You can put this in the ?for what it is worth? category. For me it is the continuing saga of 28 amp paranoia before the inevitable 40 amp replacement.
I have been intending to add auxiliary fuse block for some time. So, I finally got the time to do it a couple of days ago.
Background: The bike is a ?92 with 49K miles, no farkles. The PO soldered the alternator wires to the VRR. The battery is at least four years old and was never on a smart charger until I bought the bike in Nov ?09. However, it showed good on a load test and showed good voltage on the digital volt meter I installed (11.5V with key on for 3-4 minutes, little or no voltage drop on hitting start.) Anything above 1200 RPM showed 14.0V. I had cleaned all connectors and applied dielectric grease a year or so ago.
As part of the exercise of adding a fuse block I also decided to install a new battery and not worry about the old one failing or adding to any alternator issues. On receiving the new one, I put it on a smart charger for 24 hours. The fuse block installation was very easy thanks to all the advice and instructions on the forum.
After completing the fuse block installation I installed the battery and generally examined the VRR and the wires going to it. All looked good. I turned the key to the ?on? position to compare the DVM reading with a hand held multi-meter. Both read 11.7 volts. Hmm, not much gain from the old battery. I started the bike and let it idle at 1500 RPM until the temperature gauge was midway. The ambient temperature was 93 degrees. The voltage readings on the DVM and the hand held were only showing 13.8 volts. As I was starting to question my workmanship or the integrity of the new battery, I noticed one of the three yellow alternator-to-VRR wires smoking. I got out the digital infrared temperature sensor (Sears variety) and recorded the following readings:
VRR - 210 degrees F
Alternator - 205 degrees F
Wires to the VRR - 180 degrees F
I shut off the bike and let it cool down to the point I could touch everything again. I tugged gently on each of the wires going to the VRR. Even though the wires at the VRR were soldered, there are solder-less connectors for each wire coming from the alternator. With only a gentle tug, the previously smoking yellow wire came out of its connector. Obviously a bad connection. I put a new connector on and then pulled off the other connectors and cleaned them all.
I restarted the bike and again let it get to the mid point on the temperature gauge. The following readings were recorded at 1500 RPM:
Voltage on DVM and hand held ? 14.5 V
VRR ? 163 degrees F
Alternator ? 147 degrees F
Wires to VRR ? 130 degrees F
Much as been written on the forum about keeping connectors clean and soldering wires directly to the VRR. These readings certainly corroborate those recommendations. Whether these temperature readings are normal or not, I don?t know. But if there is a baseline for temperature readings it would seem they can be another data point for helping to predict undue load on the alternator or probable failure. And it is a relatively easy thing to do.
Comments and thoughts welcome.
I have been intending to add auxiliary fuse block for some time. So, I finally got the time to do it a couple of days ago.
Background: The bike is a ?92 with 49K miles, no farkles. The PO soldered the alternator wires to the VRR. The battery is at least four years old and was never on a smart charger until I bought the bike in Nov ?09. However, it showed good on a load test and showed good voltage on the digital volt meter I installed (11.5V with key on for 3-4 minutes, little or no voltage drop on hitting start.) Anything above 1200 RPM showed 14.0V. I had cleaned all connectors and applied dielectric grease a year or so ago.
As part of the exercise of adding a fuse block I also decided to install a new battery and not worry about the old one failing or adding to any alternator issues. On receiving the new one, I put it on a smart charger for 24 hours. The fuse block installation was very easy thanks to all the advice and instructions on the forum.
After completing the fuse block installation I installed the battery and generally examined the VRR and the wires going to it. All looked good. I turned the key to the ?on? position to compare the DVM reading with a hand held multi-meter. Both read 11.7 volts. Hmm, not much gain from the old battery. I started the bike and let it idle at 1500 RPM until the temperature gauge was midway. The ambient temperature was 93 degrees. The voltage readings on the DVM and the hand held were only showing 13.8 volts. As I was starting to question my workmanship or the integrity of the new battery, I noticed one of the three yellow alternator-to-VRR wires smoking. I got out the digital infrared temperature sensor (Sears variety) and recorded the following readings:
VRR - 210 degrees F
Alternator - 205 degrees F
Wires to the VRR - 180 degrees F
I shut off the bike and let it cool down to the point I could touch everything again. I tugged gently on each of the wires going to the VRR. Even though the wires at the VRR were soldered, there are solder-less connectors for each wire coming from the alternator. With only a gentle tug, the previously smoking yellow wire came out of its connector. Obviously a bad connection. I put a new connector on and then pulled off the other connectors and cleaned them all.
I restarted the bike and again let it get to the mid point on the temperature gauge. The following readings were recorded at 1500 RPM:
Voltage on DVM and hand held ? 14.5 V
VRR ? 163 degrees F
Alternator ? 147 degrees F
Wires to VRR ? 130 degrees F
Much as been written on the forum about keeping connectors clean and soldering wires directly to the VRR. These readings certainly corroborate those recommendations. Whether these temperature readings are normal or not, I don?t know. But if there is a baseline for temperature readings it would seem they can be another data point for helping to predict undue load on the alternator or probable failure. And it is a relatively easy thing to do.
Comments and thoughts welcome.
