Topic: My blinkers won't blink

[elcid]

My turn signals won't blink. Actually sometimes when I switch the blinker on, it blinks sometimes, & other it just stays on solid & even other times it will blink but very slowly. Everything was working fine until I disassembled the headlight & removed the blinker wires. I then reassembled everything & now they won't blink right. I also disassembled all the rear tail light & blinkers too. You think it is something wired wrong or something not connected tightly?

[number13]

Most likely cause is a blinker relay going bad.
You can get cheap replacements at any auto part store
for about 3 bucks, or spend a whopping 10 clams on an
electronic blinker and never worry about it again.

[kghost]

Any large resistance will cause them to not blink. Bad terminal connections for example.

Also low voltage will cause that. Such as at idle.

If they blink at 3000 RPM but not at idle ....clean the connections and try a new flasher relay.

[grumburg]

Check the rear grounds. Make sure the wires are tight to the U shaped clamps and the clamps are tight against the rear grab bar. Took me a while to figure out why I had an intermittent no blinker poblem.

[kettlesd]

Gotta agree with Grumburg - grounds, grounds, grounds!!! It doesnt take much corrosion or dirt to weaken teh connection.

[seaweb11]

pull off the lens and take a spare piece of wire and hold it on a good ground and the lamp area. If it still doesn't work it's not a ground issue on that one.

[elcid]

ok I have an update. When I turn on the left blinker the "running" light goes off completely & does not blink or come back on. This tells me I put a wrong wire in somewhere, no?

[TomC]

Hi Elcid
     My read of the 550 wiring diagram is that when the blinkers, turn signals, are turned on the running light on that side is turned off.

[ohiocaferacer]

A bad bulb or wrong size bulb will also give these issues you are having.

[elcid]

yes but when I turn on the right side blinker it just blinks. It can not be wrong bulb because when I got the bike it worked fine. Until I took out the headlight & disconnected all wires...

[Dave K]

If that is all you did, start over. Disconnect all wires again and clean all connectors. Then make SURE, that you are connecting the correct colors together and that the ground wires are in fact grounded. You must have missed something.