Charging Issues?

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You have verified good AC on the stator side and the meter jumps all over the place on the red and black wires on the REG/REC unit. This problem is isolated to the reg/rec unit.

Because load comes from the battery and reading on that side are all over the place, a reading in a loaded state will be erroneous.
The reason i am so sure it is your Pods unit is that i just did it. Not a 3 phase but the basics are the same.
Go shopping!
I am not sure why but Old Brits has had the best price on these for quite some time.
http://www.oldbritts.com/17_17105.html

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/PODtroni ... 588dc69390
 
For sure check for loose wires/connectors.

Dave
69S
 
Get yourself one of these and eliminate the battery from the equation
Charging Issues?

Usually about $20 with a coupon from HB but worth it and you will use it more often than you think
 
Loose wires and weak batteries won't make you meter jump all over the place at the output of the pods unit.
 
Well, I won't say this problem is 100% solved, but I would say the only thing to do now is get a new regulator.
Over the weekend I checked all wires, connectors and earths. The previous owner did a solid job with that. I had also done the testing at the regulator end as mentioned earlier, and that's where the readings are coming out bad.

Been checking the prices, all are good, but can't find any resellers in Oz. Oldbritts and Walridge seem the right choice. One question I have is why are the unbranded units sold by Trispark and Pazon almost 3 times the price of Podtronics? Are they superior? Everyone talks about Podtronics being the way to go, but it does make one wonder.

I guess the next step is to order a new regulator and see what happens.

Thanks for all your help so far and will let you know how I go.
 
Update

Got my parts in from Oldbritts this week. Built up the order of the Podtronics with a few other bits I've been wanting to get.
I got my Pod hooked up and started the bike. Same problem, popping and farting on decel. Took readings off the the alternator, still solid at about 19v. Off the Pod though, still jumping all over. I think what I'm going to do next is connect the Pod directy to the alternator, cancelling out the wires in the loom. Where the alt. connects in, the wires then disappear into the loom until reappearing at the battery box.
I'll give it a go.
 
Alright, connected the Podtronic directly to the alternator wires, skipping the loom. There is, however, 2 green/yellow wires from the loom that plug into the green/yellow from the alternator. Any idea where the 2nd one might go to? There is only one that exits the loom to the battery box.
Anyway, eliminating the wires from the loom, I still get low readings from the Podtronics regulator (and yes, it's a 3 phase), and still popping and farting out the exhaust. I really don't think the Pod could be a dud, it would just be too much of a coincidence. So what else can cause an alternator with good AC readings to give a regulator low readings?
 
Cowboy Don said:
There is, however, 2 green/yellow wires from the loom that plug into the green/yellow from the alternator. Any idea where the 2nd one might go to? There is only one that exits the loom to the battery box.
Click to expand...

The other green/yellow [GY] wire should go to the assimilator (check your wiring diagram?).
 
DogT said:
Cowboy Don said:
What does it mean by the reading being 'open'?
Click to expand...
Open means no resistance, as in an open switch.
Click to expand...

If the circuit is "open" then there should be infinite resistance.
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/open+circuit
open circuit
An electric circuit in which the normal path of current has been interrupted, either by the disconnection of one part of its conducting pathway from another, or by the intervention of an electric component, such as a transistor.

http://www.allaboutcircuits.com/vol_1/chpt_1/5.html
•The terms "open" and "closed" refer to switches as well as entire circuits. An open switch is one without continuity: electrons cannot flow through it. A closed switch is one that provides a direct (low resistance) path for electrons to flow through.
 
Ok, let me here this one more time. You have a three phase (3) wire phase stator going to a three phase (3) wire pods unit, no zener, no assimilator, no capacitor and no stock regulator/rectifier. Correct.
Time for some photos of your setup.
 
pvisseriii said:
Ok, let me here this one more time. You have a three phase (3) wire phase stator going to a three phase (3) wire pods unit, no zener, no assimilator, no capacitor and no stock regulator/rectifier. Correct.
Time for some photos of your setup.
Click to expand...

