Hi All, I haven't been on in a while but haven't had any problems either, at least till now. So was planning on going to Hatfield/McCoy this Monday in Virginia. Pulled the Zforce out to start it and the battery was weak. I pulled the battery and put it on the charger to do a diagnostic and see if it was bad. Low and behold after charging for the whole day, the battery was bad. This is where i did a Stupid  . For what ever reason I went to put the battery back in my Zforce and I accidentally arced the + cable to the frame for a second with my wrench. So I thought no biggie, maybe it blew a fuse,,,right! Well after battery installed, went and turned the key,,, and nothing, no power anywhere. No lights no bells, no whistles. Checked all the fuses, (mine has a half dozen or so under the steering wheel and 2 main fuses under the drivers seat). They all looked good but no power going to them with a volt meter, not even the main ones under seat. In fact after searching for power with my meter the only place I found voltage was the winch, which is on its own supply from battery, and across the Solenoid at the 2 main wires, + on left and - on right going to the starter. Even the voltage regulator has no power on any of the wires. Anyone have any ideas what I should check next? I was about to just order a Solenoid and replace it if I can get it in fast enough. It looks like my trip/vacation is going to be cancelled at this point but maybe I can get it repaired in time for the next run. Thanks guys for all advice in advance.

the service manual is no help here. It sounds like the break in power is pretty close to the battery time to start chasing power back starting from the battery. Not sure if they use a fusible link or large main fuse on the power wire.

Just what I'd have said. If it's any consolation, a total loss of power that is consistent and present will be an easier troubleshoot than something that fails only periodically and not when you are looking for it!

Just as Redrider suggested, you want to use a test light or voltmeter and start following the course of the high amp connections from the battery out. It's worth not that sometimes high amp connections can be funny in that they appear tight but are actually an open circuit, either always or are conductors under light load but fail when a high current draw is applied. EG: you can turn on the headlights but the moment the starter is tried everything goes dead. (not saying that's exactly what yours is doing, just an example) That's why it's a good idea to loosen, move, and re-tighten things like grounds, battery plus solenoid connections and battery terminals. Trust nothing! Keep moving away from the battery till you find where the potential stops.
Good luck.

[2015 Z Force 800 53/Trail EPS]

Yeah..I think the first place to look...again is at the main fuse under the seat. One is winch..the other is the main. Pull both and take a good look and test the connections before installing the fuses

Grounding the positive like that shouldn't hurt anything.

Are you sure it's not just a loose/poor connection on one of the feeds. If you aren't getting voltage to the main fuse, the bolted connections, both positive and negative, are the first things I'd check.

Yeah..I think the first place to look...again is at the main fuse under the seat. One is winch..the other is the main. Pull both and take a good look and test the connections before installing the fuses

main fuse and eps fuse in the compartment under the seat... not winch

put one probe of your meter on the ground of your battery and the other in the female terminal of the fuse holder. Should have battery voltage there.

Did you miss one of the smaller gauge positive leads at the battery?

Grounding the positive like that shouldn't hurt anything.

Are you sure it's not just a loose/poor connection on one of the feeds. If you aren't getting voltage to the main fuse, the bolted connections, both positive and negative, are the first things I'd check.

That is what I thought too, last thing I would've thought that a small arc would take something out. So Im very surprised. So here is what I've discovered so far.
I got a new battery installed and all is tight but still not bright. I checked and replaced all fuses even thought they looked good with no improvement. Didn't really matter as there is no power going to a single fuse or relay. I took my volt meter to everything and started from the battery. There is power going to the relay or what I call a solenoid on the frame. The wire going to the starter is negative and it is a good connection. There is no power coming out of the Relay testing the 2 small wires coming out of the front. So at this point I believe that is where my problem is. I am going to try to get a new Relay tomorrow and at this point I'm thinking a Relay is a Relay. If I can find one at a parts store that matches up with the same volts and amps or can get one in within a few days I'll still get to go to Hatfield McCoy. Or at least that is the plan.

I talked to one of my friends as I was thinking a Relay wouldn't kill the power to the entire machine. He reminded me of the 80's Fords that when the Relay went out, one could arc from the main power to one of the out going post and in a crunch, start your Ford.  Needless to say I did NOT try that but it was a thought,,,,lol! Anyway will let you all know what happens when it comes in. Thanks for the advice guys, You're all the greatest!!!

Yeah..I think the first place to look...again is at the main fuse under the seat. One is winch..the other is the main. Pull both and take a good look and test the connections before installing the fuses

main fuse and eps fuse in the compartment under the seat... not winch

put one probe of your meter on the ground of your battery and the other in the female terminal of the fuse holder. Should have battery voltage there.

Did you miss one of the smaller gauge positive leads at the battery?

YEP I tried that. Exactly the way you said too,,,lol. There is no power at all to the fuses under the seat. So it is has to be in front of them. The only thing I see is that Solenoid on the frame. You disagree?

Grounding the positive like that shouldn't hurt anything.

Are you sure it's not just a loose/poor connection on one of the feeds. If you aren't getting voltage to the main fuse, the bolted connections, both positive and negative, are the first things I'd check.

That is what I thought too, last thing I would've thought that a small arc would take something out. So Im very surprised. So here is what I've discovered so far.
I got a new battery installed and all is tight but still not bright. I checked and replaced all fuses even thought they looked good with no improvement. Didn't really matter as there is no power going to a single fuse or relay. I took my volt meter to everything and started from the battery. There is power going to the relay or what I call a solenoid on the frame. The wire going to the starter is negative and it is a good connection. There is no power coming out of the Relay testing the 2 small wires coming out of the front. So at this point I believe that is where my problem is. I am going to try to get a new Relay tomorrow and at this point I'm thinking a Relay is a Relay. If I can find one at a parts store that matches up with the same volts and amps or can get one in within a few days I'll still get to go to Hatfield McCoy. Or at least that is the plan.

