After changing out the handlebars this weekend I'm now blowing 15 amp "Accessories" fuses on my Road Glide. It knocks out my turn signals and my speedo and tach both read zero.

I turned the ignition off, pulled the maxi fuse, put a new fuse in, then plugged the maxi fuse back in. When the maxi went in it sparked, (the ignition was still off). I pulled the replacement Accessories fuse and it was blown.

I probably pinched a wire in one of the clamps but I don't know where to start tracking down the one that's the problem. I've looked at the wiring diagram in the manual but all I get are crossed eyes. Any help on how to connect the voltmeter to track down the bad wire is appreciated.

 

After sleeping on this, I think I'm going to use a straight pin soldered to the ohmmeter's + lead to check each wire through the insulation, looking for one or more that are shorted to ground. Any reason why that wouldn't work?

 

First place I'd look is the switch housings. It is really easy to smash a wire between the bars and the housing, and that will cause the fuse to blow. Been there myself.

 

Agreed. I pulled both sides yesterday using the logic of "check the last change you made first". They look ok (no visible insulation chafing) and I wiggled them all around, but I didn't have a fresh fuse to try out to see if it fixed itself. I'd like to test it with a meter rather than using fuses for trial and error.

 

Usually when a wire gets pinched enough to short out, you will see the impressions on it where it was pinched, it will be somewhat flat. It may save you a lot of time to just give it a good long look see.

 

My methode of finding a short.

I make a test light using a 1157 or other suitable 12 v bulb. I solder two long wires to the bulb. One to the bottom of the bulb where it connects to a socket and the other to the side of the bulb (ground). On the other ends ofeach wire I solder a long large sewing needel. Make sure to buy new ones and do not use the ones your wife has!!!! I usually make the sires about 3 or 4 feet long.

Make sure the leads (wires are long enough so you can see the light from any where on the bike. WARNING-The light will get HOT!!!

Now, remove the blown fues. Push the needels into the poles of the fues. (Where the fues plugs in). The bulb will light brightly.

Now start wiggleing wires on the circuit where the short is. You are getting close when the bulb starts blinking or goes out. Continue wiggling until you find the short.

I have used this method for finding shorts in cars and bikes. It works! No meter, no expensive test lights, no other devices. The entire bulb setup costs no more that a few dollars.

 

If I understand, you're just replacing the fuse with the bulb. I assume that you have the ignition switch on since there is voltage present to light the bulb. Will the bulb just get hot, but not burn out?

 

If you are blowing the maxi fuse, then the short is in your ignition circuit, check the batt cables, then key ignition hot wires, if the maxi fuse blows without the ignition on it can only be shorted where the wires are hot when the ign is off and those are the common spots to check...

Also any accy bolted directly to the batter will blow a maxi fuse. As for the accy circuit fuse blowing, I would concentrate on gettin the maxi fuse ok with the ign off first, leavin the "other or related" accy prob out of the loop