blown main fuse?

[edgo]

I was riding to work today and the bike went completely dean while idlign at a stop light. A few days ago I had taken apart the headlight to lube my tach. I had tach wobble but it is fixed. Before the bike died the left tunr signal quit. All the fuses under the right panel are good. I'm guessing that when I messed with the headlight I coused a wire in the left turn signal circuit to short the main fuse? How's that sound? I walked on to work and the bike is sittings two blocks up the street.

Ed

[TopCatGr58]

Hey Edgo,

The turn signals draw lots of power, hence their 20 amp fuse vs. all the others. IF it quit working or blinking, then the power was dropping. Possibly you have a power charging problem? Once the battery gets below ~10.5 volts, the TCI quits working and the bike will die!

A short isn't out of the question, there are some HOT all the time wires in the headlight, as well as switched, and you could have a simple short? Could also have a slow drain? Also don't forget to check the kill switch on the handlebar. PULL your fuses, and check with continuity meter, don't just LOOK at them!

Also, the tip over emergency cutoff switch under the tank that says "UP" on it can also go bad, can pull/unplug it to check/bypass! Good Luck!
T.C.

[edgo]

I have spare fuses and tried changing all the ones on the right side. The bike has a new battery that turned it over really fast when I started it up ten minutes before it died. When I turn on the ignition now it is completely dead, no indicator lights come on.

Thanks

[edgo]

I did have right side blinkers before it died.

Ed

[papanovember]

When you lubed the tach connection, did you loosen any other connections? Check your ignition switch connection. If that has come apart, then you wouldn't get any power when you turn the key on. Also, there is a main power wire that comes off the battery and into the wiring harness. It is under the right sidecover. Check the connection there. I recently had to redo my connection on that wire. I had the same symtoms that you are experiencing.

[edgo]

It turns out that the left blinker wire was disconnected in the headlight bucket. I guess it was rattling around and blowing everything. I hooked it up and replaced all the fuses and it is fine. Thanks to all.

Is the main fuse, the 30 amp one, that black thing next to the right of the fuse block?

Ed

[79XS11F]

NO ... The main fuse is in the box.

[DeanR]

That's an accessory fuse. Main fuse is on the other side for some reason, behind the left side cover.

[TopCatGr58]

Hey Dean,

The differences in the years got you, Rob was right, the main fuse is in the fuse block in the early models, in the later models, it was put on the left side in a separate holder!

Glad you found the problem Edgo! Don't know what your extra fuse holder is, the main is supposed to be one of the 4 fuses in your box!?
T.C.

[DeanR]

oops...... hadn't seen rob's post yet, and., I didn't know that there was a fuse difference between years anyway!

[TopCatGr58]

That's okay Dean,

You're only 1/2 way to GURU status yet, by the time you get there you'll know these things!
T.C.

[DeanR]

Geez TC. I'm always here asking questions, and just when I think I can contribute and answer something, I blow it!!

[edgo]

Blow it is right. I spent six hours looking under the left cover for a fuse.

ED

[DeanR]

Hey edgo
Six hours to look for a fuse huh?? Please accept my apology...

[edgo]

Maybe it was six minutes. I did take the tank and seat off and check all the connectors just for good measure.

This bike had been going perfect for over a year since I got it going. Does this episode count as a breakdown? It was my screwup.

Ed