Strange charging problem.

[grizztracks]

All the circuits are protected by fuses. If something was drawing to much the corresponding fuse would blow (assuming the proper fuses are installed).

If the voltage is dropping out while under a load and the stator is good then the voltage regulator is bad. When testing a charging system you normally do it under a load.

 

[lockburner2000]

If you hav not yet checked all the head lights one by one do it. 3 days ago my wifes sled the lights were dim and the hand warmers were pee warm. I checked the stator and changed the regulator and still did not get over 9 volt over 5000 rpm so started unpluging stuff and got to the head light and unpluged it and the volts came up to 14.5. My father in law had a new light put it in and shes good as gold now. This was on a older poo.

 

[Crzy4Snow]

OK GUYS IM GETTING DESPARATE.

Here is where i am at. I have checked the stator about a dozen times, warm, cold, after a load and all seems good. I am curious what each white wire should read for voltage while the sled is running and unplugged from the regulator putting positive lead on the volt meter on the white wire and the negative lead to chasis ground.

replaced the battery so that eliminates that.

replaced the voltage regulator so that is eliminated.

Like ive said before all charges good with the headlight fuse out. I switched out the bulbs and no change. unplugged the harness going to the taillights, no change. Thaught about the stator failing under load caused by the headlights. so i checked the sled with the headlights unplugged and and turned the hand warmers and thumb warmers on as high as they would go and it charged like a dream at 14.5 volts at 5000 rpms. I would think that the hand warmers would have more of a load than the headlights.

I have looked this harness over carfully from one end to the other not so much as a small rub mark. Half this sled is apart now. One thing I found is with the sled off I checked the headlight plugs for continuity (sp?) testing ground to low beam side was an open circuit. ground to high beam showed i had a completed circuit even with the fuse out. I thaught about the relay so I pulled it and still showed a complete circuit. unpluged the black plug to the hood which contains both the yellow and the green wire to the headlights. I left the white plug cause it contains the ground. Tested again and still showed a circuit from ground to high beam even with the hood plug undone to the lights. unless this is due to the high beam indicator and it somehow making a circuit through there. Now I dont know where to go. If anyone has a wireing diagram and can send it to me I would apreciate it very much as I cant find my cd manual. I suspect something in that hood harness but need a diagram...
Thanks for any more sugestions

 

[lockburner2000]

High low beam switch??

 

[deerhunter1]

IS THERE ANY WAY YOU OEM THE WIRE 1 BUY 1 THEN 1 TO THE OTHER IF YOU UNPLUG THEM AND YOU ARE OK THEN IT HAS TO BE IN THE WIRES OR SWITCH EVEN IF YOU DONT SEE IT . STEVE

 

[Crzy4Snow]

Well guys i found it. It was the one component that did test ok. The stator. Even after i pulled it from the sled it tested fine but it is visably burnt as you can see in the photos. It must have been failing under load as grizz said. It just goes to show that the stator can test alright but still be bad.
I found out that the highbeam yellow wires will show a circuit even when the headlight harness is unhooked at the hood. it completes the circuit through the highbeem indicator light and grounds through the guage pod so that was a wild goose chase. All other circuits were fine.

Thanks for all the good info.

 

[grizztracks]

I'm glad you found the problem. Now replace it and get back out on the trail before the snow melts!