Electrical issue

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Would a faulty assililator prevent the battery from charging? When I put the meter on the battery and rev it up, the voltage does not increase. Had a look at the assimilator though, there is no spring. It is just hanging there by the wires dangling under the tank.
Click to expand...

Naw that just controls the indicator lamp that lets you know your engine is running or not with just a glance instead of having to listen. But that don't mean it ain't draining or diverting the good smoke away somehow.
 
The resting voltage is 12.12. When i start the bike, it drops to 11.4. It does not increase when it is being reved.
 
Johnnymac said:
The resting voltage is 12.12. When i start the bike, it drops to 11.4. It does not increase when it is being reved.
Click to expand...

What kind of regulator /rectifier are you using. Stock or an after market solid state unit? Either way, they/it may be bad. Check connection.


Just for grins, Remove the assimulator and connect the wires to each other and retest.

Maybe you should tell us exactly what you have there. All original or what?
 
pvisseriii said:
Just for grins, Remove the assimulator and connect the wires to each other and retest.
Click to expand...


I seriously suggest you don't try that, as you would be connecting AC output (that's assuming there is any) to DC and/or earth/ground!
http://www.nortonownersclub.org/support ... similators

Electrical issue

Disconnect the assimilator wires to see if that has any affect on charging but don't join the assimilator wires together.
 
Oops, been so long since I ran any of that antiquated stuff, guess I was thinking capacitor.
 
well, I disconnected the assimilator and no difference, the voltage at the battery was still in the 11's when running.

I took my battery to the local autoparts store to have it tested, it failed. So, I bought a new one, filled it with acid, and have it on the tricle charger. Hopefully it will be ready to go tomorrow.

I have been advised to test the regulator and rectifier. Are these the same thing? Is there a guide to how one would test this? I am just learning so I appreciate you guys taking time to explain things to me. The rectifier on my Combat is back by the rear shock and looks like it's an original Lucas one.

Thanks for all the help
 
I have been advised to test the regulator and rectifier. Are these the same thing? Is there a guide to how one would test this? I am just learning so I appreciate you guys taking time to explain things to me. The rectifier on my Combat is back by the rear shock and looks like it's an original Lucas one.
Click to expand...

Since you have the original rectifier, the voltage is regulated by the zener diode which you can find on the inside of the timing side footrest mount (Z-plate).

There are bench tests for both of these in the factory manual. If you don't have one, see the Technical Information section of this forum.
 
Well. I disconnected the wires from the rectifier and tested it with my multimeter. I got nothing.... it said OL on every connection that I tested.

I also went out and bought some aligator clips from radio shack to clip on to the wires from the alternator.... I got number jumping all over the place but mostly around 2 this time.... 2 volts. I tested my meter on a wall outlet and it was spot on. I am not testing this correctly? Should I connect the meter to one wire on the alternator and ground somewhere else? Or am I doing it correctly? If so, I guess I need a new alternator....
 
The obvious issue is that you are not charging - that's a given. Did the store which tested/failed the battery do a voltage or specific gravity test before they "failed" it? Bear in mind that a battery in a non-charging system which has discharged significantly will always fail testing. Yours should have been fully charged (if possible) before the testing. It is entirely possible, of course, that your battery was bad but I'm sure you will still have your charging problem after you put the new battery in.

At this point you must learn enough to diagnose why your system isn't charging. If you haven't already, read J1 through J8 in your workshop manual and start from there. If the testing on the alternator, zener diode, rectifier and associated wiring/connections is not carefully done, you will be fixing it by throwing parts at it - a very expensive process. Spend enough time with enough knowledgeable sources and by the time you fix your problem you'll be able to answer other peoples' questions.
 
Your non charging problem could be as simple as a little rewiring.

Maybe the alternator wires themselves are the problem, maybe they are fractured inside with age and vibration and just need to be replaced.

Maybe the rotor has worn away the insulation around the stator and exposed the copper wiring and it has fractured.

Maybe the alternator wires are not securely connected, could be any of these.

I think you need to tell us exactly what is stock or not in your wiring from the alternator to the battery, and how old and what kind of shape is your alternator and its wires and connection?
 
Thanks guys. As far as I know, everything on my Combat is stock...for now.

I had a feeling that my battery was bad. I had it on a trickle charge for 2 days and it never fully charged. It got to The guys at the autoparts shop said that it only had 40% charge. (The new battery makes my bike even easier to start. So I'm quite pleased about that).

I talked to fred over at old britts and he walked me through checking the alternator. I did have a wire coming off the alternator that had gotten worn over time. I had to cut off the little bullet connectors and strip the wires. Retested and it is right where it should be voltage wise. I retested the rectifier with the ohm tester on the multimeter and the guide from britcycle: http://www.britcycle.com/Manuals/rectifier.pdf and nothing.... I mean nothing. So I think that is my culprit. I ordered the Podtronics unit from old britts. Hopefully that will solve my electrical issues for now.
 
