Hey guys,


I'm helping a friend get his electrical working. I don't have access to a service manual right away, but thought I would ask in the meantime because I'm a little stumped.


When I turn the ignition to the On position, I get no headlight or running light. When I turn the ignition switch to the Lights, then everything works. But the lights wont work when the bike is running. This doesn't seem to make sense since there is power getting to the lights.


Any suggestions on what to check?


Thanks in advance,

 

Always start with the easiest and cheapest. Wiggle the switch to see if that is the problem, then check the fuses.
Good luck

 

All harleys used to be wired this way...when the federal law required the lights come on any time the ignition was on...harley just installed a jumper wire...many people removed it.



84 Softails have a connector board(for lack of a better word) under the seat...it is filled with 1/4" quick connects...and virtually everything runs through this thing.

Lots of the quick connects are brass and lose tension, and makes for bad connections.

I had numerous problems with this set-up and yanked it out, and rewired the complete bike...YMMV

 

Yes, I see all the quick connects. Everything looks stock and untouched thank goodness. I don't see a fuse box under the seat to check the fuses.


For the 1/4" quick connect, which color would be for the headlight? And why would the headlight work when switched to Lights and not On on the ignition? I would also think if a fuse blew, the headlight wouldn't work at all.


Thanks,

 

After a closer look, it looks like a red wire coming in from the front of the bike looks like it came loose. If someone has a diagram, which slot in the connector board would this wire go into? It looks like the connector board is numbered.

 

No fuses...3 circuit breakers under the dash...main breaker near the battery

The bike is wired for no lights in the first position of the switch...harley added a jumper wire for the lights to be all the time...more than likely someone removed the jumper wire.

 

Ah, thank you. I found the circuit breakers.


So when the bike is running, and you want to turn on the headlight, you switch over to Lights? If I do this however, the bike shuts off.

 

Place a jumper from the terminal at 10 o'clock to the terminal at 11 o'clock...lights should be on all the time...should run with the lights on...if this works the ignition switch is bad...in the lights position.

 

That did the trick. Thanks so much, man!