15-11-14, 06:18 PM
I did some more looking around online and found these very useful posts: http://www.600riders.com/forum/showpost....ostcount=3 and http://www.600riders.com/forum/fz6-techn...eding.html and this handy video showing how to test a rectifier/ regulator (or RR for short to save me typing it every time!) Stock motorcycle regulator/rectifier check out
I'd charged the battery overnight on the Optimate again and got 12.83v at 3pm.
I then checked the RR with the Diode tester as per the video above and got three zero readings and three 540 readings, then three 550 readings followed by three zero readings so that suggests it is rectifying ok.
I started it with the hazards on as Big Mac asked above and it ran fine, so I let things settle down for a while as it warmed up and then found I was getting a reading of 12.15v from the RR output at tickover and 14.12 at 5000 rpm. According to the manual, the output should be between 14.1v and 14.9v so that seems to be low as it's the very bottom of the range.
Next I tried checking the AC output from the Alternator by reading the values from the white wires leading into the RR. At tickover I was getting 10.2v but it stayed at that level even when I revved to 5000rpm (one of the readings on one of the pairs of wires actually dropped slightly to 9.8v)
According to the link above, I should be getting "1300 RPM ~ 15 - 20vAC, 2500 RPM ~ 40 - 50vAC, 5000 RPM ~ 80 - 90vAC" but I was getting nothing like that, so I'm wondering if that means that the alternator is shot? But, if so, why was I getting 14.12v output with only 10.12v going in?? The only difference was that I hadn't unplugged the lead from the alternator, but surely the volts shouldn't change with the load, only the current draw should change, shouldn't it?
This is all very strange...!
PS @unfazed, I am using a digital meter although I haven't checked it against another one.
I'd charged the battery overnight on the Optimate again and got 12.83v at 3pm.
I then checked the RR with the Diode tester as per the video above and got three zero readings and three 540 readings, then three 550 readings followed by three zero readings so that suggests it is rectifying ok.
I started it with the hazards on as Big Mac asked above and it ran fine, so I let things settle down for a while as it warmed up and then found I was getting a reading of 12.15v from the RR output at tickover and 14.12 at 5000 rpm. According to the manual, the output should be between 14.1v and 14.9v so that seems to be low as it's the very bottom of the range.
Next I tried checking the AC output from the Alternator by reading the values from the white wires leading into the RR. At tickover I was getting 10.2v but it stayed at that level even when I revved to 5000rpm (one of the readings on one of the pairs of wires actually dropped slightly to 9.8v)
According to the link above, I should be getting "1300 RPM ~ 15 - 20vAC, 2500 RPM ~ 40 - 50vAC, 5000 RPM ~ 80 - 90vAC" but I was getting nothing like that, so I'm wondering if that means that the alternator is shot? But, if so, why was I getting 14.12v output with only 10.12v going in?? The only difference was that I hadn't unplugged the lead from the alternator, but surely the volts shouldn't change with the load, only the current draw should change, shouldn't it?
This is all very strange...!
PS @unfazed, I am using a digital meter although I haven't checked it against another one.