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LEDs and current draw

  1. #76

    Re: LEDs and current draw

    okay, finally (hopefully) tested the stator coil...

    -the clymer said it would be 3 white wires going into the harness behind the battery - none such existed
    -I tried to follow the wire from the stator cover, but it disappeared behind the frame...
    -I found one to the side, somewhat close to the stator - had 3 white wires, so I tested that
    -my $20 wal-mart multimeter won't test beyond the first decimal point...so not sure if it's accurate enough

    recommended range: 0.31-0.37 ohms

    tested range (each coil): 0.6 ohms

    so it's a little high...but the book only says start replacing it once the impedance is too low, or infinity...this one is in between...

    so would it be safe to say, it's old and on its way out, but it's not toast?


    also hooked up the SDC LED, ran it under the upper fairing area, and zip tied it to the fairing stay underneath the speedometer cluster:



    and guess what? just putting the bike in the "on" position, made the light flash red...so yeah, dead battery

    here's another crazy theory - if I put a healthy battery on there, will that lower the voltage of the stator output to the appropriate 12-15vdc range?

    went to autozone and they don't stock that battery anymore...gonna check wal-mart tonight

    also wrapped the connections on the heated grip switch with electrical tape:



    and zip-tied it up to stay in one place:






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    Last edited by breakdirt916; 11-18-13 at 10:50 PM.
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  2. #77
    Lifer
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    Re: LEDs and current draw

    No. Dude. The voltage is supposed to be low when you turn on the ignition but the bike is not running. If the engine is not running then everything on the bike is running off the battery. The indicator will flash red. Very normal. Does not indicate a dead battery.

    Once you start the engine the stator will start to spin, energizing the coils. The R/R will then rectify the AC current coming off the battery into DC and the regulator will .. should limit it to a steady 14-15V. THEN the light should stop flashing red.

    Is there a procedure in your manual for testing the voltage off the stator coil while the motorcycle is running? There was in mine. The coil resistances checked out as in-spec, but the stator was not producing voltage in 1 of the 3 coils. When I pulled the cover I found that the stator windings were fried and visibly fused together.

    My long-shot guess is that your stator is okay and your R/R is shot. The stator puts out like 60V AC or something like that. The R/R flattens it to DC and drops it to about 14V. If the voltage is high at the battery terminals, I believe this means the regulator is doing its thing. But that is a guess from one side of the interwebz to another.

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  3. #78

    Re: LEDs and current draw

    I think it's leaning that way too...

    I bump started it to the gas station:
    -ignition on: solid green -> orange -> flashing red
    ....bump start bike....
    -idle: solid green (starts turning orange a little bit with turn signal on)
    -off idle: flashing green all the time...can turn the grips on or off, flash the turn signal, whatever...it's always flashing green
    -kill bike at gas station: solid green -> orange -> red -> flashing red (within 15 seconds or so)

    so I'm thinking battery is definitely dead, and R/R is letting the voltage get too high

    R/R might've killed the battery?

    and no...that's all it says for stator testing...

    1997 FZR600 R/R, 23k miles, $32 shipped:
    http://www.ebay.com/itm/1997-Yamaha-...12bff8&vxp=mtr

    aftermarket new R/R, $34 shipped:
    http://www.ebay.com/itm/OEM-Yamaha-R...74a384&vxp=mtr

    ohhhhhh SNAP!! ----- ***brand new*** OEM R/R, $60, no bids, 3 days left:
    http://www.ebay.com/itm/OEM-Yamaha-R...74a384&vxp=mtr

    so uh...just make sure I bid & win the new one, eh?

    OEM would be $107 + s&h through bike bandit

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    Last edited by breakdirt916; 11-18-13 at 10:43 PM.
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  4. #79
    Lifer
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    Re: LEDs and current draw

    The signal dynamics meter cycles through all of the phases on startup. That is normal. It does not indicate anything about the voltage levels.
    It winds up flashing red indicating below 12VDC with key on, engine off. Normal in my experience.
    Bike starts. At idle the indicator indicates green/amber, voltage is probably in the high 12.x to low 13.x VDC range. Also normal in my experience.
    Off idle the light flashes green indicating above 15.2VDC. This is BAD, very not normal.

    Voltage that high is almost definitely going to destroy your battery. Does it destroy it right away? Probably not. Will it over time, definitely. If you continue to ride the bike as is, you will probably destroy your battery.

    I believe this means you R/R is toast. But it could be your stator instead, I really do not know. I would verify the stator is healthy. If you are confident you have done so, then yes, I would assume the R/R is dead and replace.

