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blown rectifier???

T

thejeep

Joined Aug 2009
7 Posts | 0+
Hey have a 08 FE550 with 8hours on it. has a baja designs dual sport kit on it that had been working just fine. over the peroid of 2hours the starter is sluggish and now doesn't turn the engine. always starts first kick. just now basically no power from the batteryand also the blinkers won't work. everything else is fine. I Look for a problem and see that the rectifier which was grounded on frame opposite of the air filter, Is currently not grounded but just hanging by wires. so i screw it back into place and go for a hour ride to recharge the battery, and at the end of the ride, still no power from the battery and the blinkers still don't work. checked inline fuses and they are good.
So could the fact that the rectifer was going back and forth between grounded and not grounded have shorted it? could the battery just need to be charged. What should i do?
thanks peyton
 
First and foremost you need to purchase a high tech battery charger like the Optimate 3 or 4 as most regular chargers are not up to the task. A full charge on these batteries is 13.5 volts.

Always keep it on the charger when not in use as the high tech battery chargers will keep the battery desulfated and in top condition until the next ride.

It may be too late for your battery. If after charging it won't hold around 13.5 volts it is toast.

If you do purchase a new battrey be sure to fully charge it on the Optimate (or equivalent) before installation as battery memory can keep it from ever accepting a full charge in the future.
 
Always nice with a good charger and batt. But as I read your post you do not know if your bike is even trying to charge that battery at the mo. So I would say, stick to your first idea, and find out if that rectifier works for a start.

With bike running:

Measure the incomming VAC, I can not tell you the values or colour of wires, someone else will..
Measure the outgoing VDC, in my experience it should be somwhere around 13,5 to 14,4 denpendent on the revs, but should not go above 14,4 as the regulator should take care of this.. If it does go over, this can "fry" your batt as well.

Do this for a start,

Anders, DK
 
And does your blinkers work when bike is running ??? If they don't it points in the direction of rectifier/regulator...

Anders, DK
 
That's interesting - just come in from the shed to start a "help electrics" thread.

My 02 FE501 starts brilliantly off the kick but I get nothing from the battery. The battery registers 12.5 volt ac / 5.9 DC not running.

Checked all fuses and junctiona as far as feasible.

12v getting to the ignition.

If I press the horn I get a feeble "tink" - no real sound - like when battery's flat but it appears it's not (unless 12.5v is considered flat?? (PS not really interested in the horn but I guess once that blasts everything else will work.

Got a new battery which also didn't work even though the trickle charge (permanant connection) was showing a full charge. When I tested the battery with a tester is was totally flat 0.2V and now wont take a charge (guess my charger is knackered.)

Any comments considered with thanks.
 
Arkley... Yours however sounds like a knackered battery... Did you measure your 12,5 volt @ idle or reving it up ? I think idle ??

Sure you ment 12.5 DC running / 5.9 DC Not running.. ?? You cant measure AC anywhere if bike is not running..

If your battry voltage increases by starting the engine it's charging it, or at least trying to.... If that voltage drops right down after shutting engine off again your batt is very likely knackered and want "accept" the charge...

Your horn isnt' working while bike is running ??? Could be that the generator is at it's max at this point (Idle revs ??)......Trying to charge a knackered battry AND powering the horn at the same time.

To test your charger do the same test..... With that connected, measure the voltage on the batt.... somewhere above 12.5 volt, again if that voltage drops right down when disconnecting charger, your batt is knackered. After a long charge of your knackered battery it might show a voltage over 12 volt..... but will be drained again by a small load ie using the horn.

Anders, DK
 
Cheers Anders,
All so far done without the engine running as tank is off to check all the wires.

Re the AC/DC thing - if I set my tester on DC, the batt measures 5.9. Switch tester over to AC range measures 12.5. This is probably me twatting about trying to prove that the battery isn't useless and getting confused.

If it's the battery, why would the new battery have lost its charge (0.2V) & now appear not able to take a charge.

