Topic: Headlight fuse blowing, battery hitting 15.5v, regulator bad?

[jorwesflow]

The reported results say you have one bad diode.  If you can't replace that one, you have to replace the whole unit.

Well here i am reviving this godforsaken thread again a year later.

I’ve since replaced with a new regulator/rectifier combo unit a few months ago.

After that, I tested it in my garage at varying RPMs and voltage at the battery stayed around a healthy 14v. So i went out for a ride and about 20 minutes in, the bike crapped out at 60mph. i pull over and see smoke billowing from under the seat. i pull the seat off (aftermarket, with a battery tray underneath for a thin antigravity 4-cell) and see the battery swollen and oozing chemicals everywhere. by gods grace it didn’t catch fire like my first 550 http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php/topic,98440.0.html

So i walked it home 3 miles (slight downgrade, thank god) I then went ahead and bought another Antgravity 4-cell.

Since then I’ve rewired 90% of the bike and reduced what was once a 0.39V loss in the ground line (green) to now 0.02V with lights on.

The 0.23V loss in the switched power line (black) is now 0.18V with lights on.

So i’ve taken it out for some test runs the last few days. I hooked up a digital voltage meter to the battery terminals and stuck in on the top triple tree so i can monitor voltage as i’m riding and avoid any..... potential fires.

Every ride starts out great for a few miles. Barely topping out at 14v. But then it’s almost like something changes around the same time in each ride and it starts spiking past 15v.

So i disconnected the black regulator wire and jumped it straight to the battery positive terminal so the reg would get full battery signal. But the charging was still spiking up past 15v.

So i can only conclude this (somewhat) new reg/rect is trashed. Is it possible it heats up to a certain point and then just stops doing its job?

Perhaps that last time I fried the battery it also fried the vreg? Or maybe the vreg was just shyt from the beginning, combined with too much voltage loss at the black wire.

I don’t know. Am i missing anything else? replace the vreg again? i feel like i’ve been through these charging system tests a dozen times already.

[scottly]

What reg/rect are you using? The voltage spiking past 15 volts is what is smoking your lithium ion Antigravity 4-cell batteries.

[Deltarider]

Personally I am more and more convinced an analogue voltmeter is a better tool to diagnose - dynamically that is - than a DMM.
Many years ago, out of curiosity, I did some testing en route with a DMM and was surprised to read spikes of above 15V. It never worried me as I didn't have any bulbs blown and the battery (conventional lead-acid) has continued to serve me many years ever since.

[jorwesflow]

What reg/rect are you using? The voltage spiking past 15 volts is what is smoking your lithium ion Antigravity 4-cell batteries.

It’s one of these combos from 4into1 https://4into1.com/regulator-rectifier-honda-cb350f-cb400f-cb500-cb550-cb750/.

I had a similar one from dime city (link posted further up in this thread) that worked with my first Antigravity lithium 4-cell for almost 4 years perfectly fine, which was well past it’s expected life, then the battery petered out eventually. So i replaced it with a new one, same Antigravity, and ran it with that same reg/rect for at least a year fine.

But then this thread was started when i blew a headlight and realized i was overcharging. then (as prev posted) i followed twotired’s instructions to find the egregious voltage loss in the ground circuit, which must have been contributing to giving the reg an underreported voltage, and thus causing the overcharging.

But I also (see prev) found that this original dime city reg/rect had a bad diode! That’s when i replaced it with this latest reg/rect from 4into1.

After that is when I fried the Antigravity.

Now i’m on a new Antigravity, and i’ve fixed the voltage loss in the ground circuit. But i’m still hitting 15+

Yeah Antigravity are adamant about not charging past 14.6v. Although my newest one says don’t go above 14.4v. i don’t think the specs changed, so they probably lowered the recommended limit to play it safe.

Sorry for the novel.

[jorwesflow]

Personally I am more and more convinced an analogue voltmeter is a better tool to diagnose - dynamically that is - than a DMM.
Many years ago, out of curiosity, I did some testing en route with a DMM and was surprised to read spikes of above 15V. It never worried me as I didn't have any bulbs blown and the battery (conventional lead-acid) has continued to serve me many years ever since.

I noticed this cheap amazon digital meter I put on the triple tree shows at least .5v higher than my multimeter. Hard to say exactly, because it’s only to the 1/10th. So 12.9 could mean anywhere from 12.85 to 12.94, and my more precise multimeter consistency showed slightly lower readings. But either way, seeing it climb to 15 was enough for me to pull the clutch in and coast at 1000rpm. pyrophobia.

But regardless, you’re saying an analog gauge might be more appropriate. Why is that? I would guess it kind of averages the reading because the mechanical movement is  naturally slower than a digital meter.

[Deltarider]

Personally I am more and more convinced an analogue voltmeter is a better tool to diagnose - dynamically that is - than a DMM.
Many years ago, out of curiosity, I did some testing en route with a DMM and was surprised to read spikes of above 15V. It never worried me as I didn't have any bulbs blown and the battery (conventional lead-acid) has continued to serve me many years ever since.

...
But regardless, you’re saying an analog gauge might be more appropriate. Why is that? I would guess it kind of averages the reading because the mechanical movement is  naturally slower than a digital meter.

Yep, that's it. The mechanical movement of an analogue dampens where the DMM is hysterical  .
The same goes for dwell meters. Analogue is a joy to work with compared to digital, especially when you switch briefly from 1+4 to 2+3 and back to compare. And the same goes for tachometers. Who wants to interpret digits when with analogue you can see from the corner of your eyes what is happening? Not to mention exhaust gas analyzing! Now on long rides I always have my automotive DMM with me, because it's relatively small and is packed with functions. In a workshop it's another story however...
Note that a conventional bulb blown by overvoltage usually will show this typical - what shall I call it - white smoke inside.

[scottly]

I've only seen spikes on a DMM when using the stock mechanical regulator, and are more extreme with a fully charged Lithium battery, but with a solid state regulator the output is much more stable.
To the OP, there are regulators specifically for Lithium batteries as well as adjustable regulators. I personally would consider the Oregon Motorcycle Parts adjustable regulator, set to 14.4V.

[Deltarider]

I've only seen spikes on a DMM when using the stock mechanical regulator... but with a solid state regulator the output is much more stable.

Am I right to assume these spikes are due to induction?

I personally would consider the Oregon Motorcycle Parts adjustable regulator, set to 14.4V.

I keep that in mind for if my OEM regulator would fail. Any idea where one could adjust such an Oregon regulator? I mean, do you have to open it, or can it be done from the outside?