[biker3777]

Something going on somewhere with my electrical system.First the battery died so I replaced it and the only light I had was the cruise light,I checked all the relays on the left side and they appear good,I switched some of them around and nothing.I had the problem a few years back and it WAS one of the relays.I found a post on "common grounds "but after getting it down to where it looked to be there is no connector like that on the SE.It sat for a few days and I went out and turned the key on and all the lights came on and it started,another few days and same thing,only the cruise.The cb works but not sure if the radio does (just havent tried it).All the fuses are good as well as the dogbone.

 

[tmdriverwannabe]

besides your dash lights, is everything else working? i.e. the temp/fuel guages and such...reverse?

 

[biker3777]

Only the cruise light

 

[satan]

If you can assure that all of your battery connections are tight and clean, then...

... Dogbone - try honking your horn (key on).

The 55A Dogbone fuse located just forward of the battery is likely loose or damaged 9based on the intermittant conenction)

The Cruise Light indicates that the 35A Main fuse (on Starter Relay A) is in a happy place.

No Horn (even thought you should hear the horn relay click) will indicate that the high-current feed to the fuse panel (including the high current to #3 "Main/Tail" relay) is not powering from the battery - you should also not show 12V on the field at the Alternator (key on) Brake lights and the 12V feed to the hi/low handlebar switch for your headlights also won't be there... so no lights...

CB, AM/FM (and strangely their channel/clock memories) should be fine as would the ACC fuse/terminal at the fuseblock (key in P/ACC/RUN)...

Are your battery connections above reproach; what's your dogbone like?

 

[biker3777]

Dogbone is good,if I voltmeter the relay pins(on the bike not the actual relay) which post should have 12 v.Any way to actually check the relay?can the be bought from Autozone.?There is no tail light or running lights.

 

[tmdriverwannabe]

if theres no tail or running lights change out relay #3 behind left saddlebag and make sure pins in it are not corroded....

 

[biker3777]

I have had some issues with that one,can the connectors be replaced?

 

[Predator]

This is confusing. Everything was perfect, but when you put the new battery in, all this stuff started to happen?
What made you assume the battery was bad, because it went dead? Does this bike run?
Why go to relays when it all started at the battery?

 

[biker3777]

Battery was dead because I let run dry !!!!!!!!!!,The bike has had an issue with relays before but was always able to wiggle it and it come back to life.I removed the dogbone and it has 2 dogbone fuses so that would be 110 amp fuse,(I guess) glad I pulled it,cleaned the posts and put new one in.I sprayed the ignition switch with some contact cleaner and after a few minuites I was setting on my work stool and everything came on,maybe it was a comination of the 2.I will see tomorrow if it is still alive,was planning on balancing the carbs so now I have the side off I can do that.

 

[newday777]

Battery was dead because I let run dry !!!!!!!!!!,The bike has had an issue with relays before but was always able to wiggle it and it come back to life.I removed the dogbone and it has 2 dogbone fuses so that would be 110 amp fuse,(I guess) glad I pulled it,cleaned the posts and put new one in.I sprayed the ignition switch with some contact cleaner and after a few minuites I was setting on my work stool and everything came on,maybe it was a comination of the 2.I will see tomorrow if it is still alive,was planning on balancing the carbs so now I have the side off I can do that.

2 55amp fuses is usually with a Compufire alternator.

Yes it could be the ignition switch being dirty inside and not making good contact.

 

[DaveO430]

I have had some issues with that one,can the connectors be replaced?

Take the fuse box loose, pull it out and take the back off of it. You will probably see the main power wire (white) to #3 relay burned. You can replace it if you can find the terminals. I just fixed one using a terminal with a few inches of wire from a Honda car ignition switch. PM me your address and I'll mail you one if you need it.

 

[biker3777]

Dave0430 thanks for the offer,I will look tomorrow and it does the Compufire alt,do I need to put 2 55 amp dogbone fuses back in?

