Starting problem 1987 FLHTP
I had already cleaned the contacts on the 30A circuit and replaced the hot wire from the relay to the circuit breaker and from the circuit breaker to the solenoid but it still had a big voltage drop. As soon as I removed the regulator lead from the circuit breaker the the bike started immediately with only a 1.5 volt drop. With the ohm meter on the lead from the regulator it showed no resistance between the lead and ground so I replaced the regulator and the bike fired up right away. The circuit breaker has a copper post and a steel post and Harley puts a paper in the box with the new regulator stating that they used to put the regulator wire onto the copper post but it should be moved to the steel post so that the regulator will be protected in case of a short. My regulator wire was on the copper post so I when I installed the new regulator I made sure the lead went on the steel post of the circuit breaker. Last year when it was intermittent starting I checked a couple times for battery leakage and it always showed 0 currrent so i ruled it out, I am going to assume at this point that either the diode was leaking or the reg was not charging because something in the reg was intermittant. It sure is hard to find something that is intermittent but changing the regulator solved it for me. No hesitation now when I push the starter button and it turns over faster then it used to, I measured the voltage drop last year using the old regulator and it was 3.5 volts, sometimes more, with the new reg it is on 1.5 volts. I agree that the reg is not part of the starting system but it looks like the starting system can be affected by a bad regulator, does that seem plausible?
The regulator may be connected to the breaker, but it is NOT part of the starting circuit. The problem was a bad connection at that point, not the regulator.
The starting circuit goes from the battery to the solenoid, across the contacts in the solenoid to the motor, through the starter case and back to the negative post on the battery.
It does not go through the regulator. Save your money.
The starting circuit goes from the battery to the solenoid, across the contacts in the solenoid to the motor, through the starter case and back to the negative post on the battery.
It does not go through the regulator. Save your money.
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A regulator that is shorted to ground would exhibit other symptoms, like a discharging battery. But the OP did not mention a battery problem.
But after reading the explanations I do agree now that the regulator could have caused the issue (ha, this old dog just learned a new trick).
But after reading the explanations I do agree now that the regulator could have caused the issue (ha, this old dog just learned a new trick).
Last edited by Dan89FLSTC; Mar 30, 2014 at 07:23 AM.
The important thing is I got it running again, I was getting pretty frustrated and just had to stop and think things through. I learned a lot though, I can make an assumption and that can lead me down the wrong path and cost a lot of lost time & money. Oh well, at least I know a bit more then I did a month ago! Lots of bikes out today, it was sunny and a balmy 50 deg but at least spring appears top be just around the corner! Ride safe all!
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