2003 FXDX ELECTRICAL PROBLEM
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2003 FXDX ELECTRICAL PROBLEM
WOULD LIKE SOME FEED BACK...I WAS RIDING MY 03 FXDX AND STOPPED TO EAT..CAME BACK OUT FIRED UP MY BIKE AND CONTINUED ON DOWN THE ROAD...A FEW MINUTES LATER I LOST POWER...I STOPED AND PUT THE SCOOTER INTO NEUTRAL, AND SHE WAS RUNNING ROUGH, SO I SHUT HE OFF. I LET IT SIT FOR A MINUTE OR TWO AND ATTEMPTED TO FIRE HER UP AGAIN..NOTHING...NO LIGHTS ETC.
A BIKE CAME BY AND WE PUSHED MY SCOOTER TO HIS NEAR BY GARAGE...STARTER OK...BATTERY...OK...FUEL DELIVERY OK...HAVE NOT REALLY JUMBED INTO SLOVING THE PROBLEM....ANYWAY, BEFORE I DO, I THOUHT I WOULD PICK YOUR BRAINS FOR SOME ADDITIONAL TROUBLE SHOOTING IDEAS...WHAT THE HELL, MANY HEADS ARE BETTER THAN ONE....I MAY HAVE A LOOSE OR BROKEN WIRE SOME WHERE? WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR IDEAS? I WILL POST THE PROBLEM RESOLUTION WHEN I GET THIS SORTED OUT, SO OTHERS MAY BENEFIT FROM MY EXPERIENCE....
NOTE: WHEN CHECKING MY BATTERY GROUND, I NOTICED SOME GROUND BOLT EROSION DUE TO ARCHING...INTERESTING FOR SURE....ALSO, IN THE PAST, WHEN WET, I OCCASIONALLY WOULD EXPERIENCE THE BATTERY GROUNDING TO THE FRAME VIA MOISTURE EVRN THOUGH THERE WAS SPACE BETWEEN THE BATTERY OR FRAME...
A BIKE CAME BY AND WE PUSHED MY SCOOTER TO HIS NEAR BY GARAGE...STARTER OK...BATTERY...OK...FUEL DELIVERY OK...HAVE NOT REALLY JUMBED INTO SLOVING THE PROBLEM....ANYWAY, BEFORE I DO, I THOUHT I WOULD PICK YOUR BRAINS FOR SOME ADDITIONAL TROUBLE SHOOTING IDEAS...WHAT THE HELL, MANY HEADS ARE BETTER THAN ONE....I MAY HAVE A LOOSE OR BROKEN WIRE SOME WHERE? WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR IDEAS? I WILL POST THE PROBLEM RESOLUTION WHEN I GET THIS SORTED OUT, SO OTHERS MAY BENEFIT FROM MY EXPERIENCE....
NOTE: WHEN CHECKING MY BATTERY GROUND, I NOTICED SOME GROUND BOLT EROSION DUE TO ARCHING...INTERESTING FOR SURE....ALSO, IN THE PAST, WHEN WET, I OCCASIONALLY WOULD EXPERIENCE THE BATTERY GROUNDING TO THE FRAME VIA MOISTURE EVRN THOUGH THERE WAS SPACE BETWEEN THE BATTERY OR FRAME...
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From: Los Angeles, CA
RE: 2003 FXDX ELECTRICAL PROBLEM
Sounds like it might me a frayed wire, or a wire that is shorting out the system. Look for a wire that has the sheathing partially stripped off in one sport and is touch the frame or some other piece of metal.
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RE: 2003 FXDX ELECTRICAL PROBLEM
I've heard that at the frontof the frame below the oil cooler..there is some wires inside/covered by a rubber gromet, and that sometimes, due to vibration, the wire breaks or gets frayed there...i'll pull that rubber cover off and look there, as well as, take a closer look else where....thanks.
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From: Houston Texas
RE: 2003 FXDX ELECTRICAL PROBLEM
If you have:
no lights
no horn
no ignition electrical
but you do have a 12V current at the battery posts, then something has failed in the circuit. All you can do is get a volt/ohmeter along with a wiring diagram and begin to check everything out starting at the battery.
Since you have no lights, this seems to indicate that the 30amp circuit breaker has opened. There is a reason it opened and your challenge is to find out what caused this. Attached is a partial of the wiring diagram showing the parts and wires you need to check first......pg
[IMG]local://upfiles/8331/530A8C75EF994437A6F18FF27C824FC4.jpg[/IMG]
no lights
no horn
no ignition electrical
but you do have a 12V current at the battery posts, then something has failed in the circuit. All you can do is get a volt/ohmeter along with a wiring diagram and begin to check everything out starting at the battery.
