Why am I burning up rectifier requlators?

[etcswjoe]

We were getting ready to head out Friday to go to GA and my 99 RSV started overgharging again. I have went through 3 R/Rs and I can not find any thing grounded, connectivitiy to the plug is good, the stator is putting out well, I went through the T/S for the stator several times and it shows good each time. No burnt or damaged pins on the plug. The R/R seems to last a couple hundred miles doing just fine then all of the sudden starts overcharging.

 

My ignition switch went bad right before Vogel, I have it by passed and I have an aftermarket fuel pump but other than those two things everything else is in the original configuration.

 

I am going to order a new switch today and put it in but if anyone has anything else for me to check or any ideas at all I would much appricate it.

[dacheedah]

Have you changed the battery? How are the connections

[bongobobny]

Did you upgrade to a H.O. stator?? If so then it may be putting out more than the R/R can handle. Upgrade to a better R/R...

[MikeWa]

You need to check the current flow your system is using. You will want to check at the output of the R&R. Check with the bike running and all of the accessories you normally use turned on. This will tell you if you are pushing the regulator to it's limit or not.

 

If your current flow is excessive you will need to decide what you can do without. If it is not excessive then your problem is within the regulator rectifier system.

 

Mike

[etcswjoe]

Morning,

 

I replaced the stator two years ago with the high output one from Buckeye Performance and I bought the HO regulator to go along with it, I replaced the battery at the same time and it holds charge very well so I had really not considered the battery as the culprit.

 

The only accersiory I am running right now is my GPS so I would not think I should be overloading the system. I will

 

I have checked the connections and the wires numerous times but that does not mean I did not miss something. I will check the current draw tonight and see what it is.

[Squeeze]

What means a HO R/R ?

 

Is that a Shindengen FA 012 HH or what else ?

[etcswjoe]

What means a HO R/R ?

 

Is that a Shindengen FA 012 HH or what else ?

 

 

I am not sure the brand I ordered it from Buckeye under the claims that it was matched to the HO stator.

[Squeeze]

Well, could you post up a Pic of the R/R ?

[etcswjoe]

Well, could you post up a Pic of the R/R ?

 

 

Here are a couple pics of the R/R, I put an ammeter on my bike and another RSV and the current draw was almost identical on both bikes.

[MikeWa]

Here are a couple pics of the R/R, I put an ammeter on my bike and another RSV and the current draw was almost identical on both bikes.

 

 

Well not having an excessive current draw certainly limits the possibilities. The stator, the connections or internal in the r/r are possibilities. It might not be a bad time to call Buckeye and discuss this with them.

 

Mike

[Flyinfool]

Just to explore another avenue.

How are you mounting the RR?

Is it mounted to something to act as a heat sink?

Is it mounted where it will get good cool air flow?

The stock RR on the 1st gen is mounted to flat spot on the frame that gives additional heat sink capacity.

[Squeeze]

Here are a couple pics of the R/R, I put an ammeter on my bike and another RSV and the current draw was almost identical on both bikes.

 

This is a Shunt Type R/R. those get hot during Duty and with a HO Stator, they NEED cooling to Operate within Specs.

 

I's take a deep Look into Heat Dissapating to the Surroundings for that R/R, and if you need to buy a new one, look for a Shindengen FH012 R/R, or the newer FH020. These are a different Style (Power-MosFET) and need only cooling when you operate with 40 Amps or more. When you look into these, watch out, there are R/R'S which look similiar, you'll want one with a grey and a black Connector, not one with two black Connectors.

[etcswjoe]

I will deffintly give buckeye a call and see what he has to say, I had mounted the new one to the same place as the OEM one and considering the temps i was riding in I do not belive overheating should have been an issue when it failed.

 

I found this on e-bay for the SHINDENGEN R/R and may give that a try.

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/SHINDENGEN-MOSFET-FH020AA-REGULATOR-RECTIFIER-KIT-REPLACES-FH012AA-/380704480069

 

 

The stator measures good and puts out good voltage but I will not discount it just yet.

[etcswjoe]

Buckeye said send it back to them and they are going to have it factory tested to see if they can help pinpoint the cause also in 4 years of selling this model mine have been the only ones to fail.

