New Battery, No Power
Thread Starter
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Cruiser
Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 231
Likes: 13
From: Ontario, Canada
New Battery, No Power
Well I just bought a 74 xlch last tuesday and it was running good except I needed to boost the battery everytime to get it going. So this week I went to canadian tire and purchased a new battery. I got it all hooked up last night, turned on the key, the lights and everything came on but when I went around to start it there were some sparks and actually some minor flames coming from behind the battery/ bosch regulator. I didn't see exactly where it was because I started to panic a little to get it out......
Now I have no power at all, I've checked the battery and it's still good. Any help would be great guys!!
Thanks Matt
Now I have no power at all, I've checked the battery and it's still good. Any help would be great guys!!
Thanks Matt
Last edited by HD_Matt; Sep 11, 2012 at 02:13 PM.
Stellar HDF Member
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 2,553
Likes: 13
From: Sussex, South of England
No need to oanic!
Sounds to me like your negative cable to the frame sits a little loose. Take the battery out again and check the wiring there. A loose cable or wire can do a lot of damage. The voltage on a bike is low but the current is high enough to set fire to the cabling and cause a lot of money drain.
Sounds to me like your negative cable to the frame sits a little loose. Take the battery out again and check the wiring there. A loose cable or wire can do a lot of damage. The voltage on a bike is low but the current is high enough to set fire to the cabling and cause a lot of money drain.
Last edited by Scaredofrain; Sep 11, 2012 at 02:07 PM.
Thread Starter
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Cruiser
Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 231
Likes: 13
From: Ontario, Canada
Also important. The wire going from just outside my regulator to the frame burned up. Just noticed during my inspection. Would the positive battery cable of touched this and cause my problem?
Stellar HDF Member
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 2,553
Likes: 13
From: Sussex, South of England
It's been a long time since I had an XLH Matt so I'm gonna have to leave the specifics of your bike to those that know them and their cable layout better than I do. I'm sure the guys will be able to help you soon.
Tourer
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 481
Likes: 2
From: Minnesota
When I bought my ironhead I made new cables for the battery and replaced all of the terminal ends on all the other wires that connect to the regulator. Don't have a starter, so that eliminates a lot of other connections for me.
Last edited by Blackcherry Low; Sep 11, 2012 at 03:44 PM.
This is an XLCH so no electric start. Be systematic. Is there 12 volts at the battery? Follow any wire from the battery to whereever, probably to a circuit breaker. Should be 12 volts there. Etc. Just follow the wires.
It helps to have a wire diagram. There are good ones in the FSM, Haynes and Clymer. Haynes has good color coded diagrams.
Especially there should be 12 volts at one side of the ignition coil - this is usually a white wire coming from the RUN switch. The other side has a wire from the points [or from an electronic ignition if the bike has been upgraded].
With a stock dual fire coil it does not matter which side is which - one side gets the 12 volts, the other gets the signal from the points/module.
It helps to have a wire diagram. There are good ones in the FSM, Haynes and Clymer. Haynes has good color coded diagrams.
Especially there should be 12 volts at one side of the ignition coil - this is usually a white wire coming from the RUN switch. The other side has a wire from the points [or from an electronic ignition if the bike has been upgraded].
With a stock dual fire coil it does not matter which side is which - one side gets the 12 volts, the other gets the signal from the points/module.
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Stellar HDF Member
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 3,035
Likes: 17
From: Houston Texas
You replaced the burned wires and say you have 'nothing.'
What do you mean by 'nothing?'
Do you have lights?
Do you have a working horn?
Do you have 12V to one side of the coil?
Does a volt meter placed on your battery posts read 12V or higher?
pg
What do you mean by 'nothing?'
Do you have lights?
Do you have a working horn?
Do you have 12V to one side of the coil?
Does a volt meter placed on your battery posts read 12V or higher?
pg
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Thread Starter
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Cruiser
Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 231
Likes: 13
From: Ontario, Canada
Hey guys, when I say I have nothing I mean no horn, no lights, nothing at all....
I hooked up the voltmeter and checked the ignition coil, it's reading middle-high 12's. I checked all my circuit breakers, they are reading the same as the coil, I checked the wire i replaced and it's good. Checked at the ignition itself and it's all good.
I'm sure if one of you guys were here you could figure it out in a second, but not me. Thanks for the help so far, I will get this sooner or later.
I hooked up the voltmeter and checked the ignition coil, it's reading middle-high 12's. I checked all my circuit breakers, they are reading the same as the coil, I checked the wire i replaced and it's good. Checked at the ignition itself and it's all good.
I'm sure if one of you guys were here you could figure it out in a second, but not me. Thanks for the help so far, I will get this sooner or later.
Stellar HDF Member
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 3,035
Likes: 17
From: Houston Texas
Hey guys, when I say I have nothing I mean no horn, no lights, nothing at all....
I hooked up the voltmeter and checked the ignition coil, it's reading middle-high 12's. I checked all my circuit breakers, they are reading the same as the coil, I checked the wire i replaced and it's good. Checked at the ignition itself and it's all good.
I'm sure if one of you guys were here you could figure it out in a second, but not me. Thanks for the help so far, I will get this sooner or later.
I hooked up the voltmeter and checked the ignition coil, it's reading middle-high 12's. I checked all my circuit breakers, they are reading the same as the coil, I checked the wire i replaced and it's good. Checked at the ignition itself and it's all good.
I'm sure if one of you guys were here you could figure it out in a second, but not me. Thanks for the help so far, I will get this sooner or later.
So the circuit breakers are suspect.
You have 12V going in to the CB's but how about coming out?
If your meter reads 12V on the outlet side of the circuit breaker then the CB is good and if it is the lighting CB then you should have lights.
The only thing that could prevent light is if another wire has burned in to or all of the light bulbs are burned out.
Highly likely to not be the case.
This leaves you the task of checking every wiring circuit from the battery to it's end point using your multimeter.
Have a wiring diagram on hand and color it out as you proceed on the different circuits.
As you complete checking a run of wire from say the battery to the ignition switch and all points show 12V then that circuit is OK so color it out.
This way you know what you have checked and what remains to be checked.
pg