Since you have no lights, this seems to indicate that the 30amp circuit breaker has opened. There is a reason it opened and your challenge is to find out what caused this. Attached is a partial of the wiring diagram showing the parts and wires you need to check first......pg
[IMG]local://upfiles/8331/530A8C75EF994437A6F18FF27C824FC4.jpg[/IMG]
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RE: 2003 FXDX ELECTRICAL PROBLEM
If I disconnect the battery...the systems resets itself...I have lights horn etc. but when i hit the starter button she shuts down again. The starter worked fine at my last stop and the bike loosing power underway tells me it is the ingnition curcuit....thanks for the wiring diagram and advise. I'll keep you posted....yes the 30 amp circuit is opening when I hit the starter button and when I disconnect and reconnect it resets itself....so something is shorting the system out??? like I said the bike lost the ignition circuit and lsot power underway. She was running great until that time. I took her coast to coast in 2005 and currently have 22,000 mile on her...
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From: Houston Texas
RE: 2003 FXDX ELECTRICAL PROBLEM
If you disconnect the battery and then reconnect you say the relay resets itself?
If so, do you have lights at that point, before you push the start button?
If you have lights, then push the start button and the relay opens, then the lights go out.
That indicates something is grounded downstream of the relay (towards the start button) in the starter circuit somewhere. I would look at the starter solenoid as well.
You think it is something with the ignition circuit because it began to run rough all of a sudden? That could be an electrical problem instead. If there is no electric in the circuits at all the bike will stop dead in it's tracks. Difficult to diagnose this from a distance.
How about DTC's (Diagnostic Trouble Codes) showing up on your check engine light? This should give you a short cut to the problem area...........pg
If so, do you have lights at that point, before you push the start button?
If you have lights, then push the start button and the relay opens, then the lights go out.
That indicates something is grounded downstream of the relay (towards the start button) in the starter circuit somewhere. I would look at the starter solenoid as well.
You think it is something with the ignition circuit because it began to run rough all of a sudden? That could be an electrical problem instead. If there is no electric in the circuits at all the bike will stop dead in it's tracks. Difficult to diagnose this from a distance.
How about DTC's (Diagnostic Trouble Codes) showing up on your check engine light? This should give you a short cut to the problem area...........pg
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RE: 2003 FXDX ELECTRICAL PROBLEM
I ate some chow went out side and fired her up no problem...a mile or two later it just lost power like she was out of fuel....not a fuel issue...no DTC's came on. I stopped and it was braely running, like it was starving for a spark. I shut it off and turned it back on...and nothing!
no lights, etc. so...I diconnect the battery and reconnect and turn the key and all's well...no DTC's, all lights, turn signals, everything works until I push the starter button? What puzzles me, is the starter fired the scooter up after I ate chow. What would the starter have to do with the scooter quiting under power? It don't make any since...if the starter was an issue it would never have fired up at the chow hall, and then go a couple of mile down the road and peter out all of sudden? I admit to being a little weak on electrical issues, but I know the basics...ofcourse this new 03 FXDX is not like my 76 FXE or my British bike. This will be a learning experience for sure. (Noted earlier id the copper ground on the frame looks like it's been sparking for some reason and has eroded the copper threads some.) Even so, this may be tied in with the starter, but like I said she fired up fine at the chow hall...
Thanks again for the diagram, the feedback, and your Knowledge...
It will get sorted out and when it does, I hope it will help someone else on the forum...
I hear ya, it's tuff to diagnose an electrical problem from a distance, but I'll dig in tomorrow and keep you aprised....
no lights, etc. so...I diconnect the battery and reconnect and turn the key and all's well...no DTC's, all lights, turn signals, everything works until I push the starter button? What puzzles me, is the starter fired the scooter up after I ate chow. What would the starter have to do with the scooter quiting under power? It don't make any since...if the starter was an issue it would never have fired up at the chow hall, and then go a couple of mile down the road and peter out all of sudden? I admit to being a little weak on electrical issues, but I know the basics...ofcourse this new 03 FXDX is not like my 76 FXE or my British bike. This will be a learning experience for sure. (Noted earlier id the copper ground on the frame looks like it's been sparking for some reason and has eroded the copper threads some.) Even so, this may be tied in with the starter, but like I said she fired up fine at the chow hall...
Thanks again for the diagram, the feedback, and your Knowledge...
It will get sorted out and when it does, I hope it will help someone else on the forum...
I hear ya, it's tuff to diagnose an electrical problem from a distance, but I'll dig in tomorrow and keep you aprised....
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Stellar HDF Member
Joined: Feb 2006
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From: Houston Texas
RE: 2003 FXDX ELECTRICAL PROBLEM
I agree with you completely. At first I thought I had an idea of what it might be, and that was a carb issue. But when you said the lights went out (most likely because of the tripped breaker) I decided to not bring up the carb subject as it sounds like it is electrical.
Find out what trips the breaker. Something is causing this, and it has to be a grounding condition while you are running along. Keep us informed how it's going, so we can all learn something from your experience........pg
Find out what trips the breaker. Something is causing this, and it has to be a grounding condition while you are running along. Keep us informed how it's going, so we can all learn something from your experience........pg
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RE: 2003 FXDX ELECTRICAL PROBLEM
PG,
Found this interesting feedback on the diagnosis forum located on this site. This may be my problem? Sure sounds similar to what happened to my scooter. Have not had time to jump into it today, but will for sure tomorrow...I'll keep you posted...here the article:
Roadside Electrical Troubleshooting
Jon wrote this synopsis about a recent roadside troubleshooting session. It is generic enough to be used as a guide of sorts.