I talked to one of my friends as I was thinking a Relay wouldn't kill the power to the entire machine. He reminded me of the 80's Fords that when the Relay went out, one could arc from the main power to one of the out going post and in a crunch, start your Ford.  Needless to say I did NOT try that but it was a thought,,,,lol! Anyway will let you all know what happens when it comes in. Thanks for the advice guys, You're all the greatest!!!

You need power to the fuses before you will get power to the energizing side of the starter solenoid and power will only be present to the energizing side of the starter solenoid when the key is in the cranking position.

Yeah..I think the first place to look...again is at the main fuse under the seat. One is winch..the other is the main. Pull both and take a good look and test the connections before installing the fuses

main fuse and eps fuse in the compartment under the seat... not winch

put one probe of your meter on the ground of your battery and the other in the female terminal of the fuse holder. Should have battery voltage there.

Did you miss one of the smaller gauge positive leads at the battery?

YEP I tried that. Exactly the way you said too,,,lol. There is no power at all to the fuses under the seat. So it is has to be in front of them. The only thing I see is that Solenoid on the frame. You disagree?

the solenoid on the frame by the battery is solely for cranking over the engine. It does not supply power to those fuses. Those fuses should have constant power

Yeah..I think the first place to look...again is at the main fuse under the seat. One is winch..the other is the main. Pull both and take a good look and test the connections before installing the fuses

main fuse and eps fuse in the compartment under the seat... not winch

put one probe of your meter on the ground of your battery and the other in the female terminal of the fuse holder. Should have battery voltage there.

Did you miss one of the smaller gauge positive leads at the battery?

YEP I tried that. Exactly the way you said too,,,lol. There is no power at all to the fuses under the seat. So it is has to be in front of them. The only thing I see is that Solenoid on the frame. You disagree?

the solenoid on the frame by the battery is solely for cranking over the engine. It does not supply power to those fuses. Those fuses should have constant power

So what is before the fuses then. If the solenoid on the frame is just for the engine and the fuses have no power, what could be from there? I'll double check my connections but I'm stumped!!!

If you look at a diagram, the relay on the frame (part #5270-150500) is the first thing from power off the battery. The other main positive goes directly to the winch and from what I can tell only to the winch. If that relay is interrupted, would that not interrupt power to the fuses??? I mean its the first thing off the battery?

[2015 Z Force 800 53/Trail EPS]

Yeah..I think the first place to look...again is at the main fuse under the seat. One is winch..the other is the main. Pull both and take a good look and test the connections before installing the fuses

main fuse and eps fuse in the compartment under the seat... not winch

put one probe of your meter on the ground of your battery and the other in the female terminal of the fuse holder. Should have battery voltage there.

Did you miss one of the smaller gauge positive leads at the battery?

YEP I tried that. Exactly the way you said too,,,lol. There is no power at all to the fuses under the seat. So it is has to be in front of them. The only thing I see is that Solenoid on the frame. You disagree?

the solenoid on the frame by the battery is solely for cranking over the engine. It does not supply power to those fuses. Those fuses should have constant power

100% yes, the starter solenoid only supplies power to the starter. Battery power comes in on one post, the two smaller wires are coil power and ground, the other larger cable is power to the starter. The starter is grounded to the engine. Without system power, you won't have anything..and can't supply power to energize that solenoid. You do not have system power so like Z8rider says, look for the smaller lead, should be a RED W White stripe, that goes to the battery's positive along with the starter cable.. to be off or burned into. That supplies power to that main 30A fuse..which you say has no power.  Here is a clipping right our of the diagram that I enhanced a little to help.

Yeah..I think the first place to look...again is at the main fuse under the seat. One is winch..the other is the main. Pull both and take a good look and test the connections before installing the fuses

main fuse and eps fuse in the compartment under the seat... not winch

put one probe of your meter on the ground of your battery and the other in the female terminal of the fuse holder. Should have battery voltage there.

Did you miss one of the smaller gauge positive leads at the battery?

YEP I tried that. Exactly the way you said too,,,lol. There is no power at all to the fuses under the seat. So it is has to be in front of them. The only thing I see is that Solenoid on the frame. You disagree?

the solenoid on the frame by the battery is solely for cranking over the engine. It does not supply power to those fuses. Those fuses should have constant power

So what is before the fuses then. If the solenoid on the frame is just for the engine and the fuses have no power, what could be from there? I'll double check my connections but I'm stumped!!!

If you look at a diagram, the relay on the frame (part #5270-150500) is the first thing from power off the battery. The other main positive goes directly to the winch and from what I can tell only to the winch. If that relay is interrupted, would that not interrupt power to the fuses??? I mean its the first thing off the battery?

Sure, as it looks in the diagram its the first things off the battery, but that is not really relevant here. Its just supplying a constant to the solenoid until the solenoid is energized to supply power to the starer. Has nothing to do with the fuses getting power, which supplies power to... well... (mostly) everything

OMG!!! I found the elusive red wires with a white line!!!! THEY WERE WRAPPED IN BLACK TAPE ALL THE WAY UP TO THE TERMINAL! When I went to the Dealer to buy a battery, the under seat fuse wires were connected to the negative terminal! That is CRAZY!!! LOL!!! that is to funny. Thats what happens when I do my own work, Thanks so much guys... I don't think I'd of found it without you!!!

Good to hear,  this is a situation perfect for the old adage.  Keep it simple stupid.  I guess i should have mentioned the big wires don't go to powering the fuses lol.