Topic: Wiring help...please :(

[550jake]

Ok, so ive got a 76 cb550, and switched to clubmans and had to pull the wiring out obviously. Not really a problem there, but the PO had rewired a headlight/running light switch into the original wiring to turn off the headlight/running lights when starting. Anyways, he used all black wiring, and me being the idiot didnt take pics of it before I took it off. So everything is working, besides the turn signals. However I have switched to LEDS, and can only get them to stay all on. Basically what I did is I took the two power leads from the front signals out of his "yoke" and put them back into the responding switch junction for each respectable turn signal circuit. But no matter what, they all stay on when I hit the turn switch, it is backfeeding power into all of them somehow and I just cant figure it out, and its driving me nuts! ive messed with it so much lately, probably over 12 hours trying to get it to work, even bought a variable load electronic flasher unit, but no matter what it does not work. Any ideas?? And if your near Dayton OH, then I will buy you a case of beer and some moolah if you can help me figure this out! Thanks!

[OldSchool_IsCool]

Not sure where to start either, other than to say that the starter button is supposed to turn off the head light.  This is done to provide max power to coils and starter motor.

When you say that you flip on the turn signal switch that all lights are on.  Do you mean both the left & right turn signals are on?  What about the running lights?  what happens if you put standard bulbs in the sockets?  Your LED lights, they have two contacts on the bottom, right?

[we3h]

For turn signals:  Ignition power goes to the flasher (X), (L) from the flasher goes to the turn signal switch common.  That is the one that connects to both the right switch wire when you press to the right and to the left switch wire when you press to the left.  You can test this switch with a meter set for continuity.  Then just hook up the right side to the right switch wire and the left to the left.  Should work no problem.  As for the idiot light for flasher, just connect the hot of the bulb to both the turn signal switch leg wires and the other to ground  ;)and it will flash any time you use a turn signal. 

[DHolbrook]

I was right where you were a few days ago 550jake (my bike is a 76 750 though).  I had the correct elec. flasher unit and all wires were hooked up proper.  I removed the front signals and use leds in the rear.  Turned on my signal left or right, and my blinkers would all light up like an emergency flasher.  I was pulling my hair until I read around here and discovered that one side signal grounds itself through he other to work proper.  Incandescent bulbs can do this while leds cannot.  I read here that a diode or two could help me.  So I went to radio shack and bought a diode that had the lowest rated Peak Inverse Voltage.  I think the diode itself was 100 watts.  It was only $1.65 for two.  I went home and alerted my connections like so:

I soldered a diode into each signal power feed.
I chose one of the two wires running to my dash light to be a power and the other to be a ground.
I ground the ground I choose for the idiot light.
I connected together the two power leads from the signal sides after they traveled through the diode, to the power lead to the dash light.
Turned the key, hit the switch, and everything worked.  I had my headlight on so fast just to call her DONE!

The diode on each signal feed prevents any current from traveling to the "other" blinker and causing you frustration.

I by no means am an electrical guru, but after being as frustrated as it seems you are, I was willing to give soldiering diodes a try, and I'm glad I did.  Hope this helps you too!

[DHolbrook]

I got the three prong flasher.  Read this to be sure to get the correct unit:  (mine was labeled 31 - , 49 + , and 49a L )

From Bodi in another thread:

Bodi:
This should go in the FAQs somewhere, it keeps coming up.
ALl 2-prong flashers work using the lamp current. There are thermal and electronic types.
The thermal ones have a heater and bimetallic strip thet bends when hot and switches the lamps off. With no power to the lamps, there's no heat so the strip bends back and switches the lamps back on... and the heat on; cycle repeats.
The thermal type will almost always stop working if you install one set of LEDs (ie the rear signals) and leave one set as regular lamps (ie the front marker/signals). Thermal flashers will never work with both front and back LED signal lamps.
Electronic 2-prong flashers use an electronic circuit to control a relay, this gives a more consistent flash rate. They still need fairly high lamp current to operate. They usually work OK if you have one normal lamp and one LED signal. They will not work with both front and back using LED lamps.
3-terminal flashers come in mechanical and electronic types.
There are 2 types of 3-terminal flashers. One type has no ground connection; there is a power terminal, a signal terminal, and a pilot terminal for the dashboard signal indicator. This type is no improvement over the 2-terminal one for LED use, it just has 2 outputs.
The type we want has ground, power, and signal terminals. The power to make it flash is independent of the lamp power draw. Most SOHC4 bikes have a loose green ground wire hanging beside the flasher, this is perfect for connecting a 3-terminal flasher.
Looking at a rack of flashers at your local Pep Boys it's hard to tell which 3-terminal flasher is the right grounded type and which is the other type which will just blow a fuse if you try connecting it with a ground wire. The electronic type is better than the thermal type, it uses less power and has a constant flash rate as it ages.
The easiest way to know you have the right one is to find one with the terminals numbered. These numbers are a JSO or DIN (not sure which) standard, I haven't been able to find a list of what the numbers mean but they are consistent.
You need a flasher with the terminals numbered 31, 49, and 49a. If you see these numbers, you have the right one! Other numbers means it is the wrong type.
The green (ground) wire goes to #31.
The black wire (+12V) goes to #49.
The other wire (to turn signal switch) goes to #49a.
Some flashers have 2 flash speeds, "normal" and "fault". With LED lamps you will get the "fault" rate. This is faster or slower than "normal" but who cares? It will flash and that's what you want. In a car, with all lamps working, it should go at "normal" and if a lamp burns out flash at "fault" and you're supposed to notice that and think "oh man, the flash rate is different and that means a signal lamp has burned out, I better have that fixed right away". Yeah, right.
Some flashers start "off" (when the signal is activated there's no light for a while then it flashes ON), I don't like this at all. If I'm on a highway and want to change lanes, I want the signal light on as soon as I slide the switch over. If I get a flasher that starts "off" I exchange it for another brand or part number that starts "on" (light ON as soon as signal is activated then flashes OFF).

You can also install "LED compensators" and use the stock flasher. These are just load resistors that draw as much power as the normal lamps. This power then lets the thermal flasher work like normal. This is fine if you just like the look of LEDs and don't want to change flashers. The power saving from using LED signals is infinitesmal, they aren't on enough of the time to make any difference to charging or depleting your battery.

[DHolbrook]

Mine is an EP-36 I found at PepBoys, but your EP-28 should work if wired like so (not cb specific):




Is your dash light lighting up?  Do you have a blinker buzzer hooked up?  If you slowly slide your switch to one side or the other, will it flash then?  Can you hook up one of your old incandescent bulbs in conjunction with the LEDs to see if you get a new result (or even just use a test light)?

[DHolbrook]

You can try the EP-36, but I doubt it's that.  PepBoys will allow you to exchange yours, I'm sure other parts store will too.  My led blinkers will stay solid, and will not blink unless there is some incandescent bulb that the flasher is also illuminating.  In my case it is the dash light.  When I was troubleshooting my setup I noticed the flashers would only work when I used my test light, hence the necessity for a dash light.

Did you ground one wire of your dash light and run the orange and blue power wires (after passing through the diode) to the other dash light wire?

If you ground your test light and stick the other end into you signal connector terminal, and hit the turn switch, what happens?

Keep on plugging around in there 550jake, just remember, once you get it, you won't have to mess with it again. 

[DHolbrook]

Here is how I wired my LEDs, no resistors like yours (excuse the 5 min drawing, looks kinda like I combined chemistry and electricity).

[DHolbrook]

Yep.  I think it needs to be this way so one side of lights doesn't try to ground through the other.  Try it.