When a fuse stops you from going anywhere

Not all fuses are created equal. On my Harley-Davidson Electra Glide I learned last week that a single burned out fuse can prevent you from starting the bike. It's labeled "Battery" in the main fuse block and it's a show-stopper.

I was riding back from Burlington, NC last Friday with my wife on the back and noticed that my turn signals suddenly stopped working. Since I recently installed LEDs and a load balancer I figured it was related to one of these new components. Nope. I checked the lights and they all looked fine.

No big deal. Since I got the new spark plug wires last week the bike has been running great. I figured I'd just use hand signals and figure out the problem over the weekend.

I dropped my wife off at home and went into work. When I came out of work to ride home on a beautiful Friday evening, the bike's starter didn't make a peep when I pressed the start button. WTF!

A couple of co-workers joined me in the parking lot to mull over the situation and I had my wife bring me a voltmeter and jumper cables. The battery tested fine. The problem was clearly electrical--as in catastrophic failure somewhere--so I went for the main fuse block next.

The main fuse block is mounted behind the Maxi-Fuse unit under the left side cover. (See photo at right.) The Maxi-Fuse and main fuse block are both located just beneath the electronic cruise control module.

While I'm here I have to tell you a little story about how ignorant dealer "technicians" can be. A few years ago I was having trouble with my cruise control. When I took it to the local dealership they called me and told me that the technician couldn't work on it because I had installed an after-market cruise control module. I would have to purchase a new HD cruise control module. Take a look at the picture. (Click on it to display a larger version.) Just to be clear, the electronic control cruise module is the plastic box with the bright orange sticker on it - the one with the Harley-Davidson logo and part number 70955-04 printed on it!

(By the way, it turns out that the source of the cruise control problem was the throttle cables were being pulled too tightly on the new handlebars I had installed. The cruise control switch couldn't release properly. Installing longer throttle cables solved the problem.)

You slide the Maxi-Fuse sideways to remove it to access the main fuse block. Carefully pull the fuse block straight out away from the bike and you can then read the fuse layout. (Refer to the photo, left.)

Note that on the left end of the cover is a place to keep spare fuses. I'm glad that was there, with a spare 15 amp fuse when I needed it.

The fuse block cover pops off in an upward direction. Be sure to remove and replace fuses one at a time in order to simplify the process of putting the correct fuse in the correct slot. On my bike, not all slots are occupied.

After pulling and examining several of the fuses--using my LeatherMan tool needle nose plyers I keep on my belt--I found the cuplrit: third column from the left, third up from the bottom. The cover (and the maintenance manual) lists it as the "Battery" fuse. Click on the photo to the right to display a larger image with the cuplrit fuse circled.

I replaced it and the bike started right up. I rode it to Rockingham ("The Rock") yesterday and encountered no problems--other than rain. :-)

So, why did the "Battery" fuse go; was it just its time, or is there a more deeply embedded problem somewhere? For example, is there a wire under the seat, just off the battery, that shorted somehow when Sam (my wife) got on for our ride to Burlington?

Of course, I will let you know if any new problems develop. I'm riding to Machias, Maine and other points north on Tuesday (June 25), so I will have a good opportunity to see whether or not the bike is functioning properly. 

As always, keep the shiny side up!

-The Long Rider