no lights, handwarmers

[kev_alaska]

2003 Trail RMK, buddy replaced voltage regulator after blowing lights out. VR supplied has yellow male and brown female. Harness from motor has double yellow and one red (all female). The only thing working now is the tail light. no headlights, no dash lights, no handwarmers. I don't see any power indicated on either of the yellow wires from the stator. If i unhook the VR momentarily to check for lights, no change. I have ordered a service manual for this one, but would appreciate any initial suggestions. Am i looking at a stator change?

 

[850Switchback]

Wrong regulator, there are 2 different ones depending on if you have electric start. The one you describe having is for the pull start sleds.

 

[kev_alaska]

Wrong regulator, there are 2 different ones depending on if you have electric start. The one you describe having is for the pull start sleds.

This is a pull start sled....

 

[850Switchback]

Take a picture of what you have going on, that sled originally had a single wire regulator according to the parts diagrams. Is there a single yellow wire hanging out somewhere near the right footwell with nothing attached?

 

[kev_alaska]

the only thing on the right footwell is a brown connector. left footwell......

 

[850Switchback]

Ok, so they made a common regulator at some point for the older machines, I ran into this on my 00 xc700 when that blew. You just plug the yellow male side of that regulator connector back into one of the yellows on that plug. Kinda clunky but it is what it is.
That being said, with it unplugged start up the sled and see what you get for AC voltage on the yellows at that connector. Don't rev it above 2500-3000 while thats disconnected.

 

[850Switchback]

I never messed with the one on my 02 edge so they must've switched sides at some point

 

[Mike-DRH]

The new regulator you have grounds off all the excess voltage, the brown wire on the new regulator is the ground, cut the brown wire near the plug, crimp an eyelet on and put it on the bolt (in the pic) with the other brown wires. Your original regulator grounds off any excess voltage also, the difference is the ground is the housing. When you bolt it on the sled you have a ground. The wire harness is the same on that machine if you have electric start or not, the red wire would get connected to a Regulator/Rectifier (with a red wire) and charge the battery. And......if the tail light is working the electrical system is working. Bulbs must be burned out.

 

[850Switchback]

There is no modification to the new regulator necessary. I dug out the installation paperwork that came with the regulator and it clearly states that the regulator brown wire can be ignored in all cases.
The ground wire on that aluminum plate should be connected directly to the regulator housing though, as shown.

 

[Mike-DRH]

I wasn't sure on that one but it makes me nervous when the housing is the ground. That's why I always ground the brown wire also.

 

[kev_alaska]

I wasn't sure on that one but it makes me nervous when the housing is the ground. That's why I always ground the brown wire also.

Reworked the VR as recommended. No change. started digging around deeper and found broken and chafed wires near the bottom of the recoil. Repaired and reconnected... Everything works as it should. Thanks for the tips