Possibly timing trouble????

[blackflag]

I have a 1998 Custom Xl1200 Sportster. I've was on a ride and about 45 miles into the ride when the tachometer pooped out on me. About thirty seconds later the engine started cutting out. As I slowed down it got worse. I found that when I down shifted and the engine was at a higher RPM it didn't seem to cut out as bad. I was able to keep it in a lower gear and limp it home.

After I got home I found the battery was drained. I charged the battery and started the engine. It ran fine for about thirty seconds and then started missing again.

Anyone have a suggestion on where I should start?

 

[Barndog]

Sounds like your not charging. Check the regulator then the stator. When the Battery runs out of juice they will run really rough.




Also check the positive battery cable between battery and starter. The starter end of that cable tends to collect water and corrode out. Had one do that to me a few years back.

 

[rancid]

if the tacho stopped working it may be shorting out, which will cause running issues so id be tracing the tacho wiring to makesure its not damaged.

 

[Hoople]

After I got home I found the battery was drained.
Anyone have a suggestion on where I should start?

As was mentioned, the place to start is your charging system. Also have the battery checked by Load testing. Then meter check the output of the charging system. Not saying that is your problem, but you Must check and get the charging system & battery working properly first. That is the foundation for everything that requires electron flow.

A bad battery can destroy a perfectly good regulator &/or stator.

 

[TQuentin1]

Check this out:

Testing The Charging System - Harley Davidson Community

TQ

 

[Jack Klarich]

As was mentioned, the place to start is your charging system. Also have the battery checked by Load testing. Then meter check the output of the charging system. Not saying that is your problem, but you Must check and get the charging system & battery working properly first. That is the foundation for everything that requires electron flow.

A bad battery can destroy a perfectly good regulator &/or stator.

As Hoople says always start at the source a fully charged battery of at least 12.75 volts 12.5 volts is not fully charged as some battery sales people may tell you:s

 

[blackflag]

Thanks for the input. I'll start with the battery and work my way through the electrical system.

OK.

I had the battery load tested and it's fine. I tested the voltage regulator as explained in the self help section by glider and it is possibly bad. I guess I'm going to replace voltage regulator and see where that gets me. not sure what else to do at this point.

 

[Hoople]

OK.

I had the battery load tested and it's fine. .

Good. Your going along in the right direction. Keep in mind that in almost all cases, a shorted regulator will easily take out a perfectly good stator but a bad or shorted stator will not usually take out a good regulator. If funds are limited, there are some other steps you can perform to help narrow down the bad component. Simple meter checks of the stator will give you a few more clues.

I think your system is single phase so taking a free wire AC stator output check is easy. Also a sniff test of the primary oil may give you another clue what is going on. If the oil has a toast smell, the stator is shot and 99% chance the regulator is also.

 

[blackflag]

Good. Your going along in the right direction. Keep in mind that in almost all cases, a shorted regulator will easily take out a perfectly good stator but a bad or shorted stator will not usually take out a good regulator. If funds are limited, there are some other steps you can perform to help narrow down the bad component. Simple meter checks of the stator will give you a few more clues.

I think your system is single phase so taking a free wire AC stator output check is easy. Also a sniff test of the primary oil may give you another clue what is going on. If the oil has a toast smell, the stator is shot and 99% chance the regulator is also.

Well I've ordered a voltage regulator, but in the mean time I'm still double checking myself.

I was unable to smell anything in the oil. I have a digital meter, but it does not have Ohms x1. The lowest it has in Ohms is 400. So I skipped that step.

I then checked for continuity between each pin on the plug and frame/engine ground. Digital meter only has audible continuity signal. According to my meter Stator passed continuity test.

I then went to step 5. I tested the A/C volts at Idle rpms. Which according to my Tachometer that only works for about the first thirty seconds after cranking is roughly 1,000 rpms. The Digital meter showed an output of the stator to be 22.5. This is a little more than what glider posted in the self help. I think the Stator is probably ok. What do you think is it's probably ok? Do you think this is to much output from the stator?

Good. Your going along in the right direction. Keep in mind that in almost all cases, a shorted regulator will easily take out a perfectly good stator but a bad or shorted stator will not usually take out a good regulator. If funds are limited, there are some other steps you can perform to help narrow down the bad component. Simple meter checks of the stator will give you a few more clues.

I think your system is single phase so taking a free wire AC stator output check is easy. Also a sniff test of the primary oil may give you another clue what is going on. If the oil has a toast smell, the stator is shot and 99% chance the regulator is also.

What is a free wire AC stator output check? I tested from one pin to the other as I understood from reading self help tips posted by glider.

 

[TQuentin1]

Not sure how you were testing the output of the stator, but if unplugged from the VR, then you could get a "good/strong" output from the stator under "no load" that will not show the real problem that exists under load. There is another post on here (Charging system problem - Harley Davidson Community) that is the same situation, and under load, the stator was failing to put out enough Vac.

Sounds like you did the sniff test in the primary, so at least the stator coils are not completely fried. Does not rule it out, this test only rules it in if the fluid stinks.

TQ