Touring Models Road King, Road King Custom, Road King Classic, Road Glide, Street Glide, Electra Glide, Electra Glide Classic, and Electra Glide Ultra Classic bikes.
Sponsored by:
Sponsored by:

Battery tender lead not working... Easy fix

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
  #1  
Old 11-21-2015, 08:29 PM
sonar_chris's Avatar
sonar_chris
sonar_chris is offline
Outstanding HDF Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: San Diego
Posts: 2,780
Likes: 0
Received 5 Likes on 5 Posts
Default Battery tender lead not working... Easy fix

So just getting back from deployment a couple of weeks ago, my battery was dead when the movers delivered my bike to the house. Well my buddy tried hooking up my battery tender and it wouldn't work. So I finally got around to looking at it today and to my surprise, the 2014 (and above I assume) touring bikes have the battery tender harness wired into the bikes electrical system.

I was expecting to find the pigtail screwed to the battery terminals like my last 2 bikes, with a fuse in line on the pig tail. Well that wasn't the case. So out comes the manual, and for the life of me, I couldn't find what I was looking for. So I figured that the fuse for the pigtail had to be in the left side fuse block but I didn't know which one. Out comes the colt meter to do a continuity check. By the way, it's been a while since I had to change a fuse so I was a little surprised to find exposed metal studs on the back side of the fuse for easy no removal testing of fuses. Well I found that the P&A 20amp fuse was blow. I replaced it with the spare located in the fuse block and all was good again. So if your battery tender isn't working, check the P&A fuse.
 
  #2  
Old 11-21-2015, 08:31 PM
From_Behind's Avatar
From_Behind
From_Behind is offline
Club Member

Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Columbus, Ohio
Posts: 6,386
Received 893 Likes on 513 Posts
Default

You're ahead of the game already. A lot of dealers employees don't even know that the Rushmore bikes have a Tender lead pre-installed!
 
  #3  
Old 11-22-2015, 01:35 AM
mkguitar's Avatar
mkguitar
mkguitar is offline
Extreme HDF Member
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Phoenix '53, '88, '09 Big Twins
Posts: 14,746
Received 393 Likes on 335 Posts
Default

examine the blowed fuse.

if the fuse material is blowed and spattered with black carbon traces, that indicates at some time there was a short circuit. ( and you need to be aware that there may be a rubbed through wire somewhere on that circuit)

if the material has merely sagged and parted, that is the result of an overload.

replacement fuses are available with an led which will light up if the fuse blows...pretty handy

mike
 
  #4  
Old 11-22-2015, 09:29 AM
sonar_chris's Avatar
sonar_chris
sonar_chris is offline
Outstanding HDF Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: San Diego
Posts: 2,780
Likes: 0
Received 5 Likes on 5 Posts
Default

I think the problem was that my wife plugged in the battery tender to the wall outlet first then into the bike causing the short. I've had it plugged in all day with no problems.
 
  #5  
Old 11-22-2015, 10:24 AM
Lowcountry Joe's Avatar
Lowcountry Joe
Lowcountry Joe is offline
Elite HDF Member
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Near Myrtle Beach, SC
Posts: 4,928
Received 65 Likes on 45 Posts
Default

Originally Posted by sonar_chris
I think the problem was that my wife plugged in the battery tender to the wall outlet first then into the bike causing the short. I've had it plugged in all day with no problems.
I doubt that caused the blown fuse...assuming you have a quality tender. I do that all the time with my Schumacher tender. I agree with a previous post that a blown 20 amp fuse is nothing to dismiss. Something pulled a lot of current through that circuit for that fuse to blow, so if I were you, I would be looking for the culprit.
 
  #6  
Old 11-22-2015, 02:44 PM
seniorsuperglideE8's Avatar
seniorsuperglideE8
seniorsuperglideE8 is online now
Supporter

Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: along the shore of Mishigami
Posts: 15,674
Received 4,282 Likes on 2,349 Posts
Default

Good find there (senior) Sonar Chris, beginning to wonder if my 2013 Road Glide Ultra is the same, wired in the system. Right now it's a bit cool out in garaged to go exploring under the seat (30*). By the way thanks for your service in the USN.
 
  #7  
Old 11-22-2015, 02:57 PM
bdtaylor1979's Avatar
bdtaylor1979
bdtaylor1979 is offline
Ultimate HDF Member
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Garland, TX
Posts: 5,132
Received 228 Likes on 186 Posts
Default

Thank you for your service ! Glad you got it figured out.
 
  #8  
Old 11-22-2015, 03:02 PM
motolocopat's Avatar
motolocopat
motolocopat is offline
Road Captain
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Glen Rose TX
Posts: 689
Received 4 Likes on 4 Posts
Default

The Buddy might have gotten something crossed and blown the fuse.
If it didn't blow again and charged OK I'd spend my time riding around the new home area with the wifey while I at home before chasing some maybe gremiln..
 
  #9  
Old 11-22-2015, 03:23 PM
zoozoo's Avatar
zoozoo
zoozoo is offline
Seasoned HDF Member
Join Date: Sep 2008
Posts: 20,834
Received 29,044 Likes on 7,961 Posts
Default

The dealer never told me my limited came with the harness and I never thought about it until I got home. I was pissed I didn't take the one I had on the 2010 Ultra off before trading. The next day I was looking all over the bike trying to familiarize myself with what and where everything was on the Limited and found the harness all snuggled up under the left side cover.
 
  #10  
Old 11-22-2015, 03:32 PM
mkguitar's Avatar
mkguitar
mkguitar is offline
Extreme HDF Member
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Phoenix '53, '88, '09 Big Twins
Posts: 14,746
Received 393 Likes on 335 Posts
Default

Originally Posted by zoozoo
The dealer never told me....
RTFM !


I had a pal who owned a bike 4 years before he found out it was a 5 speed tranny..... 4 years of 4th gear until the day he asked me to have a look at his bike....at least he didn;t put diesel in- like another pal.





Mike
 


Quick Reply: Battery tender lead not working... Easy fix



All times are GMT -5. The time now is 01:51 PM.