Author Topic: Cb500 turn signal wiring?  (Read 2554 times)

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Offline JBCB500

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Cb500 turn signal wiring?
« on: February 20, 2017, 10:58:18 pm »
I've got my signals all wired up as per the diagram and I've bought the relay seen in the attached pics.  I can't get it to work though.  Will this model work and what prongs should I put the black, green, and gray wires on?

Offline Bodi

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Re: Cb500 turn signal wiring?
« Reply #1 on: February 21, 2017, 04:17:57 am »
No pics attached...?

Make sure the indicators are actually powered from the flasher: unplug it and see if the signals light up when asked... they shouldn't.

Two terminal flashers use the two wires that aren't green.

Three terminal flashers use the green as well. Black is power, gray goes to the signal switch.
Note that there a several types of three terminal flasher - ones that will work for you, plus ones with the third terminal for an idiot light or something. Hooking up ground to one of those will just blow a fuse.
Check the DIN 72552 signal numbers on the flasher terminals (most flashers have these, marked on the plastic case): look for 31 which is ground (battery -). In theory 49 is +12 power in and 49a is flasher output to the switchpod. The unusable ones sometimes have a 49b terminal instead of 31.

If you have LED signals, many (electromechanical type) flashers will light them but not flash.
Electronic type should flash but probably at a fast rate. Fast flash rate is to alert the driver to a burned out bulb in "normal" use with filament bulbs.
Three terminal electronic flashers are better than two terminal for LEDs, because their electronics module is powered directly from battery-ground rather than having the power source limited to the lamp current.

Offline JBCB500

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Re: Cb500 turn signal wiring?
« Reply #2 on: February 21, 2017, 07:43:03 am »
Bodi, that is brilliant advice, thank-you!

I have attached pics of my relay now, hopefully this one is suitable?

I'll have a go plugging it in tonight.

Offline Duanob

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Re: Cb500 turn signal wiring?
« Reply #3 on: February 21, 2017, 10:51:49 am »
Here is the unit I used on my new signals.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/3-Pin-CF13-JL-02-Electronic-Car-Flasher-Relay-to-fix-LED-light-Hyper-Flash-Blink-/251289748449?hash=item3a820943e1

I put Triumph Bonneville winkers on all four corners. Looks awesome but took some doing to get them to work right. I don't think the unit you have will fix the hyperflash issue. Plus you have to use diodes to get the signals to work at all, otherwise the dash controls will not work and you get some reverse electrical flow. I know, sounds weird but it's true. The diodes act as a one-way gate for electrons to flow in the right direction. Old tech vs new tech i guess.
"Just because you flush a boatload of money down the toilet, doesn't make the toilet worth more",  My Stepfather the Unknown Poet

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Offline JBCB500

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Re: Cb500 turn signal wiring?
« Reply #4 on: February 22, 2017, 07:19:54 am »
Hmmm, tried both a two prong and a 3 prong, with the 31, 49, and 49a as described and I get nothing.  No lights, no blinking.

Headlight, taillight, and all other electrics are working, so I assume I don't have a bad ground.

Any other ideas?

Offline JBCB500

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Re: Cb500 turn signal wiring?
« Reply #5 on: February 22, 2017, 09:12:10 am »
If I have single wire front signals, do I just hook up the orange to the orange and the blue to the blue, and screw in?  Or do I need to run a green wire to the nut on the turn signal post?

Offline Duanob

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Re: Cb500 turn signal wiring?
« Reply #6 on: February 22, 2017, 09:54:26 am »
You can try it but I doubt it will work. I have some extra wiring harnesses just for this but I haven't put anything together yet for sale. I sent a set to Flybox1, you can ask him. I figured since most people put after market signals on these old bikes there should be something available for plug and play. Hit me up on PM if you're interested.
"Just because you flush a boatload of money down the toilet, doesn't make the toilet worth more",  My Stepfather the Unknown Poet

1974 CB360T
1976 CB550K2 Resurrected
1976 CB550F2 Barn Find
1979 CX500 VG "HONDA-GUZZI"
2007 Moto Guzzi Breva 750ie
2015 BMW F700GS
Another 1976 CB550K Cafe?

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_- \_<,
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Offline flybox1

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Re: Cb500 turn signal wiring?
« Reply #7 on: February 22, 2017, 10:27:04 am »
Yessir...the 3pc harness Duanob made up is great.  Even comes in nice packaging w/ instructions  ;D 
Allows aftermarket 2-wire (front) blinkers to continue to work as marker lights as Honda intended.   
I am running 2-wire signals and a 12v adjustable 3 prong relay. 
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Online calj737

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Re: Cb500 turn signal wiring?
« Reply #8 on: February 22, 2017, 10:29:00 am »
Referring back to the 3 wires for the flasher, you have a Black, Grey and a Green? Confirm the Black has 12v on it with key ON. If so, it will provide current for the Grey that runs to the switch at the handlebar when the relay is activated.

You should have Orange/White heading to the turn signal. The solid Orange goes to the idiot cluster. Same for Blue on right side.

So if Grey is carrying current to the switch, then O/W should be hot when the LEFT switch is active. Use a meter and confirm that. Whether or not the relay is compatible comes next...
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Offline JBCB500

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Re: Cb500 turn signal wiring?
« Reply #9 on: February 27, 2017, 07:36:11 am »
Thanks everyone for the help once again, the relay works fine and I now have working turn signals.

I ended up checking for continuity from the main wiring harness and connectors all the way to the headlight bucket.

I discovered that I had a good ground (green), a good power (black) but that the aftermarket Chinese wiring harness had the pinouts for the gray and the green/red reversed.  I re-terminated and swapped the wires at the front and had rear signals immediately.  I then realized that I needed to attach ground wires to my 1 wire front signals so soldered wire to large washers and fastened them onto the stalks, bingo!

Thanks again all, getting very close to a full working bike now - tuning questions up next!