Who's ST has melted the VRR connector

kinners

Joined
Feb 28, 2012
Messages
5
Location
Weymouth, Dorset, UK
Bike
ST1100ar 1994
Seeing that mine melted the rectifier plug the other day, and a lot of information is out there based on this. I was just wondering how many of you have acutally had to cut off the old block due to it melting/burnt out connectors. This is on my ST1100 (94).
 
Count me in on the melt down.
I decided to go with the 40 amp alt.
Found a salvaged 99 ST and was going to just use the alternator but ended up putting the low mile engine in my 93.
I was able to clean and wax the frame while the engine was out. Call me ANAL
 
Count me in for the fry-for-all. Replaced the VRR and melted connector...
G
 
My connector melted with visible melting / swelling where the spade lugs go into the VRR. I replaced the female lugs on the wire harness with tighter fitting ones (same for plugs to stator) about 30-40k? miles ago. 2008 I believe.

When I pulled the VRR for a 40A Alternator upgrade a (days ago) one of the yellow wired spade lugs pulled out of the VRR. Hmmm . . . . that's a problem.

- c bob
 
Had the rectifier fail recently along with the battery on the standard alternator [94 model],parted it out with a secondhand one along with a new battery and havent had an issue since [touch wood].
 
Clean connectiions and grounds sealed with dialectic grease may attribute to my original 28A system still checking out with a meter working properly on my 92..........as it should.;)
 
As John said, many. I melted a VRR and the connector due to a shorted aux. relay. Replaced both in the field and rode here another 20,000 miles before doing the Alt. upgrade.
 
My VRR went out a couple of months ago, I limped home and swapped to a spare. While I was in there I checked the plug, it looked good - no heat damage, but since others have had problems I have tried to cool my VRR. I added head sink grease between the VRR and the frame, and between the VRR and an external heatsink. I don't know if this will have any effect, but I thought it was worth a try.
 
Brant said:
Clean connectiions and grounds sealed with dialectic grease may attribute to my original 28A system still checking out with a meter working properly on my 92..........as it should.;)
Click to expand...

+1 on that...

But I think that calls for a scientific survey, as there seems to a likely connection with running heavy, additional consumers, like aux lights or 'heated underwear(TM)'...


Many moons ago I had caused a slight 'issue' on my '92: a harness meltdown...
Anything between starter relay and VRR socket had been 'carbonized' into one, big junk of crap...

The cause?
Well, dumb me!
In a ridiculous bright moment, I'd decided to remove all Tupperware, in order to wash the insides as well as the now 'naked' bike...neat freak and that...
And of course I used motorcycle cleaner all over...

Yes I did follow the 'rinse well afterwards' rule, but...

I'd actually had forgotten about the stator winding connector way down there, and the remains of my superb motorcycle cleaner celebrated a nice chemical reaction party there...


So a couple of days (or weeks?) later my '92 ST suddenly faded and died on me on the way home, somewhere, in the middle of the night (luckily like 2 miles away from my place, its said that a nice hike clears your mind... so I'm walking... in full gear, the helmet in my hand... only to realize that GoreTex only works that far...)


Bike got recovered and flat bedded into the hangar, my mech shook his head, new wiring harness declared being in backorder...


Interestingly enough the VRR turned out unaffected...

The alternator however not... about a year later one of the 3 field windings gave in...

I sold the '92 in 2003 with 126.000km on the clock; rumor tells it's still out there...


And on UK based bikes the oh so superior air cooled 40A alternator is prone to failure due heavy corrosion...
Mild winters and that they stay on the roads 12 months a year, exposed to the brine on their motorways...
Exposed to the rear wheel's spray the stator plates rust so heavily that they burst the aluminum casings...
 

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Jim Rayhill said:
Hello John,

The connector that mates the stator plug on my bike is fairly roasted. Is there a source for a replacement connector ...new or salvaged?

Thanks--Jim
Click to expand...

This is the 3-Pin connector, I have removed it and opted to solder the connections instead. I think this is a fairly common mod.
 
additive corrosion on all the 'lectrical connectors should be addressed with cleaning and grease. Check the voltage at the battery then on one of the device load wires. If the drop is more than a few 10ths, you have a problem.

The dual black/red wires thru the ignition switch handle the full load,,, somewhere there's info on a fakle to fix that. Do a search.
 
My old Aprilia Futura was notorious for frying both sides of the VRR connectors. One of the things that folks found aas a good preventative measure was to pull the still good connectors out of the blocks and give a little solder job to them. We felt that that was the initial point of failure. Just a poor mechanical connection between the wire and connector. Once they are and some oxidizing happens the resistance across the joint increases. With resistance comes heat and then the downward spiral starts until something gives. I ,unfortunately didn't lnow this until too late. I went with the Mosfet VRR and posilocks. (FTW)...
 
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