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All Electrical - POOF

Jake, Do you have a digital clock on your dash? If so does it reset to 00:00.

Are you saying the Red led Security Key light no longer is flashing every 3 seconds when this happens. (with key in Off position)

This is a 2008 Street Bob correct.

So in time it started? How did you get it home?
 
Hoop,

Yes, I have a digital clock on the dash. It did reset to 0:00 last time. Not running right now, so do not know if it has reset yet or not.

The Red led Security Key light is no longer flashing every 3 seconds (with key in any position).

Yes, this is a 2008 Street Bob.

I have not gotten it started. Had the wife come get me and take me home. Hooked up the trailer and went back after the bike.
 
Great info.
Since the clock is dead/& resets it can't be a deep problem.
Just for the heck of it check the voltage across the battery just to make sure you don't have something like an open cell. I am 99% sure you will have voltage. Lets not assume the battery is OK and does not have an Open Cell condition,, so check it.

Before touching anything and with the bike in a state of "Deadness",,Key OFF,, take a meter and see if you have voltage on the MAXI fuse. Do not remove it. Just take your meter and measure between Maxi and FRAME ground.
Do you read Battery voltage.
If NO, measure between Maxi and Negative post of battery. What do you read.
 
Hoop

My posting will drive me mad if I don't quit hitting keys I don't mean to. Guess I need to learn to type. Then I get nailed when I edit because I hit the time limit.

When I got down to the garage to check the items you listed, the security light was flashing. I did have the battery tender hooked up. Voltage was about 13.6. Disconnected the tender and battery voltage after a few minutes was 12.7. There was battery voltage on the maxi fuse to engine ground.

I then turned on the key. Headlight and indicator lights came on. Hit the engine cuttoff switch and the fuel pump ran. I did not hit the starter, but am sure it would have cranked.

Whatever this is, it seems to reset given time or cooldown. Some system component that is breaking down with heat perhaps? Whatever it is, it takes out everything when it goes.

I realize that an intermittent problem is the most diffult there is to troubleshoot. I will keep your list with me and check it the next time it does it while it is still dead. Do you have follow-on items to check after those?

Thanks,
Jake
 
Wish I had the actual 2008 Street Bob schematics. I have them for a 2009 but not the 2008. I can't imagine that much is different. My guess is you have no self reset circuit breakers.

Since the bike came back to life, it is a little harder to find the problem but I would look close at the following.

1) Something like a bad negative cable from battery to Frame Ground. The Frame ground Connection itself for that cable.
2) A bad positive cable going to the starter from battery.
3) The 2 Positive wires on the starter motor stud. Bolt looks good but actually bad connection. Loosen, wire brush, star washer, tighten.
4) Stud Grounds under the seat. Looks good but remove, wire brush, star washer, tighten. (Think there are 3 studs, 2 for sure)
5) Maxi fuse holder
6) Open cell jumper in battery. Have seen it but usually will not repair itself. Once it opens, usually stays open.
 
Hoop,

I'll check these items, but don't think I will find anything with them. I know they are all tight, checked them the first time this happened last week. I had all of them off and cleaned and reassembled with dielectric grease last year. Will check again. I think I will also pull the battery and have a load test performed on it.

I'll holler when/if it happens again.

Thanks,
Jake
 
Hoop,

How to check the Maxi Fuse holder?

It appears as if you put a couple of small screwdrivers in the slots on each side of it, and I think it then pushes out the back side of the electrical caddy.

How do you actually get your hands on the fuse holder? I took the bolts out of the caddy, but the wiring would not let me pull it out far enough to do anything.

Also, once you get the fuse holder pused out the back, how do you ever get it put back into place?

TIA
Jake
 
Jake, What I mean by checking the fuse holding is making sure the female portion is firmly gripping the fuse. Those female ends are spring tension grips. Since they are rated at 40 amps they will pass a bunch of current. From passing large amounts of current the connection will get warm. The heat in turn weakens the spring tension abilities of the female grip. That in turn creates More Heat which in turn will reduce the grip spring tension even more. Fuses by design get warm, hence the problem.

That is the process which leads to failures with push on connectors, especially fuses. It all starts with passing several amps of current and the connector getting warm. Any push in fuse holder can have this problem.

Sometimes ONLY 1 side of the fuse holder has a weak grip. You will push in the fuse and it feels OK because of the resistant on the Good side. Meanwhile the bad or weak side goes unnoticed. The way I check them is to cut a fuse in half. This way I can insert it in EACH side and check EACH SIDE of the fuse holder for gripping power.

So when I say check the fuse holder, I mean for tightness and any discoloration due to heat. Once the connectors loose their shinny appearance or get dark, it usually means heat and a reduction of spring tension or gripping power.

Hope this helps.
 
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