Battery won't charge

[mudman]

Any ideas what causes battery not to charge? 2003 Phoenix

[Bruce!]

Is the battery able to take a charge? And welcome to the forum!

[mudman]

Hey, Thanks for the welcome. Great sight, ain't the sharpest at the keyboard might take awhile to navigate. Yeah, the battery charges fine, I can usually ride a few hours, it just isn't recharging as I ride. I guess I need to know what recharges the battery as you ride? I put a volt meter on battery (12.3v) started machine voltage didn't change but was lower (11.6v) after an hour of riding.

[Jug Head]

There is a regulator rectafire that transforms the AC curent comming out of the stator into DC curent and regulats how much it puts into the battry but the 11.6 v isn't bad. Is the bike running or turned off ? Also at idel it doesn't put out the volts till you get up around 2000 RPM.

[mudman]

Thanks for the info Jug Head I'll Look into rectifier possibility. The battery slowly drops voltage and drops much faster if lights are on so it;s definetely related to recharging.

[chuckraduenz]

ill agree with the regulator or it may be the stator.

[dattlerb]

i also have a charging problem on my sons 2005 phoenix, i talked to a local repair shop and they told me 3 thing start with the voltage regulator, i changed it, still not charging, then they said try the cdi box, changed it and still not charging, so now i guess only thing left is the stator, working out to be an expensive machine

[phil]

Well, I had that problem and it turned out to be a very stupid thing on my part. When I hooked my winch controller - one of the wires from the regulator fell off and I did not notice. So, if you have done any work on your machine - double check it - that's lesson I have learned.

[dattlerb]

yea i went through the wires at least 5 times now and everything is checking out with my meter

[Stealthepooty]

Originally Posted by mudman

Any ideas what causes battery not to charge? 2003 Phoenix

The battery is bad, the alternator (stator) is bad, Wiring/connection problem. The following is from the 850 service manual, but your results should be similiar.


OCV - Open Circuit Voltage Test
Battery voltage should be checked with a digital multitester. Readings of 12.6 volts or less require further battery testing and charging.

NOTE: Use a volt/ohm meter to test battery voltage.

OPEN CIRCUIT VOLTAGE
State of Charge
100% 12.8 V and up
75% Charged 12.6 V
50% Charged 12.3 V
25% Charged 12.0 V
0% Charged 11.8 V or less

1. Verify the battery is fully charged and in good condition.
2. With the engine running, connect the multimeter to the positive and negative battery terminals.
3. Test for Vdc with the multimeter.
4. The meter display should read approximately 14.0 - 14.4 Vdc at idle.
5. If the voltage is lower than 14.0 - 14.4 Vdc, the alternator should be tested.

TEST 1: Resistance Value of Each Stator Leg
1. Measure the resistance value of each of the three stator legs.

Test Connect Meter (Ohms Reading)
Y1 to Y2 (Pin B to C) 0.19Ω ± 15%
Y1 to Y3 (Pin A to C) 0.19Ω ± 15%
Y2 to Y3 (Pin A to B) 0.19Ω ± 15%

NOTE: If there are any significant variations in ohm readings between the three legs, one of the three stator legs may be weak or failed.


TEST 2: Resistance Value of Each Stator Leg to Ground
1. Measure the resistance value of each of the stator legs to ground.

Y1, Y2, or Y3 to Ground should be Open Line(Infinity)

NOTE: Any measurement other than Infinity (open) will indicate a failed or shorted stator leg

TEST 3: Measure AC Voltage Output of Each Stator Leg at Charging RPM
1. Set your multimeter meter to measure AC Voltage.
2. Disconnect the 3-wire stator connector near the voltage rectifier/regulator.
3. Start the engine and let it idle.
4. While holding the engine at a specified RPM, separately measure the voltage across each ‘leg’ of the stator by connecting the meter leads to the wires leading from the stator (Y1 to Y2, Y1 to Y3, Y2 to Y3).
5. Refer to the following table for approximate AC Voltage readings according to RPM. Test each leg at the specified RPM in the table.

RPM Reading
6000

AC Voltage Reading
115 Vac ± 10 % (Nominal)
171 Vac ± 10 % (Peak)

NOTE: If one or more of the stator leg output AC voltage varies significantly from the specified value, the stator may need to be replaced.


"I put a volt meter on battery (12.3v) started machine voltage didn't change but was lower (11.6v) after an hour of riding."

According to the chart above, you started with a 50% charge and ended witha 0% charge. Doesn't look like your battery is holding a charge.

-Dave