Very low voltage from stator, all new parts, something else?

I'm absolutely sick of reading and searching the vast amount of r/r and stator posts on the forums. I can't find what I am looking for so if you can redirect me please do so.

Step 1: Years and years of dead batteries lead me to discovering that my charging voltage was dangerously low.
Step 2: Replaced the R/R and voltages were still low. I checked my stator and it tested bad.
Step 3: Replaced stator and battery. I still have ultra-low voltage coming from stator.

New battery, New stator, New R/R:

[table="width: 500"]


BATTERY
STATOR

IDLE
13.46 VDC
9.0 VAC

~5k
13.98 VDC
7.6 VAC

OFF
13.3 VDC

[/table]

Other things I've checked:

• Wiring around the R/R and stator is not burned
• All replacement parts are from Rick's
• Stator voltage remained the same before and after replacement leading me to believe it's a ground somewhere

I'm going to get a new battery for my volt meter and find a secondary volt meter to use (I am a low volt technician) to confirm my readings. My instincts really want to check the stator voltage while not plugged into the R/R to eliminate the rest of the bike wiring but I'm afraid unplugging it while running will cause damage, is this possible or will the bike simply run from the battery?

 

Hey Exxy

Check out this thread that I started when I had questions about my electrical system last year some time. There was a number of helpful links on how to do certain tests. As for checking the stator voltage while running I know I did the check on the stator output voltage with the bike running. I went pin to pin on the yellow stator wires with the regulator unplugged but you have to be very careful not to let the probes touch one another or you will short the stator as I believe someone mentioned to me. I unplugged the connector first and then started the bike as I recall, and it ran off the battery but it did not take very long to do the test. Everyone I asked said to make sure the battery was fully charged because it could cause a false reading.

Hope this helps. Rubo has a good thread to check on how to diagnose the charging system problems and there was a video on how to do the tests. I think it is post number 2 on the following link.

http://vfrworld.com/forums/mechanics-garage/39362-2000-vfr-r-r-question.html

 

Exxy, there was another thread that was created by Rubo that might also be useful...

http://vfrworld.com/forums/5th-generation-1998-2001/39277-how-fix-common-regulator-stator-failures-2.html

 

I appreciate both of your responses; however, I used those two sources to get where I am now.

I need help figuring out where to go from here. What is causing my stator's voltage drop when it is connected to the r/r (a.k.a the rest of the circuit)?

Technically my charging voltage appears okay. If this were a superficial charging-circuit test I would have passed with flying colors because most people don't check stator voltage unless the charging voltage is low. I just feel like I cannot ignore the fact that my stator drops to 9.0VAC under load.

 

From all of the threads I have read, if it wasn't the R/R or stator, it was usually a bad wire harness or wire(s), connector or grounding issue that seemed to be the cause of all the woes. Sorry I can't offer much more than that, I have not had to deal with this issue yet...We'll see how my '01 project fares soon though. Hopefully someone with more knowledge will chime in. Good luck!

 

I know mello dude will chimp in on this one :tongue: