Charging problem

Electrical issues
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PanBobberDude
Junior Member
Posts: 1
Joined: Wed Jun 18, 2003 6:17 pm

Charging problem

#1

Post by PanBobberDude »

Description: I have a 12V generator on my Pan. It suddenly stopped charging.

I have a 12V generator on my Pan. It suddenly stopped charging. I need help to find out what's wrong.
The two field coils are in serial between A and F terminal. Resistance between A & F is 5.1 Ohm.
Resistance over commutator (Positive to negative brush) is 2.5 Ohm.
There is about the same resistance between all terminals on the commutator. No connection between commutator and ground.
Brushes are OK.
If I ground terminal F and measure the voltage on terminal A, it only gives 0.5 Volts at about 2000 rpm. If it was OK it should have given more than 12 Volts.
I also tried to connect an old battery to A. F was grounded for maximum charge. The battery voltage went down from about 11 to 2.5 Volts. When running the engine up to about 3000 rpm, the voltage only went up to about 5 Volts.
The Current and Voltage regulator was not in use on these tests.
All screws are tight. What can be wrong? I need to find out if there is something wrong with the field coils or the armature (or something else).

PanBobberDude
57Kicker
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Posts: 52
Joined: Thu Mar 20, 2003 3:26 pm
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Re: Charging problem

#2

Post by 57Kicker »

PanBobberDude
You kinda lost me in all the electronic tech terms. By the sounds of it there may be something wrong with the generator for sure.
I was having a chrging problem as well, and I talked to a bro' of mine who has a 55Pan with the same kinda 12volt gen as me and you. He was telling me that sometimes one of the brushes, over time, comes lose (or something like that) and will start to ground out causing the battery to drain and not be recharged. The generator might need to be rebuilt with new brushes...possibly.
I'm only passing on what I was told. I haven't had to do this..yet. My prob was solved by replacing my wiring from the generator to the voltage regulator and the wire from the regulator to the batter+ terminal as well. I found a lose connection with one of the connectors, just like someone here told me i might find. (thankyou kell) I couldn't belive it, It looked like a good connection, seemed sound enough....until I gently tugged it and out it slide with the greatest of ease!
Now I went for a 2 hour night ride with the lights on and the old "skunk" ran like a watch! WOOHOO!

CHEERS!....I owe Kell a beer now
kell
Member
Posts: 412
Joined: Fri Aug 23, 2002 10:05 pm

Re: Charging problem

#3

Post by kell »

57Kicker -- who loves ya baby!
PanBobberDude: Here is something that happened to my generator a while back. It wasn't charging, I took it apart and found that one of the brushes was stuck in the slide, so it wasn't touching the armature (right word?). Though if you have gone to all the trouble you have so far with the testing, maybe you have also checked the brushes by now. Just thought I'd mention it.
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