Not charging!!

[Robert]

Hi all, can anyone help me please?, a couple of days ago my 98’ AT began to take one or two goes to start and I noticed the battery was gradually flattening, fortunately for me when it did finally give up the ghost it was at the top of my road!.
A mechanic friend of mine says its more than likely the rectifier/regulator as these are a known Honda weakness, unfortunately the battery - which is only four months old - has bitten the dust and won’t take a charge.
Up to this point I was commuting on the bike (50 mile round trip), so there’s no way it was down to lack of use.
Obviously a new battery will help, any ideas on what cased the problem in the first place?? - Thanks all!

[YEN_POWELL]

Definitely sound like the regulator. Get a volt meter and place the probes on the battery terminals with the engine running. With your third hand or a mate gently rev the engine. The voltage should rise from 12ish at tickover to about 14 volts at 2-3000 rpm. If it doesn't get a new regulator. They only take a few minutes to replace, whereas the cost takes a few months to recover from.

[samih]

Before buying a new regulator check for the connector from the stator to the regulator. It's in a muddy location under the left side cowl and prone to failure.

My 98 suffered from meltdown taking out one of the three phases, after which the charging voltage was only just 12 volts leading to a slow battery drain.

If the regulator goes the voltage shoots way up, not down, I have led to believe.

[YEN_POWELL]

Sounds too high to me, but I'll check when I get home tonight. Until then ride with your lights on to protect your CDI etc

[Robert]

Hello All,

Second installment to the first posting in this thread: had the bike tested at my mates bike shop, with the lights off it charges at 14v, with the lights on charges at 12v, he reckons the part of the phasing of the alternator is not working properly, he has recommended a really good auto/bike electrician to have a second look.
Its being looked at Saturday, will let you all know what the problem is.

[Robert]

Not charging, the final chapter:

Hello all, took the bike to the auto electrician (magician!) and in two minutes flat he found the problem I described and found that the regulator was at fault - it took me longer than that to get the side panel off!.

The shop I originally took the bike to could not find this fault, maybe it was the fact that the regulator did not completely fail that confused them, anyway the auto sparks guy had the same regulator unit in his workshop that came from an R1 (unbelievebly) he chopped off all the connectors (they dont fit a Honda) and made his own, he charged me 60 quid for this and did it while I waited, he reliably informs me that a Honda regulator is almost 200 quid.

Needless to say I am really happy that I have’nt had to re-morgage the house to pay for an alternator an I would like to pass on the details of the auto electrician to you all (he specialises in bikes), his name is Paul Taplin, Tel: 07973 303611, he’s in Goff’s Oak about 20 minutes away from the M25/A10 junction 25 near Enfield, thanks for everybody’s advice on this subject.

[landyandy]

Thought I'd resurrect this thread, rather than starting a new one.

I've run into some regulator problems now (I think) ... engine running and all ancilleries off, the battery is getting something like 12.6 volts. Lights on, and it's down to 11 or so (ie a slow discharge).

Ran the bike with lights on last night on the motorway, and after 90 minutes, the engine was dead. A roll start got it going. Before I switched the engine off, I left it running at about 2k rpm for 10 mintes, which gave it sufficient charge to start this morning (phew).

So, it sounds like the regulator to me - I had a problem a week or 2 ago where a metal bracket parted company with its mounting, resulting in the remains of the bracket jamming all of the starting mechanism (it jammed in the flywheel). I'm thinking that this may well have damaged the regulator pick-ups (from what I can gather, the RD04 has 2 pickups, and the 07 has 1 pickup).

So, I had a quick look on the David Silver Spares website for a replacement, but they didn't have any, so can anyone give me an indication of a price?

[YEN_POWELL]

My regulator cost me £150 from a Honda dealer. I couldn't find any patterns anywhere. I'll bet that it's like the ignition switch problem I had previously, i.e. the pattern does exist but with a different plug on the end and so isn't advertised as such.

[landyandy]

I presume the regulator is the contact set that runs off the flywheel? I tend to get confused between regulators, rectifiers, and alternators!