[Guest]

Joe, have you checked the starter relay assembly under the left side cover? Pull the fuses and check in there as well. Mine was pretty corroded.

[etcswjoe]

Joe, have you checked the starter relay assembly under the left side cover? Pull the fuses and check in there as well. Mine was pretty corroded.

 

 

Thanks, will check it tonight.

[Squeeze]

I will deffintly give buckeye a call and see what he has to say, I had mounted the new one to the same place as the OEM one and considering the temps i was riding in I do not belive overheating should have been an issue when it failed.

 

I found this on e-bay for the SHINDENGEN R/R and may give that a try.

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/SHINDENGEN-MOSFET-FH020AA-REGULATOR-RECTIFIER-KIT-REPLACES-FH012AA-/380704480069

 

 

The stator measures good and puts out good voltage but I will not discount it just yet.

 

This is the one i'd prefer over any Shunt-Type R/R. The Kit Price is ok.

[etcswjoe]

Joe, have you checked the starter relay assembly under the left side cover? Pull the fuses and check in there as well. Mine was pretty corroded.

 

I checked it out and it actually looked pretty good.

 

For the last week I have been running the OEM regulator and every now and then it will overcharge for 20 to 30 seconds and then go normal. I got the regulator back from Buckeye that they said tested good but as soon as I hook it up it goes right to overcharging. I even put the one from Buckeye on my other Venture and it overcharges too so I am going to have to say it is bad regardless of what Buckeye says. I think tomorrow I am going to put the OEM one on my other bike and see if it overcharges now and then to see if it may have already had that issue.

[frankd]

Joe,

 

How many wires are coming out of your regulators. On an OEM 1st Gen regulator, we have the Reds (actually counts as 1 red...they have 2 lighter gauge wires in parallel), the Blacks (2), the three white wires (stator) and what I remember as a yellow wire(may be wrong on the color though). This is the lead that senses the voltage. It has no current through it and therefore has no voltage drop, so it communicates the battery voltage to the regulator accurately. Some regulators us the red wire(s) for voltage sense. They don't regulate the voltage quite as well. If yours has the separate voltage sense wire, check and make sure that it isn't loose where it connects to your bike. On a 1st Gen, it connects at the main fuse. If you connect a voltmeter to the sense wire you should read battery voltage. If you read less, this is your problem.

 

Frank

[etcswjoe]

Received another R/R from Buckeye Saturday and put it on the bike hopefully this will take care of it. I don't think another business would have put up with all the back and forth we have done.

[Venturous]

Joe, my bike showed signs of my electrical gremlins returning on a ride past wekend. I have not had a chance to do any diagnostics yet. But I just put a new stator and R/R last August. I'm starting to believe putting higher output stators on our bikes is simply a bad idea.

 

Anyway, have you ensured that whatever meter is telling you that you are overcharging is not malfunctioning?

[etcswjoe]

Joe, my bike showed signs of my electrical gremlins returning on a ride past wekend. I have not had a chance to do any diagnostics yet. But I just put a new stator and R/R last August. I'm starting to believe putting higher output stators on our bikes is simply a bad idea.

 

Anyway, have you ensured that whatever meter is telling you that you are overcharging is not malfunctioning?

 

The same thought had crossed my mind since I was first going by my onboard voltage meter, but at night the lights would go from dim to really bright so I checked it with a couple of different multimeters.

 

Charge voltage

14 Volts at 1000

17 Volts at 2500

 

The New Regulator is putting out a steady 13.2

[Neil86]

I'm wondering if the R/R in its stock position and running the higher amps of the HO stator just runs too hot and fries its brains.

[Snaggletooth]

That's a thought Neil. I installed one of Buckeyes HO stators about 5 years ago. I had 3 OEM R/R's fail after that over a couple years. All were in original mounting spot. One other was an aftermarket unit but that was my fault on the mounting position exposed to excessive heat from pipes.

 

Since the new Mosfet type Shindengen went in inside the fairing its been perfect for a couple years now. Still dead steady at 14.4 at any load.

 

From my Droid wherever I may happen to be at any given moment.

[etcswjoe]

So far the OEM one is the only one that worked, Rick sent me a new HO one like the one I had when I bought the HO Stator and it has worked for two days now and about 60 miles so will see if things are good now or not, it took the last one 500 miles to fail.