A plea for help!

Ok. I'm going to take my 20001 VFR 800fi to a mechanic next weekend. i am going to ask him to do the drill. I also want to explain the common RR, overheating connector and stator problems these bikes can have. My bike will start ok, but after that it wont start and everything restarts. i'm pretty sure the battery isn't charging, or the rr is burnt out or something. Perhaps the Stator is fried. I just don't know.

Anyway i don't really know how to explain the problem properly, and i don't expect the mechanic to trawl the internet for information on the VFR RR issues and fixes. So i would really appreciate the drill, and the fixes explained so that i can print off this thread and let him read it. I don't just want the RR, stator or battery replaced, to have something happen next month. I really want a permanent fix. So what i'm asking for, is the drill, the problem with RR, stator, connectors and overheating etc explained. And also the permanent fix. So i can show him the print out.

Any help would really be appreciated. And all of the comments will be printed off and given to him. Thank you very much, and i really appreciate the patients, and any time given to this thread.

 

The problems you are asking about have been around for 20+ years. There are hundreds of posts on this and other fora addressing the problems and providing fixes. I would recommend you ask your mechanic if he is good with electrical systems. If not find a new mechanic.

The permanent fix would be to replace the entire chain of components with new. The question is, does this need done?

Some of the guys here will be of help but if your mechanic is not up to electrical systems and is more a replacement type, you are in for more than a penny or a pound.

 

First thing to understand, most low voltage (12volt) systems are high current systems. Contact resistance, (corrosion, dirt, and weak connectors) creates heat. Like your toaster which has a high resistance NiChrome heater, current flowing through creates heat, to the point of getting cherry red. In the case of the 3 prong stator connector, will melt, or the output side of your rectifier (converts AC from stator to DC)/regulator (maintains proper voltages), both connectors carry full load of your electrical system. Failure of these connectors are generally the cause of failures of the stator and/or R/R. A bike of your vintage, in a high humidity climate will be more prone to problems. Need to go through all connectors and clean and burnish (mechanically rub contact areas).

Changing r/r and stator will not solve problems for very long.

 

Thank you very much.

 

I'm thinking if he is a bike mechanic and over 18 he already knows about this stuff. Put a battery in it. check the running voltage. Check the connections and go from there. I doubt he is gonna want a bunch of printed crap to do for homework.

 

General consensus is that these forums work out fixes that are not in the book due to the constant failure rate of certain items that a mechanic might only come across occasionally, and he is not going to start cutting and soldering wires that we know is the best fix for the crap connectors that come on the replacement parts. Do the drill as stated, sort it out yourself, and you will save yourself bucks and also you will then understand what the hell goes on with these charging systems and it won't be that big mystery black hole that you fear

 

OK, reaching deep into the range of probabilities and most common solutions as a Standard Answer (usually accurate)................. :tongue-new:

So then, Standard Answer #1 under Electrical would be E-1might be:

You have a loose, broken, corroded or otherwise damaged connection to ground somewhere.

Make sure the young jockey who works on your bike has or will download the Official Honda service manual FOR YOUR BIKE ! Otherwise, the bumbling bastard will waste alot of time and could screwup something unless he happens by previous experience to be VFR-friendly. In any case, the ELECTROSPORT electrical diagnosis chart needs to be followed strictly if you don't want to risk buying parts you might not need.

 

Yikes. Stator replacement, R/R upgrade etc.. can be done in the garage with simple hand tools. I can't imagine what that mechanic bill is going to be at the end of all this. Also, there is no such thing as a "permanent" fix. Even alternators on cars eventually go bad, and those electrical systems are way beefier than any motorcycle's.

Replace the stator, wire directly with no connector to a MOSFET R/R. Ensure all connections are free of corrosion. Blast some DeoxIT into any readily accessible connector. Look for discoloring of connector plastic and brittle wire insulation. All of this will only mitigate the amount of future failures, not make your bike entirely trouble free. I recently had to replace the main service 30A fuse holder on my 5th gen which was the cause intermittent starting failure.

 

Bobdigi- "The Drill" that you asked about can be found in this link below, specifically as post #9.

Its critical that everything be performed at once, and it has to be performed on a battery that is known to be in tip top shape. Having a week battery will skew the results.

http://vfrworld.com/forums/showthread.php/39277-How-to-fix-common-regulator-Stator-failures