Help... No Power on 2006 1600 Nomad

[Lowbwan]

+1 on removing accessories wiring and reconnecting 1 at a time.

[Snake Ranch]

Take your meter and start checking your ground points. You could have high resistance at a ground point. When these machines sit, especially during winter, things change. Electricity goes the path of least resistance. If it can't go its normal direction it will find another way if it can.

Just my 2 cents worth.

[dholmer]

Well, here is an update... All the accessories have been disconnected. (Reckless Fairing/Driving Lights). When I turn the key on the lights on the gauge all light up like normal. When I hit the Start button, everything goes dead. Then I turn the key to off and then back to on and everything is dead. I unhook the 30Amp fuse or the battery and hook it back up again, then the same scenario starts over again. I had a friend listen down by the right side cover and he hears a small pop down by the 30Amp fuse (Starter Relay). So, I have ordered a new starter relay and it should be here by Wednesday. If that doesn't work, I may have shorted something else out. I have used a meter on all the fuses I can find, and they all check out.

[tomm]

Wouldn't be surprised if something is fried, but a few things don't add up here. One is that power doesn't go dead one minute and then come back the next. Two is that shorts don't stay shorts forever. They either blow fuses or burn something.

Take your meter and put it on the positive battery post. Not the cable connector. The battery post directly. Measure the voltage. Then hit your ignition switch and check the voltage. Then the starter button and check the voltage.
Move your meter to the cable connector. Do the same.
Then where the battery cable connects to the starter relay. Do the same.
Then the other side of the starter relay. Do the same.
Finally remove the starter motor cable. Do the same.
Report back what you find.

Also, did you replace your battery recently? If so, check the length of the screw that secures the cable to the battery. A little too long, and you can tighten it really tight, but it will never hold the cable to the battery snug enough to maintain a good connection.

Now that popping is another story. But one thing at a time.

[dholmer]

Originally Posted by tomm

Wouldn't be surprised if something is fried, but a few things don't add up here. One is that power doesn't go dead one minute and then come back the next. Two is that shorts don't stay shorts forever. They either blow fuses or burn something.

Take your meter and put it on the positive battery post. Not the cable connector. The battery post directly. Measure the voltage. Then hit your ignition switch and check the voltage. Then the starter button and check the voltage.
Move your meter to the cable connector. Do the same.
Then where the battery cable connects to the starter relay. Do the same.
Then the other side of the starter relay. Do the same.
Finally remove the starter motor cable. Do the same.
Report back what you find.

Also, did you replace your battery recently? If so, check the length of the screw that secures the cable to the battery. A little too long, and you can tighten it really tight, but it will never hold the cable to the battery snug enough to maintain a good connection.

Now that popping is another story. But one thing at a time.

Thanks Tomm. I will do those things tomorrow and let you know what i find. I replaced the battery last summer.

[macmac]

try pulling the rt side cover off and then drop the coolant rez down. Next follow the (+) cable to a box all wrapped up in tape. The box is orange. Open that box, and with the (-) cable OFF the battery clean all the connections in that box. By clean I mean remove them all and sand paper every one of the ends clean and bright. I think you have an arc burn there in that box.

[dholmer]

First of all I would like to thank all of you with your concern and input about what to look for and the different things to try. I need to give a special thanks to Tomm for all the advice he messaged me.
Second, the bike is running! After cleaning off the battery posts like recommended, and replacing the starter relay, she fires up with no problems. Happy Happy Day here at my house! Thanks again for all the help.
"D"

[MikeW]

So glad your up and running, nothing makes a grown man want to cry more than his ride being broken,especially when he thinks he caused it and cant find whats wrong.

[vf24renegade]

Hi All, This does happen. I started my 99 nomad after it sitting for a few weeks. It took a bit of cranking, choke and throttle pumping but it started. Let it warm up and hopefully put a decent charge on the battery. It ran approx. 15 to 20 min while I changed the license sticker, checked coolant, etc. I got on it to ride and it quit. This isn't real unusual for me, but when I went to start it, nothing happened and the dash lights went out. I turned the ignition off and back on but no lights. Consequently no start. I cycled the kill switch, clutch, kick stand but never had lights. I checked the wires at the ignition switch. After studying the schematics, I opened the side and checked the main fuse. The plastic was brittle and I put the spare in even though it had checked ok with an ohm meter. The contacts were corroded though. I cleaned the pins and sockets with a wire brush as best I could and plugged the connector back into the starter relay. I put the cables back on the battery, turned the ignition switch and I had lights! I hit the starter switch, heard some popping and saw sparks in the vicinity of the starter relay. No start and no lights again. This all took a split second. So, disconnected the battery, checked the fuse again (was ok), plugged the connector back in to try again and see if I could see where the sparks were coming from. I suspected a chafed wire shorting against the frame but couldn't see any. Turned on the ignition switch, got lights again. Hit the starter and no sparks this time, but no start and no lights again. I disconnected the battery, checked the fuse a third time (was ok). But thinking it might be the starter, I disconnected the cable to the starter from the relay. Plugged the connector back in, reconnected the battery, turned on the ignition switch. Lights again! Hit the starter and I could hear the relay pulling in and the lights stayed on. Of course no start since the starter was disconnected. That's where I left it at this point. Been doing research on starters and can't believe the cost of a starter motor. I sincerely hope it's the relay. But, my point is that there must be a thermal overload or something in the starter relay that opens the circuit feeding the main fuse. Maybe. But it can happen that the main fuse doesn't blow and there is no voltage to the system until you disconnect the battery and/or the connector to the relay. My next step was to disconnect the cable at the starter and try again to see if the problem is in the relay.

[vf24renegade]

I had to submit the previous and continue here. My keyboard quit on me. Anyway, I have 2 questions. 1. Will the starter relay from a Vulcan 800 (Drifter) work on my 99 1500? 2. Can parts be obtained to rebuild the starter motor? The manual shows how to do it. I sure don't want to shell out almost 500.00 for a replacement starter.
Thanks

[VARider07]

Hello. Dumb dumb here. Not a master mechanic, but have an idea. Was at a starter rebuild house one day and asked if they rebuilt Harley starters. He said yes. Cost? $120 with warranty. Hark! Sure beats 500 for a new starter. So...see if you can find a reputable rebuild place. Just a thought.

[redjay]

Originally Posted by vf24renegade

I had to submit the previous and continue here. My keyboard quit on me. Anyway, I have 2 questions. 1. Will the starter relay from a Vulcan 800 (Drifter) work on my 99 1500? 2. Can parts be obtained to rebuild the starter motor? The manual shows how to do it. I sure don't want to shell out almost 500.00 for a replacement starter.
Thanks

You can cross reference part numbers here.

ronayers.com on their parts microfiche.

[BudMan]

I agree with the previous post. If it is the starter you can probably find someone to rebuild it for a fraction of the cost of a new one. If it wasn't for the spark my thought would have been the ignition switch.
Good luck. Let us know what you find out.

[eg78]

Great post, great info, stuff to look out for on my 06 nomad... I learn so much here :)