a bad/intermitent/chattering ground can cause components to fry!
it may be true that a regulator or battery was bad, but there may be a reason why it went bad, and this same reason may be on the verge of toasting replacements!
Be mindful of AZ's advice - do not rely on the dealer, check those grounds!


Chirochris the ground is the big black wire mounted to the - negative side of the battery, it connects to the subframe - the subframe is the section of frame that your grab bar mounts to, and what mount of the seat lays on - its bolts to the main frame at 4 locations. The motor is grounded and starter and all that jazz is simply connected to the main frame for groudning. if paint is insulating good ground anywhere between the ground wire and the subframe, or between the subframe and main frame, or between motor and main frame, this is not good and a definite source of problems.


One way for a guy to explore the possibility is to connect one wire of an Ohmeter to the negative cable, then the the other end to the motor, then get on the rear grab bar and swing the bike up and down hardcore and back and forth rocking it and jumping on it and try to see if you can get continuity to break. any blip of the meter would indicate a problem, assuming your connections to the meter are sound!


Bombsaint I'm not sure what you mean by reverse grounding, the neg connects to frame like most other vehicles, and the positive is switched on by the keyswitch, however the overheat sensor and oil sensor do make ground rather than switch the pos to the red light but this is typical of sensors in automobiles because it requires only one wire to be ran to the sensor instead of two otherwise, is this what you are refering to?


As far as offroad electronics integrity and mounting all the components on the DS are rubber grommeted at there attachment points, and even the battery has rubber pads all the way around it, my bike is an '01 bought new in january of that year with hundereds upon hundreds of hours of motor time in the hardest core beating pounding environment there is and I have never ever had a single electronic component die except the cheap $8 oil pressure sensor. Back in late '01 I watched DSBOMB fry a second CDI due to bad ground connection, he realized it and clued me in on it and I sanded my connection point and never looked back with any issues.


If AZ is right, and I think he is, this grounding issue should be a RECALL!!!!!!!!!! Mrneg is gonna get a new starter for $400 and the dealer aint gonna chek his ground and later a regulator, battery, or cdi is just may very well fry again!

 

 

Hightower. With all the problems I have had my battery never fried. It just went dead the bike would never have enough juice to start or it would just about start.

Listen to this. The dealer called me yesterday and told me my Quad was finished. I work nights so this morning I got home at 7am. The dealer did not open up until 10am so I stayed up. I called the dealer at 10:15 am and the service rep said the bike was fixed to come get it. I left with my trailer and drove about 1 hour to the dealer over the bridge $3.50 toll and all that . I get to the dealer and pay them $150 for the valve adjustment $330.00 for the starter.They tested the battery and charging system. (Like I did and there showed no problems.) The total bill with tax and labor was $655.53. (Trust me I have been working on stuff my self for years but with all the things I have replaced on this Quad I gave up.) They had a guy start it up out back and ride it around the back and he rode it up on my trailer. He then walked away. I then proceded to try and start the quad to hear it start and run. The first time I started it up I heard a load clinking sound in the side of the motor. I went back in and told the service rep he better come have a listen to the bike as something was definitly wrong. He told me that most of the Bombardier quad motors run loud. He sent one of the mechanics out again. He then stared the bike up and said pull it off the trailer . He agreed something was not right. I asked him when I would be getting it back as they allready had it for 3 weeks. To make the story somewhat shorter. I went inside and demanded to talk to the owner. I told him what the hell is giong on you have the bike for three weeks I pay $655.00 for reapairs you guys tells me to pick it up and listen to the way its running. I questioned what kind of mechanics do you have working here. You cant possible tell me that they thought this thing was running correctley. I complained about the entire situation. He told me he would take care of it to call him tomorrow morning. Well he must have dug in someones *** as I received a call at 6:35 this evening telling me the bike was done and that it would be deliverd to my house in the morning. Somehow the mechanic left a spring loose in the head when he adjusted the valves. I hate having other people work on my stuff as no matter where I go dirt bikes, steet bikes they never seem to do the job right or to my standards.
The Quad did start right up so it definitly must have been the starter.Who ever thought it would be the starter. I will now add that ground when it arrives and cross my fingers it does not happen again. Later, D

 

Thanks for all the support. I will be looking everything over as suggested. Besides all that, how much does a rectifier cost????

 

Do a search on ebay for ds650 regulator. $59.00 + shipping. The dealer will want around $125.00. Later,D