[blockquote]
"Ok here's how I thought it through to get the bike going again.
First, I lit a cigarette. This was a stalling tactic to get me to start thinking about what was wrong instead of reacting to that horrible empty feeling when it quits on you.
Three things make the motor run, gas, air and electricity. One of those three crapped out on me.
I knew it was an electrical problem by the way the motor just quit. There was no sputtering like when its a gas problem or an air flow problem such as a clogged filter. This motor went from 2000 rpms to dead in a second.
I tried the starter button first to see if it would crank. If it will crank the problem should be in the coil or plug wires. It wouldn't so I then hit the starter switch while flipping the kill button off and on to see if that had shorted out. Still nothing. If it had cranked but not started while flipping the kill switch I would have gotten an intermediate starter crank at one point or another. This did eliminate the kill switch but not the starter switch as a potential problem. I then began a check of all the cables that were visible, and tested them by giving a gentle tug. All was fine.
All my lights were on so I knew I had a battery. But I checked anyway. I then flipped the ignition switch several times to see if that had gone south. That wasn't it. I held in the starter button while flipping the ignition switch. Somewhere there would be an intermediate starter crank if the ignition switch was worn. I then checked my turn signals. They didn't work. This told me the problem was in the ignition circuit since the turn signals work from the ignition side of the switch. So I knew from this that it was in my ignition circuit.
I pulled the side panel and shorted across the starter relay with my trusty screwdriver. Nothing. This eliminated the starter button as the potential problem. This meant it was further upstream than the relay. I shorted across the battery circuit breaker just for good measure while there. Still nothing. So I was left with only one possibility. It had to be in one of the other circuit breakers inside the fairing.
So I arbitrarily picked one and jumped the terminals with the screwdriver while holding in the starter button until I go it to crank over. After I got it to kick over I tried the starter again. It wouldn't crank so I hit the circuit breaker pretty hard since I figured it was just stuck in the open position. It was and started fine after the tap. If I hadn't gotten it to crank over I would have pulled one side of the circuit breaker leads off and put them on a single post so as to eliminate the circuit breaker. It isn't a good idea but it will get you home.
So I changed it the next day anyway. If it does it once it will do it again.
If I had a little circuit tester in my tool pouch I would have been able to get this done much quicker. But I don't carry one and maybe it wouldn't be a bad addition." [/blockquote]
Found this interesting feedback on the diagnosis forum located on this site. This may be my problem? Sure sounds similar to what happened to my scooter. Have not had time to jump into it today, but will for sure tomorrow...I'll keep you posted...here the article:
Roadside Electrical Troubleshooting
Jon wrote this synopsis about a recent roadside troubleshooting session. It is generic enough to be used as a guide of sorts.
[blockquote]
"Ok here's how I thought it through to get the bike going again.
First, I lit a cigarette. This was a stalling tactic to get me to start thinking about what was wrong instead of reacting to that horrible empty feeling when it quits on you.
Three things make the motor run, gas, air and electricity. One of those three crapped out on me.
I knew it was an electrical problem by the way the motor just quit. There was no sputtering like when its a gas problem or an air flow problem such as a clogged filter. This motor went from 2000 rpms to dead in a second.
I tried the starter button first to see if it would crank. If it will crank the problem should be in the coil or plug wires. It wouldn't so I then hit the starter switch while flipping the kill button off and on to see if that had shorted out. Still nothing. If it had cranked but not started while flipping the kill switch I would have gotten an intermediate starter crank at one point or another. This did eliminate the kill switch but not the starter switch as a potential problem. I then began a check of all the cables that were visible, and tested them by giving a gentle tug. All was fine.
All my lights were on so I knew I had a battery. But I checked anyway. I then flipped the ignition switch several times to see if that had gone south. That wasn't it. I held in the starter button while flipping the ignition switch. Somewhere there would be an intermediate starter crank if the ignition switch was worn. I then checked my turn signals. They didn't work. This told me the problem was in the ignition circuit since the turn signals work from the ignition side of the switch. So I knew from this that it was in my ignition circuit.
I pulled the side panel and shorted across the starter relay with my trusty screwdriver. Nothing. This eliminated the starter button as the potential problem. This meant it was further upstream than the relay. I shorted across the battery circuit breaker just for good measure while there. Still nothing. So I was left with only one possibility. It had to be in one of the other circuit breakers inside the fairing.
So I arbitrarily picked one and jumped the terminals with the screwdriver while holding in the starter button until I go it to crank over. After I got it to kick over I tried the starter again. It wouldn't crank so I hit the circuit breaker pretty hard since I figured it was just stuck in the open position. It was and started fine after the tap. If I hadn't gotten it to crank over I would have pulled one side of the circuit breaker leads off and put them on a single post so as to eliminate the circuit breaker. It isn't a good idea but it will get you home.
So I changed it the next day anyway. If it does it once it will do it again.
If I had a little circuit tester in my tool pouch I would have been able to get this done much quicker. But I don't carry one and maybe it wouldn't be a bad addition." [/blockquote]