Gimme a break man! Amazon has the best $2 rec/reg that Chinese money can buy and I only paid $35 for it and got free shipping.
Let's see....... What causes a rec/reg to fail? Let's start with cheap parts. A 5 watt diode is just as good as a 20 watt diode and cheaper and it only takes about 1 amp (14 watts) to charge a battery and a battery does not require require 1 amp continuously (nominally about 1/4 amp is average (about 3 watts)) and all electrical components will handle higher than designed current for short periods, so we'll make our rec/regs cheaper using 1 watt diodes and 18 gauge wire instead of 16 ga wire and aluminum wire terminals instead of tinned copper.............. And Jeff Bezos is a genius and deserves to be a millionaire. NOT! He is simply taking advantage of stupidity and greed.
How many $35 rec/reg's can you burn out before you invest as much as one higher quality unit would cost? I would like to make $99 on a $6 investment instead of $15 on a $60 investment, but time is money too, so I prefer to fix it once and enjoy the ride instead of working on it after every ride.
Now testing the stator is basic, but the stator is not the cause of the problem. The 2001 500 has a single phase stator. Unplug the stator from the rec/reg - first test continuity - should have continuity between the yellow and yel/red wires and on continuity between either wire and ground - all good, end of test one. Second, set the meter to AC volts, connect the meter to the yel and yel/red leads, start the engine and read the AC volts - any voltage from 0 at idle to over 100 volts at 5000 rpm is fine (you are only measuring potential) - now connect one meter lead to ground and the other to either of the stator wires and run the engine - you should not measure any voltage on either wire to ground. End of test two.
Now the testing becomes a bit more technical and difficult. First, turn off all DC accessories (lights, grip heaters, and any add on accessories that use battery power). Second, the battery needs to be of the correct amp hour rating for the charging system (the battery is matched to the output rating of the stator and rec/reg) - it needs to be fully charged and in good condition. You said it has a new DEKA battery. What is the electrical size of the battery? It should not be of more than 14 amp hours. The correct battery is a 14A. A Yuasa YB14A-A1 or equivalent is acceptable (a YTX14AH is the AGM version of the conventional flooded cell unit). Have the battery load tested when fully charged and having been off the charger for at least 4 hours. After load testing, fully recharge and let set at least 4 hours before installation into the vehicle. Now with a new good quality rec/reg installed, first clean the wiring terminals by immersing in acetic acid (white vinegar), neutralizing by dipping in water mixed with bicarbonate of soda (baking soda), rinsing with clear water and letting air dry. Coat the terminals with dielectric grease and prepare to perform the dynamic tests.
With the wires of the rec/rge connected to the stator and ground (do not connect the red battery lead at this time) start by testing the AC output of the stator: With the meter set on AC volts, either pierce the insulation of the yel stator leads or probe under the terminal insulators for a connection (note, it does not make any difference which yellow lead of the stator is plugged to which yel lead of the rec/reg - yel to yel/red is the same as yel to yel and yel/red to yel/red). Start the engine and note the AC volts as the engine is revved from idle to 5000 RPM - the AC volts should be approxmiately the same as when the stator was tested when disconnected. Now, connect the red lead of the rec/reg to the wiring harness and check the AC volts. The readings should be substantially lower than before the battery was connected and lower at higher RPM than at lower RPMS, but no less than about 28 to 45 volts at 5000 RPM (higher is better). If the voltage is less than 25 volts at 3000 RPM, replace the stator or flywheel (magnets can get weak too).
If the AC voltage is acceptable, switch the meter leads to the brown and red wires - with the meter on AC, the voltage readings should be random - if the meter displays a steady AC voltage of any value, get a new rec/reg. If the meter has random readings, switch to DC volts - the meter will display battery voltage that is slowly dropping (to see a rapid drop in battery voltage, turn on a DC accessory like the lights) turn off the DC accessory and the battery voltage should rise semi rapidly to a certain point and resume it's slow discharge. Rev the engine to appx. 2500 RPM and the voltage should start to rise - increase engine RPM to about 3000 rpm and the voltage will rise faster - it should rise to no higher than 14.8 volts. This indicates the charging system is functioning as designed.
With the system charging the battery, the rec/reg unit should become warm to hot, but not exceed about 200 degrees. Turn on all the accessories normally in use 90% of the time and check the temperature of the unit with the engine running about 3000 RPM. Again, it should not get hotter than about 200 degrees. NOTE: the aluminum mounting bracket of the unit is a heat sink. Assure the point on the frame where it mounts is free of soil and other debris that may interfere with heat dissipation. I might be wise to apply a thermally conductive grease to the mount and frame to enhance heat conductivity out of the unit.
Adhering to these guide lines may increase the longevity of the rec/reg unit. Installation of a larger amp hour battery and high current add on accessories will decrease the life of the unit.
