550 charging system

[johnr]

what voltage are you getting with the engine not running, then with the engine running and lights on. 13.5 sounds a touch low tbh, i think that a new battery will kick out over 13v without the engine running!

[lomsavage]

as with all the GS range if you find a fault on the charging system check reg/rec AND alternator as a fault in one often causes the other to fail and if you just replace one part it will go again

[Nicky Dodds]

Just had another check...
Engine stood......12.50
Engine running....13.33
Engine running with lights on....13.08

Is this bad then ?

[callyboy]

13.5 is kinda the minimum when its running.

Pete

[lomsavage]

looks like alternator u/s or bad connections,

check resistance on Alt first if knackered, check reg rec for its stuff

probably have to replace both, electrix are a good start point

[johnr]

yep,idgo through and clean all the wiring connectors, then i would make sure that the reg rec has a good earth, in fact i would run a seperate earth from the battery negative terminal onto one of the reg rec mounting bolts. the reg rec and thus the charging system is the achiles heel of the gs range.
its also worth checking that the wiring isnt routed through the headlight switch like the bigger kats, this was a colossal cock up by suzuki and has killed many a gs reg rec. get all three phases of the alternator and connect them onto the 3 input wires for the reg rec directly. as stock only 2 of them do this, the third goes upto the headlight switch and then back to the reg rec, to supposedly boost the charge when the headlight is on. if yours is wired like this, sack it off and wire the 3 phases straight to the reg rec with no link to the headlight switch.

[lomsavage]

If I remember rightly a/c output should be around 70v per phase

check that first if ok then poor wiring/connections

[Nicky Dodds]

Well after a week or so of behaving itself it's just died on me again. Battery not enough kick to turn it over, bump starts but as soon as you put lights on and try set off dies again.
Dumped it at side of road and may go back tomorrow if i can be bothered!

[fossie]

Did you get it back.......
How new is the battery? Batteries lose their ampage especially if not used for a length of time.
What does it have on it , I have come across 550,s with 14 LA2 as per the rest of Kat range fitted which is too high for the 550 , though the rest of the charging system is the same so can't see why it makes a difference.

[Nicky Dodds]

Yeah it's in the garage sulking like me.
Took battery off and charged it up, went back next morning and it fired up so rode it home.
Battery was brand new in august, 10L-A2
Was struggling to get it running right so gave the carbs a bit of a swill and balance and fitted new clutch plates and springs. Took it for a spin and that's how it repays me!