OK. This is the latest. I replaced the speedometer sensor today because it is cheap and what the heck. Of course the install is easy if you cut the old one and pull out the wires from under the starter and reroute over the starter for new one. Sooo cleaned up the corroded relay and replaced vss Tomorrow I will ride past the place the problem always seems to happen. When I was replacing the vss I found an acorn stuck inside the ECM where there was a space just the right size.for an acorn. PO may have kept bike outside and allowed squirrels to live there. God only knows what they ate. Stay tuned, I'm not finished.

 

It acts like a lubricant, sealant, insulator, protectant, for Battery terminals, spark plug boots, bulb sockets, and electrical connections in general.,,

 

It's very common to see it ignition switches. I have always thought of it mostly as a lubrication but maybe since it's non conducting, it cuts down arcing and increases switch life?

Google says it does.

'Dielectric grease is a non-conductive compound of oil and silica that acts as an electrical insulator, or dielectric. When applied to electrical connections, it can:

• Create a seal: Helps to extend the life of connection points and protect them from moisture damage
• Provide insulation: Helps to prevent arcing
• Prevent corrosion: Seals out moisture and protects against contamination
• Prevent shorting: Can be applied to pin connectors due to its high electrical resistance'

 

06 & 09 softails.... had the problem of stalling out after a long run at a steady speed of around 40 to 60 MPH when coming to a stop it would just stall. IAC's on both. Cheap and easy fix for me.

 

You said "dielectric grease will help you make the best contact".

It is not a conductor; it will do no such thing.

A lot of people do not know that, and that is why I made the comment.

 

Started making sure I had enough gas before I left

 

Agree completely with the corrosion in connections comment above.

Beware that cleaning that corrosion often leaves corrosion in the wire. That won't usually cause intermittent dying or failure to start, but it does tend to reduce voltage and make the wire hot. So you get dim lights, weak horn, etc.

I'd also add that often with failure to start, and sometimes random dying, dirty/sticky switches were a source of the problem. Often the ignition switch, but sometimes a dirty relay or a kill switch.

 

Thanks to all for your experience.. I will continue an attempt to keep this thread fresh until I am satisfied the bike no longer quits while running. I don't believe it is the IAC or fuel problem because the bike runs and starts great. The ignition or kill switch I have heard many times would cause this. I have jiggled both of these while running with no ill effect, but that test is far from conclusive. Battery voltage is good and battery is a new AGM. I checked connections and I found the awfully corroded relay and cleaned that up .I have a new one coming from Amazon. I replaced the speedometer sensor because it has been suggested a faulty one could cause this type of problem. Certainly having no speedo when bike shuts down would possibly speak to that.. It was cheap enough and easy enough to install although I did not take off the starter, but cut the wire on the old one to remove and ran new one over the starter. That's it so far. Going to be rainy in my part of Maryland today so further test rides will have to wait. Yesterday's 30 minute runs were so far so good..

 

For what it's worth my two bikes ran fantastic and had no problem starting. It was the IAC on both. I did have to reset the IAC in the Power Commander software after installation

 

^^^ THIS ^^^

But chasing down electrical issues isn't time wasted.