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Electrical gremlins

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Old Jul 11, 2012 | 04:21 PM
  #1  
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Default Electrical gremlins

I was riding my 1987 FLHTC yesterday when my tach quit working and my turn signal indicator lights came on steady. I stopped and checked all lights and turn signals working but indicators staying on constant and tach still not working. Anyone know what might cause this? I rode it another 50 miles or so with no other problems but would like to find the culprit. Any ideas where to start?
 
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Old Jul 11, 2012 | 05:02 PM
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Greetings nickrat

Sorry to hear about your Electrical gremlins

You said:

I was riding my 1987 FLHTC yesterday when my tach quit working and my turn signal indicator lights came on steady.

I stopped and checked all lights and turn signals working but indicators staying on constant and tach still not working.

Anyone know what might cause this?

I rode it another 50 miles or so with no other problems but would like to find the culprit.

Any ideas where to start?

One of the wires going to what I have in red sounds like there is a bare spot on a wire somewhere.

Do you know how to use a multi meter to check for shorts (grounds)
You already know whats effected now all you have to do is trace the wires and find the bare spot that may be causing this problem.

Let us know what you find.
 
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Old Jul 11, 2012 | 06:45 PM
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Yea, I've been there before. I had my turn signals quit working all together, started tracing it out and found it was my switch for the hazard lights that was bad. I'm working a lot right now so I don't have much time. I was hoping someone might know of something before I take the fairing off and start tracing. That might be a while. Thanks.
 

Last edited by nickrat; Jul 11, 2012 at 06:49 PM.
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Old Jul 12, 2012 | 07:21 PM
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Busy , Busy yes we are all so short of time .
Give the bar switches a good shot of WD40 with main switch off. Cycle the switches as you spray them , let sit for ten mins. then blow them out with high press. air .
If you dont have high/press. air give another shot until each switch pukes out clean WD40. fluid . If your switches now seem to feel more like proper clicking switches , you can eliminate them as causes .
 
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Old Jul 13, 2012 | 12:14 PM
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Thanks machinehed, I'll give that a shot. I haven't had time to do anything with it yet, as soon as I do I'll try that first.
 
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Old Jul 14, 2012 | 06:39 PM
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the electrical system on our early evos is very simple....you've got a short, somewhere

would guarantee you have a bare power wire grounding out somewhere
 
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Old Jul 15, 2012 | 03:26 PM
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Well, one of these days I'll get a chance to check it out. I'm working another double right now afternoon-midnight. I haven't even got to start the bike up since it happened. I hate electrical issues but I'll have to dive into sometime soon.
 
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