1988 FXSTC Problems
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Intermediate
Joined: Oct 2012
Posts: 40
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From: Dallas, Texas
1988 FXSTC Problems
Hey guys/gals,
Got a 1988 FXSTC that has been giving me fits lately. I took it for a ride the other day after it had sat for a couple months during the winter and move, and it ran great! Then three days later my wife and I take it for a ride down about 20 mins on highway about 20 mins down A1A in Florida and another 20 or so mins back on the highway back to the house. I never got it above 70 on highway and never about 45 on A1A. We exit the highway pull onto our street and the bike starts sputtering and loses all electrical and engine power. I turned the kill switch to off and the ign switch to off and after about 2 minutes I hear a "click" the sound a circuit breaker makes after it has been cooled down and reset. The noise came from below the seat so I believe it was the main circuit breaker that tripped. After 2 mins, all electrical power came back and I was able to start the bike and make it home. I thought maybe I pushed it to hard and may have overheated the bike causing the Main CB to trip especially with two people on a softail so I took it out again and ran the same route, same speed just without the wife this time and the exact same thing happened again. Bike ran awesome on highway, on A1A, again on highway abut as soon as I got off the highway and pulled into our neighborhood, same thing happened!
Sorry for the long post just wanted to give as much details as possible. I don't know where I should start to problem solve?
I made sure all connections to battery were tight and secure.
Please help!
Got a 1988 FXSTC that has been giving me fits lately. I took it for a ride the other day after it had sat for a couple months during the winter and move, and it ran great! Then three days later my wife and I take it for a ride down about 20 mins on highway about 20 mins down A1A in Florida and another 20 or so mins back on the highway back to the house. I never got it above 70 on highway and never about 45 on A1A. We exit the highway pull onto our street and the bike starts sputtering and loses all electrical and engine power. I turned the kill switch to off and the ign switch to off and after about 2 minutes I hear a "click" the sound a circuit breaker makes after it has been cooled down and reset. The noise came from below the seat so I believe it was the main circuit breaker that tripped. After 2 mins, all electrical power came back and I was able to start the bike and make it home. I thought maybe I pushed it to hard and may have overheated the bike causing the Main CB to trip especially with two people on a softail so I took it out again and ran the same route, same speed just without the wife this time and the exact same thing happened again. Bike ran awesome on highway, on A1A, again on highway abut as soon as I got off the highway and pulled into our neighborhood, same thing happened!
Sorry for the long post just wanted to give as much details as possible. I don't know where I should start to problem solve?
I made sure all connections to battery were tight and secure.
Please help!
Tourer
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 306
Likes: 7
From: Somewhere, PA
I saw that you made sure the connections at the batter were tight, but might also want to make sure the negative connection to the frame is also tight - and that both are clean and free of corrosion. A bad connection can play into what you're seeing and any wires that are shorting out against the frame/etc can trip a circuit breaker in a heartbeat...
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 15,705
Likes: 22,718
From: Farmington ,MS
Really bad idea...could cause a meltdown or fire...you might try replacing the 30 amp with a new 30 amp...could be weak or damaged....but most likely you have a corroded connection somewhere that is causing added resistance, tripping the breaker
Last edited by Tom84FXST; Mar 3, 2014 at 04:33 PM.
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Intermediate
Joined: Oct 2012
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From: Dallas, Texas
Ok won't do that ha, but do you think it could be from the excessive heat coming from the oil pan/engine where the main CB is coated?
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Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 15,705
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From: Farmington ,MS
Don't think so...it worked there for the last 26 years
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Intermediate
Joined: Oct 2012
Posts: 40
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From: Dallas, Texas
I feel that it does have something to do with heat. When it has a lot of air to cool it down when I'm riding on the highway it runs like a top but as soon as exit the highway and the amount of airflow reduces with the heat staying the same, it trips the CB....