JMO ---- sounds like the starter switch is breaking contact / shorting out. Have you taken the housing apart and checked for any corrosion , dirt , moisture,bare/loose wire? If you do take it apart go ahead and clean the area ,apply some dielectric grease where needed. Let us know what you find out!!
electrical problem 2004 fatboy
- Thread starter iceman48
- Start date
JMO ---- sounds like the starter switch is breaking contact / shorting out. Have you taken the housing apart and checked for any corrosion , dirt , moisture,bare/loose wire? If you do take it apart go ahead and clean the area ,apply some dielectric grease where needed. Let us know what you find out!!
I'm still having the Problem with the bike starting. Sometimes I get all the indicator lights and when I push the start button everything goes dead. After a few seconds the system resets and push the starter button and goes dead. Then the starter relay will cycle on and off and get real hot to touch. The dealer said it could be the battery and $185.00 later I still have the problem. I even had the bike start up a few times when I turned on the ignition switch and the starter stayed engaged. I pulled the starter relay to stop the starter so I could ride it home. I'm at my wits end with this problem. The dealer is having a hard time finding the problem since it intermittent and I can't get it to mess up when at the dealer. I checked all the wires under the splash guard and all were tight. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Hoople
Account Removed
Would you be able to upload a couple of pages of the schematics which would include the ignition switch, fuse block, starter assembly & wiring to the bars. We have to have your Exact make and model.
It should not be hard to iron out.
I finally found out what the problem with my Fatboy was, I had the ignition switch and battery replaced and all was well for about three weeks and the problem with starting re-appeared. I was on the way to Helen Ga. last weekend and it wouldn't start after stopping for gas. One of our group had some electrical know how and found a orange wire that was shorting out on the oil tank on the right side of the Bike. For a quick fix we cut a piece of rubber hose and placed it around the wire to keep it from shorting out anymore for a temp. fix. I got to enjoy the rest of the weekend riding in the mountains. I will replace the wire before I ride again. It appears capital city cycles in Columbia S.C. didn't want to put the effort into finding the problem. I spent $235.00 there for nothing.:newsmile093::newsmile093:
sprinklerfitter669
Junior Member
Good for you for finding and fixing yourself, i for one no how hard it is dealing with electrical.
I am in no way standing up for the dealer, but for even them to find the problem takes alot time $$ and troubleshooting, and just when you think you found it, it happens again
I am in no way standing up for the dealer, but for even them to find the problem takes alot time $$ and troubleshooting, and just when you think you found it, it happens again
Hoople
Account Removed
Happy your bike is running but for me I am left with nothing but a big question mark.
Using the service manual you now have, locate that mystery "orange wire" that was causing all your problems and learn what the wire was responsible for and understand exactly how a single wire could cause so much havoc within the bikes electrical system.
You learned nothing if all you did is "repaired an orange wire that was shorted". Also none of the people who tried to help you get any closure to the problem or at least learn anything that can be used toward helping fix the next one.
I started digging into the wire bundle today to fix the wire that was shorting out and causing my bike not to start. It turned out to be the green wire that one end connects to the starter relay and the other end plugs in the side of the starter on the right side of the bike below and behind the oil tank. A small section of insulation had worn allowing the wire to short on the oil tank. further investigation reveal this wire had been repaired numerous time in the past, so I replaced the whole wire. I also glued a piece of rubber on the oil tank to prevent this from happening again.:newsmile075:
I found the problem. The wire from the starter relay that connects to the right side if the starter had the insulation worn thought and was shorting out on the back side of the oil tank. Replaced the wire and made it a little longer and covered it with heat shrink to reduce the chance of this happening again. No problem since doing this.:guitar