Ironhead What are the lights on a DVG-5000 regulator for?

[Mr Bentwrench]

Buddy has a '72 with what appears to be the aftermarket Cycle Electric DGV-5000 gen mounted regulator. Has a green and red light and he thinks the green light used to be on when keyed and running. Has pulled the battery recently and now has no lights and a batt that runs down after a ride.

Q1: What are the indicator lights for? What should be on with key?? On when running? On when at system fault?

Q2: If he failed to polarize with batt reconnect, will that give him no indicator lights at all?

Q3: To polarize the DGC-5000, it's not just a typical momentary contact with the batt + to the Gen "F" terminal? Sticky has a section on the Cycle Electric regs that seem to indicate that you gotta do it different. We're both confused over this section.

Q4: Bonus question - When can you tell your SS reg is just plain fried?

BTW, the Cycle Electric website ain't much help. Thank God for XLF!

[scottfisher]

I don't recall any LED's on any CE genny mount regs. I suspect it might be this one:

http://www.jpcycles.com/product/380-497

but I could be wrong.

The regulator monitors the system and the LEDs indicate how the genny is performing.
green=all good (genny is putting out and system is charging)
red=not good (genny is not puting out and system is not charging)
both=failing needs service soon (genny working really hard to put out a little)
none=genny not putting out anything assuming the regulator is working correctly

I had this unit. It was bad from the day I bought it.

[scottfisher]

just removing the battery will prob. have no effect on the current flow assuming nothing else was touched.

If I recall the DVG-5000 is a genny with built in regulator and there is no F or A terminal and polarizing cannot be done externally

[Mr Bentwrench]

I'm thinking he must have the JP model you loved so much as it does have the two lights. CE pics were not too clear and hell, they do all look alike to me anyway.

OK, green is output.
Red is no output.
Both is go find your checkbook
Nothing is opps, too late.

Think I need to ride the 30mi up the road to double check his repolarization? He wants to buy a new battery.

[scottfisher]

I would start with the genny. Check it's output as per the sticky. if the volts climb as you twist the throttle and get up into the 25+V with high RPMs then its good. If you don't get output then pull it and service it (check brushes, wires, connections, insolators, field coils, Arm-find a starter repair shop that has a growler, etc).

It won't hurt to have the battery load tested, but, I wouldn't buy a new one unless it fails, just put it on a charger and make sure it has a good charge before you put it back into the bike.

If the regulator has been working fine. It is prob. still ok, as long as you have not grounded the field terminal on the genny. If the genny is putting out and the battery passed the load test then the problem is the regulator.

When disconnecting any part of the charging system it is best to polarize the genny, but I know guys that pull their batt's every winter and never polarize (ignorance). The risk is the genny might not put out a forward current, a weak genny may loose polarity when it stops running.

[scottfisher]

both LEDs indicate the genny is working hard to put out voltage. ie-it is working in an 'excited' state to achieve a moderate output. This could mean the Arm is weak (for example)

[60weight]

Theres only one wire from reg ..goes to positive side of batt. Sounds like He fergot to put it back ..
Green means alls well...red means no charge.