Voltage regulator

[the Grump]

I had 2006 Road King die on the way home. No electric! got home and found the main fuse (40A) blown. Trying to trace it back, checked my stator, seems good. Unplugged the voltage regulator and I can even start it. So, according to my book the top pin on the right side should be positive. The question is the plug that plugs into it, the positive is on the bottom. Hope this makes sense to somebody.

[road-dawgs1]

2006 had a voltage regulator campaign due to issues. Can't help on the pin location.

[smoserx1]

It is going to be designed to prevent it being connected backwards, which would be disastrous.  However to identify the connector harness polarity use your ohmmeter to  check for continuity to the frame.  The negative pin should show very low resistance (or none), the positive should show very high, or infinity.  If the positive connector shows continuity with the frame you have a short.

[the Grump]

So, are you saying I shouldn't care what the wiring diagram says, where the positive is? I'm confused, the plug on the regulator has a tab like thing so you can only put it in one way. It just appears to be reversed from the picture.

[smoserx1]

No not at all.  That tab is there to make sure your harness plug to the VR is connected + to + and - to -  Unplug the harness from the VR and measure both terminals of the harness connector for resistance to the frame.  The negative one will show continuity, the positive one won't (unless you have a short).  If you have a short you would get continuity on both terminals.  Should take the guesswork out of it.

[kd]

Do not measure for resistance. Measure for volts.  Touching the positive terminal and ground on the ohm scale will smoke that meter.    Be sure to use the black on the meter to touch the frame and the red to the terminal(s).  Negative to negative will be 0 volts and positive to ground will be battery voltage. 

[smoserx1]

Thanks KD.  I forgot the harness would still be hot.

[ViseGrips]

..if I'm not mistaken the 06s had a regulator recall along with a change of fuel injectors... but there is a way of checking things out as said above...hope you get to the root of the dilemma...

[the Grump]

Maybe I didn't explain this well. The book shows the top pin of the DC side being Positive. The bottom pin of the plug has 12.9 volts (same as the battery). The top pin on the plug shows it's grounded, so is the book wrong or do I have something bizarre going on. I don't want to burn up a new regulator when it comes.

[Tacocaster]

 I doubt there's a wiring issue unless you suspect someone was into the wiring to install a different regulator than stock or some other modification. My doubt comes from the assumption the current regulator is the OEM.

Double check your schematic tracing (with fat sausages like mine, I easily "jump rails") to be sure you didn't "jump the rail" - the 2006 service manual schematics are in black and white (no colour until 2008) so it's easy to jump. Oh,...and it has to be assumed you are using an HD manual.

Follow what the fellas suggest above if you want to actually measure the connections.....Good Luck!

[FSG]

2006




2007




2008

[the Grump]

These drawing are exactly what I'm talking about. The positive is on top on the DC side. My meter tells me it the wires are  reversed. What should be negative is reading 12.9 V and the other ohms out as ground.

[Coyote]

Is your positive on the keyed side of the connector?

[kd]

Consider disconnecting your positive battery cable(s) at the battery and the dirty ground lead at the lug.  A continuity test between the connector at the dirty lug grounding end and the 2 pin connectors at the regulator plug will quickly sort out those two positions in the regulator plug.

[the Grump]

Just in case anyone was interested. I tested (with a meter) just about everything I could think of and a few things that were suggested. Couldn't find anything wrong, so, I got back on youtube and finally found the answer I was looking for. The DC plug has a squarish side to it and a rounded side. The rounded side is the positive. On my bike that is opposite of the drawings like the ones shown above. I put it together and started it, checked my charging, everything is good!! Thanks for the help. Appreciate it!!