[Whitsett]

Hello
Can Anyone help me with a electrical problem I am having with my 1988 Softail Springer. The problem I am having is when I switch the ignition switch to ignition and start the bike everything is good. As soon as I turn the switch to lights the bike dies. I then have to turn the switch to off, wait a second for the breaker to reset and then start all over starting the bike again. After about 2 or 3 tries it will stay running. I have checked all the wires for bare spots on the lights, took it to the shop, they couldnt find anything. Wondering if anyone else has had this problem, that could give me some ideas to look for. Also this dosent happen all the time but when it does it it is consistant seems like all day long, then it will go away for a week or so.

[hotroadking]

Multi meter time,

Continutity test on the wires going from the igntion to check for breaks.

You could have a switch going, a main breaker, loose wire, only good thing to test with is a meter.

ALso the breaker could be bad, they are available at any auto parts store or you can buy one at the dealer, I'd start there and see if the problem goes away, if not , work back from there.

[Whitsett]

Hello
Still having the problem. I have tired some new things and still cant figure it out. I put a meter on the switch and have 12 volts everywhere. I can put my meter on the hot wire going to the coil and have 12 volts, also the same on the other post on the coil 12 volts.(this is a dual fire setup). I can start switching the ignition switch on and off several times and finally the volts will drop on the (I guess its called the negative post of the coil) coil post to 1.5 volts. If I turn the ignition off and the back on it will read 12 volts again. then after several flips of the switch it will drop again. When I get the coil to read 1.5 volts, I then check the hot wire going to the coil and the voltage has dropped but not as far like 8 volts. But still have 12 volts on the ignition switch.
The bike has a crane cams hi-4 ignition module. It has a red led on it for timimg tdc. When I get the 1.5 volt reading on the coil and the lower reading on the hot side of the coil the light goes out. turn the switch off and then back on and it comes back on.
If I unhook the hot wire going to the coil and test I cant make this problem happen to just the hot wire alone.
Any help or ideas on checking something els would be greatly appreciated.

[hdhelgy]

Make a jumper wire to bypass your ignition switch. that will tell you if your switch is bad.

[CD]

Originally Posted by Whitsett

Hello
Can Anyone help me with a electrical problem I am having with my 1988 Softail Springer. The problem I am having is when I switch the ignition switch to ignition and start the bike everything is good. As soon as I turn the switch to lights the bike dies. I then have to turn the switch to off, wait a second for the breaker to reset and then start all over starting the bike again. After about 2 or 3 tries it will stay running. I have checked all the wires for bare spots on the lights, took it to the shop, they couldnt find anything. Wondering if anyone else has had this problem, that could give me some ideas to look for. Also this dosent happen all the time but when it does it it is consistant seems like all day long, then it will go away for a week or so.

Which breaker? The 15 amp? If it is the 15 amp it should do it by simply turning the switch to the run / lights position.

It is also fairly common the ignition switch to go bad on these. They will sometimes refuse to make contact in the run / lights position but will work if you work the switch back and forth.

If you want to measure voltage, do so at the breaker and at the switch. You can also measure on the positive side of the coil.

[Whitsett]

CD
I thought it was a breaker, at least thats what it acted like in the first post I made, till I went and bought a volt meter. I tested the switch and dont think that is it, because when I put the volt meter on every post on the switch I get 12 volts. What I have found is weird is. When I put the volt meter on the coil I get 12 volts on the positive and 12 volts on the negative. i then can start turning the ignition switch off, to the lights back to ignition and so on back and forth several times, and finally the negitive side of the coil will go to 1.5 volts. If you try to start it when it is 1.5 volts it seems to just crank and never fire. Turn the switch off, wait a sec, turn it back on and try to start it and it will fire up.
When the coil negitive side goes to 1.5 volts. I tested with the meter the switch, 12 volts on all the contacts. The hot wire to the coil will be 8 to 10 volts at the coil.
I was now wondering if the HI-4 might be bad. Why I think this is, I get the red light showing TDC, Can flip the ignition switch back and forth, when the negitive side of the coil goes to 1.5 volts, the red led goes out. I then turn the switch off. wait a sec and turn the switch on and the red LED comes back on.
Also when I went to ride the other day the bike started to jerking like it was missing and back firing when the rpms were constant. When you would wind it out it seemed to quit. I dont have a clue whats going on, driving me nuts.