Honda reg/rect problems

**CBR97** · 3rd May 2007, 21:31

Ok , Had a 3 hour ride the other day, and just before i hit the motorway, my bike dies, it was get dark, so I hadnt noticed the light getting dimmer.

Had a look at my rectifier, and there was a wee hole in it, looked like it was burnt,
No prob I thought, had Honda X11 rectifier in the garage,
put the new one in, check with a volt meter, putting in 12.5 at idle and around 15 at 5000 revs,
so i went for a ride, ten minutes later , I could smell rotten eggs,
stopped bike waited 20min, rode home.
check what charge was being put into battery, 16 at idle, going up to 18-19
at 2 - 5000 revs.
pulled rectifer out check connections. put rectifier back in , and checked.
this time it was back to normal, 12 at idel --15 at 5000 revs.

cool went for another ride, out to dury, had lights on at al times, bike went good all the way there and back , no rotten eggs.

next day check again, and it had shit itself again, 16 at idle --18 -19 at 5000 revs.

what am I missing?

**klyong82** · 3rd May 2007, 22:59

Rotten egg smell means there is a burnt plastic somewhere. Check regulator cable/pins. I replaced my reg/rectifier a year ago. I bought it off ebay cost me $105 new including postage. AMPS was charging $362.50. I am not sure whether of not the X11 reg. is compatible with the fireblade. If it keeps going above 15V you are pretty much cooking the electrics.

Charging System Diagnosis (Someone else wrote this; I am just copy pasting this)
Diagnosis done on a CBR 600 F3

Tools required:
- multi-meter
- assorted tools to remove fairings and the seat

Step 1 - Check Battery Voltage
- Remove the right side rear cowl, seat, and battery cover.
- Measure the DC voltage of the battery. It should be above 12.3 V.
- Start the engine and measure battery voltage @ 5000 rpms. Voltage should read between 13.5 and 15V
- Turn the engine off.

If the voltage was correct, go to Step 2. If it was incorrect, go to Step 4.

Step 2 - Check Current Leakage
- make sure ignition is off
- disconnect negative battery cable
- connect the postive lead from the multimeter to the negative battery cable
- connect the negative lead from the multimeter to the negative battery post
- measure the current leakage

NOTE: this step can cause damage to the multimeter if it is not set up properly for current readings. Check your mulitmeter's owner's manual for proper setup.

The current leakage should be no more than 1.2mA. If the current leakage is correct, the battery is faulty. If it is incorrect, continue on to Step 3.

Step 3 - Disconect the regulator/rectifier
- locate the the regulator/rectifier on the right side of the subframe. Disconnect the plug to the regulator/rectifier.

If continuing from Step 2, redo the current leakage test. If the current leakage is still incorrect, there is a short in the wiring harness. If the current leakage is correct, then the regulator/rectifier is faulty.

If continuing from Step 1, continue to step 4.

Step 4 - Check regulator/recitifier voltages
Check the voltage between the red/white wire and the green wire of the connector.

The voltage should be identical to that of the battery. If the voltage is incorrect, there is a short in the wire harness. If the voltage is correct, continue on to Step 5.

Step 5 - Check regulator/rectifier ground
Check for continuity between the green wire and ground. In this pic, the multimeter is testing between the green wire and the battery's negative post.

In this pic, the multimeter is testing between the green wire and the battery's negative post. If there is no continuity, there is an open circuit in the wire harness. If there is continuity, continue to Step 6.

Step 6
Check the resistance between the three yellow wires. You'll be measuring three resistances. Imagine if you labelled the three yellow wires as A, B, and C. Then you'd be measuring the resistances of A-B, B-C, and A-C.

All three resistances should measure between 0.1 and 1.0 Ohms @ 20 deg C/68 deg F. If the resistances are out of spec, then the wiring to/from the alternator is faulty OR the alternator is faulty. If resistances are okay, the regulator/rectifier is faulty.

Often a fried reg/rect will also take out the the connector to the harness. This connector is replaceable on the F3 (Honda p/n 32110-MW0-305). There may be a similar part number for other CBRs.

**Roj** · 4th May 2007, 10:28

Could be a poor/loose earth connection to the regulator, I would say the rotten egg smeel is the battery acid giving off sulphur due to the over charging

I would go over all the connections plus the earth connection to the frame

**vifferman** · 4th May 2007, 10:36

Originally Posted by Roj

Could be a poor/loose earth connection to the regulator, I would say the rotten egg smeel is the battery acid giving off sulphur due to the over charging

I would go over all the connections plus the earth connection to the frame

Correctimundo.
Your battery is more than likely toasted (well... poached) now, so if you keep using it with this R/R or another one, you're going to have another failure.
The R/R for the X11 should've been fine for the 900, but something's not right there. Your suggestion about the earths (grounds) is a goodun, as that's how the regulating part of it works.
Check all the wiring and connectors, test the voltage output, and if it's good, then replace the battery (but only once you're sure things are OK).
If the R/R tests out bad, then ditch it AND the battery.

BTW - does the R/R have a voltage-monitoring wire? If so, did you connect it (to a tail-light or something else handy)?
Early R/Rs had three wires from the stator (usually yellow), and one or two wires each to the positive/negative of the battery and/or starter relay. Later ones also had a 'spare' wire, that adjusts stator output according to wiring loom voltage.

**Drew** · 4th May 2007, 10:44

Not sure about the Honda, but the factory Suzuki ones dont have a wire that goes back into the reg/rec, to tell it what it's charging at, if the Honda does, then the problem is, that wire has a problem. Easily fixed tho, re run it from the rear brake light switch, the hot side I mean.

If it doesn't have one, then that reg/rec is just as fucked as the one with the hole in it.

**FROSTY:Me** · 5th May 2007, 11:39

To me the rotton egg smell is the battery is toasted.
So the reg/rec has fried then the battery has become by default the regulator and I bet she has boiled dry.