help....
 

hi, im haveing trouble with the battery not getting charged whilst running..
can someone tell me where the reg/rectifier is on my 1993 3tb xt600e....and any other ideas what it could be,thanks in advance...punchy

Under the rear fender!
You should check all your wiring for any bare cables and bad connections...

Vando :cool4:

thanks Vando..is there anyway of testing it to see if its working, as i have no
electrical testing equipment...

Not really !! You need a multimeter. They're only about £5

A very rule of thumb method is to get the bike out of bright sunlight, start it up and put the headlight on then rev the bike up. If the headlight gets significantly brighter then the charging system is working, to some extent at least. That may suggest a battery problem and is more likely to be so if the battery is old or the bike has been unused for a long period. It could also be the wiring from the regulator to the battery.
If this test reveals that the headlight is not getting brighter when you rev the engine then, as Ted says, you will need some testing equipment to pin down where the fault lies.
Good luck,

Geoff

ive just bought a multi meter,can anyone tell me where and what to test please...............thanks

also, is the small parking light in the headlight supposed to be on whilst the
main beam is operated...whilst revving the engine the headlight just stays at the same brightness..ive checked all the wiring and found ok..all connections are clean and tight...

Lights getting brighter just show that the generator is working....

Right..

Set the multimetre to VOLTS. Range 0-20v

Put the black probe to the battery EARTH and the red probe to battery LIVE.

With the bike NOT running the voltage should be 12.5 or higher for a healthy battery.

Now with the bike RUNNING, the voltage should go up to about 14.5 or something similar.

Rev the engine up and the voltage should climb no higher than about 14.5. That shows that the voltage is being "regulated".

its not showing anything on my gauge ..unless im doing some thing wrong

You mean 0 or nothing ??

unless your batter is completly and totally dead beyond comprehension, you should be getting something.

sorry ted it was my fault..connections on multi meter not pushed all the way in...anyhow its now reading 12.+ when stood and when revved its going up to
15. on gauge...any ideas about the side light issue ?...should it stay on when
headlight is being used..?

Park light is always on when the ignition is on, so yes :)

Sounds normal..

Hi,

If the electricity is working check if there is still enough distilled Water in the battery. When I'm traveling i need to refill the battery every few months...

Keep the rubber side down, Tobi

Keep the multimeter and play with it a bit... it's great for trouble shooting.

This time it sounds like the battery wasn't accepting the charging amps... checking the battery connections might have value but it's most likely just the battery .. Someone already mentioned the fluid.

K

well im back again, i cleaned all contacts,even the coupleing blocks and even found a well worn wire round the headlights and repaired that...the batterys charging and holding its charge....the problem is that ive just been for a short ride and once i turned the bike off its struggles to turn the engine and wont start...it turns very slowly about 2 or 3 times then there,s a clicking sound
coming from around the starter motor area then i give up so as not to drain the battery..help........regards punchy

You're battery is GOOSED !!!!

The clicking is the starter relay. It means the battery is not pushing enough amps through to turn the starter.

Once is starts clicking, measure the voltage at the battery (BIKE NOT RUNNING) and I bet its way below 12v.

I think your battery isnt holding the charge at all. Just because it shows 12v after a full day of riding or charging, doesn't mean it's holding it.

thanks ted, im gonna get a new battery tomorrow and i,ll let you know how i get on....regards ..punchy

Bare in mind, cheap batteries are a false economy.

Buy a Yuasa !

try me best...:smile2:

If you have a charge of 15v you are likely to get lots of corrosion on the battery poles, disconnect and clean the terminals, also check and clean the other end of the ground wire where it is connected to the chassis...

the problem with corrosion is that you can measure it fine for tension (12v), but when draining higher currents (A) like the starter does it looses its contact with the battery terminal(s)

if you buy a new battery, check the charging and if still 15v or above you need to think about changing the reg.

well you were spot on touring Ted,the battery is goosed....i cleaned every thing up and then put a good battery on off one of my other bikes and she fired right up first time,then again and again..the multi meter was reading 14+ when revved...so hopefully everything will be ok..i,ll find out in the morning ..thanks everyone for the help....

One aims to please !:euro: lol