XJ Electrical problem

[crazy steve]

Yup... 3 different monitors give the same results. Hopefully Ivan can figure it out this weekend.

Well, not to be discouraging, but having multiple used parts doesn't guarantee at least one is good. Odds are that one should be, but I can tell you from personal experience that the odds can disappoint you...

Ideally, if you could check your gauges/monitors on another, running XJ that would eliminate that from the mix.

[trbig]

Well, considering that one is off a very low mileage bike, another was working fine when I took it off, they rarely go bad, (As a matter of fact, I've never heard of one doing so) and the chances of all three going bad and having the exact same thing happen to all three... I'd probably have better chances with a lottery ticket.

[trbig]

Well, you guys were obviously on to something. Ivan got my bike fixed up. It ended up being one of the stator wires. No shorting to ground on the stator wires because one of them was open. lol. Re-pinned it and good as used. It was still charging decent on 2 out of the 3 wires?? One of the stator wires goes up to the dash.. a smaller solid white wire. We applied power to it and the dash started functioning, so we just had to trace that one back.

[BA80]

Why are we concentrating on the alternator so much if it's charging fine?

Because it's the most likely cause.

[trbig]

So it was a lucky guess that you couldn't explain why.. but ended up being right and throwing that stupid "I told you so!" Nice... exactly the reason I didn't want to even post that.

[jetmechmarty]

Tod,

I'm very happy you got it fixed and I'm looking forward to shaking your hand in three weeks time!

[BA80]

So it was a lucky guess that you couldn't explain why.. but ended up being right and throwing that stupid "I told you so!" Nice... exactly the reason I didn't want to even post that.

LOL.....I was trying to tell you how to check that stuff but everything I tried to explain you couldn't understand for some crazy reason.

That jumpy reading should have sealed the deal.


TOLD YOU SO

[trbig]

So you didn't have a clue how the XJ alternator even worked, but it was me that wasn't understanding when the stuff you were asking me didn't make any sense? (Like you not knowing about the brushes being attached to the stator and the cover..)

The jumpy readings I got on the brushes are the same jumpy numbers I get now.. it had nothing to do with the stator wire. Checking it on one brush, I got the resistance of the diode in the regulator. Touching the other brush gave a reading for a slight second, but then the diode shut it down because the current weas going the wrong way. WHen you check ohms, the meter is putting out a tiny bit of juice, and the diode didn't like it.

So yeah, boy.. you're STILL just guessing and don't know, but you really told me so.

[BA80]

Ok.......I'm a dumbass.

[jwhughes3]

I am just glad its all fixed.

See you in 18 days!

John

[crazy steve]

Well, you guys were obviously on to something. Ivan got my bike fixed up. It ended up being one of the stator wires. No shorting to ground on the stator wires because one of them was open. lol. Re-pinned it and good as used. It was still charging decent on 2 out of the 3 wires?? One of the stator wires goes up to the dash.. a smaller solid white wire. We applied power to it and the dash started functioning, so we just had to trace that one back.

I'm not surprised that a charging system voltage check showed good; you were still getting two of the three phases, so the regulator would compensate for the open coil and give 'correct' ouput. Where you would have found the problem would have been a load test. That would have shown the system was down on current output (about 30%), but requires special equipment to perform that test. Unless the break was between the stator and the monitor only (not between the stator and regulator), in which case the output would be good.

There's actually a transformer connection that 'makes' three-phase from two single-phase transformers (called an 'open delta') but current is limited to about 85% of the tranformer rating.