Need some diagnostic help.....
Thread Starter
|
Cruiser
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 147
Likes: 0
Need some diagnostic help.....
Forgive me for the question. It may be an easy answer, just completed my first yr on my Harley so I have very lil experience to go on. So here goes....yesterday morning, as I was racing home to beat a hail storm...as i rolled to a stop at 3 stop signs/lights, there was a blaring screeching sound coming from my bike. I'm not sure if the screeching sound was related to the braking while downshifting, the front brakes, or the rear brakes because like I said....I was trying to beat a storm home....otherwise I would have tried to do the 3 individually alone to see what was causing the piercing noise. My bike also seemed to be popping during decel a lot more than normal. So I go to start the bike this afternoon to go ride it around to see if I can isolate the cause of the noise.....and the bike attempts to kick over...then click click click. Bike won't start. I have an '07 Low Rider that I got Jan. '09. The bike had 150 miles on it when I bought it and I've put 7000 on the last year. Is it possible that a simply need a new battery? If so....could that have been the cause of the noise and the decel popping? Or do those sound like independent issues. Thanks for any feedback.
Ultimate HDF Member
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 7,562
Likes: 11
From: Palm Harbor fl.
what part of the bike was blaring and screeching, engine, rear wheel, primary, what? Oh wait pcv.... so did you end up getting wet in your attempt to get home... pcv(or 3) gets wet, lots of problems could occur....
If tyhe clicking sound comes from the mid left hand side (behind the electrical panel),my guess would be you have an electrical fault in your system.
The clicks you hear probably come from the circuit breaker which is installed (at least on my FXD2003) to protect the electrical circuits.
Whenever a failure occurs in any part of the electrical sysytem, the circuit breaker is self-resetting and will automatically return power to the circuit when the electriacal fault is found and corrected.
If the electrical fault is not founf and corrected, the circuit breaker will cycle on and off continuously. This will cause the motorcycle to run erratically.
My advice: check all the wires you worked on recently to find out if they are isolated well and/or not stuck/damaged and do not short-circuit with some part of the frame or handlebar.
FXD2003Rider
The clicks you hear probably come from the circuit breaker which is installed (at least on my FXD2003) to protect the electrical circuits.
Whenever a failure occurs in any part of the electrical sysytem, the circuit breaker is self-resetting and will automatically return power to the circuit when the electriacal fault is found and corrected.
If the electrical fault is not founf and corrected, the circuit breaker will cycle on and off continuously. This will cause the motorcycle to run erratically.
My advice: check all the wires you worked on recently to find out if they are isolated well and/or not stuck/damaged and do not short-circuit with some part of the frame or handlebar.
FXD2003Rider
Thread Starter
|
Cruiser
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 147
Likes: 0
Checked fuses. Looked fine. Greased up......still no start
Trending Topics
Road Master
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 1,023
Likes: 138
From: here
Just a WAG.... is it possible that water or ice got into the starter (OR HORN) button, closed the circuit and the screeching noise you heard was the HORN or starter grinding / trying to keep up with th emotor while running? I'd check the battery to see if it's got anything left, try recharging / trickle charging if you think it's still alive. But even if it appears to be OK, get some help making sure that any other electrical circuits are not full of water and shorting out.
t
t
HD Forum Stories
The Best of Harley-Davidson for Lifelong Riders
10 Worst Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Ever
Pouria Savadkouei
Killer Custom's Jail Break Is The Breakout That Refused to Blend In
Verdad Gallardo
Crazy Bunderbike Build Looks Amazing, But Is It Impossible to Ride?
Verdad Gallardo
Harley-Davidson Reveals Super Cool Cafe Racer Concept
Verdad Gallardo
Engraved Rebellion: Inside Bundnerbike's Glam Rock II
Verdad Gallardo
10 Motorcycles You Should Never Buy
Joe Kucinski
10 Things Harley-Davidson Needs to Fix in 2026
Verdad Gallardo
Southpaw Super Glide: A Left-Hand-Drive 1979 Harley FXE Built to Fit the Rider
Verdad Gallardo
The Best and Worst Harley-Davidson Moves of 2025
Verdad Gallardo
Thread Starter
|
Cruiser
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 147
Likes: 0
Just a WAG.... is it possible that water or ice got into the starter (OR HORN) button, closed the circuit and the screeching noise you heard was the HORN or starter grinding / trying to keep up with th emotor while running? I'd check the battery to see if it's got anything left, try recharging / trickle charging if you think it's still alive. But even if it appears to be OK, get some help making sure that any other electrical circuits are not full of water and shorting out.
t
t
Thread Starter
|
Cruiser
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 147
Likes: 0
Just a WAG.... is it possible that water or ice got into the starter (OR HORN) button, closed the circuit and the screeching noise you heard was the HORN or starter grinding / trying to keep up with th emotor while running? I'd check the battery to see if it's got anything left, try recharging / trickle charging if you think it's still alive. But even if it appears to be OK, get some help making sure that any other electrical circuits are not full of water and shorting out.
t
t