Buddy (125) 10 Amp fuse blowing, ignition on or off. Help!

[goodalle]

Anyone experienced a blown fuse? I'm sure the circuit is open somewhere. Is there a point of weakness on that circuit anyone knows of? Thanks, Ed

[babblefish]

An open circuit won't blow a fuse, quite the opposite, really. On the other hand, a short circuit, in other words, a connection where there shouldn't be, can cause a fuse to blow. Finding the cause will require checking all of the electrical connections in the circuit related to the fuse in order to find the culprit. A circuit diagram of your scooter should be in the owners manual.

To get you started, it looks like the fuse goes to both the voltage regulator and the ignition switch. If it blows the fuse with the ignition on or off, then I would first suspect the voltage regulator as it is in parallel with the ignition switch. You can just unplug the electrical connector at the voltage regulator and see if the fuse still blows. If that's not it, then the ignition switch itself could have an internal issue and is somehow grounding out the red/white wire (the fuse wire).

You should also check to make sure that this red/white fuse wire is not in itself grounded via a break in the insulation somewhere, such as rubbing on a sharp metal edge that is grounded to the chassis.

[goodalle]

Babblefish,
Thanks. I poked around until I found the regulator - up front. Disconnected it, put in a new fuse, and there was no current running to blow the fuse. When I reconnected it, I noticed smoke coming out of the regulator until the fuse blew.

I assume all regulators are meant to smoke like that. So I'll just carry on kickstarting it.

Okay, a little reading tells me that the smoke is likely an indicator of a short somewhere in the circuit. Given that it's a 10 year old, I guess insulation on a wire has gone somewhere. So unless you have another suggestion, I'll go short hunting.
Ed

[babblefish]

Smoke is never a good thing when it comes to electrics. Is the regulator itself smoking, or the wiring going to it? It is NOT normal for the regulator to smoke, nor anything else in your bike. I would guess your regulator may have an internal short and has bit the dust and should be replaced. It is item #14 in the diagram.

http://www.scooterloungeonline.com/buddy125wireharness

Or, if you want to take a chance, they're available on eBay at a much cheaper price. Just do a search for "gy6 voltage regulator".

[goodalle]

The regulator smoked - I could see it and the smoke coming from it. Now it is not smoking and the fuse no longer blows. I'll assume that means new regulator as you suggest. Buddy Lounge order complete.
If that's the problem cured - many thanks. If it's a symptom, thanks anyway, and I'll be back!

[babblefish]

I wouldn't ride the bike with a blown regulator. It could cause your battery to be overcharged, or not charged at all, leaving you stranded. It could also cause damage to the wiring harness/connectors. If you have the capability, check the voltage going to the battery when the engine is running at a high idle. It should be in the neighborhood of 13-14.5 volts. If it's 16V or higher, definitely don't ride it.

[goodalle]

Babblefish, was kidding about riding it - British sense of humor. I'm hoping replacing the regulator fixes it. I'll be back on when I fitted it.