Post by edawg on May 19, 2020 16:48:48 GMT -5
Hello everyone. I recently had 4 NEW TaoMotor T-FORCE ATV's present with the same issue within the same week. 2 regular T-Force 125cc's and 2 Pro's. Let me begin with stating Yes, I sell these, I have been doing so with very few issues over the last 13 years. This issue is unprecedented with me and highly improbable/unusual. All bikes started and tested fine of course and once sold the first customer had a dead battery within the first hour of riding (just stopped running mid-idle). Replaced battery and went on his way, another hour of riding, same thing. replaced battery thinking maybe there is a bad run on this brand but a third time it stops. I exchange the ATV with another exactly like it to save the customer some headache and give me a chance to investigate. Customer calls me with the same issue on the new atv. Meanwhile I have 3 batteries that are not just drained but have a least one dead cell or that come up with errors when reconditioning and attempting to recharge on a $400 charger so I know they are pooched for good. There is no way this is just bad batteries. I trouble shoot online for an hour and find an article with a rather obscure issue mentioned that I have never experienced in 13 years (maybe I'm just lucky but in 900 units sold I've had nothing quite like this). I have replaced bad stators on maybe a dozen occasions so they aren't something that goes bad often. Article mentions that the stator may be feeding the incorrect voltage to the rectifier or the rectifier to the battery which in turn over-charges the battery heating it up and effectively "boiling" the electrolyte dry in no time the article explains. Sounds plausible sure enough I check the running voltage at the battery and its 17V. Problem solved. Changed regulator and still high so assumed culprit was the stator. Changed stator and voltage dropped back down to a normal 14.19-14.22 running. Left the regulator in started and tested ATV for 20 minutes of riding all seemed good. Returned to customer, customer rode for almost 2 hours without issue then put away and stored for the night, sent me a text and said all seemed good. WHEW!...NOT.
Called 2 days later and said the ATV would not start. Now this is the second complete machine that has had this issue multiple times for each. a couple days before this I sold his first machine and proactively called that customer to check to see what his running voltage was . He hadn't used it yet as it was for a birthday present and told me the voltage showed 16.7V. WOW, same issue. He brought to me, I change the Regulator and the voltage dropped to 14.22V running. Great bad Rectifier that's it sent him on his way. Now I'm thinking there will be an issue once again on that machine.
Anyway the one machine has a new battery, new CDI just for the hell of it, new solenoid, new stator and new Rectifier. There doesn't appear to be ANY loose wires or ground shorts/faults anywhere in the harness or quick connects. The Starter and ignition coil are the only original parts and I HIGHLY doubt they would ever be the cause of such an issue. While in the middle of all this I had a customer buy 2 regular T-Force 125cc ATV's from me that had been in stock for about 6 months and sure enough she called me with the same back to back issue on both. 2 dead batteries. At this point I am beside myself wondering how this is possible. The batteries are maintained on old stock but maybe its possible to simply have one bad battery but both? 4 ATV's with seemingly the same issue? I'm hoping the last customer just needs two new batteries but at this point I am not optimistic, will know tomorrow I guess after they ride them a bit.
Does ANYONE have anything over and above the basic suggestions here??? New territory for me. Thought I had seen most issues. Obviously I will start checking the running voltage on every atv I build now. I've have had a bad run on Stators, carbs and solenoids here and there over the years but very rare and in very small numbers spread out over a year, never had ANYTHING of this sort in such a short amount of time on the same models. Sold over 100 ATV's during this "Bored Covid-Kid" buying frenzy in the month of April and not one other 125cc or 110cc model had this issue.
Thanks in advance for any help you can offer