I'm on a trip at Quantico Marine Corp base in Va for my Units reunion. A 200 mile trip from home. on the trip down this morning, two or three times my bike shut off momentarily and then came right back on. This was a total power loss, radio clock time messed up, everything. BTW, bike is a 2010 Screamin Eagle Ultra.

After I got here and doing some riding around, this happened several more times, but power did not come right back on as it did the previous times before. Drifted over to the side of the road. No power at all, tack and speedo were even stuck at the speed and rpm they were at when the power went out. I do have a PC-V plugged into the ECM and have never had any problem with it. As I started moving some wires near the ECM around and the power came on. So I'm wondering if there might be a short in the ECM wiring. So a while later, power loss again. So pull the seat and move just the PC-V and power does not come on. SLide my hand down infront of the left side of the battery and power comes back on.

Now the battery terminals are tight so that's not it. I am afraid to mess too deep into this cause I don't want to cause a total failure of this sporadic short as I need to ride back home tomorrow.

Any idea as to what might be shorting out to cause this power loss?


So I was really putting some thought into this and that my accessories were attached to the battery post. Meaning like my airhorn and LED Accent lights. So I turned them on and rode for a while until the bike went dead again. When it went dead the accent lights and horn would not work either. So I knew then it had nothing to do with the ground wire on the starter or any of the bike wiring. I felt for sure at this point that the battery had a internal short and was causing this problem. So I stopped at the Harley dealership and even though they kept stressing about checking ground wires I shook my head and said give me a battery. Installed the new battery in the parking lot and headed back toward Pennsylvania and not one lick of problems. So there we have found a different way batteries can malfunction. Thanks to all for the input.

 

Check main fuse and clean any corrosion that may be in there. Try deforming the legs just a tad as you reinsert it.

 

Since you touched the battery and power came on you need to check the connection at the ground.

 

Ignition switch

 

I would unplug the PC-V .. start isolating components.

 

Sounds like a loose connection on the battery-negative side.

This would explain not only the loss of power, but the loss of the clock as well -- almost as if you momentarily disconnected the battery and then re-connected it.

I've read reports from others that sometimes the grounding strap cable to the frame works loose -- enough to cause momentary losses of power such as you're experiencing.

I would first check the battery connections, and try to trace the path of the negative cable. Somewhere there is also a connection to establish ground on the frame -- check that, too. Also check were these cables may "rub against" the frame.

Sometimes these are heat-related -- bike runs ok when cold, but when it gets warmed up to normal operating temperatures, the gremlins appear. Could be a "weak connection" opening/closing on you….

 

I think you had your hand on it..could be the post is broken but there is a difference between tight and an electrical connection when power is going off and on. Did you undo the connections completely and reconnect? Usually it's the simple maintenance type issues. Could be the battery is so low, the least resistance is lowering voltage so low components that want 12.7 volt are saying, "I will not work with 9.7 volts."

 

Some good things to check out guys. I'll look for the simple before I head home and hopefully not be thumbing along the interstate somewhere. Just glad this is Giving me a chance to find the problem rather than just shorting it out. Those Intermatic problems can be a bear to track down. Any other hints Fellows-feel free to post them

 

Yeah it sounds like you pretty much found the problem ! You just need to finish!

 

UPDATE. PROBLEM FOUND AND SOLVED. STRANGE BUT TRUE.

So I was really putting some thought into this and that my accessories were attached to the battery post. Meaning like my airhorn and LED Accent lights. So I turned them on and rode for a while until the bike went dead again. When it went dead the accent lights and horn would not work either. So I knew then it had nothing to do with the ground wire on the starter or any of the bike wiring. I felt for sure at this point that the battery had a internal short and was causing this problem. So I stopped at the Harley dealership and even though they kept stressing about checking ground wires I shook my head and said give me a battery. Installed the new battery in the parking lot and headed back toward Pennsylvania and not one lick of problems. So there we have found a different way batteries can malfunction. Thanks to all for the input.