Dan89FLSTC
Banned
Come on...fuses? There haven`t been fuses on these things since the `80s...They use circuit breakers, which will reset.
Softail runs great until lights are turned on! HELP??
- Thread starter mrbeefcak
- Start date
Chopper
Senior Member
And the 1990's, 2000's & 2010
Yea, that year had breakers, but now it;s maxi-fuse for all.Dan89FLSTC
Banned
You say the problem occurs when you turn the light switch to on position...
What switch are you talking about? The headlights on a stock `89 Softail are always on, the only thing you can to is select hi or lo beam.
I think you have a problem with the wiring of the ignition switch.
What switch are you talking about? The headlights on a stock `89 Softail are always on, the only thing you can to is select hi or lo beam.
I think you have a problem with the wiring of the ignition switch.
Chopper
Senior Member
Sounds like they wired your ign. switch so you can run without headlights if you want, comes in handy if your charging system goes while you're on the road or for starting if the battery's low, but Robert Walter has a point, just because the part is new dosen't mean it's good. Have seen OEM parts that were bad out of the box. Worth a check?
Dan89FLSTC
Banned
If the ignition switch is wired as it came from the factory, there is no difference when you click the switch to the right, both are the same, headlights on,ignition on. If the installer changed the wiring scheme to allow the bike to run without headlights on the first detent, maybe he goofed up something. Sounds like he may have a bare wire touching something on the second circuit.
My 92 softail will run without the lights on have to turn the switch to the second position to have the lights on
the change to lights permanantly on came in with the 93 models as far as i can work out 71501-93 being the 3 position switch
if bike dies when lights are switched on then id suspect a short in the lighting circuit get a good wiring schematic and a lot of hours and with some luck youll find the problem
did the problem occur prior to the switch replacement
Brian
the change to lights permanantly on came in with the 93 models as far as i can work out 71501-93 being the 3 position switch
if bike dies when lights are switched on then id suspect a short in the lighting circuit get a good wiring schematic and a lot of hours and with some luck youll find the problem
did the problem occur prior to the switch replacement
Brian
Sorry, unless someone re-wired the bike, it doesn't have fuses. It's all bimetal breakers.
If you have to turn on the lights, then the bike is not stock. That model year the headlight should come on when you turn the ignition switch on.
Since it's been re-wired, I bet the guy who did it ran the light circuit without a fuse/breaker. You will need to trace all the headlight wiring from the switch and find the short.
Dan89FLSTC
Banned
The change to permanent lights came about before `89, because that is the way my Softail is configured. An easy job to set up to run without lights.
The bikes had an ignition and lights detent on the switch, but the lights came on in either position.
Agree that the problem is in the circuit on the second detent of the switch, maybe something obvious. Move the wires around while the bike is running poorly and see what happens.
Dan took me a wee while to get to the bottom of this but your bike should be fitted with 71501-73a which is a 4 position switch you can run without lights 71501-93 is the 3 position switch first used in 93 hence the -93 in the part number i would sugest that your switch has been replaced/changed at some time in the past
Brian