I've researched this problem and couldn't find a direct answer, so I'd like to pick y'all's brain.
I'm pretty new to Harley's I purchased the Bike used and it sat for a year with very limited riding.
2008 FXDL, stage 1 Screaming Eagle intake and Python pipes. 15,500 miles
My Voltage regulator went out about a month ago, I purchased a Cycle Electric one, (mainly because the OE didn't offer any type of warranty and CE is made in Ohio with a 2 year warranty)

I Checked the battery with a multimeter at 3k RPM after installing the CE regulator battery was charging @ 14.8 Volts, Perfect👍 then 3 weeks later battery light came on, I checked the battery again DC voltage was 12.56 @ 3k RPM so no charging.
I checked out the Stator I got 30 AC volts out of one phase 8 Volts out of another phase and 12 volts out of another phase all at 3K RPM. I've read I'm suppose to get approx. 30 volts at 3k RPM out of all 3 phases Y1 Y2 and Y3. I then checked continuity and I have continuity from 2 of the phases to ground.

*Would this be a bad stator and if so could a bad stator take out a Regulator?*

There are no other codes on the bike other than it shows P/N 674781-046 which another Harley Rider told me that's just the ECM firmware number? I thought it was a security signal light module?

Thank you in advance of any info anyone can give me and I hope everyone had a great summer.
Andy

P.S. I checked and cleaned all grounds and checked all fuses for continuity. Battery is 3 months old and after charging holds at about 13.4 volts

 

You should not have continuity to ground on any of the stator phases.

Yes it could take out your voltage regulator.

See Below.


Step 2. To check the regulator unplug it from the stator. Take a test light and clip it to the negative terminal of the battery and then touch first one pin and then the other on the plug that goes to the regulator. If you get even the slightest amount of light from the test light the regulator is toast.

To do this with a meter: black lead to battery ground, red lead to each pin on the plug, start with the voltage scale higher than 12vdc and move voltage scale down in steps for each pin. Any voltage is a bad regulator.


Step 3. On the other part of the disconnected regulator plug. Set the multimeter for Ohms x1 scale and measure for resistance across the pins of the stator. You should read something around 0.1 to 0.2 ohms for the TC88 32 amp system.


Step 4. Then check for continuity between each pin on the plug and frame/engine ground. The meter needle should not move (infinite resistance)(digitals will show infinite resistance) if the meter needle does move (indicating continuity)(digitals will show some resistance), recheck very carefully. If the meter still shows continuity to ground the stator is shorted (bad).

 

The stator is toast and it toasted the regulator...

Technically when when checking the regulator, with continuity between all 3 leads, you only need to check one lead to ground..

BTW,, IMO 14.8 volts at the battery is too high. I'd make sure it was 14.0 to 14.4.

I like step 2.

So will CE warranty a dead regulator if the stator took it out?

 

yes you are correct after checking my notes battery was charging @ 14.2 volts DC.
Yes CE already issued me a RMA with a full refund and they paid shipping in which I was pretty impressed.
I went and purchased a OE Regulator from Harley and still got no charging volts this is what stemmed me to start testing the stator.
I probably should of started there first, but I have been riding about 36 years on the dirt and road with bikes that are 20 years old and thought the Harley only has 14k on it, it can't possibly be the Stator already, from what I've read on CoolBreeze's post it looks like the stator is at fault.
I love this Harley but it's been problem after problem, mostly electrical
Example: all the lights stopped working I found that the previous owner when they did a LED signal light mod they simply twisted the wires together, no solder no shrink wrap or electrical tape, so wires were grounding out all that is fixed, hopefully this stator is the last thing for a few years.

Thank you for the input it's extremely helpful and very much appreciated
Andy

 

One of the most common problems on any year/model Harley bike, since I've been riding, has been prior owners messing stuff up..... Shoddy work, clueless as to what they are doing, and of course, the shortcuts to save time & money..

I started reading various HD forums in about 2003. After reading what people asked, and what kind of advice they were sometimes given, I swore I'd never buy a used bike.

I now pretty much only read two forums, as I have learned that they are populated by some very smart and experienced people. These two forums give me a hope...

I have purchased a few used bikes lately, but luckily my intense scrutiny has kept me from getting burned...... so far....

 

I would never replace a regulator without first testing the stator. It only takes a minute or two and can save you a lot of grief down the road.

 

Kuryakyn makes a little LED Voltage gauge, pretty simple, with a quick glance you can see if the bike is charging properly. Splice into ground and a switched power wire. I used the tail light wire.

 

Deltran make one that plugs into your battery tender port if you want to measure voltage.

 

Thank you I'll look into that

 

even better as I have a battery tender hook up, this is the one I'll go with thank you for the Info