955 Service Bulletin?

[superhauck]

Alright...I've gone through three batteries in six months, two stators and regulators...and now my bike won't turn over!  So finally a guy in the SALES department asks "Hey, did you see that service bulletin on the alternator flywheel connector?"

Has anyone heard/seen a recall or bulletin on such a thing?  I checked with Triumph's website to no avail.

I'm beyond tired of having my bike as a garage queen!  :x

[Stretch]

What exactly did the sales guy say?

And did you ask the Service Manager?  Sales dudes aren't famous for knowing the mechanical ins and outs of particular bikes.

This is most curious though, as there is no electrical connector going to the alternator rotor (flywheel).  It is a permanent magnet spinning around the stator.  The electrical connector is on the stator, coming out of the alternator cover, and plugs in to the Regulator / Rectifier.





EDIT - I just got off the phone with the Service Manager at Augusta (Georgia) Triumph-Ducati.  He told me that the only Alternator-related Service Bulletin that he is aware of is for 2002 and earlier models.  The subject of the bulletin is to cut short both the stator wires and the input wires to the Regulator / Rectifier, and connect them directly to each other, bypassing a few feet of wire within the bike's wiring harness.

From talking with him, it sounds like the idea is to bring the Stator-to-RR wiring in line with what can be found on 2005-06 models...  there is less than 18 inches of wire between my Stator and RR, with a three-terminal connector in between.


Now, if your man in Tampa has another Service Bulletin in mind, please let us know.  Be sure to ask for the date and Bulletin number, so other dealers can look it up.  As I posted above, this is the only Alternator-related bulletin that my man in Augusta knows of.

Bear in mind, this is not the Sasquatch Voltage Fix, as that bypasses lengths of wire between the RR and battery.

[superhauck]

Well the service manager was "out" so I got the left over people who were exploiting their $85/hour service charge!

The Sales Rep wrote down "Alt Fly Lead Recall (Svc Bulletin)" on a card, and since I was ordering a new front tire, I figured they could check on this when I brought it in!  I got home with the new battery, installed it, turned the key and .... jush jush jush jush blahhhhhhh!  The lights are on, but nobodys home!

I am so frustrated with this bike, which has cost me double now if I include all my servicing.  When I installed the last stator, I found the extra feet of wire which routed under the tank (a bit toasty too) and, after realizing it was just extra wiring for no apparent reason, removed it and shortened the wiring from the stator to the r/r.  Everything was great from September until NOW...

I'm planning to have the tow truck come out and drag her to the dealer, as I'm off to the UK (Manchester) on Sunday.  Hopefully they can diagnose and order parts asap, but I'm not optimistic!

NEED ANYTHING FROM THE QUEEN?

[Stretch]

Cast wheels?  Can I have your front rotors?

Just kidding.

Did your bike cook the connector between the stator and RR?  To save money, Triumph uses wire just large enough to get by, but not quite large enough to handle the job with push-on connectors and high electrical loads.  This causes an overload within the wires themselves, and the connectors  are the weak link, heating up first.  And once they start heating up, the resistance gets higher, causing even more heating.  You can see where this is going.

It wouldn't cause much of a problem if all three terminals heated up equally, but they don't.  One leg heats up and ceases to flow current, which causes problems within the Stator and / or RR.  So for want of a big wire with low resistance, another entire charging system bites the dust.

I'll soon be posting an illustrated write-up of my latest charging system experiment, but the gist of it is to replace as much of the charging system wire as possible with high-capacity 10-gauge wire, eliminate all push-on connectors and solder all the wires together into a one-piece harness, replace the RR with a 50-Amp capacity part from a late-model (2007+) Yamaha  YZF-R1, move the RR to the outside of the bike to get airflow, and to heat-sink the back of the RR to sap heat out of it.

In my case, the stator and RR fared okay when my connector fried, but I'm replacing them anyway, since I don't want the suspect parts failing on a trip in a couple weeks.

As I've posted elsewhere, I intend to kick the Triumph 955 charging system problem square in its ass.

[superhauck]

The fried wires were part of my initial problem back in August, so I replaced that two feet of extra wiring with a short jaunt from the stator to the RR and there hadn't been a problem.

