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Thread: Bad Voltage Regulator?

  1. #1
    Senior Member
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    Mar 2013
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    Upstate, New York
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    Does this regulator look bad to you guys?

    Symptoms are as followed:
    - Check engine light (error code 16) come on when stopped, then goes off when accelerating.
    - Battery will not charge above 12.09V when in neutral revving past 3k RPM, at idle the voltage will dip down to about 12.03.

    Steps taken to diagnose problems:
    - Milliampere Draw Test. Passed
    - Stator Check. Passed all Tests.
    - A/C Output Check. Passed
    - Voltage Regulator Check. Putting a digital multi meter across the positive and negative terminals of the battery while the bike is on to check the DCV to see is the battery is getting charged, the voltage from idle didn't rise more than a few .01 volts. It didn't seem to charge anything.

    Thanks for the help in advance!

  2. #2
    Senior Member
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    May 2012
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    408
    They dont look bad, they all pretty much look like that after almost ten years. If stator is putting out correct voltage then regulator is bad. Headlight will usually go dim, bright, dim, bright also when its the reg.

  3. #3
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    Didn't notice the headlight going dim, bright, dim, bright. When my friend bought the bike a week ago both light bulbs were blown. We just put new ones in and haven't noticed anything. Thanks for the quick response.

  4. #4
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    Based on your symptoms, the visual state of the VR, & the rate at which XBs eat the VR (you're lucky to get 10k miles out of each), I'm confident that you should replace it.

  5. #5
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    Thanks Go the bike has around 9K on it i forgot to mention that. That will make my buddy that bought the bike more confident on his purchase!!!

  6. #6
    Inactive
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    Feb 2011
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    AmishLand, PA.
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    both headlight bulbs burned out is the key. the regulator is finished. replace it. excellent trouble-shooting by the way.

  7. #7
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    Great thank you very much. My buddy is on a budget and I just don't him to buy this regulator and that not being the problem. I just wanted to here it from the experts on here before i told him to go ahead and buy it. When we get the new one and install it I'll update the post.

  8. #8
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    both headlight bulbs burned out is the key
    Yea, that's a good point.

    In my experience replacing 3 VRs over my period of XB ownership, he death of a VR follows a typical pattern of increasingly high voltage outputs, peaking at ~18v, then eventually dies off letting nothing through.

    I never saw a burned out headlamp myself however. Perhaps because I run heated grips which would help burn off some of the excessive juice being let through by the bad VR (?)...

    Regardless, the poor placement of the VR bracket just millimeters from the front exhaust header causes them to bake, hence the cracked silicone back in your pic. You should suggest to your friend that he try relocating the new VR, either with longer bolts & stand-offs, or to a new location altogether, away from the header for maximum life.

  9. #9
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    I was just thinking a few minutes ago if we should fab a thicker piece of stainless steel to put that on the bottom of the regulator so it has a little bit more protection for the heat. Did you relocate your regulator and if so where did you place it?

  10. #10
    Senior Member
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    I was luck my VR lasted 28000 miles that was 10000 miles after the Stator went out, not bad at all!



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