Sportster 98 electrical problem
Thread Starter
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6th Gear
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 12
Likes: 0
From: Brussels - Belgium
Sportster 98 electrical problem
Somebody help please?
I bought a '98 Sportster 1200C, perfect condition, but battery was death (has not run for over a year)
So I put in a new battery.
With the key on "Accesoires" everything is working (speedometerlight, digital odometer, turning lights, head and tail light, brake light, horn, ...)
When I put it on "ingition", I can start her up (no problem at all), headlight stays on, high beam is working, but all the rest is death, no more turningsignals, no more horn, no more tail light, no more brake light, no more speedometer, no more .... nothing! exept a perfect running engine.
I am a newbee on Harley, so I don't know where to start looking.
Anyone who has some advise?
ps: sorry for my bad english, I'll do my best.
greetings from Belgium
I bought a '98 Sportster 1200C, perfect condition, but battery was death (has not run for over a year)
So I put in a new battery.
With the key on "Accesoires" everything is working (speedometerlight, digital odometer, turning lights, head and tail light, brake light, horn, ...)
When I put it on "ingition", I can start her up (no problem at all), headlight stays on, high beam is working, but all the rest is death, no more turningsignals, no more horn, no more tail light, no more brake light, no more speedometer, no more .... nothing! exept a perfect running engine.
I am a newbee on Harley, so I don't know where to start looking.
Anyone who has some advise?
ps: sorry for my bad english, I'll do my best.
greetings from Belgium
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 11,068
Likes: 1,477
From: Texas! Ya mean there's someplace else?
RE: Sportster 98 electrical problem
You need to get a manual with a wiring diagram. Or take a shot and look at the connections on the switch, might be somethin' really simple.
Road Warrior
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 1,281
Likes: 8
From:
RE: Sportster 98 electrical problem
I'd check the fuses first then check the condition of the jumper wire on the back of the ignition switch to see if it is corroded or broken. Then I would use a jumper wire from the POS of the battery to the output (lights) on the switch to see if the lights come on. If they do , you have a bad ignition switch.
Thread Starter
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6th Gear
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 12
Likes: 0
From: Brussels - Belgium
RE: Sportster 98 electrical problem
Hello guy's,
Thanks for the advise, I have been looking to all those things, fuses ok, wires ok, ignition switch seems to be ok becorse in "accesories" eveything is is working, in "ignition" headlight works fine and the engine is firing up. A friend tolt me to make a "bridge" between the two outputs on the ignition switch. Anyone with experience?
Like to hear what you guy's think of this sollution?
Thanks!
Thanks for the advise, I have been looking to all those things, fuses ok, wires ok, ignition switch seems to be ok becorse in "accesories" eveything is is working, in "ignition" headlight works fine and the engine is firing up. A friend tolt me to make a "bridge" between the two outputs on the ignition switch. Anyone with experience?
Like to hear what you guy's think of this sollution?
Thanks!
Road Captain
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 583
Likes: 5
From: Maine
RE: Sportster 98 electrical problem
My thoughts on the "bridge". If the bike didn't come with it and it worked before then why do you need it now to make the bike work?
If you "bridge" the acc and ignition and it does resolve the problem, it is just a work around and the problem is not fixed.
I still believe your problem is in the ignition switch but again that is only a guess. You should troubleshoot the problem with the Factory Service manual rather than guess. JMO.
Good luck
If you "bridge" the acc and ignition and it does resolve the problem, it is just a work around and the problem is not fixed.
I still believe your problem is in the ignition switch but again that is only a guess. You should troubleshoot the problem with the Factory Service manual rather than guess. JMO.
Good luck
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Thread Starter
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6th Gear
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 12
Likes: 0
From: Brussels - Belgium
RE: Sportster 98 electrical problem
Problem solved!
Today I got my Service and Repair manual (Haynes) and I checked up the whole electrical wiring.
I had a bad contact in the fusebox. Found It!! Once repaired, there was nothing changed. [sm=boohoo.gif]So I had to keep on looking for the real problem.
I found it in the ignition switch. When I put it on IGN, the engine fires up, electricity is not working. When I play whit the key while moving it a verry little bit to the left, I found out that everything seems to work!
Bad contact in the ignision switch!
Eassy to find if you know where to start looking.
With the wiring diagram in the hand, checking every wire, every contact and every possible error, now I know that at the end you will find the problem!
Thanks for the advise!
@Springer, the bridge resolved the problem, but indeed, it didn't fixed the reason for the problem. Now the problem is fixed, without the bridge. Thanks for helping me out.
Greetings from Belgium.
btw, my bike is fixed, now I only have to fix the weather
. I gess the only thing I can do is preparing it for storage during winter. Hope it will be springtime verry soon.
Today I got my Service and Repair manual (Haynes) and I checked up the whole electrical wiring.
I had a bad contact in the fusebox. Found It!! Once repaired, there was nothing changed. [sm=boohoo.gif]So I had to keep on looking for the real problem.
I found it in the ignition switch. When I put it on IGN, the engine fires up, electricity is not working. When I play whit the key while moving it a verry little bit to the left, I found out that everything seems to work!
Bad contact in the ignision switch!
Eassy to find if you know where to start looking.
With the wiring diagram in the hand, checking every wire, every contact and every possible error, now I know that at the end you will find the problem!
Thanks for the advise!
@Springer, the bridge resolved the problem, but indeed, it didn't fixed the reason for the problem. Now the problem is fixed, without the bridge. Thanks for helping me out.
Greetings from Belgium.
btw, my bike is fixed, now I only have to fix the weather
. I gess the only thing I can do is preparing it for storage during winter. Hope it will be springtime verry soon.
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