Electrical Gremilin...help please?
Electrical Gremilin...help please?
Ok, so here's the deal on my 3- month old Street Glide.
The fuse for Accessories keeps popping.
Now, I don't have anything plugged into the Accessories, and keep the switch off....but as anyone capable of helping me would know, the blinkers and brake lights are on that fuse as well.
Now, the quirk of it is that this started about 2 weeks ago, and seems to happen more and more regularly. After first time it happened, didn't do it for a week. Then did it after about 4 days. Then 2 or 3. Last time, happened twice in one day.
Also, was only happening as I started the bike up, never while it was running...except for this last time. The last time I had also switched from the 15amp to a 20 amp fuse.
The only possible thing I can think of was that I did cut all the hand control wires when I got my new bars, because I couldn't get the plugs disassembled.
But I re-connected them all with proper pinch-connectors & each one was wrapped in electrical tape.
I also did this well over a month before the fuse started popping.
I just took the fairing off & inspected each wire on both sides where I spliced them...not a single one has any burn marks in the tape that would indicate a short between any wires.
So, any ideas to check out before I risk the money taking it to the dealership and them charging me for non-warranty work because I spliced the wires?
The fuse for Accessories keeps popping.
Now, I don't have anything plugged into the Accessories, and keep the switch off....but as anyone capable of helping me would know, the blinkers and brake lights are on that fuse as well.
Now, the quirk of it is that this started about 2 weeks ago, and seems to happen more and more regularly. After first time it happened, didn't do it for a week. Then did it after about 4 days. Then 2 or 3. Last time, happened twice in one day.
Also, was only happening as I started the bike up, never while it was running...except for this last time. The last time I had also switched from the 15amp to a 20 amp fuse.
The only possible thing I can think of was that I did cut all the hand control wires when I got my new bars, because I couldn't get the plugs disassembled.
But I re-connected them all with proper pinch-connectors & each one was wrapped in electrical tape.
I also did this well over a month before the fuse started popping.
I just took the fairing off & inspected each wire on both sides where I spliced them...not a single one has any burn marks in the tape that would indicate a short between any wires.
So, any ideas to check out before I risk the money taking it to the dealership and them charging me for non-warranty work because I spliced the wires?
I'll check the switch housings tomorrow (just got dark)...thanks. Strange that it would take a month + to develop but I can see how it would happen like that.
Amp: Yea, I put one in just to see if it popped as well.....yea, popped within about 10 minutes.
Going back to 15 like it should be. That was just an experiment.
Amp: Yea, I put one in just to see if it popped as well.....yea, popped within about 10 minutes.
Going back to 15 like it should be. That was just an experiment.
Road Warrior
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 1,437
Likes: 80
From: currently an Okie
fuse
There is a high probability that a wire has been pinched in the handlebar changeout. The reason it took a month is because the pinch was working it's way through the insulation.
It's gotta be an intermittent short. So there is no way to ohm it out until it gets shorted again. You should be able to look for the damaged wire though.
Good luck!
It's gotta be an intermittent short. So there is no way to ohm it out until it gets shorted again. You should be able to look for the damaged wire though.
Good luck!
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Joined: Jul 2009
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Road Master
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 827
Likes: 1
From: Covington, Ga.
Ditto above- Check and recheck your connections, check the housings against the bars.
We have all read time and time again about pinched wires in the housings causing all kinds of weird stuff.
An aid to the diagnostic procedure would also be to get a circuit breaker to temporarily install in the fuse slot - Fuses blow and you have to keep replacing them while you wiggle wires, and if you are not lucky enough to see it go, then you might miss the event.
Installing a 10 or 15 amp breaker will allow the circuit to trip, but then reset.
It's a trick we used to use chasing electrical issues on cars.
Tie in a test light or a small buzzer to the breaker and you have a good audio/visual signal as well (not so critical on a bike, but dang handy if your head is under the hood and the fuse panel is under the dash...)
.
We have all read time and time again about pinched wires in the housings causing all kinds of weird stuff.
An aid to the diagnostic procedure would also be to get a circuit breaker to temporarily install in the fuse slot - Fuses blow and you have to keep replacing them while you wiggle wires, and if you are not lucky enough to see it go, then you might miss the event.
Installing a 10 or 15 amp breaker will allow the circuit to trip, but then reset.
It's a trick we used to use chasing electrical issues on cars.
Tie in a test light or a small buzzer to the breaker and you have a good audio/visual signal as well (not so critical on a bike, but dang handy if your head is under the hood and the fuse panel is under the dash...)
.
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Cruiser
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 102
Likes: 1
From: Kansas
I had the same problem with the fuse blowing for the turn signals and found the wire for the left turn signal had rubbed on the fairing brace that runs under the left speaker. The wire had a very small pin hole in it and the only way I found it was I saw a small burn mark on the brace where it shorted. It acted exactly like you described. This may not be your problem but I'd check it just to be sure.
Guess I'll hit the CarQuest tomorrow as well.
Thanks.
I had the same problem with the fuse blowing for the turn signals and found the wire for the left turn signal had rubbed on the fairing brace that runs under the left speaker. The wire had a very small pin hole in it and the only way I found it was I saw a small burn mark on the brace where it shorted. It acted exactly like you described. This may not be your problem but I'd check it just to be sure.