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Harley Davidson Sportster: Warning Lights General Information

A warning light is an indicator that something is wrong with your Harley Davidson Sportster, and you'll need to respond accordingly. Sometimes it is a real urgent issue, but sometimes it is just a minor thing like a bad sensor that can be fixed at your next general service.

By Charlie Gaston - January 22, 2016

This article applies to the Harley Davidson Sportster (2000-2015).

Warning lights are an important feature on the modern Harley Davidson Sportster. They alert you to the presence of a mechanical or electrical issue that's affecting the performance or health of your bike, as well as warn you to fill the gas tank. They are meant to be simple to understand, but sometimes it is just not that obvious what the bike is trying to tell you. Remember, your owner's manual is your ultimate guide to understanding every warning light your bike is configured to display, and sometimes you can find the answers to why in our forum posts.

  • Typical Harley Sportster dash
    Figure 1. Typical Harley Sportster dash.
  • Sportster dash with tachometer
    Figure 2. Sportster dash with tachometer.

Know Your Warning Lights

Check Engine Light

The most common light you will see is the check engine light (CEL), which is #7 in Figure 1 or #8 in Figure 2, and shaped like a traditional car engine, not a Harley V-twin. It comes on all the time for almost any little issue with the engine, fueling, or emission controls. Much like a car, when you hit the switch, all the lights will light up briefly so you know they work, otherwise your CEL shouldn't come on. Luckily if it is on, Harley included a way to read and clear trouble codes without needing any sort of special tools or readers.

Why doesn't this look like a real V-twin engine
Figure 3. Why doesn't this look like a real V-twin engine?

Related Articles

Battery System Light

The battery shaped light, #6 in Figure 1 or #7 in Figure 2, indicates the health of the battery and charging system. If it is lighting up, it typically means your battery is at too high or too low of a voltage. Of course, the bike charges the battery as you ride, so if it is indicating the voltage is not right, it typically means it is under or over charging the battery. With the motor off, you should read about 12 volts, and with it running, it should increase to about 14 volts. If it reads higher than 14 volts, it usually means it is overcharging the battery, and if the voltage does not increase with the motor running, it isn't charging at all.

Battery warning light
Figure 4. The "winking robot" battery icon.

If your check engine light and battery warning light display simultaneously across your instrument cluster, the issue could be an insufficient level of voltage in your battery, a bad ground connection or simply a loose cable. Check all the connections between the battery and the bike, and then test the battery with a voltmeter.

Security System Light

Even if your bike does not have the optional Harley security immobilizer system, you still have this light, #3 in Figure 1 or #4 in Figure 2, it is shaped like a key. Harley uses module, plus the motion detector and speed sensor, to run the self-cancelling blinker function and the security system. So if the red key is glowing on your dash, it may have something to do with one of those. If you do have a security system and the light is lit up or flashing, it may mean something as simple as the battery in your alarm fob needs replacing. The light also lights when the bike is parked to indicate the alarm is activated.

Security system key warning light
Figure 5. Security system key icon.

Fuel Light

The Sportster, like all modern vehicles, is equipped with a low fuel warning light. It is a gas pump shaped icon right in the middle of the speedometer, between the needle and the odometer reading. Reports are that this light can be inaccurate, but usually it means you have less than a gallon left.

Gas light warning light
Figure 6. Gas light.

ABS Lamp

Harley Sportster only got anti-lock brakes as an option in 2014, and it is such a simple system you may not even know your bike is equipped with it. If when you start the bike the ABS light light up, that means you have anti-lock brakes. It is normal for the light to flash until your bike reaches a speed of at least three mph, as it is calibrating itself; ABS will become functional once the light stops flashing. If it stays lit, it indicates there is an issue.

ABS icon light
Figure 7. ABS icon light.

Other Lights

The Sportster also has another little panel of lights, with the turn signal indicator, high beam indicator, neutral light, and oil pressure light in it. The only one that is really a warning is the red can-shaped oil light. If that is lit, shut the bike off and check the oil level. If the light comes on at idle and goes off as soon as you rev the motor, it can indicate a bad pressure sender, or a more serious problem, so have the bike checked out by a good mechanic and tested with a proper oil pressure gauge.

Indicator lights
Figure 8. Red oil warning light.

Common Questions

How should I respond to a warning light?

Don't panic, these lights typically don't indicate a dangerous situation. If the engine or oil light suddenly comes on while riding, you should stop when safe and shut the motor off. If you have plenty of oil, and nothing else is obviously wrong, keep riding and investigate at your next stop. Trouble codes can be read and cleared with nothing more but the odometer trip button. A link to how to get them is at the bottom.

What should I do if my battery won't charge properly?

Chances are the bike has a bad voltage regulator, or possibly just a bad connection somewhere. Use a multimeter to test the voltage with the motor off and the bike running, then compare. A battery that won't hold a charge will also cause the light to light, until the charging system runs and gets it back up to 12 volts.

How do I test my stator?

The quick and easy way is to start the bike, put the high beam headlight on, and rev the bike to see if it gets brighter as the revs come up off idle. The technical way involves hooking a multimeter to it and checking the output with the voltage regulator disconnected. A step-by-step test is linked to at the bottom of this article.

Common Issues

Battery Overload

It's possible (and common) to overcharge your battery because of a malfunctioning regulator. The most obvious telltale sign is the smell of battery acid. The battery lamp will also appear on the instrument cluster.

Faulty Low Fuel Warning Light

Some Harley Davidson Sportsters, mostly 2007 and 2008 are known to have a faulty low fuel warning light. Check with your dealer and you may be due a replacement under recall. Use your trip odometer to measure your true mileage and level of fuel consumption to see if it is accurate.

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