    $100 seems like a helluva good price for an R/R. IIRC they are much more than that for the V-Strom. Lucky you.

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  5. #80

    Re: LEDs and current draw

    gotchya...didn't realize it did a cycle...

    the thing that's crazy, is how crazy close this happened in relation to installing the grips. I know it doesn't have any effect on the R/R, but it literally happened a week later...I've been riding the bike as is for the last 7 years, and never have I seen the headlight beam get as bright as it was the last couple weeks...

    I'd say the battery is already destroyed...so I bought a new one from wal-mart for $37...I filled the acid this morning, then going to put it on the tender until I get my R/R

    $100 is a helluva good deal! I was honestly pushing it off because I thought it would be more expensive...my experience says "don't put a lot of money into an old bike"...but luckily this is not a lot of money

    oem stator is another story...$285! there are some used ones on fleabay for ~$50...I'd have to setup a search for ones that are off a low mileage, late model (97-99) year bike...

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    Last edited by breakdirt916; 11-20-13 at 10:14 AM.
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  6. #81
    Lifer ZX-12R's Avatar
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    Re: LEDs and current draw

    Quote Originally Posted by breakdirt916 View Post
    tested range (each coil): 0.6 ohms
    so it's a little high...but the book only says start replacing it once the impedance is too low, or infinity...this one is in between...
    ...oem stator is another story...$285!
    I'm inclined to say your stator is fine. Cheap multimeters don't do a great job at measuring sub 1 Ohm values. 0.6 Ohm is pretty reasonable.

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  7. #82
    Day late, dollar short carsick's Avatar
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    Re: LEDs and current draw

    Quote Originally Posted by ZX-12R View Post
    I'm inclined to say your stator is fine. Cheap multimeters don't do a great job at measuring sub 1 Ohm values. 0.6 Ohm is pretty reasonable.
    Agreed. OP check what your meter reads for resistance with the two test leads connected, then subtract that from your 0.6 ohm reading.

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  8. #83

    Re: LEDs and current draw

    Quote Originally Posted by carsick View Post
    Agreed. OP check what your meter reads for resistance with the two test leads connected, then subtract that from your 0.6 ohm reading.
    dead on!!! I touched the leads together, value = 0.3 ohms

    0.6-0.3 = acceptable range = the stator lives!

    battery is charged and installed in bike (& parked)....1 day, 12 hour until close of ebay auction for new R/R!

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    Last edited by breakdirt916; 11-21-13 at 01:16 AM.
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  9. #84
    Lifer
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    Re: LEDs and current draw

    Quote Originally Posted by breakdirt916 View Post
    dead on!!! I touched the leads together, value = 0.3 ohms
    Wow! That's a shitty meter!

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  10. #85
    Lifer ZX-12R's Avatar
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    Re: LEDs and current draw

    Quote Originally Posted by breakdirt916 View Post
    I touched the leads together, value = 0.3 ohms
    To give you an idea of the difference in meters, my free with purchase Chinese meter reads 0.4 Ohm, my 15 year old $100 Craftsman meter reads 0.18 Ohm, and my Fluke 289 reads 0.08 Ohm in normal mode and 0.069 Ohm in low impedance mode.

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  11. #86
    Life is good! gadget's Avatar
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    Re: LEDs and current draw

    Flukes are awesome.

    I have had my Fluke 87 for over 20 years and it still works like new.

    Tektronix is also a great test equipment company.

    I have had one of their 100mhz O-scopes for almost as long.

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    Last edited by gadget; 11-21-13 at 03:30 PM.
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  12. #87
    Lifer ZX-12R's Avatar
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    Re: LEDs and current draw

    My Fluke was a lucky score on Craig's List a year or so ago. It was a few years old but still new in box for $150. Not bad for a $600+ meter!

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  13. #88
    Dictionary quoting knob stoinkythepig's Avatar
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    Re: LEDs and current draw

    Quote Originally Posted by gadget View Post
    Flukes are awesome.

    I have had my Fluke 87 for over 20 years and it still works like new.

    Tektronix is also a great test equipment company.

    I have had one of their 100mhz O-scopes for almost as long.
    I have a Fluke 87 as well. Love it. Really love the min-max function. Works particularly well troubleshooting outboard engine ingnitions.

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  14. #89
    Dictionary quoting knob stoinkythepig's Avatar
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    Re: LEDs and current draw

    To the OP: Did you put a new battery in yet? You know you need one, please put one in and retest the charging system with the battery properly installed. If the battery is not filtering the output of the charging system properly, I can't help but think it would cause some odd voltage readings. I could very well be wrong, but you need a battery anyway. I'm a fan of fixing what you know is broken then moving on to the next thing, as needed until the problem is solved.

