Electrical problem

[DOOGIEMILLER]

Bike would occasionally not start until I wiggled the main battery cable at the starter. It got worse and now will not start at all. Battery is new, ground and hot have good contact. Relay is good, starter button is good but no power to solenoid when start button is pressed. Don't know what to approach next.(bike will start fine if I jump power to solenoid)

 

[03HD883R]

I know you already checked, but make sure all them cables are snug, and there's not broken wires. Although, it sounds like a chaffed wire.

Next step would be to check all the fuses, and then take a crack at it with a multi-meter and see how you look for voltages.

It really helps if you had the Service Manual and the Electrical Diagnostic Service Manual.

 

[Jack Klarich]

Bike would occasionally not start until I wiggled the main battery cable at the starter. It got worse and now will not start at all. Battery is new, ground and hot have good contact. Relay is good, starter button is good but no power to solenoid when start button is pressed. Don't know what to approach next.(bike will start fine if I jump power to solenoid)

How do you determine relay and starter button are working OK? If that were the case the starter should work with out having to jump the solenoid. Unplug the green wire on the starter and clean the connection, remove the main cable and look for carbon tracking on face of solenoid

 

[03ultra45385]

Try selectively wiggling each wire cable one at a time when the bike won't start. Are you wiggling the solenoid wire or the battery cable and the smaller power wire that goes o the circuit breaker or both together? Are the main battery cable and smaller wire at the starter moving at all when you wiggle the cables? These must not move on the starter stud. Are you wiggling the solenoid (green) wire? You can swap the starter relay with the system relay. Are you turning the ignition switch on and off during the process of trying to start the bike?

 

[flst89]

Without checking for voltage drops through the starter relay/solenoid circuit, you do not know what is good or what is bad.

Voltage drop measurement is be done while cranking the starter.

Perform voltage drop measurement with negative probe touching negative battery post, and the positive probe touching the following locations (remember,while cranking):

Green wire terminal at starter solenoid.

Green wire terminal at starter relay.

Red/Grey terminal at starter relay.

Let us know what the voltages are at each location.

Note: it is best if the probe touches the terminal on each component, not the terminal on the wire, but it may not be possible depending on how confined the area is.