as some of you know who have responded(thank you)my bike had a starting/running problem this past weekend.I was having trouble starting it,& had no fuel pump running when i turned key on,it was also intermitantly dying for a couple seconds a few times.I took it to the dealer(warranty) and of course I am getting"we have it running back in the shop & can't get it to act up" I have bought a system relay at another dealer(gray one beside starter relay in left side electrical box that controls power to fuel pump) to try myself. Just wondering if anyone else has had a problem with this relay,or the connections going to it?
as usual, any response from you guys is greatly appreciated.
THANK YOU!!

 

Unfortunately you can't repair a problem until you diagnose the cause. You can spend a ton of money replacing parts that may or may not be the cause. I hope the relay was not expensive. I have not heard of this relay going bad.

Did the bike set any trouble codes?

Please post a link to your original post.

Make sure you explain the problem in detail to the service writer and it is noted on the RO exactly as you explained. I would not replace parts on a bike that is under warranty. Leave it with them and hound them every day to test ride it for the problem. If you don't want to leave it, you can ride it and bring it in when it acts up and make sure your problem is noted exactly as the previous complaint, this is for Lemon Law. It is their job to fix it and if needed, take it to a different dealer.

Need more info.


CB

 

no,the relay was 5 dollars, and thank you, I understand full well about not fixing a problem untill it act up,as I am an ASE master certified auto tech for almost twenty years, and deal with drivability issues daily,this is why i explained in full detail numerous times to the lead tech and the service manager the problem. I understand that the Moco requires the problem to be duplicated in order for them to pay the dealer for warrenty work.But,I also know full well that any repair tech in any field should make an honest attempt to duplicate a problem,not just "leave it run in the shop",or put it on a dyno for a few minutes.I am having a problem with they would not at least try a part that Harley has maybe 1 dollar in to try to satisfy someone who is having an intermittant problem with a $15,000 motorcycle.

 

I pull all my fuses & relays at Winter layup and clean the contacts and grease with dielectric grease. They always have some white corrosion. But a relay can go bad and cannot be repaired just replaced. Not the first one on here to go bad. Usually it is the starter relay though.

 

Yes, those are precisely the symptoms my bike had! It wouldn't start. Then it would start. And finnally no sound from the fuel pump at all and it would crank and crank and crank. I pulled the relay and found just a little bit of corrosion seeping from one of the cracks. I replaced it and now it starts / runs just fine. Cheap fix for a heart stopping symptom.

 

The system relay is the black one, the gray is the starter relay. Mine went bad and took a week to get one in. I just took it off and bench tested it. After finding that it was still operating, I took it apart and freed up the switch, spraped the contacts and all was good. The cover got beat up a little takin' it apart, but when I was done inside, just put a little tape. If it is bad, it can be intermittent. The contacts on mine were corroded pretty bad. Sometimes they would make contact, sometimes not. The grey starter relay has one more terminal on it but will plug right up where the black one is. I did this on mine in the begining stages of diagnosing my problem and all was well. DTC codes P1001, P1002, P1003, P1004. Any of them codes leads you to the System Relay.

 

alright,thanks man I probally got my colors mixed up,I'm trying to figure all this out with my bike sitting 40 miles away

 

yea thanks,man sounds like it,now if I could just convince the dealer!

 

I have had this problem twice. Both times was caused by moisture in the connectors of the box. Now after I wash the bike I dry the box with compressed air and coat the fuse & relay blades with dielectric grease. I have not had a problem since.

 

I've been dealing with relay problems since 5k miles, always the same excuse from the dealer about corrosion. Two system and one stater relay. Last time the relay went MOCO authorized the cleaning of the connectors and dielectric grease. I now carry spare relays with me on the bike