Charging system question

[the_lone_wolf]

Just a quick Q...

Having some electrical woes with the ADV, think the charging circuit is having a laugh:

At idle the voltage across the battery is 13.25V, however once the revs rise above idle this drops back to 12.7 or so, logic says not normal, is the reg/rec the likely problem?:confused:

[caz650s]

Hi Mark ... try again with the headlights on ?

... found yer keys yet !!! ;-)

[the_lone_wolf]

Hi Mark ... try again with the headlights on ?

... found yer keys yet !!! ;-)

Lights are always on

No word on the keys yet, will see what transpires early next week

[Philbo]

More revs should mean more volts up to about 14.5Vdc...Somethings gubbed.

[Kilted Ginger]

13.2v is recommended idle, 12.7 is fine, iirc it should be 14.5-15.5 at 5000rpm, this is in a thread somewhere, if you cant confirm i'll find it tomorrow for you.

hth

[the_lone_wolf]

Thanks guys

Tried it again tonight, after a couple of hours on the optimate the battery could just about start the engine, results were as follows:

Idle : 12.7-13.0V
4000rpm/7000rpm : ~12.7
Engine off: 12.7-12.9
Hooked to optimate: gradually rising got to 13.22 in a couple of minutes, now at 13.7 ~2hrs later

So thoroughly confused now, completely different to the readings we got in wales after the AA dude jumped it...

[ridelikeaturtle]

Usu. the range when revving is 13.5-15.5 V. I'd replace the voltage reg/rect first.

[punyXpress]

Presume all earths are clean & free from mud & crud?

[the_lone_wolf]

Presume all earths are clean & free from mud & crud?

:-dd

You didn't see the video then?...

[RobH13]

Sounds exactly the same as what i experienced the other week, fitted a new rec/reg all fine. I bought mine from a dealer, turned out to be a electex part, which was cheaper than buying direct!

Rob.

[the_lone_wolf]

Few minutes rooting around the wires and I found the offending connector:

http://i488.photobucket.com/albums/rr243/ktm_wolf/KTM%20990%20Adventure%20S/Servicing/25102009061.jpg?t=1256478938

Will patch it up and see what we've got...

[monkey]

What did we get?

[the_lone_wolf]

What did we get?

Nothing yet, was going to just solder the wires together but that'd be a pain if I ever needed to disconnect for testing, so I've ordered a waterproof connector to replace the KTM part:

http://www.rankmaker.de/amp_superseal.jpg

My personal thoughts are that it's the one connector that's not only right where all the ****e gets thrown up, and where it gets dunked on every fording, but also sits right next to the engine casing, heat + water + salt = corrosion

Should arrive today or tomorrow, but probably won't get to fit it until the weekend...

[the white rabbit]

This would have made a good hobby for me. I should have just filled my KTM with water and spent time looking for the resultant problem. ;)

But in all serousness, its a bit of an odd place to keep the electricals on these I would have thought.

[the_lone_wolf]

Quote from my post on KTMforum.co.uk:

Well this is turning into a ****ing saga...

Fitted new connector tonight, start her up and as soon as the engine fires there's a god awful electrical fizzing noise and she stalls, tacho resets

Start her again and we're still not getting anything more than normal battery voltage at idle or higher rpm

Suggestions?

Ideas?

Location of suitably tall cliffs to throw it off???

:rolleyes:

[punyXpress]

Tallest of The Needles ?
Should be fun getting there.
So it WAS mud & crud after all?

[ThEGr33k]

My personal thoughts are that it's the one connector that's not only right where all the ****e gets thrown up, and where it gets dunked on every fording, but also sits right next to the engine casing, heat + water + salt = corrosion

Funny, I did mention this when you showed the big 650 Dakar single thing. It is a shocking place to put anything electric on a bike that should do everything and go everywhere, even if it "should" stay dry (in the case of riding through a desert...).

Anyways... I seem to have learnt a deal about electrics recently.

First thing is (if you fixed your suspect wire) is to do a earth test on the alternator. With the engine off get a volt meter (resistance testing device) and put it on the lowest resistance setting. Put one end on the earth (or an earthed place, anything metal really) and one on one of the 3 output wires from the alternator (check each one to be sure!!). This should read infinite or basically open Cct. If not then the coils are earthing hence no real voltage output...

If that is fine then id expect the Alternator is probably ok. There is another test though which is to check resistance between each of the 3 outputs, it should read ~ the same for each of the 3 pairs you test (between 0.3-1 Ohm should be all!).

If that all reads fine then check the next part, that is the reg/rec Output, simply disconnect the output and check the 2 pairs of Pos and neg for voltage. Id expect around 15vdc from that point.

If that reads fine then check at the fuse. By that I mean take the charge Cct fuse out and test the voltage on each side. Obviously one side should read the same as the Reg/rec output and the other the same as the battery output. If either is missing you know you got a open Cct and thats the issue. If thats fine then it could be the battery, other than that id be stumped. :(

Learnt a lot of this fault finding due to my dads Triumph electrics going pop... That was a royal pain in the ****. :rolleyes:

Hope some of that helps!

[yorkie_chris]

Quote from my post on KTMforum.co.uk:

Well this is turning into a ****ing saga...

Fitted new connector tonight, start her up and as soon as the engine fires there's a god awful electrical fizzing noise and she stalls, tacho resets

Start her again and we're still not getting anything more than normal battery voltage at idle or higher rpm

Suggestions?

Ideas?

Location of suitably tall cliffs to throw it off???

:rolleyes:

Look back at that connector, has it fried? Have you fitted it backwards?

[the_lone_wolf]

Look back at that connector, has it fried? Have you fitted it backwards?
Haven't updated this thread in a while...

New connector is good, both connections go to the +12V rail

Battery is also good, tested it yesterday

It would seem the reg/rec is on the fritz, Voltages are all over the place when testing at different revs, will be ordering a new one this evening, hopefully solving the issue...

[Alpinestarhero]

Hmm

i was at spannermans yesterday, he had a KTM in with ssome elctrical gremlin. The owner had riden it though a (i imagine deep) puddle, and all it does now is idle. No amount of throttle insreases the revs, which is strange.

so I guess, if you have a KTM...dont get it wet

[the_lone_wolf]

so I guess, if you have a KTM...dont get it wet
I love sweeping generalisations...

Try riding your SV through a river up to the headlamp and see how it fairs, considering a little spray on the front plug is enough to cripple it I'd hazard a guess at "not very well"

;)

[ThEGr33k]

I love sweeping generalisations...

Try riding your SV through a river up to the headlamp and see how it fairs, considering a little spray on the front plug is enough to cripple it I'd hazard a guess at "not very well"

;)


Aye, but in defence a SV isn't designed to :p

[the_lone_wolf]

Aye, but in defence a SV isn't designed to :p

It was designed for roads though, presumably it rains in Japan so the concept of spray isn't entirely alien?;)

[yorkie_chris]

Pft jap bikes are designed to get through warranty period then that's it :-P

At least they've got a robust charging sys... oh wait...

[the_lone_wolf]

Pft jap bikes are designed to get through warranty period then that's it :-P

At least they've got a robust charging sys... oh wait...

:mrgreen:

[ThEGr33k]

Pft jap bikes are designed to get through warranty period then that's it :-P

At least they've got a robust charging sys... oh wait...


LOL :cool:

Got to say, no matter the make model type or what, nothing is infallible so the fact we talk as though some makes (etc) are is a little silly really.