Topic: 73 350F blinker electrical gremlin, 9/10 updated, still bleeding...

[flybox1]

here's whats happening, and hopefully you all can point me in the right direction of places to look./clean.  This started last weekend, after riding.  just now got to looking into it.  no prior  electrical tinkering took place.   i dislike electrical.  as much as i dislike brussel sprouts, and my skills with a VM are about as good as someone learning to use chopsticks. but i try

with my 350f running, or not, and i engage the RIGHT blinkers, the right front blinks strong, but all the rest blink faintly(with the left front blinking much less than the right front, but still more than the rears)
When i switch to left blinkers, the left front blinks strong, and all the rest blink(with the right front blinking much less than the left, but still more than the rears.)
the rears are REALLY faint.  faint as in only noticeable with cupped hands around lense kinda faint.

here are some bike details.  
checked and set valve clearances, and filed and regapped my points this weekend.
then i got to looking at this issue.
I am not running LED's in any of the blinkers.
battery, with bike not running, tests at 12.11v. is this batt going bad?
I have it on the float charger now.
i've got a standard 15a glass tube fuse, and white tube-type fuse cover, with connections cleaned yesterday.
I checked and cleaned/polished all bullet connectors i could find between my seat and rear lights.
I have been using an electronic flasher unit (swaped it out for the OEM style as i had one laying around, as a test). Same flasher behavior.
I'm guessing, but if i had a ground somewhere, i wouldnt get ANY blinking.....right?

I attempted to split my blinker control from my L handlebar, and check into maybe a short there, but need to pick up my impact driver on my way home.

My headlight housing is an organized mess.  the PO did a worthy rewire as he turned the top hole on the headlight housing into a hazzard switch, so when the bike is on, and the switch is activated, all signal lights blink.  when this is turned on, all lights blink as they should, with no dimming of any of the lights, so im assuming this system is operating as it was intended, and not part of the issue.

Could my regulator be bad?  if so, how do i test?

as i stated before, this issue occurs while the bike is running and when it is off.

where else can i look?

Cheers, and thanks for your assistance!  


 

[CB500_k2]

My guess is that there may be a problem with your emergency blinker wiring or, possibly, with wiring to the indicator light.  The left and right circuits in the OEM configuration are independent of each other except at the indicator light bulb, at which point the left circuit is connected to one side of the bulb and the right circuit is connected to the other bulb connection.  My guess is that a bump might have caused a problem with the emergency blinker system.  The steps I would take: 1. see if the blinker indicator light is working.  If it is not, replace the bulb with a good one and check function;  2. check and clean the directional signal switch on the handlebars; 3. Check the emergency blinker function - are all the lights equally bright?; 4. check the wiring around the emergency blinker switch to be sure there are no bad connections.  If the problem persists, bring the wiring back to stock and take the emergency switch out of service and recheck function. Even though you are not a fan of electrics,  it is a good idea to get a wiring diagram for your bike. I believe you may be able to get one on this site or just Google CB350f wiring diagram.

[Spanner 1]

Bad ground ?... test like this, with flashers 'on' take a piece of wire from the battery Neg (-) and touch it to the shiny back of each signal, any different ?...P.S. I love Brussels Sprouts, yum
Just read the Emergancy Flasher part, I'd get rid of that mess.. a silly idea if I ever heard of one

[Bodi]

Wow. This is the first time I've heard of anyone trying to put a hazard flasher on. Why?
Without seeing it, I suspect the wiring is a kludged nightmare. Possibly the original harness is relatively undamaged but my experience with PO's rewiring and electrical "improvements" suggests otherwise.
If you can, remove the added useless complication of the hazard switch and connect the flashers as in the original wiring. It's really quite simple, the wire from the flasher goes to the turn signal switch pod and the marker and signal light wires connect to that switchpod as well. This is a bit complicated since the the switchpods connect to the main harness and end up in the headlight shell and at the rear fender but the color scheme is simple once you have an original Honda wiring diagram for your bike. Don't use a Haynes or Clymer wiring diagram or any of the colored ones you can find on the web (these are pretty much all doctored Haynes or Clymer diagrams) - these are simplified to the point of being just plain useless. One of the things they simplify is the switchgear. The Honda diagram takes a bit of thinking to "get" how they show the switches but at least it is 100% accurate and complete (as the bike left the factory at least). You should be able to find a wiring diagram by looking through the sticky topic at the top of this forum.

[flybox1]

I really appreciate the replies. now time to get to work.
a picture of the hazzard flasher mess in the headlight can.

Why put it on?  This bike was a parade bike for the Shriners in the mid-70's, until they bought HD's    
All blinkers had to work in unison as they did their synchronized biking. 

I have the shop manual electrical diags. i think i should print this out on my plotter 
All bulbs are good/new.
all bulbs flash bright and in unison when the hazzard switch is engaged.

Battery 12.11 when bike is off, and tested at 15.15-15.25 @ 2500 rpm.
Is my v-reg bad??!???

If i touch the batt (neg) to the back of the bulb housing, and the flashing or brightness changes, where do i find the bad ground?

Most galkers think the headlight switch is for turning the headlight on and off. 
cool when it works.  sucks when its messed something else up    do i dare begin to pull it all out? my fear is individual wires in the stock harness have been shortened to the point i'll not have much to work with in the way of making this thing whole again.

Thanks again. 

[flybox1]

Ok fellas.  Try #2 to get this issue figured out.
it took me a while, but i finally did the following per your suggestions:
I've removed all non-stock wiring the PO installed in the headlight can. see of pic above.  black hazzard switch mounted to top. gonzo. yanked.
Separated, cleaned, dielectric greased all bullet connections in the headlight and taillight.
re-grounded all connections.
opened, cleaned & polished left handlebar blinker control internals.  didnt lose the small ball/spring 
new, 3-post electronic flasher unit.
new 15a miniblade fuse.
all bulbs are OEM, and test new.
battery tests at 12.10v

i still get the following:
when i press blinker switch to the right, the right front blinks strong, and all the rest blink faintly(with the left front blinking much less than the right front, but still more than the rears)
When i switch to left blinkers, the left front blinks strong, and all the rest blink faintly (with the right front blinking much less than the left, but still more than the rears.)
the rears are REALLY faint.  faint as in only noticeable with cupped hands around lense kinda faint.

stump'd!

[Gaither]

I know nothing and I hate wiring.

Spanner1 could be right about the ground.

FWIW, my headlight quit burning along with the left front turn sig ['77 550F]. I ran a "Popwood ground" and everything was fine again.

On the 550, you splice into a green ground wire which is soldered to each headlight mounting nut inside the light. Run the new ground to the coil mount bolt [make sure you have bright metal for a good ground]. I used a slightly larger wire.

Your bike may not be like the 550 in these points [?]. If it is, this is cheap and easy - and just might help. Evidently, turn signals and headlights like a good ground. I didn't know to do it - the kind folks on this Forum thought of it - and it worked.

Good luck [I hate wiring!]

[flybox1]

On the 550, you splice into a green ground wire which is soldered to each headlight mounting nut inside the light. Run the new ground to the coil mount bolt [make sure you have bright metal for a good ground].

i've got the same grounds in my can. gonna try this in the am.
thanks Gaither!