When you say "Trickle charger " what kind do you mean? I'm saying I think this is the problem but you need to know that not all trickle chargers can take a discharged battery back to full charge. I learned this recently when my " Smart charger" would not fully charge a old battery even after being on the trickle charger for days & so I thought the battery was dead. I think it was here that someone schooled me to the fact that you must use a "Constant charge" type charger if the battery has been run down. I put it on my ancient old school charger & bam... Full charge and still good. Once it's charged the "smart (dumb) charger can keep it charged if I don't ride often enough. (is there such a thing?)
 
gtsun said:
When you say "Trickle charger " what kind do you mean? I'm saying I think this is the problem but you need to know that not all trickle chargers can take a discharged battery back to full charge. I learned this recently when my " Smart charger" would not fully charge a old battery even after being on the trickle charger for days & so I thought the battery was dead. I think it was here that someone schooled me to the fact that you must use a "Constant charge" type charger if the battery has been run down. I put it on my ancient old school charger & bam... Full charge and still good. Once it's charged the "smart (dumb) charger can keep it charged if I don't ride often enough. (is there such a thing?)
Click to expand...

I used a Battery Tender Junior.... It has worked fine on my Triumph for years. Worked a charm on my new battery too.
 
I meant to say "" I'm NOT saying this is your problem"" I must have forgot to type the "Not" part but anyways NO your Junior battery tender can't take a truely discharched battery & bring it back to full charge. You need a constant charger for that but sounds like you found the proble
ms source anyway. Best of luck.
 
Well I had one heck of an evening in the garage with the Norton...

I went to install the podtronics unit only to find that I still wasn't charging! So I pulled the primary cover off.... guess what, the chain had rubbed through the alternator wire. That is why I kept getting random reading when I tested it

So spliced in new wires, wired up the podtronics.... voila, the system is now charging! My warning light is still on though. Is there something that I need to connect to the assimilator? I still have a positive ground system. I ran the black to a fuse, then to NEG side of the battery. I grounded the positive to the frame. Upon revving, I have up to 14V coming from the alternator now at the battery, but the warning light is still on.

When I was in the Primary, I did also pull the clutch and install the dynodave clutch rod oil seal and cleaned the clutch plates.

Not a bad day for a NOOB.
 
Guys,

I had a look at the wiring diagram for a 72. found here: http://rocbo.lautre.net/technique/norto ... p/151.html

Looks like if I want to get the Warning Light assimilator to work, something isn't correct. I need to connect something. In the diagram, (if I'm reading it correctly), the green yellow wire from the alternator -which now is connected to the yellow wire on my podtronics- goes to the rectifier then to the assimilator. Well, since I now removed the rectifier, that connection no longer exists.

So, do I need to splice this green yellow wire into the podtronics connections somewhere?

Also, on this diagram, the Warning Light Ass only has 2 connections.... mine has 3 wires coming off of it.
 
Johnnymac said:
I need to connect something. In the diagram, (if I'm reading it correctly), the green yellow wire from the alternator -which now is connected to the yellow wire on my podtronics- goes to the rectifier then to the assimilator. Well, since I now removed the rectifier, that connection no longer exists.

So, do I need to splice this green yellow wire into the podtronics connections somewhere?
Click to expand...

Yes. Connect the assimilator "AL" (alternator) terminal to one of the stator output wires (normally green/yellow but it doesn't really mattter which) at any convenient point (at the joint where the green/yellow stator wire connects to the podtronic wire?).

Johnnymac said:
Also, on this diagram, the Warning Light Ass only has 2 connections.... mine has 3 wires coming off of it.
Click to expand...

The diagram does in fact show three connections, the third being the ground symbol on the assimilator, this is actually a red wire which should be connected to the "E" (Earth/ground) terminal of the assimilator.
 
If your parts don't match the diagram and parts missing ya can't hook assemulator back up as it only reads the balance of current ahead of drain while just hooking to the Podtronics would always show it ahead of the game no light. Old Brits has solid state replacement for assemulator and they will know how to wire around the upgrades.
 
hobot said:
If your parts don't match the diagram and parts missing ya can't hook assemulator back up as it only reads the balance of current ahead of drain while just hooking to the Podtronics would always show it ahead of the game no light.
Click to expand...

The standard assimilator is an elecro-mechanical device that interrupts the charge warning lamp circuit when AC output reaches a certain level.

http://www.nortonownersclub.org/support ... similators

A circuit exists between the AL terminal that connects to either alternator lead, through a 20 ohm (nominal) resistor, and through a piece of nickel-chromium resistance wire to earth. As soon as there is an output from the alternator, a current passes through this circuit, the resistance wire heats up, and a circuit through the WL terminal is broken.

There is initially a circuit from the WL terminal to earth, which lights the ignition warning lamp. As soon as this is broken, the red light goes out and stays as such until the output from the alternator ceases (usually, when the engine stops).
Click to expand...
 
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