The latest issue is strange...a brand new battery following the total emptying of it.  New battery gives power, but she just won't turn over!  I went through all the wiring and there doesn't appear to be anything fried or toasty, and I used 10 gauge wire when I replaced the stator/RR and soldered the connections as well.  I also checked all fuses, which are good ... so to the dealer she goes!

It really bothers me how this dealer does trial and error at my expense...shouldn't these problems be pretty well documented, considering the bike is a 2001?  

I stand on the verge of deciding to sell this one for something with less reliability problems...even though I love the bike and the ride (when it permits me to!)  As my only means of commuting now, I can't afford to bum rides from people for at least a week out of every quarter!

[superhauck]

After all this, the dealer now says I've got NOTHING wrong but a dead battery.  He rambled on about how motorcycle batteries aren't like car bats, they just run out earlier.  Then I told him I got this bat from his shop on Thursday and he sorta stumbled.  Then I told him I got the previous bat from him in Late-Aug.  Two "bad" batteries??? What are the odds?

So he claims he'll plug in a NEW battery and I'll be golden.  We shall see.  Also, no info on a service bulletin for an "alt fly" thingy...sales guy will be slapped when I pick it up!

Now I'm off the Manchester for work...ahh glorious England

[Buffalo]

A little off track here, but a suggestion from an experienced mechanic....
If you installed a new battery and still won't start, I would be looking for a problem other than charging... Perhaps check voltage at starter, and check how much starter is drawing, also check all grounds carefully. I have found a lot of strange electrical problems on vehicles over the years boil down to a bad ground circut somewhere.

[swamper650]

Hmmm  Frustrating to say the least. Don't know if this is relative, however, in  another vehicle I have experienced total battery drain from a faulty starter. Just guessing, are you taking your Triumph to Eurosports in Odessa? I take my Triumphs to Spring Hill , Motorcycle Enthusiasts. Their prices campare with Hap's in Sarasota and so far no complaints about the quality of their work.

[RT]

Hmmm  Frustrating to say the least. Don't know if this is relative, however, in  another vehicle I have experienced total battery drain from a faulty starter. Just guessing, are you taking your Triumph to Eurosports in Odessa? I take my Triumphs to Spring Hill , Motorcycle Enthusiasts. Their prices campare with Hap's in Sarasota and so far no complaints about the quality of their work.

Yep, would consider Hap's or PowerSports in st Pete also

[brad1098]

Bad Starter-Possible
Bad Ground-Likely
Bad Dealer-Guaranteed.

Try a new shop, as that sounds like your biggest problem.  BTW my 02 had the 18" wire deal removed in service buletin for free, this is not your problem/issue.

[Bixxer Bob]

On a starter-related subject,  my sister's Triumph Legend had starting problems;  no matter what the battery condition, it would only just about turn over and wouldn't start, leading me to think bad starter motor. Anyway, she lives too far away for me to help so she took it to her dealer.  Turns out it was a fault in the side stand cutout switch, but - get this - instead of replacing it,  he just bypassed it,  so now she can start it with the clutch out and the stand down!!!  :shock: I can't understand why any prfessional would remove a manufacturer-installed safety device, unless he has a perverse enjoyment of the litigation process..... :roll:

[The Kurgan]

Bad Starter-Possible
Bad Ground-Likely
Bad Dealer-Guaranteed.

Try a new shop, as that sounds like your biggest problem.  BTW my 02 had the 18" wire deal removed in service buletin for free, this is not your problem/issue.

Point 3... now that's funny! And, true!  :lol:

[oxnsox]

...Ohhhhh.... it's tough being responsible for checking the machine's not in gear and holding the clutch in when you start it....
But seriously it's a simple solution to a problem, and how much might it have cost to fix the problem properly.  User is the chooser..

[superhauck]

Yeah, Eurosports in Odessa has been draggin me through the muck for over a year now!  My only issue has been when she dies...getting a tow to somewhere nearby (only shop within the 25 mile radius covered by insurance).  But for routine servicing, I'm going to invest my money with either Haps or the M.E. guys y'all suggested.  (MANY THANKS!)

[wingd]

I went through the same process of elimination with my Tiger last year. It turned out to be TWO bad batteries in a row. Load test the battery and see if it meets specs.