How to fix common regulator/Stator failures

Ok sounds like a good start. To be clear what connections does the vfrness connect?

 

Another 2 years and 15K, soldered stator wires still fine, so 25K on soldering the wires and eliminating the stator connector. Same battery, kept on a tender.

 

I had about 10K on my new soldered in MOSFET R/R on the fifth gen without issue, then added another 8500 marathon miles over the last two weeks. So around 20K now, Still no issue.

 

Simple fix isn't it, just have to keep banging this fix into everybody, not just the people who experience charging problems, the ones who stick their head in the sand and stupidly believe it won't happen to them, it WILL eventually and then it causes them a lot of grief and money. This charging fix should be part of the VFR heading on the home page for everybody to see

 

Sorry for the late reply, charging problem appeared lately on my 99 VFR as I had to "push start" it a few times. I discovered A LOT of priceless information on this forum, but this post opened my mind on something...
I have had this bike for 5 years now and never had problem since I live in Quebec and climate is usually cooler than southern US ;-) which may have delayed the problem. Riding with aftermarket HIDs on my car, this is the first upgrade I made on my VFR, can't miss any detail on the road anymore when riding at night with this pair of 6000K and 3000K HIDs; I also added a switch to turn the 3000K off occasionally. Then I had a bad luck and replaced my taillight with a clear europeen LED model which is totally awesome. I also changed front flashers as well as all cluster's lighting with 7443, T10 and T5 LEDs bulbs.
What I understand from your post is I might be responsible for premature failure of my charging system.

I was talking with a service tech yesterday for my new stator shopping and BAM.. I made a dream...

Anyone anywhere ever tried or thought of adding a heavy duty relay and a switch on one of the stator's wires so the driver can disable 1/3 of the stator when the bike's power draw is low ??? This is becoming freaky but there should also be a way to install an AmpMeter at the R/R output to know the draw and choose or not to flip the switch.

My average electrical knowledges tell me this could be an option, although not for everyone, but somehow an option.

Am I really dreaming, anyone think I'm crazy ?

Thanks

 

It doesn't work that way. You'd have issues with the stator if you did that.

I've always wondered why cars don't have the same issue.what is different?

 

One thing might be a bigger battery is able to handle the extra excess volts. I don't know if this is relevant but a car alternator is fitted external of the motor and has a fan built into it with the rec/reg fitted inside the alternator. This way regulated power only is delivered to the battery and not going through a connector that degrades with age and weather exposure

 

A car alternator and some bike alternators like the old oil-cooled Suzukis use a DC-excited electromagnet for the alternator's rotor instead of permanent magnets like our VFRs. The electromagnet can be controlled, less current thru it / weaker magnet / less alternator output. More current thru rotor / more output. The rotor current is controlled by the voltage regulator which is usually built into the alternator casing. So a car doesn't have the problem of excess current in the first place.

The M/C permanent magnet alternator is partly tradition - bikes have always done it this way. There are no brushes to wear out or replace, tho that's not a big deal. The bike alternator can be a very reliable simple setup if it's done right, and it doesn't take a rocket scientist to size wire and connectors and heat sinks for the job plus a little margin. Honda just doesn't. As smart as Honda engineers are, I have to believe the bean counters deliberately cheaped out. Every Honda I've owned has had a marginal, troublesome electrical system. Other brands have been much better. My approach is to replace Honda's charging system with better parts, usually adapted from other makes. YMMV.

 

^:thumbsup: was thinking about the older Suzukis like the "bandito" and air/oil head Gixxers of yore. Well put, and an excellent explamantion. I was in a situation where I just needed an extra 1/4 inch of battery cable to install a new battery in a honda cruiser (forget make and model) I am sure the damn bean counters were rationing oot the copper cable, cause I ended up cutting something on a brand new freaking bike that I was doing pdi on just to connect the damn battery because they cheaped oot. I guess if you factor in a million or so bikes with an extra 1/4 inch of copper cable, it adds up :loco:

 

Ritchy is onto something. What he's describing is a crude version of a series regulator. That's how they work, but they work on all three phases, and switch using MOSFETs. I'm keeping an eye on Suzuki at the moment. They have fitted a Shindengen series FET regulator to the latest big adventure bike. That might be a series regulator which would work at high revs. It might also be a mistake, so I'm watching the owner forums.

