again by using pick-up coils off an older model.