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Turn Signal Woes


rockmeupto125

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Tearing my hair out here. Trying to read a wiring diagram and getting older while I'm figuring this out. If anyone has run into a similar problem before, please speak up.  I'm trying to get the XX ready for NeXXT.

 

LF turn signal doesn't work.  Rear works, flasher clicks like mad, bad bulb, right?

 

Replace bulb, no difference. Check bulbs, they work.  Now I invoke the multimeter.  Orange/White has steady voltage, and indeed, the running lights do work. L turn signal actuation kills the voltage to O/W and should send voltage to solid Orange. Cant tell because its blinky and my digital multimeter only samples occasionally, reading various voltages from 2.4 to 5.2.  It was cheap (free) from HF so doesn't have a max readout, graphing mode or anything that I can really use on an intermittent signal. But just getting some voltage reading gives the impression it should work. Jumpering to a known good bulb in order to bypass potentially damaged wiring yields no light at the bulb.

 

This took part of two days, damaged parts, lost fasteners, looked for tools, cleaned the switch, found and checked two more switches, all with the same results.  Right now I'm stuck and need to get to sleep for work. 

 

Anyone experience this problem before?  Thanks.

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I'd be looking at the ground side of things, considering your weather and how sometimes you leave bikes outside (not sure if this is one).  Measure resistance from the bulb shell to ground, should be near zero on most bikes (didn't text a XX specifically).

 

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25 minutes ago, SwampNut said:

I'd be looking at the ground side of things, considering your weather and how sometimes you leave bikes outside (not sure if this is one).  Measure resistance from the bulb shell to ground, should be near zero on most bikes (didn't text a XX specifically).

 

Ground is good, ar least from my meter. And that's just sticking the probe on the triple clamp. Ground is shared with the right indicater, so if one is good, the other is good unless the immediate wire is broked.

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The meter has very high resistance so even tho it shows voltage that doesn't mean that the circuit will light the bulb, but it does indicate that it's not a completely open circuit.  There is a high resistance somewhere and it's probably in the power side, not the ground since the running light works.

 

22 hours ago, rockmeupto125 said:

Jumpering to a known good bulb in order to bypass potentially damaged wiring yields no light at the bulb

Jumping from where?  The problem lies between where you jumped and the source to the front signal bulb.  The handlebar switch has one left signal output, somewhere that connects to the front & rear signal wires, that's the source, aka starting point to finding the problem.  I don't know where that connection is located on the bike, but from what I see in the manual it appears to be in the front.  Power goes from the handlebar switch to a multi wire connector, 8 wires total, all from the handlebar switch.  Then there's a connection that connects that wire to the front & rear.  Front, rear, and incoming are all orange so look for a junction containing three orange wires, guessing it'll be a bullet style connector.

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In case I was unclear, that three orange wire connection or somewhere between it and the front bulb base is where the problem is.  Quite often I find the bulb base to be the problem so don't over look that, even if it looks ok.  Sometimes the contact sinks into the spring loaded disc that presses against the bulb.  Sometimes the disc jets stuck and doesn't press both contacts onto the bulb contacts.  Sometimes the wire breaks right behind the disc.

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Do you have a old fashioned trouble light? I spent an embarring amount of time chasing a fried relay contact with a meter. Voltage through, no current.  

I use a trouble light (bulb in series with a jumper) on my old VW. Cheap, and will show high impedance connections that meters will lie about.

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14 hours ago, rockmeupto125 said:

Yeah, i have one. Spent about twenty minutes today looking for it.

😄😄

 

I thought that I was the only one with that problem.

 

I found one of the kids bikes in the garage last week.

Missing it for at least 10 years

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I guess my stroke resolved.  I sat down to the computer, blew up the wiring diagram, did some more diagnostics, and found the probable offender.

 

30 minutes to get to the connection and it works.  PIA.  It will take a while to fix the damage I did taking apart and putting together, though.  Good thing I have some spares.

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Offending connection was where the front subharness connects to the main harness. Tucked in a heavy cover, clipped to front fairing stay at the lower left aspect. I reached it right hand under and up the front cowl and left hand around the lower left side of the gauge cluster with the left dash surround removed. I was able to worry and twist the connector a bit and the continuity on that wire was restored.  Cowl has to come of to adequately reach the connector to disconnect and clean, but this got me on the road for now.

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