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General Category >> Rubber Side Down! >> Random full-electrical failure
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Message started by Chris has a Savage on 09/02/08 at 10:29:22

Title: Random full-electrical failure
Post by Chris has a Savage on 09/02/08 at 10:29:22

My dad bought me an '01 Savage, 13k miles. Well, after about 40 miles on it it died. Totally. It blew its (top) fuse about 8 times in some random guy's garage. Thankfully I died outside his house and he and his buddy saw us riding earlier so they were kind enough to help.

Well, we took it back to the stealership and they said they'd cover the cost of looking it over-it should work... but.... it fired right up. My dad and I presume it'll come back in the same shape with no luck from any diagnostics.

While blowing fuses we traced the problem to a short in the ignition system, and we thought it might've been on the killswitch return. (Not 100% sure there)

Any ideas or similar problems?

ps- battery was okay and there weren't any signs it was comin'

Title: Re: Random full-electrical failure
Post by verslagen1 on 09/02/08 at 11:25:36

There are various place shorts have occured. check the wiring around the headlight, one short some where behind the ig switch, and under the tank is a favorite.

Title: Re: Random full-electrical failure
Post by Chris has a Savage on 09/02/08 at 14:46:01

I was thinking it was under the tank but had (and have) no means to check. I have nowhere available to me where I could tear it down.

But by the time we were done toying with the ignition system's wires I don't know if we temporarily fixed the short or if it was just the bumps of transport that did. We ran out of fuses before we could get more specific. ;D

Also, I don't believe we checked the lights. Thanks for the idea.

Title: Re: Random full-electrical failure
Post by Jack_650 on 09/03/08 at 08:00:28

All good suggestions, but . . . When it happened to me over the course of several days, I would be rolling down the highway and then dead silence. I got pretty good at getting the tank on and off at the roadside while finding nothing wrong. Then I recalled someone saying that you should check your battery connections often.

Now, on my car when the motor's running and you remove a battery cable it keeps running. That's why I didn't consider that to be a potential problem. Who knew? With nothing left to consider I checked the connections at the side of the interstate in the middle of nowhere Wisconsin. The negative cable was loose enough to become intermittent. Tightened it up and haven't had a problem since then.

Jack

Title: Re: Random full-electrical failure
Post by justin_o_guy2 on 09/03/08 at 08:06:01

Thankfully I died outside his house and he and his buddy saw us riding earlier so they were kind enough to help.

Glad you were able to get the help you needed! Those qualified in the fine art of resurrecting the dead are rare. ;D

Title: Re: Random full-electrical failure
Post by Chris has a Savage on 09/03/08 at 08:18:38

Yeah, I was lucky! I was only about a mile from home via residential roads, but it'd be hateful to roll it home.

Also, I know it's not just a loose terminal because it was blowing fuses. Disconnecting and reconnecting the battery wouldn't cause that problem but thanks for the idea. Might as well have a looksee when I'm back!