snoopy
Guest
Not sure about that one, the lights were forced on by a EU directive on 03+ bikes. It may not have been something the engineers planned for when they fitted the tiny 180w generator on the original 2000 bike.
DR-Z 400 charging problem
- Thread starter Greg Masters
- Start date
No wine, but I had a few beers tonight with the north London lads and lasses!
I've gone through the complete cycle of checks listed in the factory manual, including comparing the electrical performance of my bike with the identical model of Phil Reynolds.
All readings (alternator coil resistance; alternator no-load AC voltage per coil; rectifier diode checks etc), except the charging voltage were similar. The manual suggests that if all else checks out OK, it's the battery that's at fault. My problem was that the battery performed OK for my normal use (one morning start, ride to work, one evening start, ride home, Optimate overnight) - although the original problem was that the battery wouldn't deliver the goods during an off-road day.
Before I went to the pub (in the car [before anyone rubs it in]) a new battery was fitted to the DR-Z and left charging on the Optimate. Check charging voltage on my return and it's 14v - on the money according to the book.
So there you go, it's all fixed. But it has taught me that long-term battery problems can be masked by daily use of an Optimate (but I'm sure the battery would have lasted much less time without).
More wine at the weekend.
Greg
I've gone through the complete cycle of checks listed in the factory manual, including comparing the electrical performance of my bike with the identical model of Phil Reynolds.
All readings (alternator coil resistance; alternator no-load AC voltage per coil; rectifier diode checks etc), except the charging voltage were similar. The manual suggests that if all else checks out OK, it's the battery that's at fault. My problem was that the battery performed OK for my normal use (one morning start, ride to work, one evening start, ride home, Optimate overnight) - although the original problem was that the battery wouldn't deliver the goods during an off-road day.
Before I went to the pub (in the car [before anyone rubs it in]) a new battery was fitted to the DR-Z and left charging on the Optimate. Check charging voltage on my return and it's 14v - on the money according to the book.
So there you go, it's all fixed. But it has taught me that long-term battery problems can be masked by daily use of an Optimate (but I'm sure the battery would have lasted much less time without).
More wine at the weekend.
Greg
Hallafeckinlulllllaaaaa
Tim - you're at your PC!
I thought you'd still be wạnking over that 650 with which you're having an affair!
Greg
Tim - you're at your PC!
I thought you'd still be wạnking over that 650 with which you're having an affair!
Greg
Feck me, if I was as quick at sorting things as you, I'd still be on my way home from picking it up
BTW glad you sorted it
, it's been a great thread......plonker
- Joined
- Jan 6, 2002
- Messages
- 12,647
- Reaction score
- 1,228
Feck me, if I was as quick at sorting things as you, I'd still be on my way home from picking it up
BTW glad you sorted it
Says he who bought a tenere with a duff battery !!
alimey4u2
Registered user
I knew I could fix it.....
Jaws
Registered user
The charging circuit on the zuk consists of three components.. The genertor stator, the reg rec, and of course the battery 
The gen coils rarely go on them, but the reg rec is common(ish)
Unplug the reg rec and start the bike
Using a multimeter set on 200V AC check all three possible pairings of the three wires coming off the gen windings..
At about 1500 or so revs all three coils should give about 25v AC
If all are ok, then the fault is def the reg rec.
A new reg rec is £45.00 while a new stator complete is £70.00
The gen coils rarely go on them, but the reg rec is common(ish)
Unplug the reg rec and start the bike
Using a multimeter set on 200V AC check all three possible pairings of the three wires coming off the gen windings..
At about 1500 or so revs all three coils should give about 25v AC
If all are ok, then the fault is def the reg rec.
A new reg rec is £45.00 while a new stator complete is £70.00
Oh dear, it's still not well!
Greg
Greg
snoopy
Guest
Still not working for normal day-to-day use or offroad?
It's had a new battery and a known good replacement regulator/rectifier (checked on Phil Reynolds' bike).
The output from the generator is as per the book on the no-load test, so I'm now going to look for a wiring problem (although I've previously done lots of tests).
Because I Optimate the bike every night, it always starts the day with a fully charged battery which has been good enough to get me to work and back. This evening is started fine at work, but I noticed that the speedo illumination was dropping right off when idling at traffic lights - but the headlamp and taillights are fine. By the time I got home (engine and lights still working fine) the battery was totally flat.
There's a clue in there somewhere - obviously the juice is getting from the generator to the lights, but not to the battery. I'll start looking again tomorrow night.
Greg
The output from the generator is as per the book on the no-load test, so I'm now going to look for a wiring problem (although I've previously done lots of tests).
Because I Optimate the bike every night, it always starts the day with a fully charged battery which has been good enough to get me to work and back. This evening is started fine at work, but I noticed that the speedo illumination was dropping right off when idling at traffic lights - but the headlamp and taillights are fine. By the time I got home (engine and lights still working fine) the battery was totally flat.
There's a clue in there somewhere - obviously the juice is getting from the generator to the lights, but not to the battery. I'll start looking again tomorrow night.
Greg
snoopy
Guest
The generator speedo is LED based so you must be loosing some serious power there. Hook a multmeter in current mode between the fuse and have a look at how much is being drawn, then as you know start switching on/unplugging everything until you find the bad point - you'll know by the readout on the multimeter
Now sorted!
This was the offending item:
It's Suzuki part No 32101-29F00 - just £410.55p to you sir!
Greg
This was the offending item:
It's Suzuki part No 32101-29F00 - just £410.55p to you sir!
Greg
Phil Clarke
Registered user
Nice to see that Suzuki are maintaining there age old tradition of fitting rubbishy generators which pack in after no time at all!
To be fair, the bike has done a few miles.
That doesn't excuse the price though. Good job there was a stator set on Fleabay!
Greg
Now sorted!
This was the offending item:
It's Suzuki part No 32101-29F00 - just £410.55p to you sir!
Greg
See you Sunday then
Greg,
How'd you track it down in the end? OK, there wasn't much left to change, but it looked like you'd already tested the windings, so it would be interesting to see what test it was that showed up the problem.
It might be worth having a chat with Jaws to see where he gets his alternators from - there's a big difference between £70 and the Suzuki price
How'd you track it down in the end? OK, there wasn't much left to change, but it looked like you'd already tested the windings, so it would be interesting to see what test it was that showed up the problem.
It might be worth having a chat with Jaws to see where he gets his alternators from - there's a big difference between £70 and the Suzuki price
snoopy
Guest
From reading a bit on TT a couple month ago this is a frequent problem for high mileage DRZ's. High load & small alternator = early fail. 
.
Since your running a vest on-top I wonder if you're taking just about all the juice it can supply, aka shorting it.
. Since your running a vest on-top I wonder if you're taking just about all the juice it can supply, aka shorting it.
There a test in the manual (the last line below) that I'd just not read and, therefore, not done:
Only when a new battery didn't fix the problem did I work my way back through all the tests and I then noticed that I'd missed this one!
Of course, it was the offending item!
Greg
