ok i think this is my first post. i have been browsing for a while and learned a lot. i have a 2007 XL1200 low. Well i did something stupid last night. when i was putting my right controls back together( with start button and Run) when i closed it i had a wire there and pinched it good. it wont start so i know its the run button wire. i took a look and 2 or 3 of the little wires inside are cut. now my question is can i solder this togther by putting some Solder Wire on the whole thing. i think the wire is to small to did it individually. or should i just get a connector and crimp it that way. im not sure if there is enough room to put the assembly together with a connector on. i have very electrically challenged.. any help or ideas are greatly appreciated.

thanks
JiM

 

I've soldered the connections back together on the brake switch and horn/lights before. I believe they still use 18AWG wire in the controls on the newer ones. You can pick it up cheap and basically fill in the missing sections you cut out and strip. Heat shrink and you should be good.

I try to shy away from butt-splices or crimps on a Harley because of the vibration. I want a permanent, solid connection. A solder tends to be smaller in diameter than a connector or butt-splice, too. That helps in the small controls space.

P.S. Is it Atreyu after the band?

 

This helps allot and makes sense about the vibrations.. but i suck at soldering, so what happens if i get solder on some of the other little wires? and yes it is after the band. used to love them.. not so much nowa days

 

get some pieces of wire and practice soldering...for me the secret is to make sure the wires are clean then flux each wire and put some solder on the soldering iron next just touch the iron to the wire,,the solder will flow into the wire from the iron...after you have both sides of the wire coated with solder (tinned) you can just lay the wires side by side nice and straight put a little more solder on the iron and just touch the iron to the two wires for a second...don't forget the shrink tubing when you go to do the wires on the bike!!

 

ok so i was reading up on this.. so i should just cut the wire completly and then solder the wire together as a whole.. not what i was thinking just doing the 3 little stands of wire..i think i got it now i just need some solder

 

Thanks! thats sound easy.. i guess my problem in the past was never using Flex... watched some videos and now im ready to practice once i get some solder. and yeah i would totally have forgotten to put the shrink wrap on. did that when i put my Bars on lol. had to take it off again..

 

Haha, yeah, done that too. Also, I like to use electrical solder. It usually is flux-core, so no need to use liquid flux on the wires. Get it in .032", since the wires are small it makes it much easier. Keep everything clean and you shouldn't have too hard of a time.

 

Wait a minute...are you saying just a few of the strands in the wire are broken and that the wire is not cut in two??? if so then you can prolly just push the wires back together and tape it or if most of the wire are broken, push the wires back where they belong and put a coat of solder on it and tape it up...then if you have a problem in the future go back and fix it by cutting it and soldering it back together...

 

ok so i cut the wire all the way then soldered it tonight. then tried to start it and i got nothing still.. no fuel pump turning on or anything.. so then i figured i just was a bad solder so i used a connector and crimped it and then tried to turn her on.. still nothing. i know i couldnt have messed up on both so i took a break and was thinking maybe somehow i blew a fuse.. and after checking them all i had 1 blown fuse and switched it and now shes back in action.. just gota go get a replacement fuse.. thanks for the help everyone. guess ill just leave the connector on it untill it vibrates loose. since i dont have allot of wire left to connect to. feels great to get this solved

JiM

 

You should already have spare fuses in the fuseblock.

But if you're like me and burned through those already, it's good to keep a bunch of spares on hand.

I recently bought 50 15a fuses. You never know.