Author Topic: Blinker issues after fiddling with wiring. . .  (Read 2838 times)

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musicnut01

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Blinker issues after fiddling with wiring. . .
« on: June 12, 2005, 05:36:44 PM »
Hey all, I'm new around here and have my first question to post!! Here goes:

I have a 74 CB550 and I was poking around in the rats nest in the headlamp assembly; ( I was going to do a bar swap but didn't have the time tonight so I put it all back together) and now, when I flip my signal switch, the front blinkers just wink to "off", the little buzzer just stays on, they don't blink at all, and the rear blinkers don't do squat.  Any ideas???

-=Ben=-

Buffo

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Re: Blinker issues after fiddling with wiring. . .
« Reply #1 on: June 12, 2005, 05:45:58 PM »
if you were in the headlight bucket running wild you most likely knocked something loose or reconnected something wrong. sounds like its grounded out. Take another look inside. look for worn or bare wires. make sure all of your connections are CLEAN.

dON

musicnut01

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Re: Blinker issues after fiddling with wiring. . .
« Reply #2 on: June 12, 2005, 06:11:36 PM »
Thanks! I'll be sure to go check that out more in depth.  Also, I think I may have busted my headlight because it sure as hell doesn't work anymore either. :(  (It did *gasp* fall out when I was removing the screws but at least I'm a man and admitted that I dropped it!) 

Offline oldbiker

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Re: Blinker issues after fiddling with wiring. . .
« Reply #3 on: June 13, 2005, 03:34:27 AM »
Sounds very much like an earth connection problem>

Offline Tim.

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Re: Blinker issues after fiddling with wiring. . .
« Reply #4 on: June 13, 2005, 09:29:21 AM »
Two words - circuit tester  ;)

Unless your wiring is totally bunged up, it should take you less than 1 hour to disconnect everything in your headlight bucket and reconnect, cleaning as you go.

Two more words - wiring diagram

I'd strongly recommend you do this - so at least you can rule out the innards of the headlight bucket when sorting out problems.  Test your headlight circuit before running out and buying a new lamp.
« Last Edit: June 13, 2005, 12:39:17 PM by tintin »
Roule comme dans les années 70...   Roll as in the Seventies...

musicnut01

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Re: Blinker issues after fiddling with wiring. . .
« Reply #5 on: June 13, 2005, 10:23:28 AM »
Thanks for all the help everyone!! I'm going to give it another go inside the headlight bucket today after I get home from work. 

TinTin - I'm still really new at all this electrical stuff but it looks like someone definitley had a field day in the headlight bucket before when they swapped the handlebars for these god-awful "Granny-Bars" (like on Dorothy's bicycle in the Wizard of Oz" so I'm not entirely sure if everything is in the right place!  Am I going to have a hard time getting thing put together right if I just unplug everything and start over with a wiring diagram?? 

Also, in "testing the headlight circuit" do you mean like putting voltmeter prods in the headlight plug and seeing if it actually reads at 12v??  Sorry, still new to electrical work. . .
 :-\

-=Ben=-

Offline Tim.

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Re: Blinker issues after fiddling with wiring. . .
« Reply #6 on: June 13, 2005, 12:45:40 PM »
A simple circuit tester:

http://www.sears.com/sr/javasr/product.do?BV_UseBVCookie=Yes&vertical=TOOL&pid=00947696000

All you do is ground the clip (clip it to the frame of the bike) and stick the needle end into the headlight socket in this example.  With the power on (ignition switch turned on) you cycle through the headlight switch positions.  If the handle of the circuit tester lights up, you have power.

Invaluable to confirm if electricity is getting where you want it to go.

Continuity testing can also be important to find a break in a wire.  A simple multimeter can do that.

All the original wires in your headlight bucket are color coded.  Easy as pie to put them back together.  It may take you a few days to sort everything out, but you'll get it.
Roule comme dans les années 70...   Roll as in the Seventies...

Vatch

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Re: Blinker issues after fiddling with wiring. . .
« Reply #7 on: June 13, 2005, 06:17:16 PM »
Spend a few bucks for a decent multimeter.  You will not believe how often you will use it, and not just for working on bikes. 

tintin's on, look at the wiring diagram and check everything as you go.  Take your time and you won't have to go back in there.

Justin_NJ

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Re: Blinker issues after fiddling with wiring. . .
« Reply #8 on: June 13, 2005, 06:21:06 PM »
I had a similar problem with my blinkers after putting on new handlebars and it turned out my blinker relay was shot.  If you're sure you have the connectons right in the headlight bucket, that might be worth a try.  A new relay costs about $4.

musicnut01

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Re: Blinker issues after fiddling with wiring. . .
« Reply #9 on: June 14, 2005, 01:02:28 PM »
Fixed it!!!! It was the relay after all! Thanks everyone!  Also here's something interesting in regards to the 7" headlamps on these bikes:

All the cycle shops charge between 15 and 35 for a replacement bulb, but I took it in to Advance Auto Parts and they stock them because it's the same bulb they use in some Jeep Wranglers.   $8.95 for the Halogen model; seems to work great and is a bit brighter!!!  Any reason this would be bad?  I thought maybe a heat issue but I've been using for a few days now and haven't noticed anything terrible!

-=Ben=-

Offline TwoTired

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Re: Blinker issues after fiddling with wiring. . .
« Reply #10 on: June 14, 2005, 03:08:24 PM »
Well, the halogen isn't bad.  It's just that the 550 alternator doesn't have much excess power.  It's all about watts.  The stock bulb was 40 W low beam and 50 watts high beam.  And, even with that, the alternator doesn't make enough power at idle RPM to charge the battery.  With a higher electrical load, the engine has to rev higher for the alternator to overcome the extra electrical power load before charging the battery.  It depends on how you drive the bike.  If most of the operation is on the highway with the RPMs up, you'll probably not notice any issues.  If, however, you spend lots of time at idle or very low speed, the battery may gradually run down.

There is a secondary issue, depending on just how many watts you increased the lighting to, about whether the electrical switches can survive long term with the extra current.

Lastly, under the left side cover is a fuse panel.  The fuse contacts should be bright and shiny.  Any oxide bulidup on these components, adds resistance, and resistance here is dissipated as heat. If the heat buildup is great enough, the fuse melts, not from overcurrent, but from heating.  It's usually the main that goes, and your bike is dead without it.  With clean and polished contacts the extra heating is eliminated or greatly reduced to levels that don't cause problems.  Don't just put bigger fuses in there, although the fuse may not melt from the even higher heat, the plastic will.  The distortion pretty much destroys all hope of salvage, and replacements are then expected.  You can check with your thumb on the fuse.   It will normally get warm with all the lighting on the bike active.  If it gets so warm you can't keep your thumb on it, you've got issues.
Lloyd... (SOHC4 #11 Original Mail List)
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