Author Topic: Intermittent Blinker Getting Mad lol (Read 1209 times)

albaradr · « **on:** February 05, 2015, 01:31:41 AM »

Hi all

I am working on a 1976 Honda 550. My right front turn signal works intermittently. If i physically push the blinker sometimes it turn on sometimes not. If i dont touch it, it wont go on. Other signal work fine. Cleaned contacts. Opened up light to see whats up looks like everything is good.

Any ideas?

LesterPiglet · « **Reply #1 on:** February 05, 2015, 02:46:59 AM »

Make sure the earth is sound.

albaradr · « **Reply #2 on:** February 06, 2015, 02:11:57 AM »

Great advise.

I took off right side turn signal to inspect it again. While it was dangling with the key to the on position the housing brushed against the front fork and it turned on. I held it to fork and it blinked off and on.

I then decided to unplug the left side turn signal and plug the wires into the right side harness inputs. turned on and it blinked. i guess this means the wiring harness side is working because it made the left turn signal flash.

Kinda lead me to think there is a bad ground in the housing? Or bad ground on the bulb?

Anyone? I live in a state where we have safety checks and i gotta get this one done to ride

thanks

faux fiddy · « **Reply #3 on:** February 06, 2015, 02:46:56 AM »

I pretty much have to keep my thumb on the switch to keep my right blinker on lately. I haven't done anything to fix it yet, but first I will try a blast of wd into the contacts.

I assume my problem is in the switch.

albaradr · « **Reply #4 on:** February 06, 2015, 02:54:20 AM »

id go with that fer sure but the left side signal into the right side harness worked perfect. its gotta be something in the housing i just dont know what to look for.

when i plugged the non working light into the left side harness it didnt work.

meh...

faux fiddy · « **Reply #5 on:** February 06, 2015, 03:01:33 AM »

There might be something cold soldered or not connecting in the bulb housing. Do you have any spares to test it with?

There are things that go wrong inside the winker, I know I pulled one apart and the problem was obvious and fixable, I just don't remember what it was.

Not really related to your problem, but if these things were designed where the base of the bulb pointed down, the element wouldn't be subject to as much vibration.

albaradr · « **Reply #6 on:** February 06, 2015, 05:56:03 AM »

Quick update took the bulb from the good side put it into bad side and it didnt light up. But the bad side bulb into the working side it lit up.

So there's something janky about wiring in bad side. Wth it's two wires..

LesterPiglet · « **Reply #7 on:** February 06, 2015, 05:59:40 AM »

Check the feed from the loom. Possibly broken wire.

Gene · « **Reply #8 on:** February 06, 2015, 01:39:08 PM »

Pop the headlight and trace the wires inside, make sure all your connections are solid in there. It's a rat's nest and wires get separated from their housing. I just repaired the front turn signals on my 1975 CB 550. Just make sure your colors are all matching up and it should be fine. And make sure you have a dual-filament housing and bulb. That may seem obvious, but you'd be surprised.

albaradr · « **Reply #9 on:** February 09, 2015, 12:26:46 AM »

thanks for all the responses

this is a newb question. i have the light blue solid, and light blue with white tracer, but no green around wire coming out of lights. does the diagram just show this to let me know where the light should be getting a ground from?

there is a braided wire located in the housing itself, it this suppose to serve as the ground?

thanks again all?

LesterPiglet · « **Reply #10 on:** February 09, 2015, 04:48:48 AM »

I'm not sure how yours is arranged but I have a washer with a wire soldered on. This washer goes over the indicator stem then the bolt. the other end of the wire is then earthed. I use this method as my indicators are rubber mounted. This would probably solve your problem.

albaradr · « **Reply #11 on:** February 09, 2015, 01:40:16 PM »

Lester great idea,

Although id really like to figure out what the cause is behind the ground. just looking for someone to tell me how the lights get ground with these two wires and where to look.

i can see from that wiring diagram that the ground is shared with headlight but i have no green wire on the turn signal. Also headlight works perfectly so that ground is fine as well.

also keeping in mind that when i plugged in the left side to the right side wiring harness it worked fine. so there is either something with the socket, housing, or, how it attached to bike. looking for help with that as well.

i have the head light off the bike and all the wires are plugged into correct colors.

