Diagnosing Electrical Short - Assistance Needed

[tribal]

Hello,

Bike ('05) has progressively gotten worse over the last year.

I used to fry a 30a fuse every 6 months, then 3 then 2 then weekly and now it is time to fix it.

I unhooked my Steble horn and thought it was fixed but it came back again.

Symptoms:

1. 30a fuse melts , rear tail light fuse blew 3 weeks ago and license bulb was blown
- I replaced the Trailblazer tail light bulb & installed a new fuse and all seemed fine for 2 weeks
- shop replaced the license plate bulb and bike passed NY inspection
- I will need to now replace the holder as it was damanged and no longer holds a fuse in firmly.
2. Bike now requires me to hold the throttle, will not idle, hesitates - as in there is a short somewhere.
- Tried downloading new tunes
3. If I remove the 15a blinker fuse conditions improve - clue!
- I installed a new LED flasher Relay but thats not it.
4. With the blinker fuse removed, the tail light will not flash when you hit the brakes (it is on though). clue2?
5. With the headlight fuse removed the bike will not start. clue3?
6. With any fuse removed, TuneBoy will not connect. That doesn't seem correct and indicates juice may be going into TB cable and interfering with connectivity. coincidence, normal or clue4?

It did throw 2 codes last time it blew a fuse - ECU & Fan but I don't think they are accurate.

I visually inspected all the wires going to the tail end and don't see any places they could be grounding to the frame or cross connecting but I will clean them all up
and apply some dielectric grease and rewrap to be safe.

Diags so far (from other posts on electrical problem diagnostics & http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=...qfnzBg&usg=AFQjCNHa9xof4ktD5lR33em2QokoNJNVlw ):

Key off - 12.5V
Key on - 12.1V
Running - 14.5V - battery seems fine (new last August) and charging systems looks OK

I removed my 680Ohm resister speed limiter over ride mod but that didn't change anything.

Any other suggestions?

I have ordered a new RR unit (after market upgrade), headlight relay kit, Odyssey Battery etc. but don't want to install them until I fix the current issue.
It also is time for a valve alignment check (it has been 20K miles since last adjustment)

 

[budman]

ain't got a clue, but let us know what ya find .......if and when.......could it be a bad ECU?..

 

[Gothlander]

Fit the headlight relays, check and repair any dodgy wire connections to fuse block and regulator. Be aware that horn and some other accessories are ground activated. Clean all ground connections and use heavy wire for headlight grounds. Check ignition loom connecter for meltdown.

 

[SizemattersIII]

MrHD, you have an 05 and havent done the headlght relay mod then you are probably experiencing some sort of harness melt down. Do like Goth says and do the headlight relay. I would then seriously look into doing IDKs keyless ignition mod. Make sure you splice in front of the infamous white connector (weak link in harness). Not only does it take the key ignition out of the loop, its way more cool.

 

[Pedro]

wrong link

 

[Hooter]

If you can remember, what was the last thing you changed before the problem began?

 

[Pedro]

may be this one

 

[tribal]

Hey all,

Good info. I'll give my OJT electrical debugging efforts another couple of tries and take it in to the shop if I can't get it sorted out.

Here is some info:

Trailblazers are those aftermarket blinking tail light plug-ins. Work great.
I'll check the wiring schematic to see whats going where - makes sense that TB won't work if its on that same line. Explains the taillight not blinking.

The fuse in question is the main primary 30A one. It usually was taking 6 months to melt apart. I would replace when bike "acted wierd". Kept 5 with me at all times.

Recently though it has been frying them at startup - thats when it threw the error code and check engine light came on. I reset with TB as everything checked out normal.

Last year the shop I go to replaced the Rear Torsional Dampener assembly - bike was running good for several months.
I did have two throttle cables installed and they flushed the differential a few weeks ago.
I also replaced the front headlights as a bird broke one.

As mentioned, the problem has been intermittent so its hard to say if it is or isn't related to this work. It may have exacerbated it.

I ordered the headlight relay mod kit this week & will install it after I (or someone) pins this down. Will consider the keyswitch mod.

I will check for melting on the key wires.

Q. Has anyone replaced their RR - if so where did you mount new one?

 

[Pedro]

I have replaced my RR, Put it back in the old spot, you can get a cheaper one here.http://www.electrosport.com

 

[Pedro]

Check all the relays are seated home correctly. you may get a ground short here as well.