Author Topic: Headlight and Turn Signal Install problem (Read 3080 times)

mhsull · « **on:** July 21, 2012, 01:05:00 PM »

I just finished installing my headlight and turn signals. For the signals, I bought some from DCC that can just be bolted on to headlight ears. I bought some polished aluminum headlight ears and drilled holes through the side so the turn signals could be bolted on behind the headlight bolts.

Problem: When it is all put together and I turn the signals on, they both light up and stay on (along with the turn signal horn) instead of blink. I realized that the problem only happens when both signals are bolted into the ears and they are both touching the headlight bucket. I guess I am completing some sort of circuit that isn't supposed to be completed. It doesn't happen when the headlight ears aren't touching the headlight bucket. I have checked, re checked, and checked all of the connections again. They are all solidly connected and this only happens when the ears make contact with the bucket.

I figure the short and easy fix would be to add some sort of rubber barrier so the bolt on signals never actually touch the headlight ears (use grommets/ rubber washers and some sort of rubber sleeve for the bolt).

Can I do anything else to fix this issue? Is this supposed to happen?

LesterPiglet · « **Reply #1 on:** July 21, 2012, 03:10:54 PM »

You could use some inner tube on the fork tubes under the fork ears.
How many wires have the blinkers?
Are you saying they blink when not bolted to the ears?

mhsull · « **Reply #2 on:** July 21, 2012, 03:16:30 PM »

The blinkers have 2 wires. I just re wired them assuming the second wire was for the running lights an the bolt actually grounds it but that made the opposite light blink and the turning horn don't sound....so...guessing that isn't correct.

Under the headlight ears, there are plastic spacers so the ears dont actually touch the forks.

They only blink with the headlight bucket isn't bolted on (effectively connecting the two headlight ears).

LesterPiglet · « **Reply #3 on:** July 21, 2012, 04:07:53 PM »

I'm guessing they don't have running lights. How many filaments in the bulbs? One wire is power, the other is earth.

mhsull · « **Reply #4 on:** July 21, 2012, 08:35:22 PM »

One filament I believe.

Any ideas about why the headlight bucket and turn signals can't touch?

farmertom · « **Reply #5 on:** July 21, 2012, 09:00:47 PM »

Are you working on a 1977 CB750 with a stock wiring harness?

mronegear · « **Reply #6 on:** July 21, 2012, 11:53:24 PM »

normally the blinkers get ground through that connection. Make shure your are not connecting the +12V.
try to switch the blinker cables you have installed.
good luck!

phil71 · « **Reply #7 on:** July 22, 2012, 12:53:58 AM »

bolt the lamps in place the way you're going to use them with NO BULBS in the sockets. Leave both leads free. Take a test light connected to the + terminal, and probe the free leads from the light stalk. One will light the test light. The other will not. Hook the one that lights the test lamp to the green wire. do this for both sides. The remaining wires (2) will be connected to orange, and blue respectively.

mhsull · « **Reply #8 on:** July 22, 2012, 06:07:21 AM »

Quote from: farmertom on July 21, 2012, 09:00:47 PM

Are you working on a 1977 CB750 with a stock wiring harness?

Yes. I believe it is all stock.

Steve_K · « **Reply #9 on:** July 22, 2012, 06:15:43 AM »

I would suggest that you make sure that you have a ground wire working from the wiring harness. I have heard that using the headlight ears as ground runs current through the steering head bearings, not good for the bearings or the grease. A green wire to the head light shell should be the ground for the turn signals, headlight and the rest of the needed grounds in the shell.
Steve

mhsull · « **Reply #10 on:** July 22, 2012, 07:20:11 AM »

As a complete novice, how do I make sure I have a ground wire working from the wiring harness? The signals appear to be the only electrical problem with the bike

phil71 · « **Reply #11 on:** July 22, 2012, 08:19:59 AM »

the green wire in the bucket is the ground wire. If everything else is working, then there is ground there.

mronegear · « **Reply #12 on:** July 22, 2012, 09:14:08 AM »

Quote from: phil71 on July 22, 2012, 08:19:59 AM

the green wire in the bucket is the ground wire. If everything else is working, then there is ground there.

