I'm looking into this more right now. I will evolve this more as I go.
This is a helpful "Heads up" kind of post and is in no way meant to ruffle any feathers for anyone... In the end... run what you want to run
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If you are running a turbo or other setup on a 2013/14 RMK that has the headlights deleted... I HIGHLY RECOMMEND that you install load resistors if you are not running headlights.
Polaris, new for 2013, now has combined the voltage regulators for the ecu and lighting/charging coils. The housing is shared, But the two regulators are separate components inside. The connector for the Lighting/charging coil remains the same.... and is separate from the ECU connector for the regulator.
For a stock sled... this is a good setup.
Start to mod the electrical system beyond what Polaris has designed... you may cause some problems.
These regulators are "shunt" regulators ... whatever current is NOT used...gets "dumped" as heat.
Now... if that heat is "Dumped" into the main ECU regulator component of the now Shared main regulator... then you could fail that unit (dead sled) and/or the ECU at the same time (dead sled).
If you "fry" the lighting regulator on a 2013/14... you have a good chance of "frying" the ECU portion of that regulator as well... which runs the risk of "frying" the ECU...
This will not be a problem with an unmodified (stock) 2013/14 sled WITH headlights...but could cause you no end of greif on a modded 2013 with no headlights
On a 2011/12 PRO RMK, if you "failed" the lighting/charging regulator... the only things that you would see would be non operational lights and hand/thumb warmers and, if equipped with ES, possibly a "cooked" battery.
Sure, there are people that have run their 13's without headlights already... But are you willing to take that risk that did not exist in the 2011/12 PRO's???
IMO... In that situation where you are not running a headlight load... Simply disconnect the AC 3-wire Rubber connector on the stock combined and run an inexpensive separate regulator that is well heat-sinked to aluminum.
Use Polaris #4010794 that will simply plug into the factory harness still on the 2013's. This was used on Edge sleds equipped with Electric start and all the 2011/12 PRO RMK's.
It WILL need to be mounted to metal that will allow transfer of heat from the VR.
That way, if you your lighting/charging VR fails because you have low load on the unit or thermal load... It does not take out your other regulator.
The price from Polaris is about the same as the price from WPS (#12-3081) or HiPerf (#174-202)
This is what the voltage regs look like from the EDGE sleds and the 2010/11/12 PRO RIDE sleds
NOTE: This does not apply to the 2011/12 units.
Some great pics from Die Hard Poo
Photo showing EDGE style 3-wire VR mounted to the clutch guard in addition to the stock combined regulator.
.
This is a helpful "Heads up" kind of post and is in no way meant to ruffle any feathers for anyone... In the end... run what you want to run
==========================================
If you are running a turbo or other setup on a 2013/14 RMK that has the headlights deleted... I HIGHLY RECOMMEND that you install load resistors if you are not running headlights.
Polaris, new for 2013, now has combined the voltage regulators for the ecu and lighting/charging coils. The housing is shared, But the two regulators are separate components inside. The connector for the Lighting/charging coil remains the same.... and is separate from the ECU connector for the regulator.
For a stock sled... this is a good setup.
Start to mod the electrical system beyond what Polaris has designed... you may cause some problems.
These regulators are "shunt" regulators ... whatever current is NOT used...gets "dumped" as heat.
Now... if that heat is "Dumped" into the main ECU regulator component of the now Shared main regulator... then you could fail that unit (dead sled) and/or the ECU at the same time (dead sled).
If you "fry" the lighting regulator on a 2013/14... you have a good chance of "frying" the ECU portion of that regulator as well... which runs the risk of "frying" the ECU...
This will not be a problem with an unmodified (stock) 2013/14 sled WITH headlights...but could cause you no end of greif on a modded 2013 with no headlights
On a 2011/12 PRO RMK, if you "failed" the lighting/charging regulator... the only things that you would see would be non operational lights and hand/thumb warmers and, if equipped with ES, possibly a "cooked" battery.
Sure, there are people that have run their 13's without headlights already... But are you willing to take that risk that did not exist in the 2011/12 PRO's???
IMO... In that situation where you are not running a headlight load... Simply disconnect the AC 3-wire Rubber connector on the stock combined and run an inexpensive separate regulator that is well heat-sinked to aluminum.
Use Polaris #4010794 that will simply plug into the factory harness still on the 2013's. This was used on Edge sleds equipped with Electric start and all the 2011/12 PRO RMK's.
It WILL need to be mounted to metal that will allow transfer of heat from the VR.
That way, if you your lighting/charging VR fails because you have low load on the unit or thermal load... It does not take out your other regulator.
The price from Polaris is about the same as the price from WPS (#12-3081) or HiPerf (#174-202)
This is what the voltage regs look like from the EDGE sleds and the 2010/11/12 PRO RIDE sleds
NOTE: This does not apply to the 2011/12 units.
Some great pics from Die Hard Poo
Photo showing EDGE style 3-wire VR mounted to the clutch guard in addition to the stock combined regulator.
.
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