Correct. 3 phase alt. plugs into 3 wires (white/green, green/black, 2x green/yellow). These wires disappear into loom, reappear in battery box, then plug the 3 yellow wires on the Podtronics regulator into them. The black and red wires from the Pod go to the battery. Only other component in the setup is the fuse on the negative battery wire. So, could this 2nd GY wire for the assimilator be causing a problem? I have checked all the wiring in the headlight shell but did not pay much notice to a GY wire. If no assimilator, what should this terminal do? Just tape it up?
No pics right now, will get some in the morning. But that pretty much desribes it.
 
That's 4 wires, not three.
Keeping thing original like the assimilator are all will and good, but when functionality is needed, it's time to cut the waste.
This is what i would do.
Pull the primary cover and ID the wire from the stator. Physically track them to (the 3 wires) and bring them directly to the Pods unit. Connect them the yellow wires of the Pods unit. With the red and black disconnected from the battery, start the bike and take the reading at the red and black wire with the meter in the VDC mode. Rev the rpm's to see if you have functionality.

I believe you need this to make sure you are connected correctly and that the wires that seem to mysteriously disappear and reappear are not the issue.

I would also remove the assimilator and the wiring associated to it.

You can use you head lamp light as turn indicator info lamps. I have the red light left for left turn, green light for right turn and yellow in the middle for High beam.

Phrase of the day is "Track and Confirm".
 
Cowboy Don said:
3 phase alt. plugs into 3 wires (white/green, green/black, 2x green/yellow). These wires disappear into loom, reappear in battery box, then plug the 3 yellow wires on the Podtronics regulator into them.
Click to expand...

The original alternator was two-wire = green/yellow and white/green, so there should only be green/yellow and white/green wires "disappearing into the harness"? There wouldn't normally be any green/black alternator harness wire? Perhaps better to run three new wires from the alternator to the Pod.?


Cowboy Don said:
So, could this 2nd GY wire for the assimilator be causing a problem?

If no assimilator, what should this terminal do? Just tape it up?
Click to expand...

I suggest you disconnect the assimiator GY wire from the alternator wiring and tape up the ends?
 
Tested the Pod wired directly to the alternator again, still the same thing, jumping all over. I wired up a new blade type fuse to eliminate any possible issues with the old glass fuse, sometimes they look fine but have fractured inside causing intermittent problems.
As stated previously, there is no assimilator. I've only got one warning light, for high beam, wired up inside the shell.
I've gone over the wiring again, checking and re-checking connections. I've cleaned up the earths and checked the wires at the Boyer plate in the points cover.
Only thing I can think of next is to strip the loom and check for worn or cracked wires.
Any other ideas?
 
Cowboy Don said:
Tested the Pod wired directly to the alternator again, still the same thing, jumping all over.
Click to expand...


What setting is your test meter on? Where are you connecting the probes?
 
Cowboy Don said:
Have it set of DCV, connecting the probes to the black and red wires off the Podtronics.
Click to expand...

Is the Pod. connected to the battery?

Just confirming that you have the meter switched to the DC volts (V & dash over dots) "20" or "200" scale?

Cowboy Don said:
Here's my multimeter:
Charging Issues?
Click to expand...
 
I think your mulitmeter is confusing you. The cheap digital multimeters can't cope with the spikes in the DC that you get in a Nortons electrical system & will give spurious readings. I tried a cheap one on my Commando & it reckons I'm charging at anything between 17 & 19 volts. A decent meter (Fluke) reads a correct 13 to 14 volts. The only cheap meter that would be any good is an old fashioned moving coil analogue one but doubt you can buy one anymore. Find someone who either has an old analogue meter or a decent digital one.

Ian
 
L.A.B. said:
Cowboy Don said:
Have it set of DCV, connecting the probes to the black and red wires off the Podtronics.
Click to expand...
Click to expand...

Is the Pod. connected to the battery?

Just confirming that you have the meter switched to the DC volts (V & dash over dots) "20" or "200" scale?

Hi LAB,

Yup, got it set to DC volts, not as in picture.

Nortoniggy, I've got an old multimeter that's a bit inaccurate but steady, I'll give that one a go, just to see if it gives a consistent reading.
 
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