Electrical issue on my 1986 flhtc help!
Cruiser
Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 193
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From: almost heaven wv
https://www.hdforums.com/forum/6231956-post1.html
this page was great ------from fxd2003rider
thank you fxd2003rider
this page was great ------from fxd2003rider
thank you fxd2003rider
Club Member
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 5,816
Likes: 7,847
From: SE Louisiana
Great idea but I need to know the details a bit better, so I am going to run a wire from my battery directly to a relay, what kind of relay do I use?
What is the purpose of the relay, is it just for Key ON/key OFF purpose?
relay shortens the path to the acc breaker, eliminating long wire runs, connectors, switches
The whole system wont work unless I have the tan wire working correct?
correct, everything the acc supplies power to
What if I completely eliminate the tan wire and just run a wire from the battery to a fused link to the post on the breaker?
acc will be live when key is off, and not drop acc during cranking
Last but not least
if my starter relay is working, why would I not have power at the tan wire?
could be a bad relay,no power to terminal 87a
Again I will do some more invasive testing this afternoon, but I would love to know about the above questions
Thanks a lot!
If you have power to terminal 87a(with key on), but no power to the tan wire terminal on the acc breaker, look for the break in tan wire in between start relay and acc breaker, also make sure power is going thru acc breaker to orange wires.
Jesse
What is the purpose of the relay, is it just for Key ON/key OFF purpose?
relay shortens the path to the acc breaker, eliminating long wire runs, connectors, switches
The whole system wont work unless I have the tan wire working correct?
correct, everything the acc supplies power to
What if I completely eliminate the tan wire and just run a wire from the battery to a fused link to the post on the breaker?
acc will be live when key is off, and not drop acc during cranking
Last but not least
if my starter relay is working, why would I not have power at the tan wire?could be a bad relay,no power to terminal 87a
Again I will do some more invasive testing this afternoon, but I would love to know about the above questions
Thanks a lot!
If you have power to terminal 87a(with key on), but no power to the tan wire terminal on the acc breaker, look for the break in tan wire in between start relay and acc breaker, also make sure power is going thru acc breaker to orange wires.
Jesse
The new relay will supply the voltage from the new wire ran from the battery when energized.
Autozone relay # RL44 (or similar)
remove tan wire from acc breaker and connect to terminal #85,
connect a wire from terminal #86 to a ground,
connect a wire from terminal #87 to acc breaker where the tan wire was,
connect wire(12ga fused near battery) to terminal #30
Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 2,706
Likes: 14
From: Near Frankenmuth, MI
Don't confuse circuit breakers by calling them relays. I don't believe you have any relays in the wiring other than the solenoid.
Circuit breakers hold until overloaded and then they break contact and cool and reset .... if working correctly.
The circuit breakers will wear out and could need replacing. No sense in rewiring the system that an engineering department designed.
Anywhere you see rust on contacts they need to be disassembled and cleaned then reconnected.
And it's correct that on the starter solenoid there is an accessory line that gets it power from there to run the bike.
If you don't have a supply voltage coming from your ignition that powers the breaker you could have corroded connections at the ignition switch.
Be sure to come back and let us know how you solve this.
Circuit breakers hold until overloaded and then they break contact and cool and reset .... if working correctly.
The circuit breakers will wear out and could need replacing. No sense in rewiring the system that an engineering department designed.
Anywhere you see rust on contacts they need to be disassembled and cleaned then reconnected.
And it's correct that on the starter solenoid there is an accessory line that gets it power from there to run the bike.
If you don't have a supply voltage coming from your ignition that powers the breaker you could have corroded connections at the ignition switch.
Be sure to come back and let us know how you solve this.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 8,200
Likes: 3,089
From: NW AR
Yeah, the start relay turns off all the stuff you have not working when you start the bike, so that you can have the full 10 amps available that the solenoid needs to pull in. It's part of the Dreaded Click cause. You may just have a bad relay. They're cheap. Get another one and swap it out.
Club Member
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 5,816
Likes: 7,847
From: SE Louisiana
JonnnyC, I respectfully dissagree with your post.