+1

orange and lightblue are the blinker signals

nitroeagle · « **Reply #13 on:** July 22, 2012, 08:05:38 PM »

I had signal issues too, on my '82 cb650. Both with the stock & aftermarket lights. Most use the body, or mounting stalk/stud for grounding. Mine is a 2 filament light. The mounting stud is the ground & 1 wire is for running light & 1 is for blinker. I attached a pic with notes. Hope it helps more then confuse

LesterPiglet · « **Reply #14 on:** July 22, 2012, 11:28:29 PM »

One wire from each blinker should go to a green wire inside the headlight. The other wire on the left blinker goes to the orange wire, and the right blinker wire goes to light blue.

mhsull · « **Reply #15 on:** July 23, 2012, 04:17:21 AM »

Quote from: LesterPiglet on July 22, 2012, 11:28:29 PM

One wire from each blinker should go to a green wire inside the headlight. The other wire on the left blinker goes to the orange wire, and the right blinker wire goes to light blue.

This is what I have been doing. I wasnt 100% sure it was correct but I tried wiring it as though the wire I had been grounding went into the "running light" terminal and I used the turn signal bolt as the actual ground. The light would come on but I didn't get the audible beep and flash. It would just stay lit. The only configuration that produced a flash and audible beep was one wire plugged into the orange/blue flasher terminal an the other wire grounded.

mhsull · « **Reply #16 on:** July 23, 2012, 04:21:39 AM »

Update: so I went ahead and just insulated the turn signal bolt from the headlight ears with rubber washers on both sides and several layers of rubber shrink wrap heated around the bolt. This acted as a customized rubber grommet and seemingly solve my problems. The headlight bucket is no longer completing a circuit between the two turn signals.

I am still not sure why there is a current flowing through the actual mounting bolts on the turn signals.

phil71 · « **Reply #17 on:** July 23, 2012, 09:13:33 AM »

If you had done what I suggested a few posts back, you wouldn't have needed the rubber.
I still think you ought to follow the steps I outlined, because of vibration chafes tht rubber , and the housing becomes grounded again, you have a 50/50 chance of blowing your mains fuse when you engage the turn signal.

mhsull · « **Reply #18 on:** July 23, 2012, 10:18:50 AM »

Quote from: phil71 on July 22, 2012, 12:53:58 AM

bolt the lamps in place the way you're going to use them with NO BULBS in the sockets. Leave both leads free. Take a test light connected to the + terminal, and probe the free leads from the light stalk. One will light the test light. The other will not. Hook the one that lights the test lamp to the green wire. do this for both sides. The remaining wires (2) will be connected to orange, and blue respectively.

I don't have a test light but I shouldn't have a problem getting one. Couple of questions about this:

are you helping me figure out which wire is a ground? If so, I called DCC and they confirmed the wire with the white stripe is inserted into the blinker terminal and the other wire is a ground wire. When in install them as such, the blinkers work fine. The only time when a problem arises is when the headlight ears make contact with the bucket. Assuming there is a current flowing through the turn signal bolt, touching both to the headlight bucket would essentially connect the two turn signal bolts with whatever current is running through them.

Again, complete ignorant novice here so bear with me: Test light connected to the + terminal: I assume you mean on the battery?

phil71 · « **Reply #19 on:** July 23, 2012, 10:28:40 AM »

DCC must be wrong, about those color. I've come up against this with these chinese lamps, and you can't take for granted that the wires are what they claime to be. The signal housings should be able to be grounded and still work fine, so long as you confirm which wire is connected to the shell. (+) means battery positive, yes.

mhsull · « **Reply #20 on:** July 23, 2012, 10:33:49 AM »

If this helps in any way, I also connected the lights acting a though the bolt wa the ground and they did not work properly. They just stayed on an didn't blink or beep

phil71 · « **Reply #21 on:** July 23, 2012, 11:55:09 AM »

Are you 100 % sure these are single element? Have you looked at the bulb itself yet? If you're sure, then I still stand by my test procedure

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Author Topic: Headlight and Turn Signal Install problem (Read 3080 times)