84 Aspy no electrical at all

[PappyLane]

84 Aspencade, my dash started coming and going at low rpm and the engine would die. I could keep rpms up and wouldn’t flash or die. If it did die it would start right back from the start button. Got more frequent and noticed the lights flickering as well. Now it does nothing when the key is turned on. No dash no lights, won’t even turn over. Just like key is off. Battery read 12.4 volts. Any ideas how to trouble shoot this?

[DaveO430]

Check the main fuse, originally a strip fuse mounted on the starter solenoid. It could be cracked and making intermittent contact.

[SilverDave]

That %#&%@ dogbone fue is one of Honda's worst inventions ever !!

Fuse material sitting out in the air, corroding over the years..good grief !!
Mine first went on a dim summer evening , and I could actually see the tiny sparking across the oxidation crack.

I purchased a waterproof marine fuse holder from a boat shop , crimped and soldered two eyelets to it and installed a 30 amp fuse ..

Check that fuse annually for corrosion , as its very important for the rest of your machine's electrical health ...

SilverDave

[oldishwinger]

yeh my 86 apsy had those symptoms, and it was burnt wiring at the starter solenoid, and a cracked dog bone fuse

[DaveO430]

That %#&%@ dogbone fue is one of Honda's worst inventions ever !!

Fuse material sitting out in the air, corroding over the years..good grief !!
Mine first went on a dim summer evening , and I could actually see the tiny sparking across the oxidation crack.

I purchased a waterproof marine fuse holder from a boat shop , crimped and soldered two eyelets to it and installed a 30 amp fuse ..
Fuse holder.jpeg

Check that fuse annually for corrosion , as its very important for the rest of your machine's electrical health ...

SilverDave

Terrible, they only last 20-30 years. Bet your waterproof marine fuse holder doesn't.

[SilverDave]

I am sure they will both last for 15 + years ... Fuse material is fuse material....

My concern about having them on a travelling Wing is twofold :

a) when the dogbone fuse cracks , just slightly , as it often does with age , the machine will often "go" for many miles , then stop when the almost invisible crack opens up just a bit .... and then start again in a half hour .
Blade fuses are more weather protected , and are "on" until they fail completely . They don't go thru an intermittent stage .

b) Blade fuses are available everywhere, at almost any gas station , if you travel the outskirts and backwoods of this continent.
Dpgbone fuses are not . ..... and blade fuses can be changed in 10 seconds, without a screwdriver.

But for the first 10 years of a Wing's lifetime .. it probably makes no difference..

Maybe because it happened to me ( intermittent failure of the dogbone) on both my Wings is why I dislike them ??
LOL

SilverDave

[PappyLane]

Found a bad main fuse. Looks ok from one side but back shows heat damage. Replaced fuse and doing good now. Thanks for all the feedback

[oldishwinger]

Found a bad main fuse. Looks ok from one side but back shows heat damage. Replaced fuse and doing good now. Thanks for all the feedback

glad you found it and all ok yeh thats pretty much what those fuses do in my case it looked fine until unscewed it and fell apart in my hands!