No mistakes here regarding relays and breakers.
Breakers shouldn't wear out, they're not switches, corrode maybe, if they are breaking, cooling and resetting, you have other problems.
The starter works, therefore power is being supplied to the starter relay, which also supplies power to the acc when not cranking.
I think I covered the most likely causes, which has to be corrected before the much improved relay setup can be added.
The relay doesn't have to be installed, but it's nice to have the correct voltage to the dash lights, gauges, turn signals, and accessories.
I chose to add the relay to have no voltage drop(very little) to my acc circuit,
the old oringinal wiring setup is just good enough to energize my add on relay, not carry the load of the acc circuit to my satisfaction.
Total cost about 15 bucks, relay, wire, fuse holder and terrminals.
You also can run the new wire though an existing wire harness sheath, so it is not exposed.
How much does a ignition switch,wire, wiring connectors and whatever else is 27 years old cost to replace? and you'll still have a pretty good voltage drop.
I also added a similar setup to my ignition circuit.
No mistakes here regarding relays and breakers.
Breakers shouldn't wear out, they're not switches, corrode maybe, if they are breaking, cooling and resetting, you have other problems.
The starter works, therefore power is being supplied to the starter relay, which also supplies power to the acc when not cranking.
I think I covered the most likely causes, which has to be corrected before the much improved relay setup can be added.
The relay doesn't have to be installed, but it's nice to have the correct voltage to the dash lights, gauges, turn signals, and accessories.
I chose to add the relay to have no voltage drop(very little) to my acc circuit,
the old oringinal wiring setup is just good enough to energize my add on relay, not carry the load of the acc circuit to my satisfaction.
Total cost about 15 bucks, relay, wire, fuse holder and terrminals.
You also can run the new wire though an existing wire harness sheath, so it is not exposed.
How much does a ignition switch,wire, wiring connectors and whatever else is 27 years old cost to replace? and you'll still have a pretty good voltage drop.
I also added a similar setup to my ignition circuit.
Last edited by Schex; Feb 26, 2013 at 12:16 PM.
Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 2,706
Likes: 14
From: Near Frankenmuth, MI
Get a copy of the service book for your ride and it will save you many times over.
I'm siding with Dr. Hess and feel the failure could be the starter relay.
Your starter solenoid can start the bike fine but could have it's relay function fail, and fail to trigger the starter relay.
Relays and Circuit breakers do wear out and fail. They also become intermittent.
Circuit breakers fail to trip and they fail to reset at the proper amperage. They can also fail to make full contact!
Relays fail to actuate, they fail to release, and their contacts oxidize and fail to make full contact.
I ride, maintain and repair my own '86 Harley. My approach is "If everything is in good working order as it's designed, just fix what needs fixing and avoid cobbling up the factory designed wiring system."
If you want to follow SCHex3x's advice to wire around it and alter your ride's wiring system then it's your decision to make. There are a few that have felt this is the only way to fix their similar issue.
By The Way: Have you fixed the problem yet?
Your starter solenoid can start the bike fine but could have it's relay function fail, and fail to trigger the starter relay.
Relays and Circuit breakers do wear out and fail. They also become intermittent.
Circuit breakers fail to trip and they fail to reset at the proper amperage. They can also fail to make full contact!
Relays fail to actuate, they fail to release, and their contacts oxidize and fail to make full contact.
I ride, maintain and repair my own '86 Harley. My approach is "If everything is in good working order as it's designed, just fix what needs fixing and avoid cobbling up the factory designed wiring system."
If you want to follow SCHex3x's advice to wire around it and alter your ride's wiring system then it's your decision to make. There are a few that have felt this is the only way to fix their similar issue.
By The Way: Have you fixed the problem yet?
Last edited by JohnnyC; Feb 28, 2013 at 11:41 AM. Reason: spelling correction
Jumped the gun a bit, not completely fixed. My turn signals front and rear work and all my gauges but I have NO rear running lights I know they get power because the auxiliary brake lights work and I have rear turn signals. Frustrating as heck, I am fairly confident I remember then glowing when the headlamp was on.
Help
Jesse
Help
Jesse
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