RT Electrical Help

[Purple Guy]

2014 RT Ltd. SE6
I recently installed (6 weeks ago) a power amp in my RT.
It had worked flawlessly with the bike power system until yesterday.
Riding down the highway I went to increase the volume for my tunes and complete electrical shutdown.
The bike stayed running and there was throttle response. The cluster went black, no shifting to the transmission.
Once pulled over turned off the key and there is no response from the ignition with the exception for releasing & engaging the park brake.
The hazard lights & horn still work as well.
Visual inspection of the fuses while waiting for a tow looked fine, will meter them today...
And suggestions on what I might have a look at would be appreciated.

[Steve W.]

I don't know the RT electrical system all that well (yet), but my first question would be: where did you get power for your amp?

.

[ThreeWheels]

I recently had a similar issue where everything shut down.
It was a bad connection at the battery. I tightened it up and all was well.
Have you considered disconnecting your power amp ?
Also, how did you install it ?
There may be a possibility that when you installed the amp, you might have mechanically stressed the power harness and something was loosened up, that finally slipped apart.
I also had this happen to me: Wires to a connector had loosened up. The connector was still made up correctly, but one of the wires TO the connector had slipped out of the back of the connector. I had stressed the connector during the installation.

[Purple Guy]

I don't know the RT electrical system all that well (yet), but my first question would be: where did you get power for your amp?

.

I recently had a similar issue where everything shut down.
It was a bad connection at the battery. I tightened it up and all was well.
Have you considered disconnecting your power amp ?
Also, how did you install it ?
There may be a possibility that when you installed the amp, you might have mechanically stressed the power harness and something was loosened up, that finally slipped apart.
I also had this happen to me: Wires to a connector had loosened up. The connector was still made up correctly, but one of the wires TO the connector had slipped out of the back of the connector. I had stressed the connector during the installation.

I did check the connection and it was fine, also had it on my battery tender before this ride. I disconnected the battery when I got it home and have left it over night in the slight chance that something may reset overnight...

I used an existing circuit, used the feed from the analog fuel gauge which I'd disconnected. Will be rectifying this, ordered a fuse block last night. I have disconnected the amp.

[Peter Aawen]

I know it's gonna get some groans, but it's still a possibility worth excluding!! Check the battery, both before it's got any load on it and under load; and it'd probably pay to check the charging voltage too, if you can get the erngine running!!

Yeah, I know that it all went black when you tried to turn the volume up (and maybe increased the electrical load when you did that?) And that the last thing you did was fit the power amp 6 weeks ago, so there definitely IS a possibility that there's a dodgy connection or loose terminal in there somewhere.... but you say it's worked fine for 6 weeks?!?

What sort of condition was the battery in before that? If the battery was a bit tired, then 6 weeks of extra load might've just killed it - this happens, more often than you might think!! Or maybe the charging system is not quite up to handling the extra load, so 6 weeks of not quite managing to replace all the juice you've been draining out of it has finally done for it, and now your battery is dead! This too happens, more often than you might think!

So when you get that multi-meter, IMHO, the first thing on your 'to do' list should be to check the battery charge level, even before you check the terminals & then the fuses!

Good Luck!

[ThreeWheels]

I did check the connection and it was fine, also had it on my battery tender before this ride. I disconnected the battery when I got it home and have left it over night in the slight chance that something may reset overnight...

I used an existing circuit, used the feed from the analog fuel gauge which I'd disconnected. Will be rectifying this, ordered a fuse block last night. I have disconnected the amp.

What I'm suggesting is that you may have accidentally stressed a different connector to the power harness during installation of the power amp.
Yanking and tugging on wires shouldn't be a problem, but sometimes it is.

Don't ask me how I know this.

Your idea of adding a fuse block is excellent. Consider making it a switched fuse block as well.

[Purple Guy]

I know it's gonna get some groans, but it's still a possibility worth excluding!! Check the battery, both before it's got any load on it and under load; and it'd probably pay to check the charging voltage too, if you can get the erngine running!!

Yeah, I know that it all went black when you tried to turn the volume up (and maybe increased the electrical load when you did that?) And that the last thing you did was fit the power amp 6 weeks ago, so there definitely IS a possibility that there's a dodgy connection or loose terminal in there somewhere.... but you say it's worked fine for 6 weeks?!?

What sort of condition was the battery in before that? If the battery was a bit tired, then 6 weeks of extra load might've just killed it - this happens, more often than you might think!! Or maybe the charging system is not quite up to handling the extra load, so 6 weeks of not quite managing to replace all the juice you've been draining out of it has finally done for it, and now your battery is dead! This too happens, more often than you might think!

So when you get that multi-meter, IMHO, the first thing on your 'to do' list should be to check the battery charge level, even before you check the terminals & then the fuses!

Good Luck!

The battery is only 1 year old and it was fully charged (on a battery tender) less than 30 min before breakdown.

[billybovine]

Likely blew a fuse F7 in the left fuse box. It is a 10 amp. Connecting the power amp to this circuit was just wrong. It supplies power to all the running lights, gauge cluster and several other circuits with only a 10 amp fuse.

I don't think the battery has anything to do with it. But your comment that battery is only a year old and was just charged is meaningless as proof the battery is good.

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

Likely blew a fuse F7 in the left fuse box. It is a 10 amp. Connecting the power amp to this circuit was just wrong. Is supplies power to all the running lights, gauge cluster and several other circuits with only a 10 amp fuse.

I don't think the battery has anything to do with it. But your comment that battery is only a year old and was just charged is meaningless as proof the battery is good.

.... It's likely ( from your info ) that you over-loaded that circuit .... a separate Fuse block is always a good idea .....jmho .... Mike

[trikermutha]

Or at least run power and fuse to battery for the AMP power. Then find a switched circuit to turn the amp on and off , if it has that option.

[billybovine]

Or at least run power and fuse to battery for the AMP power. Then find a switched circuit to turn the amp on and off , if it has that option.

I would agree with that. The running light circuit is good trigger voltage for a relay. Very little extra load. But not for powering a power amp.

[Purple Guy]

Update

Metered all fuses and none are blown.
Hooked up the battery after having it disconnected through the night.
turned the key and had nothing. Turned the kill switch on & off and the fuel pump powered up and I was able to start it.
No cluster, no foglights (head lights work), windshield will not move
Though it will start the throttle is non-responsive, may get an extra 200 rpm but that's it.
Off to the dealer it goes...

[trikermutha]

Wonder if the Cluster is toast

[Purple Guy]

Wonder if the Cluster is toast

Oh there's that possibility!
Hoping maybe a relay...

[trikermutha]

Oh there's that possibility!
Hoping maybe a relay...

Guess you will know more when the BUDS get hooked up. ECM-Can- cluster are in that circuit too along with many other devices. Good Luck!