trenaud11
New member
Gentlemen, my 1st post here, but have lurked for a few months to some great information. With all the great solutions to various charging issues posted here and elsewhere this issue seems to have a twist.
Here's chain of events, that might be pertinent:
I've had my 'new' 87 Aspencade only for a few weeks but it's been running flawlessly (only 50K). A few weeks back I replaced the side reflectors on the fairing with LED Lights. This required quite a bit of mucking around in the fairing to get to the bolts, wired them to the front markers. Lights looked great, but I didn't ride that week (too hot). The next weekend I also replaced the side pannier reflectors with light conversions. Wired them to the parking circuit. Cooled off inside a bit, went to check them out... not enough battery to start the bike. I figure I left it in 'park'. Okay, jump start time. I hooked up my end and my son hooked up the other end to a car battery... backwards (a mistake he'll not likely repeat).
You can guess it still didn't start. Removed battery for charging, dead cell. New battery time. My assistant, anxious to be of some help, managed to briefly get some sparks between positive and frame with a ratchet, but no apparent harm done. Started right up.
There are 2 inline fuses running between the battery and somewhere, 1 of which was blown. Although that didn't seem to affect anything, I dutifully replaced it (I majored in EE-fuses don't blow unless they do something). Bike ran and looked great.
As it turns out this is part of an Electrical Connections wiring harness mod, properly executed, direct-wiring the stator, with direct lines from the regulator to the battery, both terminals, and also a new lead from Batt+ to the coils. Makes sense.
The next day it died about 20 miles from home, dead battery, charging fuse blown. Nursed it home by repeated jump starts, (my son's getting good at it now), after each start I yanked a fuse from various circuits to use for the charging lead. Went through about 5 all-told.
With the charging fuse out I used a crappy VOM and was getting over 10V across the opening. That's an estimate, the meter has a 10V range and a 500V range (I majored in electronics engineering...who designed that?). Regardless, there's no way a healthy regulator should put out 20+ volts or cook a 15A fuse. I checked the regulator ground and the voltage at the sensing wire connection at the regulator. Declared the regulator dead and replaced it the next weekend.
That worked, fuse good from idle to 3K RPM, bike happy, stator happy, I'm happy.
Until that weekend about 80 miles from home.
Now armed with a decent VOM, a schematic, a 12V relay and various soldering sundries I'm looking forward to another weekend on the hot pavement instead of the cool mountains, BUT FIRST...
I need some local knowledge, the wiring on these bikes looks like the guts of an early 70s color TV. The schematic can only help so much and I'm not familiar with all this spaghetti. Assuming at the moment the regulators didn't fail the same way, if at all, too much coincidence. The stator output looks good. With the regulator grounded directly to the battery any sketchy frame ground is 'probably' not the culprit. With that charging fuse present protecting the regulator I'm thinking my son is off the hook.
That leaves an intermittent issue with the sensing wire that may have well started back when I was mucking about in the fairing a few weeks back. I'll rig up a direct lead to the battery + through a new relay and cross my fingers but before I yank the tank and seat, what is located in the fairing that I could have disturbed that would affect the black/light green wire? Functionally it seems to run from fuse #7 (ign), splits with 1 leg to the fuel pump relay (cause for concern), the other leg splitting again to the regulator as the sensing lead before ending at the start and cruise resume switches. With start pressed it seems to energize the starter relay. Fairly important wire to go flakey.
Does anybody know if I could have started the problem ham-fisting stuff in the fairing? When I replaced the R/R and the charging fuse didn't blow, did putting back all the borrowed fuses pull the voltage down in this wire? Maybe the fuel pump relay is iffy? I'm hoping for an answer like 'you probably sweated all over connector such and such, just clean it off'. Any helpful comments appreciated.
Here's chain of events, that might be pertinent:
I've had my 'new' 87 Aspencade only for a few weeks but it's been running flawlessly (only 50K). A few weeks back I replaced the side reflectors on the fairing with LED Lights. This required quite a bit of mucking around in the fairing to get to the bolts, wired them to the front markers. Lights looked great, but I didn't ride that week (too hot). The next weekend I also replaced the side pannier reflectors with light conversions. Wired them to the parking circuit. Cooled off inside a bit, went to check them out... not enough battery to start the bike. I figure I left it in 'park'. Okay, jump start time. I hooked up my end and my son hooked up the other end to a car battery... backwards (a mistake he'll not likely repeat).
You can guess it still didn't start. Removed battery for charging, dead cell. New battery time. My assistant, anxious to be of some help, managed to briefly get some sparks between positive and frame with a ratchet, but no apparent harm done. Started right up.
There are 2 inline fuses running between the battery and somewhere, 1 of which was blown. Although that didn't seem to affect anything, I dutifully replaced it (I majored in EE-fuses don't blow unless they do something). Bike ran and looked great.
As it turns out this is part of an Electrical Connections wiring harness mod, properly executed, direct-wiring the stator, with direct lines from the regulator to the battery, both terminals, and also a new lead from Batt+ to the coils. Makes sense.
The next day it died about 20 miles from home, dead battery, charging fuse blown. Nursed it home by repeated jump starts, (my son's getting good at it now), after each start I yanked a fuse from various circuits to use for the charging lead. Went through about 5 all-told.
With the charging fuse out I used a crappy VOM and was getting over 10V across the opening. That's an estimate, the meter has a 10V range and a 500V range (I majored in electronics engineering...who designed that?). Regardless, there's no way a healthy regulator should put out 20+ volts or cook a 15A fuse. I checked the regulator ground and the voltage at the sensing wire connection at the regulator. Declared the regulator dead and replaced it the next weekend.
That worked, fuse good from idle to 3K RPM, bike happy, stator happy, I'm happy.
Until that weekend about 80 miles from home.
Now armed with a decent VOM, a schematic, a 12V relay and various soldering sundries I'm looking forward to another weekend on the hot pavement instead of the cool mountains, BUT FIRST...
I need some local knowledge, the wiring on these bikes looks like the guts of an early 70s color TV. The schematic can only help so much and I'm not familiar with all this spaghetti. Assuming at the moment the regulators didn't fail the same way, if at all, too much coincidence. The stator output looks good. With the regulator grounded directly to the battery any sketchy frame ground is 'probably' not the culprit. With that charging fuse present protecting the regulator I'm thinking my son is off the hook.
That leaves an intermittent issue with the sensing wire that may have well started back when I was mucking about in the fairing a few weeks back. I'll rig up a direct lead to the battery + through a new relay and cross my fingers but before I yank the tank and seat, what is located in the fairing that I could have disturbed that would affect the black/light green wire? Functionally it seems to run from fuse #7 (ign), splits with 1 leg to the fuel pump relay (cause for concern), the other leg splitting again to the regulator as the sensing lead before ending at the start and cruise resume switches. With start pressed it seems to energize the starter relay. Fairly important wire to go flakey.
Does anybody know if I could have started the problem ham-fisting stuff in the fairing? When I replaced the R/R and the charging fuse didn't blow, did putting back all the borrowed fuses pull the voltage down in this wire? Maybe the fuel pump relay is iffy? I'm hoping for an answer like 'you probably sweated all over connector such and such, just clean it off'. Any helpful comments appreciated.
