Voltage Regulator 2005 LeMans

[mfeeney]

I had an incident the other day where the bike just stopped. The battery was dead. I replaced it with a spare one and everything was fine but then I checked to see if the charging system was funcitoning, it wasn't. I had AC voltage at the alternator but no DC at the battery. I found that if you follow the two yellow wires of the alternator output you come across a pair of banana connectors, then about 10 cm of more yellow wire up to a 2 blade connector that goes to the voltage regulator. This section from the two banana plugs to the two blade connectors had completely deformed from heat and was shorting the whole circuit. I cut out the melted section and including the banana plug and re-connected the voltage regulator. The charging system works now charging a 14v.

 

mfeeney

[Ouiji Veck]

Sounds like ya got it.

[Martin Barrett]

In my experience of a faulty regulator, I went through burnt out wiring, dirty connectors and blown fuse before finally settling on the new regulator and cleaned connections and fuse combination.

 

It's chicken and egg situation - what's caused the wiring to burn out. I put mine down to dirty connector and this putting additional strain on the regulator which caused that to fail. But it could have been the regulators fault in the first place.

 

I take it that your charge light didn't come on as you had no advance warning. Not sure why that would be?

 

My advice is now just to make sure all the connections/fuses are clean and in good order. If it goes again intermittent developing fault on the regulator.

[emry]

I also toasted the connectors. Replaced them with a proper connector and have not had a problem since. Also make sure your ground is good and clean.

[Greg Field]

No charge light on the late bikes. Check also the 30-amp fuse to see if it started to melt.

[biesel]

 

 

 

 

I had a similar experience a few years ago and replaced all unneccessary wires and connectors.

These round connectors really do make no sense at all.

They are just there to "stay compatible" with the supplier (Ducati).

[Greg Field]

I had exactly that happen on my '04 Ballab last year in Hyder, Alaska. We had limped along a non-charging Quota from Prince George BC to Hyder and then on several day trips before heading back. On the day we left for BC, the connectors shorted out. I replaced them at the side of the road and it has been OK since. Expcept now it is starting to melt the fuses. The heat has caused the metal conductors in the fusebox to "relax" such that there isn't much tension between the conductors of the fusebox and fuse. I'll have to fix that soon.