Topic: turn signal troubles

[sandbarsurfer]

I recently purchesed turn signals from dime city and for some reason i cant get them to blink. I know they are installed properly because they turn on but, when i flip the switch to either side, neither one will blink which also means my back turn signals wont blink either.  I think its because i cant get them to ground and i have no idea why they wont. Any one have any ideas or have problems with these before?  Im hoping i didnt make a dumb move and buy strictly decrotive signals that only light up and dont blink . I added a pic so you guys can see what they are. thanks for any help anyone can give.

[Duke McDukiedook]

You blinkers appear to be two wire, the honda front signal will be three wire.
Your unit there probably grounds to the metal body, you will have to connect the third ground wire to the metal body ground of the signal.

 

[Skunk Stripe]

The wires must have changed at some point. My k8 is a 2 wire front and 1 wire rear set up and the lights are stock.

Maybe I missed it but the OP didnt post what bike or year.

[The_Crippler]

A lot of new turn signals ground through the post, so that might not be the problem.  Are those, by any chance, LED blinkers?  If so, you will need to replace your relay, as the stock one won't have enough resistance to trip with LEDs.

[333]

Considerably smaller incandescent bulbs will also not give enough resistance to trip a blinker as well.  Try looking at an LED website for the correct 3 wire flasher unit.

[Skunk Stripe]

wouldn't a regular electronic flash unit work too?

[The_Crippler]

Worked for me.

[The_Crippler]

I just picked one up at Advanced Auto Parts.


The problem there isn't power, it's how the flasher works.  An electronic one has a set point at which it breaks the circuit (turning the light off) and snapping it closed again (turning the light off.)  A standard thermal one uses resistance to heat up a filament to open and close the circuit.  With LED flashers, there isn't enough resistance generated to heat it up enough.

(please note, this is the quick-and-dirty explanation.  I realize the wire-heads might disagree with small points of what I said, and I defer to them.)

[sandbarsurfer]

Well sorry but there is a couple problems with some of the answers. First is that I have a 76 cb550f and my original front lights only have two wires and grounds through the housing. Second problem is they are bulb not led, they are just a small bulb. I figured they would ground through the post but when I connect the ground wire to it I get nothing. I also get nothing if I try to directly ground it to frame. I just don't get what's up, it's like it is all there in the right place but just won't blink.

[The_Crippler]

As was mentioned above, a small bulb can have the same effect.  Did you replace the front and rears at the same time?  That can have an effect as well.  I'd pick up an electronic flash relay (mine was maybe $7) and try it out.  Make sure all the turn-signals are the same type of light with the same resistance when you do, though.

[sandbarsurfer]

So update is I found that if I ground to the bulb housing it will flash but then headlight fuse blows so that means the signal won't be a running light and no headlight. So are these new signals to much resistance for my flashed relay? Or is it something else? Im going to post a video so you guys can see a little about whats going on.

[sandbarsurfer]

I forgot to mention in the video that when grounded, other than the fuse blowing, it will blink.
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[cobra2411]

Are you sure you have them hooked up correctly?

There should be two wires. 1 orange or light blue and the other green. Up front there may also be an orange or light blue wire with a white tracer (stripe). Mine have been removed so I don't have running lights. A PO did that and I plan on fixing it but that's a different story.

If I remember the running light wires come from the headlight fuse and that maybe your problem.

[sandbarsurfer]

Well they were hooked up correctly. What I tried was to wire the green ground in with the light wire that plugs to the orange/white(lft side) and the blue/white(rt side) the same way. I also installed electronic flasher. Now I can get them to flash properly but now I have to running light on the front ones. If I switch wires so the ground go with solid orange and blue I get running light, no blinkers and fuse blows. It's weird. Should I do another vid with new set up so you guys get what I mean?

[Gaither]

Sandbay

FWIW, I know nothing and I HATE WIRING. However, I've been through this one.

IF you've got the lights wired CORRECTLY, don't fight the problem. Several guys have told you to get yourself an Electronic Flasher and even explained why.

That will solve your problem immediately. (They're also great for incandescent bulbs.)

An electronic flasher will CORRECTLY flash all incandescent bulbs, All LED bulbs and/or a combination of both types.

Any auto parts store - make sure you get one with the same number of connectors as your old flasher. Then, it's plug-n-play!

May we all ride safely, with a wide grin!

[sandbarsurfer]

i already installed the electronic flasher and still cant get a running light. I was able to get them to blink now both front and back but just no running light now.  At least i have blinkers now but i would still like to have the running light if i can, and without blowing a fuse hahaha

[Gaither]

I know nothing and I HATE WIRING!

Yeah, we need running lights. Visibility is safety!

If the bulbs are single contact, you likely can't have a running light and a turn sig. Or if there is a way to wire for this with a single contact bulb, I ain't electrician enough to know how. ***Can someone tell us how to do this?*** ('Bet someone knows.)

The orig fronts used 1157 double contact bulbs (like a tail/stop light).

Perhaps your supplier has a similar light with double contacts. Or, you could install another pair of lights up front and wire 'em as running (only) lights.

[sandbarsurfer]

That totally makes sense and I didn't even think about that. The bulbs are a single contact and not double. The bulb has two filaments so I thought it was fine and didn't think to turn it over and check the contacts haha. I guess I will see if I can get a double contact to fit in the new housing unless someone knows a better way to wire/solder the double contact bulb.

[Duke McDukiedook]

That totally makes sense and I didn't even think about that. The bulbs are a single contact and not double. The bulb has two filaments so I thought it was fine and didn't think to turn it over and check the contacts haha. I guess I will see if I can get a double contact to fit in the new housing unless someone knows a better way to wire/solder the double contact bulb.

If you do not see two filaments on your bulb than you will not have a running light. If you want that get a blinker that will take an 1157 dual filament bulb. Usually those are three wire blinkers.

[cobra2411]

Yeah, most of the blinkers are 2 wire and no running lights... That's the way mine are right now.

I'm concocting a plan to address that but that's a winter project.

So if you only have 2 wires you can only get blinkers. Just leave the wires for the running lights unhooked.

[Duke McDukiedook]

The wires must have changed at some point. My k8 is a 2 wire front and 1 wire rear set up and the lights are stock.

Maybe I missed it but the OP didnt post what bike or year.

No, skunk said his K8 had only two fires up front and he has running lights and blinkers- but I am pretty sure his blinker grounds to the blinker body.
I said if your bulb only has one filament it will only blink- the number of filaments will tell you what type of a blinker you have- unless a PO put the wrong bulb in.