Won't Start. No Power!
 

Cross Post... Desperate!!!

General application, not model specific. (added in edit: It's a 2001 FXDWG with Carb)

I've just moved and all my tech manuals are in storage awaiting retrieval and I really need your help, so here goes:

Started bike this morning for warm up and all was fine. Went to turn off bike and hit the starter button but released it almost immediately. About ten minutes later I rolled (dead-stick) the bike out of the garage and tried to start it.

Absolutely NOTHING! No click, no sound at all.

I've checked the connection to the battery and it's ok. I've checked the fuses in the main block and they're ok. I have NO power to the panel (dash?). Nothing happens regardless of which way the ignition switch is turned. No lights, no horn, nothing at all. EXTRA hint... My passing lights are wired up independent of the ignition, they pull right off the battery. When I flip the passing light switch (it's not the problem, I'm certain, but it DOES serve some diagnostic purpose here), I get a buzzing sound from around the battery (just aft of the battery, I think). The seat is off, of course.

I haven't found my multi-meter yet so I don't have acces to it at this time.

Did I bugger the starter or a fuse some way (I don't think so, I just hit the starter for an instant while it was running)? I'm going to try the "search" function, of course, but I thought this might be something one of (or several of) you-all might have some advice on!

Any Ideas? Thanks!!!

Jim aka kiltiemon (with a 22 year-old Porsche that is ALSO laid up with electrical problems!!! GRRRRRRRR!!!!!)
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Kiltiemon

Well sure sounds electrical to me... Do you have a battery charger unpacked yet? If so plug it in a give it a nice charge, maybe you got a charge meter on the battery charger? First thing is you need power... Sounds like you have a short somewhere... Maybe worth going to get a cheap multimeter if you cant locate yours quickly... Good luck

if you have no dash lights it should be a fuse... i would pull each one out one by one and check em... clicking your starter button while it is running will not ruin the bike liek that... but it may puff a fuse

Are you sure your lights are direct to the battery? That would be a lot of current to run through a switch. Usually things like that go through a relay and a relay being powered by a (mostly) dischared battery would hum. And it would also explain all the symptoms.

check the integrity of the cable from the positive terminal of the battery to the starter. had one partially break. showed correct voltage but the few wire strands that were left could'nt support the amperage to operate the starter
all power from the bike is distributed from the starter terminal to circuit breakers and or fuses

...and just because the fuse looks good, doesn't mean it is.

I would suggest checking fuses as indicated. I've had the "no power" situation after running for awhile on my '97 Wide Glide (carbed) and both times all I did was clean the battery connections with rubbing alcohol and re-tightened the connections and was able to start the bike right away.

I'd say check the battery and cables. Most likely they are the culprit.

Check your ground cable from the battery where it is bolted to the frame

Check the panel dash harness at your ignition switch ,,unplug the harness,, had the same problem and found the staycom connectors burned and not making good contact,,, 2000 fxdwg