Guess work buying a voltage regulator

[stacyc72110]

I bought a voltage regulator from ebay and shortly after my ignition wire to the battery came completely loose. I had to kick start it to get it to start. Can the ignition wire blow the bulb by being off the battery, say like unplugging the voltage regulator? I noticed the tail light was blown yesterday and also an led strip I put on the luggage rack as an extra tail light.

My guess the voltage regulator was bad as in the wrong one. But it looked exact and the connector was an exact match, looked exact in make and body. Nothing else has blown, the headlight is doing good. Except it's kinda slow going from hi to low beam, like it hasn't got the voltage to run correct. It was daylight so I wasn't sure on brightness.

The battery might of been a bit low because it has sat on the porch most this month getting repairs. I've started it a few times to see if it starts, run it for 5 minutes and shut it off.

Thanks,
Stacy

[stacyc72110]

I replaced the bulb in the taillight but it looked good, I added dielectric grease to the contacts, and took off the extra brake light, or led strip. I also changed the voltage regulator back to the original and started it to see if it helped. The tail light works, the headlight is super brite in the daytime, a big difference. So I'm guessing the voltage regulator was the wrong one. Though it did start and run, nothing different than running it without one.

Stacy

[Weldangrind]

Depending upon the specific regulator, there is usually one coil for ignition, one for the headlight and one for everything else. I'm not sure how a failed reg would impact your bike, but I don't think it's related to the headlight.

[stacyc72110]

I'm unsure. The voltage regulator may of been directing voltage into a bind of saome sort. I had the voltage regulator off it a couple years ago and it was a mistake, it blew the headlight, the tail light and didn't effect the running of the motor, it just kept running. I figure it'd of gotten the battery next.

But while I was using the voltage regulator that I bought via guess work and chance, it ran fine, except it was hard starting once while away from home. I noticed the tail light wasn't working too. The headlight was just a burning filament and was no way near what it is with the old original volage regulator. It was daytime and I was stumped so didn't really give it much thought on the headlight till I saw it after I put the old regulator back on. It's bright and in the daytime.

Thanks for the reply

Stacy

[stacyc72110]

Why I replaced the voltage regulator in the first place, aint broke don't fix it. I've had cars that go back and forth practically replaceing the alternator, then the regulator, just one then the other. So I thought I'd skip that step and start out fresh. Which probably almost cost me a long walk home and a cdi.

[Weldangrind]

Thankfully those parts are cheap for China bikes. I intend to buy some spares on spec, just to have.