Stone Dead - No Power
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Tourer
Joined: Apr 2015
Posts: 313
Likes: 15
From: New Scotland, Canada
Stone Dead - No Power
So I was out for a ride today when, while riding slowly up a hill, my bike just died. No power. Gauges dead, lights dead, switches dead. Only the odometer and the horn are still getting power. Thankfully a buddy came and rescued me and hauled me home.
My first thought was that the charging system had taken a dump, so I hooked it up to jumper cables. Still absolutely nothing other than the odometer when I turned the ignition switch.
So I got out the multimeter. 14v across the terminals. I pulled the side cover and checked the 4 main fuses...nothing.
I'm at a loss. Hivemind? Any suggestions? Clearly I'm missing something, probably something simple. Im semi handy but far from being a real wrench. Hoping to troubleshoot as much as I can before I have to do the trailer ride of shame to a shop to get it fixed.
95 Road King, carbed, nothing special done to it.
Thanks
My first thought was that the charging system had taken a dump, so I hooked it up to jumper cables. Still absolutely nothing other than the odometer when I turned the ignition switch.
So I got out the multimeter. 14v across the terminals. I pulled the side cover and checked the 4 main fuses...nothing.
I'm at a loss. Hivemind? Any suggestions? Clearly I'm missing something, probably something simple. Im semi handy but far from being a real wrench. Hoping to troubleshoot as much as I can before I have to do the trailer ride of shame to a shop to get it fixed.
95 Road King, carbed, nothing special done to it.
Thanks
Road Master
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 942
Likes: 323
From: Grew up in Texas, moved to AZ
Sounds like a loose ground. Tighten everything up, and see. Then, it's just a process of elimination, start at battery and out.to main breaker, to ign/acc/lights breaker, then to relay.
Thread Starter
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Tourer
Joined: Apr 2015
Posts: 313
Likes: 15
From: New Scotland, Canada
Not having any luck finding a main breaker, or any breaker for that matter, just the four fuses under the left side panel. I pulled them all and tested continuity and theyre good. I thought there was a main breaker somewhere but damned if i can find it!. Checked the ground on the starter and the frame and both are super tight.
Thread Starter
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Tourer
Joined: Apr 2015
Posts: 313
Likes: 15
From: New Scotland, Canada
What page is that in the FSM? I cant seem to find it. But I think I see where it should be. Can it be reset? Or is it something that could go bad?
Thread Starter
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Tourer
Joined: Apr 2015
Posts: 313
Likes: 15
From: New Scotland, Canada
Tested and there is continuity through it so that's not the issue (I guess).
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Tourer
Joined: Apr 2015
Posts: 313
Likes: 15
From: New Scotland, Canada
Update. Tested stator and regulator and both are good. I have a second start button on the starter motor and that works and cranks the engine over, but no spark.
Feels like I'm closing in on it. Maybe.
Feels like I'm closing in on it. Maybe.
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HDF Community Team
Joined: Jan 2020
Posts: 1,434
Likes: 800
From: Colorado
Pull the ignition switch apart, and clean its contact points.
Hence have pads on the housing side, the C pieces that have to jump the bars out as you turn the key, and will guess that yours is a green fussy mess.
Once you have the parts clean, make sure to use dielectric grease on the parts to keep them from corroding up quickly again.
As for main breaker it between the voltage regulator and the battery, so when it has problems, you just loose charging to the battery.
Hence have pads on the housing side, the C pieces that have to jump the bars out as you turn the key, and will guess that yours is a green fussy mess.
Once you have the parts clean, make sure to use dielectric grease on the parts to keep them from corroding up quickly again.
As for main breaker it between the voltage regulator and the battery, so when it has problems, you just loose charging to the battery.
Last edited by Dano523; May 23, 2023 at 04:55 PM.