What should the electrical reading be on a Harley Davidson Sportster?
A normal reading is between 140 to 180 amps. A lower reading indicates a low battery charge or a starter with a internal electrical problem. A higher reading indicates a mechanical problem with the engine, starter, or high resistance in the starter to battery wiring/starter ground wire.
How to fix a Harley Davidson Softail Sportster?
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How to find a short on a Harley Davidson Sportster?
Another test to locate a short is by using a compass. Run a compass along the affected circuits wiring and watch for fluctuations in the needle. When a fluctuation is noticed, you may have found the shorts location. This works best with larger parasitic draws.
Where are the ground wires on a Harley Davidson Sportster?
There is one main ground wire routed from the battery’s negative (black) terminal to a stud on the primary case. This is the largest of the ground wires on the Sportster. Start with the larger ground wires first, as they will have the greatest impact on your electrical system if a failure occurred.
What are the connections on a Harley Davidson Sportster?
Looking at Figure 3, you can see connections 85 and 86 complete the circuit from the switch ground to the switch. When you hit the switch, low current flows through the relay coil (85-86), which uses a magnet to make a connection between 87 and 30, completing the circuit.
Why do you need a fuse box on a Sportster?
The fuse box contains the protection your Sportster’s electrical system needs to prevent shorts from becoming fires. Fuses purposely serve as the weak link in the circuit, but sometime just blow randomly.
What causes fuse box to leak on 1981 Harley Davidson Sportster?
Figure 7. The circuit breakers from a 1981 Sportster. On newer model Sportsters with the triangular fuse box side cover, water has been known to leak past the cover and corrode the connections. Some symptoms of water corrosion include hard starting, a drained battery, and relays/switches turning on with the ignition off.
When did the Harley Davidson Sportster come out?
For you kids just joining us, Harley-Davidson created the Sportster in the face of growing competition from import companies making smaller-displacement bikes. Riders in the 1950s and 1960s had a hankerin’ for small to midsize machines.