LesterPiglet · « **Reply #12 on:** February 09, 2015, 02:16:21 PM »

If the headlight is off the bike try touching your indicator body/stem to bare metal of the bike and see if it works. If it does then it doesn't need the green wire. They ground through the stem when they are bolted up.

albaradr · « **Reply #13 on:** February 09, 2015, 04:02:41 PM »

i looked at the braided wire inside the turn signal. it looked kinda dark compared to the left side. im think that might be it. i touched the stem of housing to place it mates onto fork. no go.

Gene · « **Reply #14 on:** February 09, 2015, 08:48:25 PM »

I don't know your set-up, but my bike has the ground as part of the "plug" for the bulb. It's all part and parcel of the same unit. Do you have a pic of your signal? The best description I can provide, without a pic of my own, is that the green ground attaches to the inside of the unit, providing ground (by touching the stem - more or less). Even if you take a ground wire and attach it to the housing via the lens screw, it should work.

Sorry dude, I know this is frustrating.

albaradr · « **Reply #15 on:** February 10, 2015, 03:26:24 AM »

there are only two wires coming out of light light blue solid, and light blue with white.

i unplugged the working side and backed it off fork stem, turned on blinker it didnt blink, pushed it onto stem, it blinked. so looks like the stem is the ground.

i cleaned inside or signal stem as well as stem on fork with some 400 grain sand paper, guess what... it still didnt work lol.

so there is either something wrong with the turn signal housing, or the fork is somehow not acting as ground.

Kevin D · « **Reply #16 on:** February 10, 2015, 11:30:32 AM »

The fork ear bolt should screw into this part with grounding wire for winker and running light:

http://www.cmsnl.com/honda-cb550f-super-sport-550-four-1976-usa_model467/washer-light-case_61303336000/

FWIW, I had one winker with corrosion inside the reflector. Think I pulled the phillips screw on the braid, scotchbrited the surfaces, reassembled, and all was well, IIRC.

faux fiddy · « **Reply #17 on:** February 12, 2015, 03:32:03 AM »

Quote from: Kevin D on February 10, 2015, 11:30:32 AM

The fork ear bolt should screw into this part with grounding wire for winker and running light:

http://www.cmsnl.com/honda-cb550f-super-sport-550-four-1976-usa_model467/washer-light-case_61303336000/

FWIW, I had one winker with corrosion inside the reflector. Think I pulled the phillips screw on the braid, scotchbrited the surfaces, reassembled, and all was well, IIRC.

+1 I can't remember exactly what I did to fix one of mine but it was by taking things apart under the lens.

NobleHops · « **Reply #18 on:** February 12, 2015, 04:04:24 AM »

Those two wires are the turnsignal element and the running light element. As noted, these turn signals ground to the chassis from the base of the socket to the turnsignal stalk, then to the mounting post that the turnsignal bolts to, then from a bare metal spade inside the headlight shell to the wiring harness green wire. Grab a multimeter, some fine sand paper and maybe a small tube of silicone dielectric grease (aka bulb grease) and take it apart.

Starting at the turnsignal, make certain the bulb socket is connected to the turnsignal base by checking continuity from anywhere on the chrome stalk to the metal bulb base. If the meter goes "beep", move on. If not, find out where the break or corrosion is and fix it.

Next look at the interior of the turnsignal where is slips over the stem. The ground will most easily occur where the bolt contacts both the turnsignal itself and the stem it slips onto. Use the sandpaper to clean those surfaces till you have bright metal on all. Clean off your sanding spooge, smear lightly with the dielectric grease, reassemble.Check for continuity from the bolt head to the turnsignal bulb base again. If your meter goes "beep" move on. If not, do that all again till it does.

Now, inside the headlight bucket where the base of the turnsignal stem resides there will be a metal spade welded to the base of the stem, which should have a green wire from the wiring harness slid into it. Remove the green wire, and scuff that spade with the sandpaper till its bright. Clean it and dielectric grease it (a little is enough). Clean the green wire connector as best you can and ensure its a snug fit onto the spade. If it's loose, carefully squeeze the curled part with fine pliers till it's a snug fit. Now check continuity from this spade to the turnsignal base (bolt head is fine). If the meter goes beep, you're good. Reconnect the spade to the green wiring harness lead. That will probably fix it.

If it's STILL flaky, remove the green ground ring terminal under the seat from above the battery, clean and grease it and where it mounts, and reinstall. That's your primary wiring harness-to-chassis ground point. But I doubt this is the issue because the rest of the stuff is working fine.

Ride on.

:-).

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Author Topic: Intermittent Blinker Getting Mad lol (Read 1209 times)