hmm.. have a few questions here

[wanderrover]

so i have bee reading about the 40 amp alternator upgrade some then yesterday the ST left me on the side of the road. after about an hour of pushing (thanks st1300 owner in loveland) i got it to work. turns out that it wasn't charging, the battery voltage was about 10 v when i checked it. so put it on the charger and went in to my desk to work. at lunch time i came out and it was about 12.5 v so i turned the key and fired it up. the voltage took a slight drop (when cranking) then held mostly steady but was continually dropping - sounded like a sure fire alternator to me, which is a bummer because i neither know enough to do the 40 amp swap yet and i dont have the cash. so i patched together a network of batteries and got her home this morning, voltage of the pack before leaving was 13 v voltage when i arrived home was 12.25, so i dont think that i did any additional harm to the batts.
any way when i began inspecting things this morning - by the book. i noticed some wires in the big white connector were a little crispy. looks like there was a bad connection in there and it heated up to the point of melting the connector.
i have run through the current draw test and it checked out ok. and i will do the reguated voltage test when the battery comes up to the proper voltage (charging currently) my question is what could have happened to the charging circuit de to the connector meting and jumping to other wires and should i have any fear of hooking up the battery to do any other tests?
secondary question is would it be worth trying to fix the 28 amp system or is the 40 amp so much better that it is worth my waiting to get the ST going again to save up the dough?
also i have found a lot of info about the upgrade but does someone have a complete list of whats required and a good source for reasonably priced parts?
thanks all, really appreciate the help and advice on this forum.
the bike is a 1993, with very few electrical farkles - intercom system and stock headlights and such as far as i can tell, and 32000 on the clock.

 

[Doodaa]

I can't tell by your pictures, but it is different if they melted TOGETHER or just melted the insulation and became (electrically) apart. I'd splice them together and give it a try, the damage [other than melted (loose) connections] would have already been done. Near as I can see by your pictures, you may be able to save your charging system.

 

[wanderrover]

i think that you might be right. after about 30 min of slicing and pulling i got the connector apart. all the rest of the tests come out fine. all the resistance and continuity tests seem fine. the book would point to the VR/R but i think that i will build another connector and just test out the charging system. i wonder if i could find a loner VR/R to check on the system to eliminate that question?

 

[Doodaa]

I don't know how many bikes you have to ride, but I'm running the same year, with higher miles and I'd splice them and run it. Keep your "extra" emergency battery with you for a short while and you'll know. I installed a LED voltage monitoring system on mine, having other Hondas with charging issues and the common melted connector problems.
But, to answer your question, someone......George, I think had a spare for testing. You may have to ask and it is a holiday weekend. I say splice it and ride uphill, you can always coast back down if your problem is deeper. You'll know within thirty miles.

 

[wanderrover]

ok so i spliced them back together then put the meter on the battery and fired up the bike and i still only have slightly less then battery voltage at the battery when the bike is running. so clearly the charge system is not working. i will run the tests in the book again tomorrow but now i am wondering??? if it is the VR/R then i can get another one but i dont want to buy a VR/R then have to replace the whole system later again. i would prefer to not put too much money into the system now but wait to do the upgrade later - like this winter... or next; however i also hate pulling off perfectly good parts because i only fixed the symptom and then the real problem showed up again. so if it is the vrr and i do replace it how long do you guys estimate it will keep going for? i know that its a shot in the dark but does anyone have any experience with this type of failure?
also it seems that i have the "police" version fo the vrr. any good sources for that or just the dealer?
thanks again

 

[E36 Phantom]

Wander, what did you end up doing? I have a very similar issue and was going to replace the connector, but I know there's gotta be something causing it. Is the consensus that it's the reg/rect failing that causes this kind of damage or the alternator itself?

 

[wanderrover]

sorry, need to update. so i discovered that the vrr on my bike was from Oregon motorcycle parts. thats why it looked so different from the rest that i was finding. i ran through all the tests in the manuel again (after soldering the wires together) and it pointed to the vrr. so i pulled it off and began to email Omp. I just mailed off the old vrr out in hopes that He can fix it for a lot less then a new one, but then again it has been 2 weeks just trying to get a hold of him and get some answers so maybe i should have just bought a new one to begin with. but basically i think that the connector corroded to the point that the internal resistance of the spade connections heated up and melted the whold thing, then at some point i am assuming it grounded out and burned up the vrr. i am fairly confident that the alternator is ok and all i need is the vrr. i will let you know when it comes back. i guess i figured that a $100 or so fix now is better then not having the bike untill i can afford the upgrade which will hopefully be next winter.
I think that in general the alternator and vrr are going to be ok - as long as the load on the bike isnt too excessive, how else do some guys run these 28 ampers so long, but when the connections become questionable or the load gets too great then you run the risk of loosing the alternator. my plan is to solder/shrink tube the wires that i can and ride it until i can save the $$ up. but i wouldnt be afraid to ride it longer.