Author Topic: Battery not charging - what else to check  (Read 990 times)

Offline Underdog1

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Battery not charging - what else to check
« on: September 29, 2018, 06:43:58 PM »
Got an issue with my battery not charging, just runs down when I ride it and needs kick starting pretty much on any start up where it’s not just come off a trickle charger, run fine and hasn’t failed in getting me home yet but obviously I’d like to sort this, I’m unsure whether a severely discharged battery will stop the bike kick starting..?

So the battery is a new AGM one, my reg rec is a solid state ‘RR24’ from M and P (think it’s the same one wemoto sell) and my harness is simplified to avoid the safety gubbins.

What I’ve checked so far:

Fuses - all good
Battery was at 12.71v with ignition off
Dropped a bit as it failed to start off the e start so had to kick it, voltage was at 11.63 at 4K rpm
Resistance from neg battery lead (disconnected)  to black regulator wire is 0.05ohm (on 200 setting)
Resistance between yellow stator wires (checked at the connector block) are all 0.8ohm (on 200 setting)
Resistance of the stator wires in the main harness itself are all 0.4ohm (on 200 setting) but I get the same value when I touch the multimeter test wires together so I guess this is as low as it goes.
Resistance from the green wire on the Reg/red to the yellow stator wires is between 179 and 200ohms (on 200 setting). From the red wire on the reg/red to the yellow stator wires it’s 178-180 ohms.

Unsure what else to check? Was hoping it would be obvious but electrics is still something I’m getting to grips with. Have checked for any obvious corrosion or mismatched wires, the main harness is new and the other bits have all had their connectors cleaned.

Any guidance much appreciated!

Offline hairygit

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Re: Battery not charging - what else to check
« Reply #1 on: September 29, 2018, 07:14:27 PM »
The internal battery in your multimeter! Touching the wires together should give a reading of 0  Zero, whatever scale it is set to for Ohms. Any reading other than Zero with the leads shorted points to a low battery, no point testing anything if the meter is not reading correctly!
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Offline Underdog1

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Re: Battery not charging - what else to check
« Reply #2 on: September 29, 2018, 07:33:18 PM »
The internal battery in your multimeter! Touching the wires together should give a reading of 0  Zero, whatever scale it is set to for Ohms. Any reading other than Zero with the leads shorted points to a low battery, no point testing anything if the meter is not reading correctly!
It’s a new battery in a new multimeter, was only £5 so probably Chinese build quality letting me down. Will have a fiddle around with it tomorrow

Offline hairygit

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Re: Battery not charging - what else to check
« Reply #3 on: September 29, 2018, 07:59:48 PM »
There is often a pot inside which is adjusted to give a reading of zero, but without a wiring diagram it could be a nightmare trying to find it!

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Offline kevski

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Re: Battery not charging - what else to check
« Reply #4 on: September 29, 2018, 09:52:23 PM »
I recently sent 3 RR24 reg/rec's back to M&P's all of them not working correctly, got a refund in the end, i then got a UK made RR24 from elcterexworld, more expensive but worked correctly from the moment i fitted it, seems there is a dodgy batch at M&P and they are happy to keep selling them, when i get things like this i only cut the corners off of the bags they are in just enough to get the plugs out, i then test run them, the reg/rec's never leave the bag until i am sure they are good.

Offline Underdog1

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Re: Battery not charging - what else to check
« Reply #5 on: September 29, 2018, 10:38:17 PM »
I recently sent 3 RR24 reg/rec's back to M&P's all of them not working correctly, got a refund in the end, i then got a UK made RR24 from elcterexworld, more expensive but worked correctly from the moment i fitted it, seems there is a dodgy batch at M&P and they are happy to keep selling them, when i get things like this i only cut the corners off of the bags they are in just enough to get the plugs out, i then test run them, the reg/rec's never leave the bag until i am sure they are good.

Did cross my mind it could be the reg rec. is there anyway to benchtop test them?

