Hello I have a 2001 Harley Fatboy FLSTFI 1450 FUEL INJECTED and have stupidly fitted the battery round the wrong way and messed things up. The result was after switching the ign on and trying to start the bike realised that something was wrong because lights were flashing and then I realised what I had done. I refitted the battery and everything worked Except when i went to press the button to start the bike nothing happened . After a lot of time and a bit of luck I found that the bike would start if I took a live wire direct from the battery to the starter relay so To start bike I do everything up to pressing the button, At that point I have used a door bell button to feed the Starter and the bike starts and runs no problem. I checked all the fuses and all ok so wondered if anyone had any idears. ? thanks a lot for any suggestions .

 

I am reading that you hooked the battery up backwards?
Seems everything works except the starter relay. If not a fuse, just need to replace probably. Put a meter on it. See if power is getting to it.

Starter switch, picks up a coil in the relay, closing contacts that go to starter. So in theory 4 wires, two big and two small.

Little surprised the door bell switch is taking the current of the starter. Unless you are jumpering power to the relay, and coil is still good, and picking up when you do this.


Before buying parts, make sure power is getting to starter relay, when you hold button in. If jumpering directly to starter, than coil is fried. If jumpering to coil, then power is not getting to relay and need to figure out what fried.

 

Did you check the fuses with an ohm meter? I am a little surprised one didn't blow, but I have never done this before. Maybe ok cause evrything was flipped, With electricity we choose what polarity we want and what is grounded, or not, and then build the system around that.
Don't want to touch oppossite polarity together, obviously. Other than that, much does not care in life.

 

You hooked it up backwards, and it didn't light up like a Christmas tree until you turned the ignition switch on?
I call BS.

 

Yes I put the battery on the wrong way round ( silly ) It would appear that no power is reaching the starter relay but i cant work out the exact path of the power ? I think its battery then ign switch on tank then power to the button then back to the relay then starter . All fuses are ok . All i have done is powered the relay direct from the battery thus removing the rest of the circit from the staring process

 

Ignition switch works if the bike will run. Test and/or replace the button.

 

The power is not getting to the relay Now but I cant quite work out why ? I need to work out the exact path the power takes bearing in mind that i now know everything is ok passed the relay . If the relay was getting the live feed when the start button was pressed then it would be fixed but its not and because of the coplexicity of the wiring cant work out which part is causing the problem .

 

So replace the relay then. It's only about $12.

 

Try swapping the brake relay with the start relay. If it doesn’t work check to see if the relay coil is getting voltage from the start button.

 

Ok so this is what I have found . When you turn on Ignition on power arrives at the relay thro the RED wire with a black stripe then if you press the bikes starter button power arrives at the relay thro the Black wire with red stripe but still no power passes to the starter to engage the starter motor.

Again as i say I have rigged up a live feed thro the green wire into the relay and this starts the bike but not good longterm.

It looks like its the relay but I swapped with the relay next door and it did not work . As we have now worked out ( With help from all off you ) that power is coming down the Black / red stripe when the button is pressed , Could I just bridge behind the connector to the green wire that seems to work ?.

Again thanks for your help with this problem that has caused me sleepless nights.