2001 Softail Classic Starting issues electrical
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1st Gear
Joined: Aug 2010
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From: Los Angeles and Phoenix
2001 Softail Classic Starting issues electrical
I took my bike for a rid and has never had this issue before. went to dinner and went to fire up my bike. I turned on the ignition and the lights came on the fuel pump pressurized the line and pusshed the starter and heard the click of the starter cylinoide and then all power to the bike seamed to disappear and if a battery lead came off which wasn't the case.
Turned the ignition switch to accessory and the panel lights came on, back to ignition and nothing. when I flipped it back and forth a couple more times the power came back on and I tried to start the bike and the same problem.... click and the power appeared to be dead.
Road side i pulled the seat and started checking fuses, battery leads, and the relays. pulled the battery out all together to see if I could find a short or disconnected wire but nothing.
pulled one fuse at a time to see if I could find an issue and what i found was when i pulled the light fuse and spedo and panel lights came on. the starter relay starter buzzing. Put the fuse back in and the buzzing stopped. and the lights went off too.
Turned the ignition off and back on and the and the panel lights came on hit the starter and "click and all the lights sent off" flipped the ignition switch back and forth and couple times and the lights came back on.
Spent about an hour in the dark trying to figure it out and had no luck. decided to try and get lights on and bump it. It was a bit of work but it fired right up bump starting it.
On my way home it was running fine and I found myself at the top of a hill so i figured I would see if I could turn it off and fire it back up and if not at least I had the hill to help. no surprise it wouldnt fire and the power went dead again. turned the ignition off took and moment and turned it back on. bump started it and rode home.
Anyone know what it may be? Sure could use a hand in figuring this one out.
Turned the ignition switch to accessory and the panel lights came on, back to ignition and nothing. when I flipped it back and forth a couple more times the power came back on and I tried to start the bike and the same problem.... click and the power appeared to be dead.
Road side i pulled the seat and started checking fuses, battery leads, and the relays. pulled the battery out all together to see if I could find a short or disconnected wire but nothing.
pulled one fuse at a time to see if I could find an issue and what i found was when i pulled the light fuse and spedo and panel lights came on. the starter relay starter buzzing. Put the fuse back in and the buzzing stopped. and the lights went off too.
Turned the ignition off and back on and the and the panel lights came on hit the starter and "click and all the lights sent off" flipped the ignition switch back and forth and couple times and the lights came back on.
Spent about an hour in the dark trying to figure it out and had no luck. decided to try and get lights on and bump it. It was a bit of work but it fired right up bump starting it.
On my way home it was running fine and I found myself at the top of a hill so i figured I would see if I could turn it off and fire it back up and if not at least I had the hill to help. no surprise it wouldnt fire and the power went dead again. turned the ignition off took and moment and turned it back on. bump started it and rode home.
Anyone know what it may be? Sure could use a hand in figuring this one out.
Thread Starter
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1st Gear
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 5
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From: Los Angeles and Phoenix
Tried checking it this morning with an Ohm meter and it seams as if my ohm meter may be busted. tried reading it off my bike and then my truck was acting wacky.
going off the bad battery theory and tried to jump the bike off my truck when I connected the jumpers and tried to start the bike the power didn't die like last night however there wasn't enough juice to crank it over.
let it sit for a couple min hoping it would take a bit of a charge and went to try and fire it up again and still not enough to crank it over even jumped off my 875cc amp truck battery.
Is it really possible that the battery is that bad where it pulling that much power and not letting me turn the bike over?
the battery is about 6-9 month old there is no swelling has a lead issue a while back and melted one of the lead post a bit. other then that the battery had any problems.
going off the bad battery theory and tried to jump the bike off my truck when I connected the jumpers and tried to start the bike the power didn't die like last night however there wasn't enough juice to crank it over.
let it sit for a couple min hoping it would take a bit of a charge and went to try and fire it up again and still not enough to crank it over even jumped off my 875cc amp truck battery.
Is it really possible that the battery is that bad where it pulling that much power and not letting me turn the bike over?
the battery is about 6-9 month old there is no swelling has a lead issue a while back and melted one of the lead post a bit. other then that the battery had any problems.
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Joined: Mar 2010
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From: Honah Lee
Pull battery completely out. Recharge it 24 hours and carry it to autozone and let them do a free load test on it. If it passes Ok. Put it back in and hook your DC volt meter up to it and watch it as it cranks (hopefully) After starting rev it to about 2000 and volts should read about slightly less then 15. Should be OK. Cables tend to get loose from vibration from rough roads.
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1st Gear
Joined: Aug 2010
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From: Los Angeles and Phoenix
pulled the battery out checked the grounds and the positive lead to the starter. All are good and solid. I took the battery to a shop and had it tested and its fully charged and no issues. the ground is solid and has a good ground. The positive lead is also good. I tried using another positive lead and the same issue.
I bump started the bike and while it was running I hit the starter while i hate that oops sound of the starter engaging while the engine is running at least it tell me that the starter is turning freely.
shut the bike off and tried to start it with the starter and "click and power to the bike turned off" pulled the light fuse and lights came on put it back in and lights off. turned the ignition to off and on again and the bike powered back up fuel pump came on and pushed the starter once again " click and same thing...
Any other thoughts
I bump started the bike and while it was running I hit the starter while i hate that oops sound of the starter engaging while the engine is running at least it tell me that the starter is turning freely.
shut the bike off and tried to start it with the starter and "click and power to the bike turned off" pulled the light fuse and lights came on put it back in and lights off. turned the ignition to off and on again and the bike powered back up fuel pump came on and pushed the starter once again " click and same thing...
Any other thoughts
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Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Mar 2010
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From: Honah Lee
Appears you starter contact in the soleniod is bad. Don't try that check on the starter with engine running. You need to carry it to a professional.
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Thread Starter
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1st Gear
Joined: Aug 2010
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From: Los Angeles and Phoenix
The starter contact in the solenoid going bad would trip the barker? because when I try to start the bike the 30amp breaker seams to be tripping and I am going to figure thats why the power seams to be going off after I push the starter button.
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1st Gear
Joined: Aug 2010
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From: Los Angeles and Phoenix
Well I have dug and checked as much as I am willing to do at the moment. IE checked the obvious cables loose wires and bad grounds.
Read a couple post where people had similar issues which lead them to bad circuit breaker.
I am going to bite the bullet and take it to the dealership.....
will let you all know what it turns out to be.
thank you for all the input.
Read a couple post where people had similar issues which lead them to bad circuit breaker.
I am going to bite the bullet and take it to the dealership.....
will let you all know what it turns out to be.
thank you for all the input.