I suppose if I test the stator is working then by process of elimination it must be the reg rec. Am I able to unplug the stator connector and with the bike running test AC voltage across pairs of the yellow wires?
« Last Edit: September 29, 2018, 10:53:06 PM by Underdog1 »

Offline kevski

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Re: Battery not charging - what else to check
« Reply #6 on: September 30, 2018, 07:10:07 AM »
You can, test the 3 coming out of the stator like that, and the voltage coming out is the same plus or minus a volt or two, just make sure your rotor is powered up as well.

Offline Underdog1

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Re: Battery not charging - what else to check
« Reply #7 on: September 30, 2018, 09:06:05 AM »
You can, test the 3 coming out of the stator like that, and the voltage coming out is the same plus or minus a volt or two, just make sure your rotor is powered up as well.

As in rev the bike over 2k rpm?

Offline Bryanj

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Re: Battery not charging - what else to check
« Reply #8 on: September 30, 2018, 10:20:03 AM »
No you will need to put battery positive voltage to rhe white wire and earth the green one to power the field coil then with engine running you should get AC across each of the 3 pairs of yellow wires

Offline Underdog1

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Re: Battery not charging - what else to check
« Reply #9 on: October 04, 2018, 09:01:18 AM »
Tried a different (electrosport) reg rec and had no success. The bike lives on an oximiser now butdoesnt seem to have enough juice to start off the e start ever always needs kicking, voltage is IIRC 12.8ish when the oximiser stops charging. When I used an old school battery charger in it the battery charged all the way to 15v (which I’m unsure if this is good or not) and spring to life in milliseconds on the e start

No you will need to put battery positive voltage to rhe white wire and earth the green one to power the field coil then with engine running you should get AC across each of the 3 pairs of yellow wires

Should have probably done this first..

Offline MarkCR750

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Re: Battery not charging - what else to check
« Reply #10 on: October 04, 2018, 08:59:29 PM »
With the bike running put the multimeter across the battery terminals (set to the 20v range), rev the bike up to 3k revs and you should get approx 14.2v, if you don’t it’s your alternator or associated wiring, if you do get 14.2 then it’s the battery that’s not holding it’s charge, if you get more than 14.2(ish) then it’s the reg rec,
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Offline Underdog1

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Re: Battery not charging - what else to check
« Reply #11 on: October 04, 2018, 10:42:28 PM »
With the bike running put the multimeter across the battery terminals (set to the 20v range), rev the bike up to 3k revs and you should get approx 14.2v, if you don’t it’s your alternator or associated wiring, if you do get 14.2 then it’s the battery that’s not holding it’s charge, if you get more than 14.2(ish) then it’s the reg rec,

Yeah not getting any increase so must be the alternator playing silly buggers

Offline Bryanj

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Re: Battery not charging - what else to check
« Reply #12 on: October 04, 2018, 11:03:32 PM »
Not necessarily mate, reg/rec may not be working new or not or the wiring/connections may be dodgy, either is far more likely than a duff alternator. Only bad alternators/field coils i have ever seen duff in 35+ years were mechanically damaged

Offline SteveW

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Re: Battery not charging - what else to check
« Reply #13 on: October 05, 2018, 03:40:33 PM »
http://blacksquaremotorcycle.com/electrical-system/

http://motorcyclemd.com/how-to-fully-troubleshoot-your-motorcycles-charging-system/

To check the stator measure any 2 yellow wires resistance, should be fairly low ohms (bike not running)
Any yellow wire to ground should measure open circuit.

Bike running, any 2 yellow wires, AC volts around 20v upwards depending on engine speed.
If the meter reads a few milli volts AC on any 2 yellow wires the stator is working, the exciter coil is not, check the voltage (DC this time) to the exciter coil, between white and green wires or white to ground. (this was on my 550 so colours may be different)

I was convinced for ages my stator was faulty on mine, turned out to be a break in the wiring to the exciter coil.
« Last Edit: October 05, 2018, 03:46:45 PM by SteveW »
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