05 Classic 500 charging problem

[hunterbob]

I hope someone can help me with my charging problem. My sled only has 400 miles on it. I just bought it and the battery wont charge above 13 volts. I have changed the stator, regulator and battery. I have unplugged every plug on the machine to isolate lights, hand and thumb warmers, etc. I also have checked every wire on the sled for shorts. I even bypassed the chassis ground with a jumper to verify the ground. It still won't charge above 13 volts. Not sure where to go from here. I am looking for any help I can get! Thanks!!

 

[850Switchback]

Let me start by saying don't think of this like an automotive 12v system.
I believe there's a rectifier in that part of the circuit, separate from the voltage regulator, that controls the voltage to the battery. That regulator you tested controls voltage to the headlight, handwarmer, & ignition circuits directly off the stator independently of the battery. Its done this way so the machines run without estart & batteries, adding estart in is just a plug in deal with the stator feeding the rectifier separately to charge the battery.
Unfortunately never had electric start in any of my sleds so I couldn't tell you where the rectifier is mounted in that vintage machine.
Whats wrong with 13v? Its only charging the small battery, anything above 12.7 volts is charging.

 

[Mike-DRH]

That machine came with a combination regulator/rectifier. The regulator part is pretty simple, it grounds off any excess voltage. Excess can be anything above 12.5 volts. The rectifier part converts the AC voltage generated by the stator to DC voltage in order to charge the battery. All batteries are DC and cannot be charged with AC voltage. The electrical system on that machine (and most every machine on the planet) is designed to work at 12 volts. If the system is not working at 13 volts the problem is with the system or one of it's components and not a voltage issue.

 

[hunterbob]

Thanks for the input, but I'm being told I should be getting 13.5 volts at idle and over 14 when reving up the motor. I get 13 volts when reving up the motor and at idle the bettery is barely charging and when turning on the grips and thumb warmers the battery is losing voltage. It is only charging at 12.6 volts. The rectifier is part of the regulator that I replaced. It is not seperate on this sled. After replacing everything in the electrical system I should be getting higher voltage. I called Polaris and tried to talk to tech support to ask if this is normal voltage for this sled but they wouldn't answer my question. They told me I had to ask a dealer. The dealer told me it is probably a ground problem. I added grounds to the engine and the chassis and no luck. Same voltage! The sled has a 2 coil stator and not a 6. I don't know if that makes a difference or not?

 

[Mike-DRH]

That machine has a 3 pole generating coil for accessories that does not have enough watts to run even the headlight (at full brightness) at idle, and 2 completely separate coils for ignition, 1 for trigger and 1 for charge. If the information you're getting says 13.5 volts at idle, plain & simple, it's wrong. From what you described above your system is working as good as it can, as designed, and came that way right from the show-floor.

 

[hunterbob]

I was hoping it was working correctly because I couldn't find anything wrong with the system, but was being told it had to charge at a higher voltage. Thank you for the information. I appreciate the help and won't look any further for a problem that doesn't exist!!