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  15. #90
    Day late, dollar short carsick's Avatar
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    Re: LEDs and current draw

    To continue the Fluke lovefest, I bought my 88 around 1997. Still use it every day at work. I had to replace the probe ends (but not the leads) this year because Ohm readings were getting flaky. It could be overcome by using the Ohm zero function to ignore the inherent resistance, but then I wasted a bunch of time trying to diagnose some bad ign. points on a Polaris sled with random readings. Good quality, accurate, and properly maintained diagnostic equipment is amazing when you know how to use it.
    But... any free-to-cheap meter will suss out your charging system!

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  16. #91

    Re: LEDs and current draw

    yes sir, new battery installed, and a (5 min) test ride was executed...solid green at idle, and anything off-idle was a flashing green (= too high voltage).

    I also theorized that the extra output of the charging system would feed into the battery, equalizing the voltage readings, but they are still in fact, too high.

    I won the auction on the R/R ($60 + free shipping, woot!)...just waiting on that to arrive...

    I can't WAIT...I've been driving the cage to work, and the socal traffic turns a 38 min drive into 1 hour and 15 mins!!!

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  17. #92
    Lifer
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    Re: LEDs and current draw

    I bet the battery you just replaced was fine.

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  18. #93
    ^ It's my bike and my car tls25rs's Avatar
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    Re: LEDs and current draw

    Quote Originally Posted by nhbubba View Post
    I bet the battery you just replaced was fine.
    I'm going to take a guess and say that after being overcharged for multiple cycles and completely drained that the battery he pulled out was likely far from optimum, condition wise. Not saying it wouldn't have continued to function but that it was no longer at it's best.

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  19. #94
    Dictionary quoting knob stoinkythepig's Avatar
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    Re: LEDs and current draw

    Quote Originally Posted by breakdirt916 View Post
    yes sir, new battery installed, and a (5 min) test ride was executed...solid green at idle, and anything off-idle was a flashing green (= too high voltage).

    I also theorized that the extra output of the charging system would feed into the battery, equalizing the voltage readings, but they are still in fact, too high.

    I won the auction on the R/R ($60 + free shipping, woot!)...just waiting on that to arrive...

    I can't WAIT...I've been driving the cage to work, and the socal traffic turns a 38 min drive into 1 hour and 15 mins!!!
    Thanks. Hopefully the new regulator will sort out the high voltage.

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  20. #95

    Re: LEDs and current draw

    Quote Originally Posted by nhbubba View Post
    I bet the battery you just replaced was fine.
    honestly, I'm not sure...

    after 38 min ride = battery dead

    after charging overnight w' battery tender = battery dead

    it just wouldn't hold a charge anymore...how else could I have nursed it back to health?

    I also agree with Joel - def. felt like the hours of 16vdc cooked it for dinner

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  21. #96
    Lifer
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    Re: LEDs and current draw

    Quote Originally Posted by breakdirt916 View Post
    after charging overnight w' battery tender = battery dead
    I missed that detail. If that is the case, yeah, battery is toasterstrudel.

    Wouldn't be the first bet I'd have lost..

    Hopefully the R/R puts you back on the road.

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  22. #97

    Re: LEDs and current draw

    hey guys...hey guys...hey guys...hey

    guess what?

    installed the new R/R today

    -turn on bike (no grips): light is solid green!!
    -ride bike down the road, rpm's off idle: light is solid green!!
    -heated grips on high: light is solid red
    -heated grips on low: light is solid orange

    so whomever suspected the R/R - 10 points, 1-up, extra life, etc.

    but now it looks like the electrical can't keep up....I guess I'll just leave the grips on low - and watch the light...if it goes red within 20 mins of my destination, I'll shut 'em down.

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    Last edited by breakdirt916; 12-04-13 at 01:13 AM.
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  23. #98
    Lifer
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    Re: LEDs and current draw

    Are you testing at idle? Motorcycle stators produce significantly less power at idle than they do in normal rev-range.

    Reproduce test while cruising and get back to us.

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  24. #99

    Re: LEDs and current draw

    no, heated grip results are while cruising...

    at idle, with grips on, light turns solid red

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  25. #100
    Senior Member soofle616's Avatar
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    Re: LEDs and current draw

    Realizing of course that electric heat requires a lot of juice I'm really surprised that grips alone would be enough to sap that much power from your charging system. Kinda makes me think you still have a stator problem. BTW, a bad r/r can mess up an otherwise good stator.

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