Dead Bike

[burly]

I had a similar problem on my '99 and it turned out to be the ground wire - I forget exactly where it connects to metal, but it's on the right hand side of the bike and easily accessible. Someone with more mechanical skills can describe the position for you.
I had replaced my battery, and had a new starter on order when someone on the forum suggested this might be the culprit...

[schoeney]

CONCHO AND EVERYONE...I POSTED THE WRONG WIRING DIAGRAMS!! SO I REMOVED THE ONES I POSTED.

MAC PM'D ME TO ASK ABOUT THE LETTER AT THE END OF THE MODEL NUMBER AND I REALIZED THAT I MADE A MISTAKE....SORRY I HOPE IT DIDN'T CREATE AN ISSUE.

THE DIAGRAM I POSTED WAS FOR A VN1500N....I ASSUMED THE "N" WAS FOR NOMAD...WRONG...IT WAS FOR A CLASSIC. THE 2000-2004 MODEL NUMBER FOR NOMADS IS VN1500L1(2000) VN1500L2(2001) VN1500L3(2002) VN1500L4 (2003) VN1500L5 (2004)

[concho]

It does greatly. Thanks. I just pulled apart the ignition and with a test light the only wire with power ( even with the switch in the on position) is the white wire. I figured it was the main power line from the battery and now I know I was right. I also checked and cleaned the frame ground and still nothing. I also cleaned the brushes on the ignition and still nothing. Any other suggestions, I really don't want to take the bike in and have to pay a fortune for the shop to fix it.

[Yellow Jacket]

The white wire is the power from the battery. With the switch in the "on" position you should have power coming out of the other four wires, red, blue, brown and gray. If not the switch is bad.

Sounds like you will need to replace the switch. This might be a good time to think about the switch relocation mod also.

PS. The battery should read at least 12.6 volts with a good charge on it.

[ells]

Might also note that these bikes do not typically push- or roll-start, which still seems strange to me. Its not the slipper clutch because you can get the engine to turn, must be in the FI power??

[concho]

I just ordered a new switch from Thunder Manufacturing. I ended up getting the HD style switch that mounts to the risers, hated the factory switch anyways. Thanks for all Yalls help, it is greatly appreciated.

[macmac]

schoeney, Where did you get that? Is that Clymer's? Man I am going to swipe that, and print it TWICE, one for the books and one to go..

[bedouin418]

Thanks to all for the advice and tech tips. It turned out the battery was bad. My son had an electrical tester. Battery read fine until the starter button was pushed and then it dropped down to almot nothing. Dropped the new battery in and it fired right up. Finally got to try out the new Avons. Feels like I was riding a toatlly different bike. Thanks again to all.

[ringadingh]

Sometimes we get lucky and actually pretend that we know what were talking about. Good to here that the battery solved your problem.

[macmac]

Well that talk of swapping batterys, I took for real.

With a meter you can use the bike for a load tester. It's as easy as ahulin off the seats, clipping the meter to the battery reading it. Then turn on the key, read that, because a really bad battery will drop hard right there, and if not press start.

A good battery will not drop below 10.5 volts cranking the engine. Your battery would have gone to 0 dcv in a heart beat.

[Idaho]

I agree with Mac, your story of swapping the batteries and starting the 4 wheeler with the Nomad battery should have ruled out the Nomad battery. When a cell goes bad current flow through it drops the battery voltage across that cell so there is nothing left at the terminals. Current flow is current flow, does not matter if it is pulled from the Nomad starter or the 4 wheeler starter. Unless the Nad pulls way more current than the 4 wheeler, that may be the case but it seems odd.

[ells]

Idaho/Mac, You got two posters mixed up. Concho, the original, still has the problem and believes (knows) it is the ignition switch. Bedouin thought he had a similar problem to Concho but his did turn out to be a battery.

[macmac]

Ouch yer right Ells... Thanks for pointing that out.

[schoeney]

Originally Posted by macmac

schoeney, Where did you get that? Is that Clymer's? Man I am going to swipe that, and print it TWICE, one for the books and one to go..

Mac,

Yes that is a Clymer. It has wiring diagrams for all 1500's. I know you have a 1600 but if you ever need the 1500's I don't mind sending it to you in whatever format (email, link to photobucket, regular snail mail, or ??) works best for you.

I think you said you have a slow internet connection so just let me know if you want them and how you want it sent. I have a color copier so I can make color copies and drop them in the mail to you too. I will need your mailing address.

Greg

[Idaho]

Originally Posted by Ells

Idaho/Mac, You got two posters mixed up. Concho, the original, still has the problem and believes (knows) it is the ignition switch. Bedouin thought he had a similar problem to Concho but his did turn out to be a battery.

this must be a sign of alzh....... allshi....... deme...... dimenti....

getting old.