Bonneville America Forums Forums Technical Forums General Tech Feeling pretty dumb right now (electrical)

Hows the fuse block and fuses? Check from the back of the block if you can and look for deterioration or melting.

Yep.

I know you just answered part of that already

I know we talked about the ground, did you ever check that? Put a meter or test light from the pos. side of the bat. to the frame?

Yes.

If you and your friend have done everything you say (not doubting just saying) and you checked your ground its time to start bypassing stuff.
Pull your battery and get some wire (10awg) and make a new ground for testing purposes.
Do the same for power (add an inline fuse, use whatever the smallest fuse in the system is) and start bypassing things like the rectifier, ignition switch, etc...

Im thinking a bad cable/wire. Something thats deteriorated or got a break in it.

You have a tough one there John, my mind keeps coming back to the fuse box or a bad main connection at some point like the ground. Have you unplugged all the main harness connectors and looked for corrosion or burned/broken pins? I would want to come see for myself but you are a might far for me to drive.

you mentioned earlier that you used a test light to check for power but did you ever check for voltage? Is your battery at 12v?

Now remember, I know very little about electrical, but he said he traced all circuits back to the battery from both the positive and negative sides. The weird thing is that if it was a short, it should blow fuses.

an open wouldn't blow fuses though. and a sporadic open would make you go crazy looking for it. Kinda like you are now.

Yeah, in my limited knowledge that's what it seems like. Simply plugging in a new turn signal relay shouldn't be able to shut down the entire electrical system.

Just kinda sitting here in the background scratching my head, John. Friggin' perplexing this one! I keep going back to the connections in the headlight bucket but that's just a guess of course.

Hard to believe there's something duct tape won't fix, but this is one of them.

long shot but did you use the multi tester to check all the fuses? The can have a small break that you can not see through the plastic cover.

I used a test light to test the fuses. The last time the system had power was before I put the new turn signal relay in. Pulling it didn't fix anything.

That would explain why I was blowing that fuse, but it doesn't explain the larger issue.

Let's try to gp systematically through the main circuit path in sequence to find where the main problem is.
Start with leaving out the turn signal relay for now - get the bike essentially working first, then we'll figure out what to do with that issue.

Put voltmeter to read DC volts and stick the black lead on the battery negative terminal & leave it there.
With the red lead, you will be stepping through the circuit sequentially. All connectors & fuses should be connected (other than the turn signal relay) and when checking a connector try to insert the probe into the back of the socket to touch the terminal on the specified wire.
Record the voltage for each of the following and post them up in reply.
1) Battery Positive terminal
2) Fuse 11 - both sides
3) Fuse 5 - both sides

Key-switch to ON
4) Key-Switch connector (main harness side) White wire
5) Key-Switch connector (main harness side) Green Wire

So far so good? everything at +12 V ?

Kill/Run switch to Run
6) Left Bar Switch connector (main harness side) Green Wire
7) Left Bar Switch connector (main harness side) Green/Brown wire.

Now find the alarm bypass connector plug (the one with the two wire loops in it):

8) Measure on pins 1, 2 & 4
(note that the loops are on 1-2 & 3-5)
Again just push probe tip down into the wire socket so you contact the terminal)

9) Press start button - should have +12V on pin 3 & 5 (the other loop)

That is the complete starting circuit so far:
Validate that much & we'll analyze the results and go from there.

Looks like I might have some help tomorrow.

That's friggin service.

Well, Zdenko figured it all out, and I feel dumber than ever, but that feeling is somewhat mitigated by how much I learned. I knew/suspected it would all be simple stuff and it was.

1. No/intermittent Power: the connector (from the fuse block) to the positive side of the battery was loose. The reason? I'm an idiot. When my buddy Gene and I built my battery box back in 2002 I had to cut that wire and extend it. I'm the one who crimped that ring connector on that wire, and to boot, it was probably one of those connectors with the solder built into it, which I didn't solder. I'm amazed it lasted as long as it did.

2. Turn signal relay/blowing fuses: When I inserted the left rear amber bulb (from Brent) in the socket I pushed the side conductor through the back where it contacted the other conductor, causing a short.

See? Simple. I should have the bike back on the road Saturday.

Zdenko is the man.

Con friggin' gratulations!!! I'm starting to think Z is more than just another pretty face!! Nice going Z!!!

We talked about this over dinner... there have been a ton of great suggestions from all around the globe on what to check. There have been some more than competent people that have looked at the bike and done what they could. The bottom line comes down to the fact that I happened to be in Montana on business and really wanted a crack at this little ditty of an issue.

You get her on the road and trouble free before you start thanking me in public.

BTW... there is in no way any reason anyone should feel dumb over this even though I would feel the same way. As a matter of fact I have felt that way many times.

Oh... and nice job on holding the wires for me

Great to have the mystery solved and bike going again.

Good going Z, Somebody is buying a FEW beers for someone!

Yep, wigglin' wires is so much better than guessing over the internet. Good going Z; and, way to stay with it FJ.

One note to put a bow on this thread, I reinstalled Brent's/Eddy's headlight module and it works great.