Bonneville is FUC*ED
- Thread starter thearcticsea
- Start date
Senor Siesta
Scooter
Artic, Congrats on keeping the bike! I followed your thread last year with a close eye on that paint job. Hope all with the family sorted out the way you had hoped.
I think everyone here is in agreement, rectifier. I lost a battery half way into B.C. Canada from the issue, same sympton. GRC your stator with your meter, youshould get somewhere around 75V AC with the bike at 3K RPM.
I think everyone here is in agreement, rectifier. I lost a battery half way into B.C. Canada from the issue, same sympton. GRC your stator with your meter, youshould get somewhere around 75V AC with the bike at 3K RPM.
thearcticsea
Rocker
Replaced the rectifier and battery. After riding for 2 hours on the newly charged new battery I stopped to get gas and it wouldn't start again. 20 minutes later (presumably the battery recovered a bit) it fired up at the gas station. I rode it for about 5 minutes and it lost power and died, just as before.
Anyone feel free to chime in here. I'm starting to wish I'd sold it. : P
Anyone feel free to chime in here. I'm starting to wish I'd sold it. : P
Iceseven
750cc
My only thought after the rectifier was replaced would be the coil, I had coil problems with my 95 T-Bird and my 04 Bonneville, so far my Scrambler has been trouble free. When I had coil problems It began as hard starting, then starting with backfiring then no starting at all. Just another possible problem to check.
Stars&Bars
Two Stroke
Test every part of the electrical system BEFORE you R&R anything further or the repair will end up costing 10 times more than it should. Every piece can be tested, you just have to want to learn how to do it.
I too had a friend who allowed a particular Ducati dealership's service techs start replacing parts and it ended up costing the 'ol boy a whole boatload of dough and when the problem was finally found, it turned out to be a bad ground connection. A little elbow grease was all that was needed in his case to get a connection cleaned up, and no, the dealership would not reimburse him for all the labor cost ($90hr) and un needed parts. To add insult to injury, the sad part was that he didn't ask for his parts back so he didn't even have a assload of perfectly usable backup pieces!
Keep at it, you'll discover what ails your machine. To damned many supposedly knowlegable technicians($90 hr) at dealerships just start replacing parts these days without actually doing any testing on them first. I ain't positive, but I wouldn't think MMI teaches their students to do shitwork like that but I may be mistaken. I was taught by the US Navy to thoughly test each piece before shitcanning it and replacing something with a new one. Kind of a different situation on an aircraft carrier at sea, it's not like you can just run down to Auto Zone for that new part.
it sounds like a bad diode in the rectifier, there are tests, get a Haynes manual
a simple test is to put a volt meter on the battery; at rest is should be 12.8 bolts, then start the bike, you should have 14.2 volts at the battery by 3000 rpm
most auto parts places can perform a free battery load test to determine if the battery is bad
a simple test is to put a volt meter on the battery; at rest is should be 12.8 bolts, then start the bike, you should have 14.2 volts at the battery by 3000 rpm
most auto parts places can perform a free battery load test to determine if the battery is bad
thearcticsea
Rocker
Well I've already replaced the battery and rectifier, like a fool.
I looked through the Triumph service manual and I didn't see anything in there on ways to test the components. Only how to install and remove them. I'd like to check the coils, but don't really know how.
It's safe to say that something along the line just isn't charging the battery during use, right?
I looked through the Triumph service manual and I didn't see anything in there on ways to test the components. Only how to install and remove them. I'd like to check the coils, but don't really know how.
It's safe to say that something along the line just isn't charging the battery during use, right?
do the simple charge test at the battery first. You should be able to buy a simple mulimeter for under $10
put the red lead on the pos terminal of the battery and the black lead on the neg terminal
you may find the voltage drops as the revs rise= bad rectifier
I received three bad ingition modules from MAP Cycle in Fla last year
if the bike will not start check the battery voltage immediatly; the igniter will not spark with low voltage
put the red lead on the pos terminal of the battery and the black lead on the neg terminal
you may find the voltage drops as the revs rise= bad rectifier
I received three bad ingition modules from MAP Cycle in Fla last year
if the bike will not start check the battery voltage immediatly; the igniter will not spark with low voltage
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thearcticsea
Rocker
Okay, so I'm going to buy a multimeter after work. Can anyone tell me what type I should get? I'm going to want to test the whole system because I called the dealer and I'm not into paying 80 dollars an hour for a guy to attach some leads and read a gauge.
What should I test and can anyone tell me how to do it or where I can find the info?
I suppose I need to test the battery at 3k rpm, like Lapo says. Is that what they call a "load test"? That will tell me if the new rectifier I got is bad somehow.
How do I test to make sure the battery itself is okay?
How do I test the stator output? Coils? Anything else I should test??
Sorry to be so useless, but I need some help.
What should I test and can anyone tell me how to do it or where I can find the info?
I suppose I need to test the battery at 3k rpm, like Lapo says. Is that what they call a "load test"? That will tell me if the new rectifier I got is bad somehow.
How do I test to make sure the battery itself is okay?
