Dagnabbit!!! (stator failure)

:rant: Got home yesterday after werk, and had to park outside, and come in and open the garage door. Once I got back to the 'Wing to pull it inside, the dang thing wouldn't crank. It would try, but it sounded like a low battery situation. I put the charger on it for a couple of minutes, and it fired right up, and I was able to get it in the garage. I put my Battery Tender on it, and left it. Today, it fired right up. I put a multimeter on it, and saw 12.4v running at 2500rpm...much lower than I am used to seeing on it. I happened to check the three yellow stator wires, and one of them was hot as heck! :heat: I had thought that the wires had been soldered, but they haven't....just had the connectors replaced. I'm gonna do the stator checks tomorrow, and if all is well, I'll go ahead and remove the connectors and solder the wires. I sure hope that solves the problem. I sure cannot afford to rip the engine out to replace the stator, and doing the poorboy alternator conversion would take me forever, what with getting the parts, and doing the work.
The battery is fairly a new AGM I put on it last summer, and until yesterday, there hasn't been a bit of trouble starting. I guess running my driving lights every morning for the past month or so has taken it's toll on the stator wires. I just hope soldering them will take care of the problem.... :beg: :beg: :beg:
I'll try to remember to take some pics of the repair... :mrgreen:

craP!!!!

:crying: :crying: :crying: :Awe: Wull...stator checked out, best I can tell. I soldered the three wires, removed the engine mount and cleaned the ground cable connection, as well as removing the starter cable and cleaning it up while I wuz at it. :crying: STILL only getting aboot 12.4-12.5 volts @3000rpms.... :head bang: Before this(whatever this is) happened, last time I checked, I wuz getting over 14.5 volts at IDLE.
Now...all youse masters of all things Goldwing...what does I do next? Is there a chance the rectifier/regulator has, or is the process of, taking a dump? I don't wanna go thru all the hassle of removing the faux tank to check it iffin it is not gonna be the problem, tho I'm thinking it could.
Pulling the engine and replacing the stator is gunna be a pita for me....I'm limited on space in da garage, and I ain't parkin the Vette outside...period. The alternative alternator deal is prolly the best solution, but time & $$$, as well as the aforementioned space constraint make that a problem, too.... :crying:
I did take some pics of the wires for the stator and my repairs...I'm afixinto post them in my Gallery. :swoon:

click on image for link to gallery pics

Might be the regulator but I think it more likely the regulator connector. You might want to solder those wires too and recheck.

Would that be the white connector in my pics, just behind the three yellow stator wires?

No easy deal here Joel, gonna have to pull the false tank to have a look since those same 3 yellows are at the RR plug.
There are a couple tests can be done on the RR.

AApple":1b26hnx2 said:

Would that be the white connector in my pics, just behind the three yellow stator wires?

Click to expand...

No, that's the ignition plug.

Well fellers.... :crying: I can't fix it. I checked the R/R according to the Clymer manual, but I still be confused. Here is what I found, and ya'll tell me if what I'm seeing makes any sense.
The three yellow wires from the stator, to ground, I see .7-.8 ohms
Reversing the leads gives me the same readings, .7-.8 ohms.
Checking from yellow to yellow....I forgot...I dint write that one down. :Awe:

At the R/R, ground lead to green wire, and pos lead to yellow wires, I get nothin... 0 ohms
Reversing the leads gives me 2.0 megaohms.
Ground lead to red/white wire, pos to yellow gives me 2.0 megaohms.
Reversing the leads gives me 0 ohms.

The connector at the R/R did have some corrosion, but it was on the ground(dark green) terminals. No heat damage, or any indication of a hot connection there. I did pull the terminals out of the connector, cleaned, re-crimped, and re-installed. Once I got it all back together I saw a slight improvement in my voltage readings, but not enough to save it. At 4000 rpms, it will put out 12.6v. If I turn the highbeam on, it drops to 12.5. The driving lights are out...can't use them. I'm considering dis-connecting all of the other lights on the rear, but....I hate to do that....around here, I need to be seen as much as possible.

So....does this look like a stator dump? If so, then....I'll not be riding anytime soon....and that really SUX. :rant: :sensored:
Can the engine be pulled, and the stator changed in one weekend by a fairly decent, albeit lazy mek-a-neck like meself? I'll search for a good stator and buy it, but I need to be able to do the swap in one weekend.... :whip:

Did you check for continuity to ground on each of the yellow wire when unplugged from the RR?
Should be none.

I think there's a stator epidemic happening. :help: I'm fixing to start gathering up parts cause it sounds like it's just a matter of time. :swoon:

AApple":3acrj032 said:

The three yellow wires from the stator, to ground, I see .7-.8 ohms
Reversing the leads gives me the same readings, .7-.8 ohms.

Click to expand...

oh2:
:mrgreen: Well....I'd say .7/.8 IS showing a slight drop to ground....unless I'm missing sumptin....and I usually am...like a few brain cells. I'm afeered the stator has toasted. All was fine until I started running my driving lights all the way to work in the mornings. All I know about them is they are halogen bulbs...no clue what kind of wattage/amps they pull. I did have to replace the switch for them the other day, tho...it melted. This is REALLY bummin me out. I see a NEW stator on fleabay for $89, with a one year warranty....I wonder if anyone here has ever bought anything from these guys?

click on image for link to fleabay page



What all else do I need to purchase to complete this swap? Gaskets? Barrel of ibuprofen? I know I really need to fix the oil leak from the front cover, but....time is a big issue...I've got to be able to do this in a weekend. If I start one of those "While I'm here" deals, I'll NEVER get it back together...and I'm speaking from past experiences here.... :blush:

dang joel ...thats a good price ....now all you haave to do beat those lights to smitherings ...them put in the stator it will seem better then :hihihi: :builder:

I have my doubts the driving lights caused the problem concidering the stator runs at 100% regardless of load.
May be it was time.

but the fact he had to replace the switch because it melted is disconcerting

1060dsl":iusogk2o said:

but the fact he had to replace the switch because it melted is disconcerting

Click to expand...

All that means is it was a switch that couldn't handle the current.
Probably from Pep Boys, who I will never buy from again for many reasons.

I been readin thru the Factory Service Manual...there is ONE more test I did not do yesterday. It said if the charge voltage was low, to dis-connect the Black wire from the R/R. If the voltage increased, replace the R/R. I did not see that info in the Clymer manual I have....son-of-a... :sensored:
Yes...the light switch I replaced was rated at 20 amps, and was all plastic. Until I got this job I have now, I rarely used the lights.

I have resigned myself to ripping the engine out and doing this job. Mama wants to PAY someone to do it....WHAAAAAAT???????? oh2: I'll do the other test tonite, and go from there..... :beg:

When the switch went bad that's what probably pushed it over the edge, once the switch started to burn, it was no longer a direct connection, but a big power resistor dissapating heat (and using what precious watts you had left over).

If it is true that the stator is excited to full load all the time and the excess current generated is dumped to ground then it is a coincidence and it just failed. If its a type of regulation system that only excites the windings on what it needs, then the above switch problem is most likely what finished things off in the end.



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It would be good to know if in fact the stator is generating 100% at all times.

If I had a working stator or access to someone that does, I would put my ammeter on each of the yellow wires on the A/C scale with a fully charged battery and all loads disconnected, record the result then add all the loads back on. That would answer this burning question once and for all rather than just being hearsay on the forums.

With no load I doubt there is any measurable amperage. Unless the regulator is capable of inducing full load. I rather doubt that.

Mine went out too just before I started the conversion..