Ok,so I have been looking around using the search function and I have found threads relating to the stator and the voltage regulator,but not for this particular problem,it is like it has symptoms of both.
1997 vmax xt 600 twin.no electric start,no reverse.
it has eaten two headlight bulbs,the first one I didn't get to see,the hood was open,and I noticed it right after plugging my l.e.d. taillight in with the sled running,so I thought it was some sort of voltage spike since the lighting is a.c. apparently not.
the second one I was riding and the headlight got really bright for a second then popped,making me think regulator.
but,very shortly after that all of the lights on the sled got very dim,and stayed that way,voltage even went low enough that anything l.e.d.
shut off.that makes me think low stator output.fine the next day.so I have questions I have not found an answer to.
yes I checked for rub throughs,i found nothing,anywhere.
-can the stator produce too much voltage,enough to "overpower' the voltage regulator?
-can the voltage regulator fail in a way that it does not let enough power get to the lights?
I am sort of baffled by the fact that I got 2 opposite symptoms like that.
I even drove around this afternoon with a multi-meter in place of the headlight bulb,and never got too much or not enough voltage.perfect,it is hard to diagnose something that won't stay broken.
-does the load from the headlight need to be there to cause the symptom?
-if there was a bad connection at the regulator I think that could cause the high voltage,but what about the low voltage?(I did have it unplugged while working on some other things,previous to this)
-symptom is new this year,pretty much right out of storage,never had it before.
-I did have to do some welding on the chassis,but unplugged every thing I could find prior,so I don't think I fried anything,can't find any wiring damage anywhere,not saying i'm not missing damage somewhere,just have not found any.
so,i'm kind of stumped,any ideas or information would be greatly appreciated,thanks.
1997 vmax xt 600 twin.no electric start,no reverse.
it has eaten two headlight bulbs,the first one I didn't get to see,the hood was open,and I noticed it right after plugging my l.e.d. taillight in with the sled running,so I thought it was some sort of voltage spike since the lighting is a.c. apparently not.
the second one I was riding and the headlight got really bright for a second then popped,making me think regulator.
but,very shortly after that all of the lights on the sled got very dim,and stayed that way,voltage even went low enough that anything l.e.d.
shut off.that makes me think low stator output.fine the next day.so I have questions I have not found an answer to.
yes I checked for rub throughs,i found nothing,anywhere.
-can the stator produce too much voltage,enough to "overpower' the voltage regulator?
-can the voltage regulator fail in a way that it does not let enough power get to the lights?
I am sort of baffled by the fact that I got 2 opposite symptoms like that.
I even drove around this afternoon with a multi-meter in place of the headlight bulb,and never got too much or not enough voltage.perfect,it is hard to diagnose something that won't stay broken.
-does the load from the headlight need to be there to cause the symptom?
-if there was a bad connection at the regulator I think that could cause the high voltage,but what about the low voltage?(I did have it unplugged while working on some other things,previous to this)
-symptom is new this year,pretty much right out of storage,never had it before.
-I did have to do some welding on the chassis,but unplugged every thing I could find prior,so I don't think I fried anything,can't find any wiring damage anywhere,not saying i'm not missing damage somewhere,just have not found any.
so,i'm kind of stumped,any ideas or information would be greatly appreciated,thanks.
A couple of bucks
VIP Member
Do the symptions only show up when the sled(and in particular,electrical components)is good and warmed up??
Devilin AblueDress!
New member
Is the LED tail light still hooked up? Was it still hooked up for the second bulb? Still hooked up for the diming episode? Hooked up while running with multi meter?
Hard to say about "good and warmed up.It was warmed up enough to take a 1/2 mile rip down my road, happened on the way back to the house.
The led taillight was hooked up the whole time...
Also I have had that light on the sled with none of these symptoms for 2 or 3 seasons now.
I am leaning toward regulator now....I am wondering if the dimming episode could have happened from the headlight filament shorting out drawing down the stators output.I sort of just realized that when the sled was fine the next day I had no headlight....the low beam was still working during the dimming episode......any thoughts?
Thanks.
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The led taillight was hooked up the whole time...
Also I have had that light on the sled with none of these symptoms for 2 or 3 seasons now.
I am leaning toward regulator now....I am wondering if the dimming episode could have happened from the headlight filament shorting out drawing down the stators output.I sort of just realized that when the sled was fine the next day I had no headlight....the low beam was still working during the dimming episode......any thoughts?
Thanks.
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A couple of bucks
VIP Member
When an electrical system is compromised, due to the age & heat cycles of the equipment, the insulation can be OK when it is cold. Once the compromised system(stator/regulator) is up to operating temperature, the insulation is often in such poor shape that electrical gremlins appear. I'd start w/ the regulator as that is the cheaper of the two and much less involved.
I think that's what I'm going to do.I am leaning further away from wiring as anywhere I opened the harness the wiring looked brand new.thanks.
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Update....more confused now.switched voltage regulators with the wife's sx and put "cheap" headlights in both.drove the s $@# out of both tonight and neither have a problem.boy I hope it was a connection issue at the regulator.we'll see.....
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