How do I test the stator output? Coils? Anything else I should test??
Sorry to be so useless, but I need some help.
you can get a cheap multimeter at Radio Shack or Harbor Freight
the test I suggeted will tell you if the battery is being charged. if it is being cahrged then you can look for problems outside of the charging system, if not then you have at least found the source of the problem
the load test is done to detemine the state of the battery and can be done at Autozone or Advance Auto for free
if all checks out OK then move to the ignition sytem
wait a minute! please describe what you mean by "will not start" does the starter work? does the engine turn over? when this happens, is there spark at the plugs?
you need to determine if this is a charging or ignition problem
you may have a bad ignitor
the test I suggeted will tell you if the battery is being charged. if it is being cahrged then you can look for problems outside of the charging system, if not then you have at least found the source of the problem
the load test is done to detemine the state of the battery and can be done at Autozone or Advance Auto for free
if all checks out OK then move to the ignition sytem
wait a minute! please describe what you mean by "will not start" does the starter work? does the engine turn over? when this happens, is there spark at the plugs?
you need to determine if this is a charging or ignition problem
you may have a bad ignitor
thearcticsea
Rocker
Basically what's happening is I charge the battery and the bike starts right up, no problems at all. It runs great.
I ride it for an hour, maybe 2 hours and it dies. Once it's dead I try to start it again and the battery whirrs and clicks like it does whenever the battery just has no power. So the battery is dead.
If I charge up the battery it'll start up again and run, no problem.
I've replaced the rectifier with a new one and replaced the old battery with a new one. The same things are happening with the new hardware.
I ride it for an hour, maybe 2 hours and it dies. Once it's dead I try to start it again and the battery whirrs and clicks like it does whenever the battery just has no power. So the battery is dead.
If I charge up the battery it'll start up again and run, no problem.
I've replaced the rectifier with a new one and replaced the old battery with a new one. The same things are happening with the new hardware.
Bonafide
NBR founder
There's 3 components to the system. Battery, Rectifier (Voltage Regulator), and Stator. It would have helped things if you had tested each piece of the system before you started swapping out parts.
I can only suggest that you check to see if the voltage at the battery is 14 volts at 3000 rpm
if not and you have a new rectifier then its time to look at the rotor
it is very unusual, but not impossible, for a rotor to fail and even less likley that the stator is bad
give me a day to look up the sytem and i'll get back to you, maybe its an excited core and you are not getting the initiating current
if not and you have a new rectifier then its time to look at the rotor
it is very unusual, but not impossible, for a rotor to fail and even less likley that the stator is bad
give me a day to look up the sytem and i'll get back to you, maybe its an excited core and you are not getting the initiating current
slowgator
750cc
Sounds All Too Familiar
I had very similar symptoms at 8K after riding through a very heavy thunderstorm when my T100 died and had intermittent issues like you are having. After replacing the coils and the problem persisted, the dealer replaced the ECU which fixed the problem. Luckily it was under warranty.
Have you ridden through a storm lately? My researching told me that Bonnevilles do not like getting soaked, so I avoid the rain whenever possible.
I had very similar symptoms at 8K after riding through a very heavy thunderstorm when my T100 died and had intermittent issues like you are having. After replacing the coils and the problem persisted, the dealer replaced the ECU which fixed the problem. Luckily it was under warranty.
Have you ridden through a storm lately? My researching told me that Bonnevilles do not like getting soaked, so I avoid the rain whenever possible.
thearcticsea
Rocker
The bike hasn't gotten wet since I've owned it.
Thanks Drlapo.
And Bonafide, I should've listened to you man. I was way too confident with the Triumph dealers assessment.
Thanks Drlapo.
And Bonafide, I should've listened to you man. I was way too confident with the Triumph dealers assessment.
thearcticsea
Rocker
2005
Bonafide
NBR founder
Ok .. just wanted to make sure it wasnt one of the EFI bikes. Thus eliminates it being a ECU issue.
The ignition box under the seat ... It takes a good battery for it to operate and if it's a bad one or low voltage is supplied to it (bad battery) - it will cause mis-fires, back fires, or basically your bike runs like shit. It does not cause the battery to lose it's voltage.
nohawk
Rocker
Yeah I saw where he said he got a multimeter but I didnt see where he had checked voltage going into the battery, I got into this thread a bit late but I totally agree with load testing the battery first, as was mentioned earlier. A battery with a dead cell can cause all sorts of problems and I believe it can ruin a rectifier too. I had the igniter plug come unplugged once and the bike will just kinda fart and die. I dont think i hit the starter again, just turned around and plugged it back up (was riding with no seat and a chopped off subframe with the igniter bolted to a piece of mudflap:eeekso Im not sure the starter would sound the way you described when trying to restart it.
Anyway, just to clarify it arctic. Did you check the voltage going to the battery at 3k rpms? And what did you replace first, the battery or the rectifier?
so Im not sure the starter would sound the way you described when trying to restart it.Anyway, just to clarify it arctic. Did you check the voltage going to the battery at 3k rpms? And what did you replace first, the battery or the rectifier?
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