 

[newday777]

Yes 2-55 amp with the spacer washers between them.

 

[redwing52]

For what it's worth. The power for all the lighting flows from the ignition switch, through a set of contact points that are located in the start switch, then out to various and most lighting. With that said it certainly is possible the ignition switch might have been the issue. Equally as possible is the start switch contacts (the set that are active when the starter is NOT engaged) are dirty. The reason for this design is so all lights are off when starting the bike. That gives all possible voltage to starter and ignition during the start process. I've had that happen to my bike. Usually hitting the start button several times will reconnect it. Maybe for a while. Maybe a long time. My bike has the issue so seldom I just live with it as I described. Someday I'll fix it when I'm working near it. Hope this helps and good luck.

 

[Predator]

Satan and a few others had excellent plans of attack when troubleshooting. Satan seemed to be on the money with the dogbone issue. I think all of our bikes have have this overall crash issues and instead of concentrating on the big picture, it's easy to get side tracked into pulling fuses and relays. I try to save issues like yours so when I do have problems (and they will come up for sure). I have firm starting points when searching for an answer.

I didn't mean to say you changed the battery without checking it, you just sort of glanced over that in you initial post.

Just think though, it WILL do it again and be something completely different next time...start taking notes...electrical stuff sucks and on a Wing you have to attack it methodically.

Glad you seem to have solved the problem though. Something to remember is not to start something else until you are SURE you solved the first problem.

 

[biker3777]

Preditor,the battery was dry and after adding distilled water to it it would not take a charge,being 4 years old I did not think twice about replacing it as the thought is always back in my mind that a battery that old would not be reliable even if it had charged.Thanks for everbodys help,I havent been out and tried it today but soon.Given the history of the relays on this 1500 that was my first line of diagnosing my issue.

 

[Predator]

Once again, as hard as electrical issues are to diagnose....ALL of the info should be put in the first post because everything is critical. As much as you may have had relay issues in the past, they were not evident when this situation actually occured. You want to say your bike was running fine, battery went dry and you replaced it and now you have all of these electrical issues with lights not coming on and very little else for us to go on......Oh yeah, they came on once and everything was fine and then blacked out again.
Clarity in everything that happened up to the point of your original post (did you notice how you got off track with the tail lights not working and a particular relay to look at?) Those tail lights WERE NOT your issue, you may truly have a bad relay but read back to your original post and see that that wasn't the issue. A relay is a relay and causes alot of screwy issues.
All the relays don't have history
Back to question 1; does the bike start up and run when all this stuff is happening? Once again the question is confusing as to what the bike is doing....
Satan and redwing have come up with viable 'running' conditions where everything is good, now move on to step two.
BTW How could you have checked the CB but not bothered to turn the radio on to see if that was working?
I'm signing out of this post and not documenting anything because........it just has no value for future diagnosis stuff I save.
Don't mean to Dis you, I hope others keep posting and somehow help you solve this mystery

 

[biker3777]

Well my FIRST Goldwing was a 1975 and I have been a GW owner probably longer than anyone on this forum (serial #447) so it not like I am new at this,even though I don't get to the point as you wish all tha other help was benificial.It is up and running now,the dogbone fuse had some corosion and the ign switch had issues.

 

[AZwngr]

Keep us posted on what you find out ! Did the battery hold a charge
long enough to keep everything lit ?

 

[biker3777]

AZ WINGER.The new battery is doing what it is supposed to do and I think most of the issue was the ign switch,after I followed Dave0430 advise to check the back of the fuse box for bad connections (there were none) then I proceded to follow the wires to other component and found the ign switch wasen"t letting power out.BTW my 1500 was originaly bought in AZ( I lived in Queen Creek and thats where I bought it it belonged to a Phoenix Motorcycle Cop that lives on Ironwood),I worked at Boeing and retired to Texas.
NEWDAY777,thanks for the advise on the alternator fuses