Cheers, James
 
If the voltage runs too low it may never take a charge again. The Optimate charger is however the best I have found at recovering dead batteries.
 
Ahhh, ok

Well no need to try the AC mode then, its just an error in the readout.... Cheap instrument.... ??:)
Before fullt blaming your battery, put you charger back on it and measure the voltage... DC ! If that is in a resoable area.. Between say 12.5 and up to 14 volt then leave it there for an hour or so. If it drop right down again after removing it or ever just afer honking the horn once, it's very likely that your batt junt won't take any juice... I say that because I think your bike also wont charge it right ??? Whats the likelyness of your bike's charge system & external charger failing at the sanme time.

If you really think your charger is dead, then try paralelling your bat over to your car, and let that charge it for a while... Or borrow another charger...


Is you batt connected on the bike still ??? If it is, remove one of the poles to eliminate any failure within your bike, ie a large drain !

Anders, DK
 
A the battery is brand new !! I can understand why your are confused !
What battery is it ?
Anders, DK
 
OK, Old battery in the bike - not running reads 5.9V DC. Plug in my trickle charger (male & female socket type hard wired to battery) reads 13.3 V & the horn works well. E-start doesn't but it is clicking. Anyway, I'll leave it there for a couple of hours & report later.

The new battery (taken out of the bike) reads 0.2v DC. Put the same trickle charger on it still only reads 0.1 to 0.2 v. If I put the probes actually on the charger clips - still only reads 0.1 - ?? is that normal or wierd??
 
Arkley, im getting confused as well,

Is youre chareger only a trickle charger.... trickle means that it goes on and off.... So either you just caught it in the off cycle when measuring, or you charger is so intelligent it sees that new battery as broken and won't even bothe charging it !!! OR, you just knackered your charger by pressing the starter button when it was connected on your bike.

When you said 13.3 while charging the old batt in the bike, the charger sounded ok to me... but after that last bit of info you had me !

Too confused.. then try charging from your car, or someonelsescharger.....

Anders, DK
 
No No !!!!!

Thanks to your comments the charger (type that you keep permanantly plugged in to the bike when not in use) must be working fine as it is currently plugged into the bike with its old battery in and charging at 13.5 V DC. Lets see what happens in a couple of hours.

Forget the new battery (just confusing things) - I'll take it back to the shop tomorrow.
 
Haha, yeah, good idea... We can't go on forever.
What charger is it, and what is the new battery ?

Good luck Arkley :)

Anders, DK
 
Charger "Ring Smart Charge 4" seems like a good make to me if you read the reports.

New Battery (1 month old - used for 1no. enduro) now boxed to be sent back for replacement "MF CTZ 7S". My previous posts told me that the Z7S was the important bit.

So 2 1/2 hours on...Charging at 13.5v DC.

Removed charger - reads 7.5v DC so taken some charge but not much.

Removed battery from bike connections pos & earth and left on charge for overnight - see what it's like in the morning but I suspect (as I always did) that the old battery is no good.

So why did the new battery fail....I suppose the 1st thing is to get a fully charged new battery....lets see what tomorrow brings.

Wouldn't it be boring to have a "jump on & go bike", you'd never learn anything.
 
Yep very boring !!!
Well if you don't have a massive drain in your bike somwhere that old batt is gone as well.
I recently had 2 of the MF CTZ7S fail on me as well. Your symptoms excatly the same. They where in the bike for 5 days each, and lasted only 10 -20 starts, so I am not surprised. I have now had the Yuasa for a couple og months, at least 100 starts as i have been messing alot with jetting and it is still very strong !!

But it is a good idea to give any new battry a full charge before taking it in use.

Anders, DK
 
24 Hrs on - should move this post to "E-start 02 501FE HELP!!!" or "Starter Motors". But anyhow decided to keep it here.

After 24hrs charging at 13.5 v with battery disconnected it now reads 8v so I guess thats it. Get a new battery.

I'll be back later....and fully charge new battery before installing.
 

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