[Win Enders]

My 1988 Shadow is back in my garage with an electrical problem that has me stumped. I checked the rectifier diodes. Seem OK. The stator reads some ohms (above zero). No short to GND. AC output at the yw wires is between 5 and 20V, depending on rpm. Everything looks OK so why is it not charging?

 

["Captain D"]

Ain`t got no manual?
Electrosport has a diagnostic schedule I use to check the system...
Tech sticky useful links by me...
That PLUS IF you search our archives you`ll find many discussions and even videos...
There MAY be a manual for you in tech sticky Manuals


Good Luck,
D


Welcome

 

[smilie]

What kinda rpms? Sounds pretty low as far as output on the stator. Are you checking the stator with you meter set to AC voltage? Check this link out.Fault Finding Guide - Motorcycle Electrical Fault Finding Chart - ElectroSport

 

[swifty2014]

You should measure with AC volts on each yellow to another then the other. It should be about 20 volts AC at idle and up to 50 volts AC revved up. And that is with the 3 yellows disconnected from the R/R.

 

[adlowe]

AC output at the yw wires is between 5 and 20V, depending on rpm. Everything looks OK so why is it not charging?

That output is low. As swifty2014 posted, you should be seeing about 20 VAC at idle and about 50 VAC at higher RPMs.

The stator reads some ohms (above zero).

Are they within the specified range? (You can find the range in a genuine Honda Service Manual.)

 

[MotorcycleMD]

How do you know it is not charging? You said the stator has no shorts to ground, did you check ALL THREE yellow leads to battery ground? Do you have a signal wire at the reg/rec with the key on giving you battery voltage?

This post helped a lot of people out maybe have a look?
How to Fully Troubleshoot Your Motorcycle Charging System

 

[Win Enders]

I used both a digital and an analog meter .yw to yw AC output is about 5V at idle then increases to 20V at 2000 rpm, then stayes there until 5000 rpm.

 

[adlowe]

I used both a digital and an analog meter .yw to yw AC output is about 5V at idle then increases to 20V at 2000 rpm, then stayes there until 5000 rpm.

Provided the stator is disconnected from the r/r, that tells me the stator is going bad. My guess is that the resistance readings you got were NOT in spec. There are a lot of other things that *could* be wrong but if you tested correctly the 5VAC is definitely too low. Way too low.

 

[Win Enders]

I checked the Electrosport diagram. It says you should have 50V AC output from the stator. I am wondering if that is universally true for all bikes. Also is 20 V AC enaugh to make 14V DC?

 

[adlowe]

I checked the Electrosport diagram. It says you should have 50V AC output from the stator. I am wondering if that is universally true for all bikes. Also is 20 V AC enaugh to make 14V DC?

No. Some bikes have alternators.

50 VAC will definitely get you 14 VDC when everything else is right.

You won't get 50 VAC from a Shadow at idle. The magnet needs to be spinning faster.

 

[jpr1968]

I checked the Electrosport diagram. It says you should have 50V AC output from the stator. I am wondering if that is universally true for all bikes. Also is 20 V AC enaugh to make 14V DC?

You did have the stator disconnected from the R/R when you checked ACV output?

 

[Win Enders]

Thanks to all for your advice. The consensus appears to be that the AC voltage out of the stator is too low and the stator should be replaced. Now my problem is that the stator is stuck inside the cover. Anybody know what the trick is to get it out? Heating, Cooling, Tools? Hmmm.

 

[Win Enders]

Everything seems to check out OK, except the AC output is low. Now I am having a problem removing the stator from the inside of the cover. It is stuck and so far I have not been able to pry it out. Any ideas?

 

[siapelan]

Everything seems to check out OK, except the AC output is low. Now I am having a problem removing the stator from the inside of the cover. It is stuck and so far I have not been able to pry it out. Any ideas?

Seems strange - should be easy to remove? Is it the operation at 5:37 in the video below you are struggling with? Remember that the stator is highly magnetic, so it may 'stick' a little, but should not be so tight that it is not possible to remove by hand after removing the bolts ...

 

[adlowe]

Remember that the stator is highly magnetic...https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6UeGOumRXU0

NO! NO! NO!

The stator is a copper winding. Copper is NOT magnetic. The magnet is NOT in or on the crankcase cover; it is on the crankshaft. The magnet on the crankshaft makes the crankcase cover difficult to remove. The stator should be MUCH easier to remove -- though the low AC voltage indicates an issue which *might* make it stick.

 

[Win Enders]

Seems strange - should be easy to remove? Is it the operation at 5:37 in the video below you are struggling with? Remember that the stator is highly magnetic, so it may 'stick' a little, but should not be so tight that it is not possible to remove by hand after removing the bolts ...

Removing stator

After soaking it in WD40, I was able to pry it out. Yeah! Great link to video.