magnum regulator

[curtisbyrne]

ok i am trying to find out why my magnum is not charging the battery.i replaced the fuse going to the regulator but never tried it yet so dont know yet. i dont use lights or winch or nothing. the battery just losses charge.

[Vance in AK]

Again, you may well be right but just s few questions I would ask if we were sitting in the garage working on your machine. I don't mean to insult you, belittle you, or question your knowledge or abilities. You may have already checked these things.

Looses it's charge while running or when shut off?
If running, at what RPM?
Argos will actually drain the battery while running at low RPM even when the system is working normally. About half throttle is where they start charging good.
Also remember, your battery is just an electricity tank. If you have a bad battery it won't "take" or "hold" a charge (load of electricity).
Have you actually tested the battery or had it load tested? If not, charge it on a charger & take it to a parts supply store & have them load test it for you. If you can't do that charge it on a charger to full charge & let it sit for a day (with NO wires or cables connected) & see if it holds the charge. If it does hold a charge put it back in the machine & hook up all the leads, leave the key & all switches off & let it sit for a day or two & try & start the machine. If it's dead you may have a slight short to ground somewhere that is draining it. If all of that doesn't show you any issues then check every inch of every wire & every connection in the charging system for corrosion, breaks, or bad connections...
And after all of that, you may well be right & it may be the regulator...
BUT, your time wasn't wasted because you now know how everything is hooked up & what condition it is in so it won't leave you stranded 20 miles in due to a simple electrical issue that could have been prevented.

[ARGOJIM]

Wow Vance right where I was going, actually was typing very much the same response until 2 hens starting cackling and had to go to dinner before proof reading it.

Just a couple of questions for Curtis.

What is the voltage on your dash mounted voltmeter at idle and high rpm?
Have you had the battery tested for a dead or weak cell? A dead cell will actually drain(kill) the battery in a few days.


Now something we may have should have posted to the original post.

The inline fuse on your machine does a few things as long as it is the proper size (factory) fuse.
1st it can protect the battery from being over charged from the regulator should the amperage run wild.
2nd and most often it protects the charging system from a high amperage draw, examples of this would be extended winching time causing major battery drain, also charging a shorted battery or a battery completely dead, a direct short to ground.

Proper sized good condition battery will make the charging systems drain/recoup times both less and lower.



Oh and btw, my fathers 88 went through 5 regulators and 3 fuses in the 6 years we owned it, there is no expiration date on a fuse that I have ever heard of. Til now that is.

[curtisbyrne]

ok guys thanks for the help my argo is into my cabin not up on blocks with chains and tires and battery taken off so i will not be doing anything with the argo till the spring wheni will actully look into the problems that i have found this summer past. thanks anyways i will look back at this next year when i do work on the argo!

[curtisbyrne]

i will go in tommorow and take pics of everything i can to help you guys help me understand this voltage thing. it reallt is alot to handle and to think about!any ideas on what to focus on to take pics off! le me know tmr thanks!

[Hercules222]

I think everyone would agree that you can't really do anything with it until you find out where your problem actually lies. This would require that you

1. Charge your battery and have it tested.
and
2.Check charging voltage at idle, and mid throttle to see if the charging system is doing what it is supposed to.

as a side note, I would recommend not trusting the guage on the dash if you are having issues.. it is always best to use a known good multimeter hooked right to the battery

[curtisbyrne]

ok i will try those next year when i actully can get around to starting up the engine and doing the tests. right now i am leaving it for the winter because it is in my shed into the cabin and it frezzing. having no wood stove sucks. anyways thanks for all the help i wll look into all these tips next year

[curtisbyrne]

pics are posted in the gallery. (magnum photos) i have a couple questions under the photos too so i would like to hear some replies on that. tell me what you think. any questions or answers to the questions on the photos just put them here. thanks!!

[ARGOJIM]

as a side note, I would recommend not trusting the guage on the dash if you are having issues.. it is always best to use a known good multimeter hooked right to the battery

Good point, the gauge was just a quick look thing, if it goes up it charges some at least.

[curtisbyrne]

hi guys! i was just in at the argo this morning! that yellow wire that was cut half way through has too many strands from it so i got to replace it becuase that is the wire that gose to the regulator. also one of the connectors off of the yellow wire was burnt of melted through i dont know why? so i am going to have to repare those wires. oh ya i almost forgot, i took the regulaor off and when i spun the pulley with my hand and looked down the hole where the regulator gose and seen a rubber belt and some sort of plastic fins and one part there was magnets or something that rubbed up against the bottom of the regulator ? any ideas???

[Hercules222]

your flywheel should be under your regulator, but it shouldn't rub on it. The regulator is only mounted in that hole to keep it cool. sounds like you maybe had a momentary short to ground?? just a guess.

[curtisbyrne]

i didnt really mean rubbing i meant like close it