Topic: Charging Issues

[29granada]

I have a 1983 Honda CB550C, that runs great, but I am having issues with the battery not charging. I have replaced the battery and rectifier.   On a fully charged battery 12.6 volts, I start the bike and the voltage immediately drops to 11.99volts.  taking the engine to 3000plus for a period of time changes the voltage very little to as high as 12.08volts. Does anyone have any ideas other than a new alternator coil what my problem might be.  Where would be a cost efficient place to order a new coil assembly if needed.

[Pielz]

I had the same issue actually with my k7 750. Have you checked the resistance across the stator coil? My stator was fine but the connections to the rectifier were suuuuper corroded. Once I cleaned them with some deoxit and put some dielectric grease on them, I put a little shrink wrap around them and it charges beautifully. The shop manual should detail the testing procedure. It's super easy if you have a multimeter.

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[calj737]

...but I am having issues with the battery not charging. I have replaced the battery and rectifier.

What rectifier did you use as the replacement? How/why did you ascertain the rectifier was at fault initially? Are you simply replacing items in hopes that one will be the culprit or are you performing actual troubleshooting of the electrical/charging system to find the fault?

[RAFster122s]

Lots of issues with older bikes can be traced back to corrosion of connectors and ground problems. It is a good idea to clean spotlessly all the connectors on the bike and reassemble them with dielectric grease. Ground points cleaned to bare metal and a dab of dielectric grease there as well. If any terminals are loose they should be tightened up or replaced if needed. Any connector blocks showing signs of melting are clear indicators of dirty or loose or both.

Just shotgunning with money rarely fixes a problem and often makes diagnosing the problem(s) more difficult.

Not all regulator/rectifiers out there work well with the SOHC4 bikes...so, the question Calj had still stands.  But, that said...your bike is not a SOHC4 but a DOHC4.

David

[29granada]

Thanks to everyone for your input. I will go through and clean thoroughly all connections and see if this solves the issue.   If it turns out to be a new alternator where is the best place to get one for this bike. 

[RAFster122s]

Do not hesitate to pull the fuse box and check the front and back side connections. Often you find corrosion on the underside.  Or, you can find heat damage with melted plastic and loose fuse clips...