2013 ST LTD Electrical System Meltdown

[Reginald]

Excessive current draw due to a bad battery cell can cook a stator. it's happened on Harleys.

A long while back I had read an article by Mat Wiley who authors the Tech section of Rider Magazine saying this very thing. It's what I was thinking. He also wrote it could fry regulators. Since the battery light was on for so long before everything shut down this is what I think caused the event.

 

[Reginald]

I have been thinking how a battery can cause the stator to fail. There is a fuse in the circuit between them so I don't see how. After running the battery down it could fail because of being too deeply discharged. When the voltage gets too low all kinds of system will start showing errors that are not the root cause.

The shop technician agrees with you.

There have been 2 that I have heard of on this board that have had stator failure. One was well documented some years ago and it was caused by a short in one of the legs. It overheats and melts more insulation, the other 2 legs then short and fail..

A failed cell in a battery can act as a short. It's why I believe the battery failure caused the meltdown. Your statement here is really firming this thought up in my mind. I'll let my local shop diagnose the electrical system to make sure. I'll post the result. Can't have this happening to anyone else.

I have the same Spyder and had the same problem with the brake lights. I drove it that way for 4 weeks, 3,000 kms (1,800 mi). The cruise won't work when the brake light is on. Lifting the pedal with your foot does nothing, but tapping the pedal works. At no time did it cause a failure light to come on. It's too late to pull the codes yourself, but the dealer can see them. From the codes they may be able to figure out what part caused the VSS light to come on. Could be as simple as a misadjusted wheel sensor or bad pillion switch.

Thanks, I'll have the local shop do that. Tapping the break peddle was what I showed my wife when the brake light stayed on in a parking lot. Like you I don't think the cruse control and VSS where part of the meltdown but I'll have the shop make sure.

 

[bruiser]

When the brake light/peddle switch gets stuck for a certain period of time it can trigger the limp home mode I believe that the ECM thinks that the brakes are locked up? I am having the brake light switch sticking on my 2013 STL My dealership cleaned out some sand and dirt and it works a little better they have a new one on order to replace under warranty the mechanic said that the switch is in a tuff spot to get to
and will require quite a few hours to replace so I will need to leave my Spyder for the repair so I plan to ryde until the weather turns and then I will take it there for the switch replacement. So when riding i just keep lifting the peddle with my toe after I use the brakes and so far this has been unsticking the switch as my Wife rides behind on her RT and we communicate through our head sets. luckily I have not had the limp mode come on yet due to the switch sticking but from what I have heard here on SL if you just pull over and turn it off for a minute it will reset/turn off the limp mode and always keep the Spyder on a battery tender even it is only going to sit for a day or 2 hope this helps

The brake switch is right under the brake pedal. Easy to get to.

 

[chuck gross]

The brake switch is right under the brake pedal. Easy to get to.

Actually there is nothing under the brake pedal except air? the switch appears to be back behind the pedal and the mechanic that works on my spyder is a platinum certified master mechanic for sea-doo ski-doo and can am and has always been straight up so I would guess if he says it is a PITA to replace the switch I would tend to trust him he has nothing to gain by lying to me as it will be a warranty item anyway.

 

[OJ UK]

Conversely a failed regulator can be responsible for cooking the battery and, if shorted, the stator.
Lots of possibilities here....

 

[billybovine]

A failed cell in a battery can act as a short. It's why I believe the battery failure caused the meltdown.

I was not clear enough. There is a 60 amp fuse between the charging system and the battery. If the battery goes bad and causes a draw of more than 60 amp the fuse will blow. This will protect the stator, voltage regulator/rectifier from damage. I have looked at wiring diagrams for other powersport vehicles and have never seen them fused this way before. So it is not really relevant if it can happen on other vehicles. Are they protected by a fuse in the same way?

 

[Gray Ghost]

...I have looked at wiring diagrams for other powersport vehicles and have never seen them fused this way before. So it is not really relevant if it can happen on other vehicles. Are they protected by a fuse in the same way?

The 2007 Yamaha RSV is fused between the R/R and the battery, so is the 2012 Suzuki DL1000, the 2012 HD Touring models, the 2008 Yamaha Roadstar, and the 2014 Kawasaki Voyager.

 

[billybovine]

The 2007 Yamaha RSV is fused between the R/R and the battery, so is the 2012 Suzuki DL1000, the 2012 HD Touring models, the 2008 Yamaha Roadstar, and the 2014 Kawasaki Voyager.

So let's bring this conversation full circle. Do the models listed above have a history of stator failures caused by a shorted battery? If so I need it explained to me how that can happen without blowing the fuse.

 

[Gray Ghost]

So let's bring this conversation full circle. Do the models listed above have a history of stator failures caused by a shorted battery? If so I need it explained to me how that can happen without blowing the fuse.

I have never heard of a stator failing due to a shorted battery, I was pointing out that having a fuse in the charging circuit is a fairly normal occurrence.

 

[billybovine]

I have never heard of a stator failing due to a shorted battery, I was pointing out that having a fuse in the charging circuit is a fairly normal occurrence.

In older stuff (1990 and earlier) it was common not to put a fuse or fusible link in between. Then it was possible to cook the stator if there was a short.

Some say they don't make things like they use too. I say that's good they don't.

 

[Reginald]

Well we got the St back from the shop. All systems checked out and are good. The VSS error triggered in Colorado was caused by the brake light sticking. But the light isn't sticking right now so the shop didn't replace anything.

I see the comments about the 60 amp fuse but the events of the failure tell me quite clearly the battery failed first. If the regulator went first other warning lights besides the battery light would have come on.

The shops in Salt Lake City and Georgetown TX agrees with me that the failed battery caused the event.

Moral of the story is don't continue to ride when the battery light come on. STOP and REPLACE!