Topic: Winkers on the blink.

[CBGBs]

My front turn signals are on solid but the rears are working fine. If I run the headlight on highbeam, then the front signals work fine. I've since noticed my lowbeam isn't workings. The wiring looks good. Whats going on?

[TwoTired]

Possible electrical disturbance in the machine aura.
Either you or the bike has blasphemed against the tron god.
Have you sacrificed a goat at moonrise and placed the entrails on the bike in the form of a pentangle?

What Bike?
What has changed since it left the factory?
Do you have a wire diagram?
 

[CBGBs]

Sorry, I didn't think this would be so model specific amongst the SOHCs.

The bike is a 75 400f.
The bike is very stock other than the rear turn sig. wiring that has not the original connectors. I've used butt connectors and electrical tape wrap.
I have a wiring diagram.

Please help.

[seaweb11]

pull out the headlight and start poking around.  I can't reach from here

[333]

I can see it from where I am.  It looks like the ground for the headlight and both turn signals are connected to each other, but aren't connected to ground.

[750goes]

great vision 333.........

hope it is the right answer though ??

[CBGBs]

pull out the headlight and start poking around.  I can't reach from here

I have poked around the bucket. I looked for frayed wiring and bad connection with the turn signal wiring and found no real problems. They work fine with the high beam on. I'll recheck the ground.

[pyro139]

pull out the headlight and start poking around.  I can't reach from here

I have poked around the bucket. I looked for frayed wiring and bad connection with the turn signal wiring and found no real problems. They work fine with the high beam on. I'll recheck the ground.

may be the relay, i also recently replaced my rear lights but my front and rear lights are linked my new rear signals are less power than the relay so they dont flash since thjere linked either do front, seems yours arent link and may be that your new lights are more power than the relay so they sucking all the power leaving no power for other stuff on same circuit witch should be head light other signals and horn, when you switch to high beam it forcing ectra power so every thing work but sucking battery faster, if you still have old lights try conecting them and hold assembly to frame to ground to see if stuff works with factory lights, if it does probaly your relay.

[TwoTired]

How do your turn sigs work with the headlight disconnected?

Did this happen suddenly?  Or, was it technician induced by some recent changes?

[CBGBs]

I recently replaced all the turn signals, as the bike had none when I took possession of it. I have been riding the bike for only a couple weeks  and I noticed this  during this time. I believe the lowbeam was working.

[TwoTired]

The stock front signals on a 75 400F are dual element and each require three connections to operate.  Depending on the side (L or R) you need O, O/W, Green, or B, B/W, Green.

The green connection must be made between bulb socket and the wire harness green wires.  The headlight fork mounts are rubber isolated from the frame ground and are unreliable as a battery negative post connection, whereas the green harness wires are directly intended for that function?

What wires did you use to make the signal connections?

I asked ...

How do your turn sigs work with the headlight disconnected?

...because it would help me analyze current paths contributing to your malady, and you asked what was going on.

But, I won't be making anymore guesses.

Good luck!

 

[CBGBs]

I've removed the Headlight and the winkers worked same. I've been looking at the wiring and schematic and I'm wondering what a Position light is. The front signals are only two wire (o,o+w and lb,lb+w) although the schematic includes a ground, this is non existant. I've disconnected the position light wire and the signals work fine. I guess I was running with parking lights or something. I had the wire colors matched up inside the bucket but no lights came on in the Park pos of the ignition switch. What is the position light for anyway? Why a dual filament bulb up front? Are they suppose to be on in lowbeam?

[333]

The park position of the ign switch iwill only light the tail light.  The idea being that when stopped on the side of the road, the tail light is the one pointed at traffic.  Position Light might be a reference to what I know as marker lights.  If there is no green wires coming from the lights, then there is no ground.

750goes: See?  No ground!  I told you I could see it from here.

[750goes]

333,

you are a true legend.................

from one who can't see whats in front of him

[CBGBs]

THanks fellas. It turns out this was not a problem after all. The position light are basically optional. I've got them disconnected now and I feel normal again. Its too bad the headlight is only available from the dealer for $45. Anyone know of a better deal?

[Frrrrunkis]

After I painted my new headlight / signal bracket, I had a problem with my turn signals, where they wouldn't work right, turns out, the ground from the wiring harness connects to the nuts inside the headlight that hold it on, the bolts have to make good contact with the metal of the bracket, to pass the ground on to the turn signals. I scraped the paint off behind the washers where they make solid contact with the metal, and that fixed it. Whoever had the bike before me apparently couldn't figure this out, couldn't get the turn signals working after rigging the headlight back on when he wrecked it, and didn't use the original nuts with the ground wires on them. So he cut the turn signals off, bracket and all, and I had to get a whole new assembly off ebay.

I'm just wondering one thing, with the headlight in low beam, the turn signals are on steady, with it on high beam, they are off, bt the blinkers work in both high and low beam. Is it supposed to be that way?

[CBGBs]

Yes, they do work that way. It's apparently an option. If you want position lights then connect the wires that have a white stripe. If you don't you'll only be connecting the Light blue and Orange wires.

[333]

It's not an option, someone has put the wrong turnsignals on your bike.  I just checked the Honda Service manual for that bike, and they're there.  We are talking about a US model, aren't we?

[TwoTired]

The 400 has a weak charging system and battery.  To conserve power, the front position lights go off when High beam is selected.

As stated before, the front turn signals for the 75 400F have THREE connections for two elements.  The elements share a common 12V return at the bulb socket base.  Blue or Orange powers the blink element and the B/W or O/W powers the position light element.  Neither will work properly unless there is a socket base connection to the green harness bundle.

I don't care if your signals only have two wires to present to your eyes.  If you have dual element bulbs you have three connections to make and ensure they are made.  If you have single element bulbs and sockets in the front mounts, then you put the wrong signals on the bike, and they will either blink or be position lights, but not both.

Do you know what bulb numbers are stamped on the mount base?  Does the bulb base have two nubs on the bottom or one?

[CBGBs]

Guys! Thanks but the issue is completely resolved. I have the proper bulbs and the proper signals and the wiring is working properly. There is a ground working the signals but its not part of the signal unit. That is if you removed the signals from the bike there would be not green wire attached because those are in the bucket.
   When I said "option" , I meant "optoinal". As in, "It's optional to connect the position lights."
Thank you