Problem Diagnosing Electrical Issue
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 21,180
Likes: 12,755
From: South Carolina
Unplug the connector for the right side handlebar switches, clip your test light to the positive battery post, probe the terminals that go to the switches, if the light comes on you have found a short to ground.
The issue could also be in the wire that runs between the connector and the ignition coil.
With the connector still unplugged, remove the wire from the coil and do the same test light check (on that wire). If the light comes on, the short is in that wire.
The issue could also be in the wire that runs between the connector and the ignition coil.
With the connector still unplugged, remove the wire from the coil and do the same test light check (on that wire). If the light comes on, the short is in that wire.
Ultimate HDF Member
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 7,101
Likes: 1,013
with the plug to the hand grip disconnected, the wires should be all isolated (nothing to power or ground). Take an ohm meter and check for a short between each wire in the plug and ground (the frame). Don't forget to check each wire with each switch in both positions (remember they loop through the switch) to figure out which side of switch the wire is bad on. Might have to wiggle the wire around to fine the short, but shouldn't be too difficult to find.
Tourer
Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 482
Likes: 0
From: Vancouver
Current draw causes breaker failure. That's why the rating of 15 amps. Constant resetting will weaken the by metal strip. If you can measure the current draw it will tell you why the breaker tripped. Above 12 amps is the upper threshold & should trip.
Advanced
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 93
Likes: 0
From: Gainesville, GA
Wow got me confused
Got to troubleshoot one thing at a time. Got right bar control isolated but then moved to ignition switch and then coil. Hold on a little. I would put right bar control back on and connect with ignition switch disconnected and coil disconnected. Does it work? Then add ignition switch with coil disconnected. You can use any order you want but disconnect one thing at a time. Eliminate that and then restore all and move to the next item. Unlikely you have had two items fail at the same time. If you can get it running check voltage out of regulator. 13.5 to 14. I still think it's in the bar control but could be a shorted coil primary. You'll get it just takes time to test each item and then stop and think about it. Been there and it's not fun.
Thread Starter
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Intermediate
Joined: Oct 2014
Posts: 34
Likes: 1
From: Summerville, SC
*update*
I have reconnected everything as it was, and completely removed the voltage regulator (since I can't get the bike running to test the current on it) and reapplied power to the bike. With the voltage regulator disconnected and everything else exactly as it was, the circuit breaker does not trip. Does that mean my VR is bad? Or does it complete another circuit to additional components that could be tripping the 15A accessory circuit breaker? It only has three wires coming out of it. One is the hot lead, and the other two are connected to male bullets that plug into the Evo motor near the oil filter. I'm pretty sure that runs to my stator and charges my system, right?
I also wanted to reconnect the VR and see if it would still trip the circuit, but like an idiot I didn't mark or remember where I pulled the hot wire to the VR from. lol Does any body know where I pulled it from? Sorry, that was a completely moronic move. I marked every wire before, but I got ahead of myself for some reason this time.
I also wanted to reconnect the VR and see if it would still trip the circuit, but like an idiot I didn't mark or remember where I pulled the hot wire to the VR from. lol Does any body know where I pulled it from? Sorry, that was a completely moronic move. I marked every wire before, but I got ahead of myself for some reason this time.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 21,180
Likes: 12,755
From: South Carolina
We don`t know how your bike is wired, it is a custom....
The Motor Company wires the regulator in between the battery and the ignition switch, sometimes before the main breaker, sometimes after the main breaker, depending on the model year of the bike.
If your voltage regulator was causing the accessory breaker to trip, it would have to be wired in on the output side of the accessory breaker, which would be weird...
Tip: take pics of stuff before you disassemble....digital film is really cheap these days.
The Motor Company wires the regulator in between the battery and the ignition switch, sometimes before the main breaker, sometimes after the main breaker, depending on the model year of the bike.
If your voltage regulator was causing the accessory breaker to trip, it would have to be wired in on the output side of the accessory breaker, which would be weird...
Tip: take pics of stuff before you disassemble....digital film is really cheap these days.
