I have a vstar 1100 clasic and it burns head lights,I checked the voltage at the light and battery and it seemed all right, i put in a new light it burnt the low beem in 20 miles so i ran on high, it burnt the high beem 150 miles. I recheck the voltage at the battery and it was ok while i was trying to find the problem i checked the voltage at the battery and this time it was jumping all over the place (13v to 18v). I would like to know if the regulator can jump all over the place like that or should i look some place else for the problem, i thought the regulator would over charge or under charge not jump all over.The battery has problems if that makes a diffence
First things first. If you are ever having an electrical problem, make sure your battery is in good condition before diagnosing it. If the batter is old or worn out, replace it.
Erratic voltage can be caused by a few different things. It can be caused by a bad stator/generator OR a bad regulator. The regulator can definitely be the problem.
The first thing I would do is double check all my connections and grounds. A faulty ground can cause some very strange problems. Check your main battery ground. Check that the wire from the regulator to the battery is not damaged or shorting out. Check that the stator wires are not damaged or shorting out. Check that your fuses are all clean and oxidation free. Check that all connections to the regulator look clean. Check all wires on the main battery terminals to make sure they are mounted solid.
If all the wires look good then unplug your stator and run the bike. Verify steady AC current coming from the stator – I’m not sure the exact specs for your bike, but your dealer should be able to tell you (or a manual). If the stator checks out, then your regulator is on the fritz and should be replaced.
Let me know how it goes! Cheers.
Hi Even had to move on to something else for a couple of days but i finaly got back to the bike as it turned out to the battery. I put a new one in and have run about two hundred miles and have not burnt any lights and the bike is running and starting good thanks the advise.
Glad to hear you are back on the road.
I would still recommend you do a little monitoring. With the bike running you should check the voltage across the battery again. It should be stable. A good battery can act as a ballast and mask other problems.
If the voltage is stable then you’re good to go! If it is still jumping around its possible your regulator is on the way out. I bet your fine though.
Congrats.