Arcing On Ground Strap At Engine Case
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1st Gear
Joined: Oct 2013
Posts: 5
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From: Georgia
Arcing On Ground Strap At Engine Case
On my 2012 Iron, I'm getting some arcing when I start the bike in an unexpected place. To describe the behavior, I charged my battery up to full charge according to my tender. Put key (with fob) into the ignition, and turned it on. I get full lights, all seems normal. When I push the start switch to start the bike, I can hear the starter first try to turn over, then all the lights go out and nothing else happens until a few seconds later when the lights come back on. Given the behavior, I assumed a bad ground. I pulled the main fuse and battery, cleaned everything up with sandpaper and a light coat of electrical grease, reinstalled and got the same behavior. It was on this second try after cleaning that I happened to noticed arcing / sparks where the ground strap is bolted to the engine case. It does NOT occur at the battery terminals. I traced the ground strap for spots where the cable might have rubbed and made contact with metal, which I found none. The bolt head on the ground strap where it connects to the engine case looks super clean and its in good shape from looking at it with a good light down inside the bike. No external signs of corrosion, only some slightly blackened areas I assume from where the arcing occurs. Any help to troubleshoot would be greatly appreciated. I'm scratching my head here.
Tourer
Joined: Aug 2014
Posts: 289
Likes: 79
From: Nashville, Tennessee
I would "guess" that where it's arcing does not have a good ground. Remove the cable, clean everything up, be sure everything is tight and try again. Other than that, I got nothing.
On my 2012 Iron, I'm getting some arcing when I start the bike in an unexpected place. To describe the behavior, I charged my battery up to full charge according to my tender. Put key (with fob) into the ignition, and turned it on. I get full lights, all seems normal. When I push the start switch to start the bike, I can hear the starter first try to turn over, then all the lights go out and nothing else happens until a few seconds later when the lights come back on. Given the behavior, I assumed a bad ground. I pulled the main fuse and battery, cleaned everything up with sandpaper and a light coat of electrical grease, reinstalled and got the same behavior. It was on this second try after cleaning that I happened to noticed arcing / sparks where the ground strap is bolted to the engine case. It does NOT occur at the battery terminals. I traced the ground strap for spots where the cable might have rubbed and made contact with metal, which I found none. The bolt head on the ground strap where it connects to the engine case looks super clean and its in good shape from looking at it with a good light down inside the bike. No external signs of corrosion, only some slightly blackened areas I assume from where the arcing occurs. Any help to troubleshoot would be greatly appreciated. I'm scratching my head here.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 21,129
Likes: 12,691
From: South Carolina
You have a poor electrical connection, that is why there is arcing.
Disassemble the connection, clean it until it is nice and shiny.
Re install battery cables following the procedure in the factory service manual.
Disassemble the connection, clean it until it is nice and shiny.
Re install battery cables following the procedure in the factory service manual.
Last edited by Dan89FLSTC; Mar 18, 2019 at 01:49 PM.
Road Warrior
Joined: Jul 2013
Posts: 1,649
Likes: 443
From: Indianapolis
Remove the battery ground cable at the ground stud on the engine.
Make sure the battery cable is clean.
Remove the stud from the engine case. Make sure the threads are clean on the stud and in the engine case.
Reinstall the stud. Reinstall the negative battery cable and nut. Torque Spec 55-75 in-lbs (6.2-8.5 Nm).
Make sure the battery cable is clean.
Remove the stud from the engine case. Make sure the threads are clean on the stud and in the engine case.
Reinstall the stud. Reinstall the negative battery cable and nut. Torque Spec 55-75 in-lbs (6.2-8.5 Nm).
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Sep 2017
Posts: 12,233
Likes: 4,943
From: England
As the ground from the battery goes to the engine there is also a ground strap under the bike joining the engine to the frame or vice versa.
I guess that's what you put Ranger?
I guess that's what you put Ranger?
Last edited by Andy from Sandy; Mar 19, 2019 at 07:50 AM.
Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 3,126
Likes: 550
From: Springfield, IL
Check under the insulation at the connection, they vibrate and the wire breaks but looks fine till you look under the insulation.
See here: https://www.hdforums.com/forum/gener...ry-cables.html
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Tourer
Joined: Feb 2015
Posts: 311
Likes: 52
From: Virginia Beach, VA
Loss of Power
I had the same symptoms. I had lights when I turned the key on, then hit the start button, and hear a snap, and then nothing, no power. Later, I would have power again, but same thing when I hit the start button. I chased this for a couple of weeks. Replaced the battery, starter relay, main circuit breaker, took the starter out and bench tested it. Then while doing some testing, I decided to slit the sleeve on the positive battery cable, and when I did this the end of it just fell off. It had been arcing there for a long time, but I couldn't see it because of the plastic sleeve over it. I had gone over the grounds many times, but the positive cable looked fine, and I had cleaned and lubed the connections over and over. The problem was right at the crimp where the cable connected to the starter.
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Club Member
Joined: Sep 2010
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From: Beyond Fucital
But except for what gets the ground first, the principle is the same. You should not be SEEING any arching.
Last edited by RANGER73; Mar 19, 2019 at 01:27 PM.
Thread Starter
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1st Gear
Joined: Oct 2013
Posts: 5
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From: Georgia
Really appreciate all the help you guys! That bolt on the engine case on these 2012 Irons is super hard to get to. Can't quite get on it with the tools I have well enough to get it off without rounding the head. Swivel socket I have is too wide to fit between the starter and bolt. Good excuse for a trip to hardware store. As soon as I get it out, I'll post some pictures. I'll also go over all the cable connections pictured and mentioned. Hadn't even thought to look under the sheath on the cables for tears/breakages.