Thread Starter
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Intermediate
Joined: Oct 2014
Posts: 34
Likes: 1
From: Summerville, SC
We don`t know how your bike is wired, it is a custom....
The Motor Company wires the regulator in between the battery and the ignition switch, sometimes before the main breaker, sometimes after the main breaker, depending on the model year of the bike.
If your voltage regulator was causing the accessory breaker to trip, it would have to be wired in on the output side of the accessory breaker, which would be weird...
Tip: take pics of stuff before you disassemble....digital film is really cheap these days.
The Motor Company wires the regulator in between the battery and the ignition switch, sometimes before the main breaker, sometimes after the main breaker, depending on the model year of the bike.
If your voltage regulator was causing the accessory breaker to trip, it would have to be wired in on the output side of the accessory breaker, which would be weird...
Tip: take pics of stuff before you disassemble....digital film is really cheap these days.
I also believe I've found my electrical problem. I started exposing everything again to follow the "diagnose one component at a time" advice, and found a melted wire at my Dynatek 2000i digital ignition. If it's not my problem, whatever is my problem has cooked it I think. But could that trip the accessory breaker? Or is it just a victim?
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 21,180
Likes: 12,755
From: South Carolina
If the ignition is not connected to the accessory breaker, don`t go barking up that tree now, it is not the issue (yet).
Let us know what breaker the ignition is connected to.
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Thread Starter
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Intermediate
Joined: Oct 2014
Posts: 34
Likes: 1
From: Summerville, SC
First determine if the ignition system is connected to the accessory breaker, this would not be common, normally there is a breaker specifically for the ignition system.
If the ignition is not connected to the accessory breaker, don`t go barking up that tree now, it is not the issue (yet).
Let us know what breaker the ignition is connected to.
If the ignition is not connected to the accessory breaker, don`t go barking up that tree now, it is not the issue (yet).
Let us know what breaker the ignition is connected to.
Confused yet? lol
Inside the frame, that 16 ga white wire with a thick black stripe gets connected to a 14 ga orange wire along with a blue wire, an orange wire, and an orange w/white stripe wire. There are 2 other orange wires of the same gauge that connect to my ignition switch. When those 3 orange wires come out of the frame under the seat, 2 run to the accessory breaker and 1 runs to the main breaker.
I can keep pulling and following wires if I need to, just let me know which ones I need to chase.
I think it's also noteworthy that there is a circuit board connected to the wiring harness that only seems to connect to brake lights, turn signals and my headlight. It also has a ground wire but it also has a blue wire that isn't running to anything. It's a clean cut with no evidence of tape or heat shrink around it, so I think it got cut by the mechanic who started chasing this before I told him to stop four hours into a diagnosis. $85/hr was killing me and he still had no idea what the problem was, so I figured I couldn't do any worse. lol
Last edited by Damien Bessent; Oct 12, 2014 at 12:49 PM.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 21,180
Likes: 12,755
From: South Carolina
You still haven`t told us if you checked for a short to ground in the handlebar control wiring.
Use an ohmmeter and follow the suggestion in post #5, or use a test light as I suggested in post #11.
Here is how an OEM handlebar control switch is wired:
The gray wire is the power supply for the ignition, it runs from the ignition breaker, through the connector at the handlebar then into the kill switch.
When the kill switch is set to run, the power comes out of the switch via the white/black wire.
The white/black wire has a leg that runs to the start switch.*
The white/black wire then runs to the connector, after the connector it runs to the ignition coil and then the ignition module.
*The wire coming out of the start switch is black/red, it runs from the start switch to the starter relay.
Use an ohmmeter and follow the suggestion in post #5, or use a test light as I suggested in post #11.
Here is how an OEM handlebar control switch is wired:
The gray wire is the power supply for the ignition, it runs from the ignition breaker, through the connector at the handlebar then into the kill switch.
When the kill switch is set to run, the power comes out of the switch via the white/black wire.
The white/black wire has a leg that runs to the start switch.*
The white/black wire then runs to the connector, after the connector it runs to the ignition coil and then the ignition module.
*The wire coming out of the start switch is black/red, it runs from the start switch to the starter relay.