97 FLSTS-losing all lights temporarily

[hdsfttailman]

02/14/07 - bought 97 FLSTS with 5,000 miles. Mint condtion. No problems

02/17/07 - installed auxillary running light, brake light, turn signal conversion kit #69461-06A so that tail lamps would remain illuminated. No problems.

02/28/07 - had to splice rear turn signal lamps in order to install detachable hardware for racks. No problems. Everything seems fine.

03/03/07 - suddenly while riding for a while ALL the lights went out, headlamp, passing lamps, rear lights, brake lights turn signals. After 10 - 15 seconds all come back on. Happened again some 50 miles later. Then rode 60 miles home and no problem.

Anyone have any suggestions where I should start looking? Would a short in one of the rear tail lamps cause ALL the lights to go out temporarily? I'm wondering if one of my splices my not have been as good as I thought?

Could this Auxillary rear lamp module be causing a problem?

Could I have a bad fuse????????

Thanks for any help anyone can provide.

Rick

[junior]

circuit breaker is either failing or is undersized for the new load. try replacing it first. bikes of this year had a recall on the breakers some time ago...

j

[Relic]

And make sure all grounds are good. In particular, the battery ground cable.

[hdsfttailman]

Thanks guys - I have not physically checked the bike yet but I did study the electrical schematic in the service manual - I found only two circuit breakers - a 30 amp that comes from a starter wire to the circuit breaker and then to the fuse box. The fuse box of course has a 15 amp fuse for the lights (in fact all four slots take 15 amp fuses).

Junior - are you suggesting that I replace the 30 amp circuit breaker?

Relic: Thanks - I will check all the grounds real good too.

Thanks guys.

Rick

[junior]

for the low cost of the breaker and given the fact that so many were recalled- yup.

j

[Kagan]

J has you covered. A blown fuse can't reset itself. Only the breakers can. Same with a short. Once it's in your face you're down. Breakers a re pretty cheap and I keep a dozen of each in stock. It's very common.

[hdsfttailman]

Update 04/03/07 - I replaced the 30 amp circuit breaker on 03/17/07. I did not notice any further failures. I thought this cured the problem. On 03/29/07 I got the bike back from a service at Harley. I had them check electrical system for problems. They said the only thing they could find was dirty ignition switch connections and cleaned them. I also added more electrical load by having Harley install Harley auxiallary fog lamps on the engine guard. I noticed no failures with all lamps on continuously until 04/01/07 - we had been riding all weekend. We got stuck in some heavy traffic briefly. The bikes got a little hotter than normal running temp and all of a sudden I noticed the rear lamps out. The brake light was working, the front fender lamp was still lit but all the front lights (headlamp, passing lamps and fog lamps) were out as were the tail lamp and the turn signal running lamps. They stayed out for about 5- 10 seconds.....we started rolling again at highway speed.....then all the lights came back on again and didn't fail again the remainder of the trip home.

Anyone have any other suspicions of what may be causing this problem?????

Thanks by the way for all the help received so far.

Rick

[Skyboltdan]

And make sure all grounds are good. In particular, the battery ground cable.

These faults can be a real pain Rick. As your retired electrician (industrial instrumentation and process control) I can't emphasis enough the importance of what Relic has said. Right on Relic!

I have never looked at a Harley scheme before but I know that most cage schemes have a symbol of some sort for collective ground points. Some will be behind inspection panels, some behind head and tail light enclosures, some next to fuse blocks and other distribution points. Your problem really sounds like one of those issues. Don't just eyeball and wiggle the ground points. Take them loose and make sure that the surface behind the ground point is free of paint or corrosion. Re land all the wires with a little electrical grease (penitrox, cual aid, or my favorite crouse-hinds STL) under and on the lugs. I have found loose lugs, poorly crimped on etc. All these symptoms are indicative of a intermittent ground connection to me.

[crowell392]

sounds like something may be heating up

[hdsfttailman]

Wow Skyboltdan

Sounds like a better get intimate with my schematics and start checking EVERYTHING!

OK, I'll get to work!

Thanks!

Rick