Troubleshoot my Harley Fatboy - UPDATE! Fixed

[Montana Jim]

FLSTFI

2002

She had a dead battery (one year old) because of the severe cold this winter so I hooked her up to the trickle-charger... nothing new.

While still hooked up I turned to accessories on to make sure the juice was flowing... it was.

20 minutes later I turned the ignition on, flipped the "on" switch, and pressed the start button... again - nothing new.

Except this time - Sparks flew from the positive clamp and now when I turn the ignition switch to "Ignition" I get no power...

I'm pissed - I wanted to ride to work tomorrow, not shop for a part!

Who are the motor heads out there? I checked all the 15 amp fuses... they are all good to go. What's up?

 

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[The Beep Goes On]

Re: Troubleshoot my Harley Fatboy

I am no motorhead, but it sounds like it must be a short somewhere...either in the bike or, possibly, in the charger itself. Do you have a meter?

TBGO

 

[aa battery]

Re: Troubleshoot my Harley Fatboy

i will pray

 

[Mona Lisa]

Re: Troubleshoot my Harley Fatboy

i will pray

LOL.....I'll light a candle.

 

[Montana Jim]

Re: Troubleshoot my Harley Fatboy

I am no motorhead, but it sounds like it must be a short somewhere...either in the bike or, possibly, in the charger itself. Do you have a meter?

TBGO

I feared a short... the accessories still light up but the switch is blown in the other direction. I have a meter but am too harley-tarded to know which wires to check! LMAO

 

[Blacksheep]

Re: Troubleshoot my Harley Fatboy

Wish I could offer advice, Truth is I know very little about bikes, I would suggest however that it would not be uncommon to have a larger fuse for the starter motor that may be in an entirely different location than all the others you checked.

The sparks off the positive cable, did they arc across to the frame or other metal or simply "sparked"?

 

[The Beep Goes On]

Re: Troubleshoot my Harley Fatboy

I am no motorhead, but it sounds like it must be a short somewhere...either in the bike or, possibly, in the charger itself. Do you have a meter?

TBGO

I feared a short... the accessories still light up but the switch is blown in the other direction. I have a meter but am too harley-tarded to know which wires to check! LMAO

I feel your pain...just getting to the connections can be a major chore. At the minimum you could check the battery voltage across the terminals. Then it would be a case of ruling out each system...but you know it is probably the ignition. You could check the leads to the ignition coil with the key on. If you pull your start button you could check those too.

I have fried some stuff before, so I tend to let the shop handle it.

TBGO

 

[Montana Jim]

Re: Troubleshoot my Harley Fatboy

I am no motorhead, but it sounds like it must be a short somewhere...either in the bike or, possibly, in the charger itself. Do you have a meter?

TBGO

I feared a short... the accessories still light up but the switch is blown in the other direction. I have a meter but am too harley-tarded to know which wires to check! LMAO

I feel your pain...just getting to the connections can be a major chore. At the minimum you could check the battery voltage across the terminals. Then it would be a case of ruling out each system...but you know it is probably the ignition. You could check the leads to the ignition coil with the key on. If you pull your start button you could check those too.

I have fried some stuff before, so I tend to let the shop handle it.

TBGO

I'd rather push it ten miles than try to be smarter than an shorted out wire... LOL... Thanks though - I'm thinking it's what blacksheep said - the larger and un-checkable ignition thingy fuse.

 

[Merf]

Re: Troubleshoot my Harley Fatboy

Jim, I had a similar problem on my 1995 Dyna glide convertible.
I took the cover off the box on the shifter side of the battery [fuse box ?]
The terminals are very close together and I found that two were shorting out.
Loosening the screws and re adjusting the angles of the connecters solved the problem.

 

[Montana Jim]

Re: Troubleshoot my Harley Fatboy

Jim, I had a similar problem on my 1995 Dyna glide convertible.
I took the cover off the box on the shifter side of the battery [fuse box ?]
The terminals are very close together and I found that two were shorting out.
Loosening the screws and re adjusting the angles of the wires solved the problem.

Merf! I knew a real biker would help me out... I'm like a much cooler version of Wild Hogs... LMFAO!


That sounds like a real shade-tree solution - I'll check that tomorrow... thank you

 

[Merf]

Re: Troubleshoot my Harley Fatboy

Good to hear from you Jim.
Hope that is your fix.

 

[pippinwhitepaws]

Re: Troubleshoot my Harley Fatboy

when you have the cover plate off, see if the cable is tight...sparks with out smoke are a loose connection...or a poor connection...a year is a long time for a bike not to have the battery serviced.

a dead short would have nice little wisps of smoke coming from somewhere. not a good thing.

 

[Montana Jim]

Re: Troubleshoot my Harley Fatboy

when you have the cover plate off, see if the cable is tight...sparks with out smoke are a loose connection...or a poor conncetion...a year is a long time for a bike not to have the battery serviced.

a dead short would have nice little wisps of smoke coming from somewhere. not a good thing.

Hmmmm... whisps of smoke... I did'nt notice. Damnit.

The power comes on for the accessories but turn the same switch the other way - nadda.

I last rode in um... Late October.

 

[pippinwhitepaws]

Re: Troubleshoot my Harley Fatboy

ok...where did you see the spark?

 

[nhbenz]

Re: Troubleshoot my Harley Fatboy

Jim, you've gotta' get a meter to that battery. Optimally it should be 12.6 V. A messed up battery can exceed that if it accepted too much of a charge, which can mess up your starter solenoid, or worse yet, your starter motor.

 

[Montana Jim]

Re: Troubleshoot my Harley Fatboy

ok...where did you see the spark?

At the positive terminal.

 

[Montana Jim]

Re: Troubleshoot my Harley Fatboy

Jim, you've gotta' get a meter to that battery. Optimally it should be 12.6 V. A messed up battery can exceed that if it accepted too much of a charge, which can mess up your starter solenoid, or worse yet, your starter motor.

It's a freaking new battery! Damnit... LOL I've rode her across the country and back... now I killed her!

 

[nhbenz]

Re: Troubleshoot my Harley Fatboy

I've seen a lot of aftermarket batteries that only lasted a year, but usually ones used less than than I know you use yours. What kind of battery are we dealing with?

 

[pippinwhitepaws]

Re: Troubleshoot my Harley Fatboy

ok, jim...all battery 's have a shelf life...i still believe you have a loose conncetion...
or a nasty case of aliens moving in between the battery post and the cable connector. in arizona, there is this black buildup that forms on cables and connectors...looks like silver left in the ground...
clean to shiny...dry and tighten.

there is enough energy going through loose or dirty connector to power the accessory...but the load of the starter poos it out

oops..forgot...you can blow a fuse, and it not be visible to the naked eye...test light time.

 

[Montana Jim]

Re: Troubleshoot my Harley Fatboy

Ben - it's a sealed cell deal-e-o... um, I don't have the brand name in front of me. 

Whitepaws... I'll clean the terminals tomorrow maybe... I have to work through the weekend so this may happen like next week sometime.

Maybe the problem is the loose nut riding it?

I sure appreciate you guys... you too Ben.