Rectifier/Regulator connector meltdown

turbobusa2000

Registered
The other day I was doing something under the hump on my bike. I noticed some discoloration on a plug. I new right away it was the rectifier plug. Pulled the back of the bike apart and the plug was actually stuck to my hot bodies undertail and the plugs were fused together. I did pull them apart and took some pics.

Kinda confused as to what caused it. Things to note that are probably contributing to the problem. I have a Ricks Motorsports Electrics upgraded stator and regulator/rectifier. The only place that was melted was the plug, all the wire looked good going to the regulator and on the other side going to the stator.

I do have a heated jacket and gloves that I bought this last spring that I used in april and may. I also have a small bosch water pump used for my water to air intercooler that runs constantly.

I did have some charging issues when I was using the heated equipment this spring but other than that no charging issues.

Any body have an idea what would cause this? My first thought was that I'm pulling too much from the system. I've been driving the bike no problems so I'm thinking the heated gear was the culprit. Anyway this is getting to long winded. If anybody has any suggestions or helpful comments that would be cool. I'll be calling Ricks on Monday to see what they think. Heres are the plugs.

The white plug is rectifier, black is the bike harness.

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Loose connection or you're drawing to much current through it at some point. When you get her repaired check the current with everything up and working.
 
Sounds like too much amp. draw. Too much res. bad or loose connection.
 
what's all the crud on the connectors?

If you're pumping more watts through OE sized wired (awg) isn't that a way to over heat the wires? Normaly the terminals will melt out of the harness prior to the wire melting. This looks like what you've got going on. Can Rick upgrade the wirring?
 
Just a quick update on this situation. I called Ricks and I was told that the factory connector that they use is really not capable of handling the extra power. I was told that soldering the connections will solve the problem. As long as I'm fishing around down there I'm going to go with a slightly larger gauge wire on the stator side going to the regulator and inspect my harness throughout for signs of other problems.

Would have been nice if they told me this from the start. :banghead: I would have had no problem soldering a few connections to prevent this problem. Oh well live and learn I guess. :beerchug:
 
I am having the same problem with my 08 busa. I only found this out when I smelt something burning underneath. This past Saturday I changed the performance box for my HID lights because the low beam had gone out. I thought the light had blown but it turns out that it was the box. I switched the high beam box out to the low beam so that I wouldn't be blinding people. The following Monday and Tuesday I smelt the burning. Initially I thought it was that I needed to have an oil change but when I took it to the shop to get the oil change, the technician noticed the black coupler on the wire harness was melted and burning into the white coupler (regulator/rectifier?). I think this is my problem so as soon as I can, I will be switching the boxes back and see if the problem stops.
 
I have had the same issue not once but three times, come to find out the connector to the rectifier is the problem. I had changed out three recifiers, a stator, and kept having the same issue with the white connector burning up only. Apparently the white connector is a manufacturing flaw. It does not hold the (but connectors) inside the white connector tight therefore there is an arc going on causing the white connector to melt and burn thus malfunctioning other things. Mind you I have had the OEM rectifier originally installed, then two of Rick Motorsports rectifiers installed, all of which failed but one, then I figured let me try putting an OEM back in to see if that was the problem and nope! It did it again so I went back to Rick's rectifier. Finally after tearing apart the entire wiring harness in 8 hours I realized it was the white connector and just wound up junking the white connector and hard wiring the rectifier to the harness, I have not had a problem since UNTIL.... my low beam light has decided it would just blow. That will be talked about in another thread titled LOW BEAM ISSUE. I hope this was helpful to everyone that has had the same problem. Oh and by the way I have an 05 stock busa
 
I have an 05 Busa also. Where did you get your connectors from when it burnt up the first time. I am having the same issue also!
 
My question is should the rectifier be hard wired or can a set of connectors be ordered to connect the rectifier to the harness.
 
I have had the same issue not once but three times, come to find out the connector to the rectifier is the problem. I had changed out three recifiers, a stator, and kept having the same issue with the white connector burning up only. Apparently the white connector is a manufacturing flaw. It does not hold the (but connectors) inside the white connector tight therefore there is an arc going on causing the white connector to melt and burn thus malfunctioning other things. Mind you I have had the OEM rectifier originally installed, then two of Rick Motorsports rectifiers installed, all of which failed but one, then I figured let me try putting an OEM back in to see if that was the problem and nope! It did it again so I went back to Rick's rectifier. Finally after tearing apart the entire wiring harness in 8 hours I realized it was the white connector and just wound up junking the white connector and hard wiring the rectifier to the harness, I have not had a problem since UNTIL.... my low beam light has decided it would just blow. That will be talked about in another thread titled LOW BEAM ISSUE. I hope this was helpful to everyone that has had the same problem. Oh and by the way I have an 05 stock busa

do you by chance hang your helmet on the left side of the bike while riding? ie blocking the vent for airflow to the rectifier.
 
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