The International CBX Owners Association

Hi all,

I have been chasing why my bike has stopped charging. Turned out rotor needed a re-wind, ok done, now good at 5 Ohms.

Still wasn't charging properly. Stator tested good so I replaced Regulator/Rectifier (brand new one) now still no good!

I have just pulled the rotor and re-checked it, still fine, I re-checked the stator, good continuity between yellow wires. I then did the continuity test between the yellow wires and ground with the stator sitting in the housing and there was continuity with all 3 yellow wires. Very strange? I then took it out and now there is no continuity with the same test on all 3 yellows,

What does this mean if anything?

thanks

Tony

Tony-

I can't help with your specific question about what that means. I need manuals and instructions that go step by step to work thru issues like what you have.

Mike Nixon's motorcycleproject.com has tons of info on electrics, carbs, suspension..... all things CBX, CB-F, Gold Wing....

This section is for troubleshooting the charging system: http://www.motorcycleproject.com/motorc ... charge.swf

Good Luck!!

Steve

Tony, I think Steve's is sound advise.
However one or two things are sure:
1. 99% of all cases, IF one of the yellow wires has continuity with ground (bad news) all 3 will.
2. No 'yellow' wire off the alternator stator, should have any continuity with ground.-
So, one way I could explain your findings ... an iffy stator wire / winding intermittently shorting with the stator armature. Being so, perhaps it has temporarily gone when you removed the stator from its housing?
try this: Connect your ohm meter as before, between any one yellow wire and the armature; you should have an open circuit.
Jiggle the wires a bit to see if you get any continuity at all. Then you will know.
A word of caution: Armatures are sometimes lacquered. Make sure you have a good electrical contact.
Good luck, Aris

Thanks Guys,

I am all over Mikes wise words (and others). It has been very helpfull.

In nothing I have seen on line can I find an explanation as to why I got continuity when the stator was in the case and then none out of it so I thought I would see if there were any suggestions out there.

I will have a play as you suggest Aris and maybe re-test everything...again!

Just a thought, if the bike is not charging it has to be either the rotor, the stator, the regulator/rectifier, the battery itself or a dodgy connection in the loop between all these components? I'm not missing anything am I?

cheers

Tony

Sorry I'm late to this party but I would say there is quite a bit more that can be wrong than those things. The weakest area in fact on the CBX charging system is the input, DC side of the system, the side that makes the magnetism. This is also the most complex and the part that has the most connectors and switches. It includes everything from the battery positive terminal to the rotor, and there a lot of parts in-between, including the keyswitch, brushes, and several connectors. I am sure you got it handled by now. I just had to comment...

By the way, I am looking to put together a halfday workshop in the Orange County/L.A. area on charging system troubleshooting. I'm thinking a small group, meet for about four hours, including a couple hours of whiteboard time followed by a demo of my troubleshooting methodology, then 1-2 hours of student practice time. If there is interest, we need a garage or industrial building, i.e. somewhere we can run a bike engine, first off. Once we have that we'll work out the other details such as a calendar date, times, etc. I would like to also do a second, ignition troubleshooting workshop, and possibly others. Please send me comments at carbrebuilder [at] gmail.com.