 

By the way, anyone noticed and knows what the little 2wire plug just behind the R/R is for? Outputs 5VDC...

USB was unknown in 99 so I wonder what it was intended for in the 1st place. And I think I might find a use for it, why not converting to USB charging device... :cool-new:

 

Is that not the jump circuit to read the codes if something goes wrong? Although mine was more under the seat, versus next to the R/R.

 

Don't think so, I read somewhere else that the jumper for your purpose is under the front fairing close to the right headlight bulb socket. Mine has steady 5V output. Unless maybe the video I saw was for 2002 and after? And 98's to 01 are under the seat?

Anyway today I wanted to try my girlfriend's 2000 R/R on my 99 to compare data and I discovered melted connectors on hers, now she's not so happy... Most important is her R/R has good numbers compared to mine so I'll reinstall with soldered wires since the plastic plug is now useless.

 

I don't know, Ritchy. Your Canadian bikes were always different, eh. Like we could only get Yellow for the 2000 model here in the states. But I do know with certainty that my jumper wire was under the seat, and not by the front cowl. I never checked to see if there was voltage going to it. Only used it to read a code.

Be glad you found your GFs wires. It could have lead to an untimely and costly problem.

 

It is for the Honda service computer.
Can't be used for anything else due to variable output.

 

Anyway today I wanted to try my girlfriend's 2000 R/R on my 99 to compare data and I discovered melted connectors on hers, now she's not so happy... Most important is her R/R has good numbers compared to mine so I'll reinstall with soldered wires since the plastic plug is now useless.[/QUOTE]


Lucky save, problem is it is so hard to get people to inspect the plug, they all do the ostrich thing and stick their head in the sand hoping that if they ignore it it won't happen to them, but rest assured it WILL, the thing you don't know is where or when and by that stage it becomes a costly mistake

 

The 2-wire plug behind the R/R on my 2001 is the code reading connector. It reads 5V and when shorted tells the engine control computer to flash codes. It doesn't supply enough current to charge a phone. While you have the soldering iron out, fix both bikes. Unless you've swapped the R/R connectors on your bike for something that can handle the current, yours will melt one day too.

 

Finally separated the heat-welded plastic connector halves and removed every wire from the scrap plug. Then I discovered there had been a previous repair on 1 yellow wire. Bad repair because the female crimp was not original AND was too small for the male pin to enter, I don't even know how it was connecting into the plastic plug, maybe just "touching". Obvious melting cause.
Repairing this on my GF's keeps me busy waiting for the stator for mine.

By the way, Anyone ever had a crazy speedometer on the VFR? The 2000 has this problem, either it indicates 0, either the needle is completely crazy in the dial. I switched the sprocket sensor with my 99's but same behavior. I am affraid it's a cluster problem or an open wire, but can't find a wire diagram to locate the right wire.

Keep on soldering

 

Just solder the damned thing and be done with it.

Jose

 

The service manual in PDF form is available online. I did a search here for "service manual" in title and found several links.

Haven't heard of speedo issues, but weird glitches at the instruments are often traced to the "diagnostic connector", a rectangular lump wrapped up in the wiring harness near the R/R. Grounds from all over the bike come here, and corrosion / oxidation can make currents take weird paths to ground. Unless you have a Honda diagnostic computer in your own garage, (it's pretty sure your dealer doesn't) you may as well cut off the whole plug / socket and solder all the wires together and make sure they're solidly grounded. One less thing to go wrong in the middle of nowhere. These bikes are getting old, even the low mileage garage queens like the one I bought.