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kill switch problem

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Old Feb 3, 2017 | 04:28 PM
  #1  
drive1450's Avatar
drive1450
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Default kill switch problem

Hi all

Don't often come on here so I hope you don't mind me asking a tech question here. apologies if this is in the wrong area as I don't know mt way around at the mo.

I'm disappointed to find I have a problem with the kill switch on my 2014 road king. I keep the bike in a lock up with no electricity and though I hate to admit it gets left sometimes for weeks on end so I took my battery pack over to give the bike a turn over and nothing. no sign of life despite being hooked up to the battery pack which was fully charged. I had lights and ignition all looked ok but nothing at the button at all. had to leave it as I was in a hurry but went back a couple of weeks later with a fully charged battery. still nothing. made sure it wasn't in gear which it couldn't have been with the green ignition showing. My mate fiddled with the kill switch and when he gave it a firm push along with start button... bingo it started. found the top screw on the switch housing was very loose so gave the switches a spray of ACF50 and tightened it up again and it now starts no problem. my worry is that it's on its way out and I have to drive it from scotland to cheshire soon and don't want it playing up. checked out prices at Harley in Jersey Ł207!

anyone had this experience with this? will I need to replace I wonder. and if I'm on the move with a faulty kill switch could bike suddenly cut out?

as you'll gather I'm pretty clueless mechanically and electrically

cheers in advance
 
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Old Feb 3, 2017 | 05:53 PM
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Sounds like your Mate found the loose screw problem - you should be fine...
 
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Old Feb 3, 2017 | 07:54 PM
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Cygnusx51
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I wonder if it will happen again. Even though the housing was loose, that doesn't mean that the switch wasn't making contact. The switch pack is all a single unit and clipped separately to the bar, the housing just covers it.

At about 2100 miles on my '16 RGS, I started having problems with the kill switch not killing the power. It worked to supply the juice to start the bike but it wouldn't shut it down. It happened a few times here and there and then after a week or so, it just stopped working all together, I had to kill the engine with the ignition.

Took it to HD and they replaced the switch pack under warranty. That's what sucks about the newer setup. If one switch stops working, you can't cut and splice in a new one. The whole switch pack unit has to be replaced.
 
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Old Feb 4, 2017 | 09:27 PM
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I wouldn't sweat it. I'm betting that the screw tightening fixed your issue.
 
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Old Feb 4, 2017 | 10:55 PM
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another thing to try is such a situation is to cycle the ignition switch.

sometimes the system relay can be the "fault", a cycle rests the relay.

Mike
 
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