Did i just blow a fuse?

[weedahoe]

If you dont have a volt meter, go get one from your local Harbor Freight. If you don have one of those, go get a test light from you local auto parts store

[adidasguy]

i don't have the wires of the rear turn signals left at all.

What does that mean?

Smell of hot metal: the brief bit of smoke from a wire burning through. It doesn't last.
Smell of melted insulation can last.

[Buckeye4Life]

the new turn signals i got have their own wires. there are the connectors that plug in for the old turn signals, i puld out the old, and inserted the new. i seriously hope i didn't fry the wires.

[adidasguy]

That should be easy. Sounds like a wire got scraped and shorted to the frame or the insulation came off one of the barrel connectors.

You can test each turn signal with a 9v battery.

If left worked then right fried, check the right side carefully.

[Buckeye4Life]

will i need to replace any of the wires? or do i just need to check my connections? also, why won't any of my other 3 signals work if just the rear right got fried?

[Buckeye4Life]

 sorry i seem so ingorant, i'm just brand new to wiring, especially on vehicles.

[adidasguy]

1. Could have fried the flasher unit (probably did)
2. Possible the switch was fried, or a dire in it.

Anytime there is a short, the wires can melt anywhere - usually the point of highest resistance.

In your case, if you've located the fried right rear problem then the flasher most likely is gone.

Get out your meter and the wiring diagram. You can buzz out (i.e. check continuity) for all the turn signal wires in a few minutes.

BUZZ? That term comes from old days where you connect a buzzer and a battery together. Touch one wire somewhere and the other wire where you want to check continuity. If it buzzed, you have a connection. No buzz, open circuit. And that's why we call it "buzzing out the curcuit" or "Buzz out the wires".

Most meters have a continuity setting. Usually that is located right next to the lowest resistance setting. It beeps with continuity, doesn't beep if no connection. Polarity only matters when going through a diode. And that is also how you can test a diode - one way buzzes, reverse the test leads and it should not buzz.

[Buckeye4Life]

alright thank you so much. i'll get to that as soon as possible!

[adidasguy]

sorry i seem so ingorant, i'm just brand new to wiring, especially on vehicles.

Wiring on a vehicle is, well, just wiring. Same as anything else - house, boat, wired alarm system, etc.
The wiring diagram in the Haynes manual is in color. That makes it real easy to trace wires. You need a manual, anyway.
A bike is all DC except for the AC from the stator. The manual tells you how to check many things with your meter.

Think of a color wiring diagram like a road map. There are connectors and switches. Different color wires connect them. If a yellow wire goes from a switch to a lamp, there should be voltage or continuity both places. If you see 12v at the yellow wire on the switch and not at the other end, then the wire is broken or a connector in the wire is bad.

[adidasguy]

alright thank you so much. i'll get to that as soon as possible!

Order the Haynes 1989-2008 from Amazon. You can get it in 2 days if you join Amazon Prime (30 day free trial so use it then cancel) gets 2 day shipping for 99 cents or something like that. They have it in stock.

http://www.amazon.com/Suzuki-1989-2008-Haynes-Service-Repair/dp/1844258815/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1347302640&sr=8-1&keywords=gs500+haynes

With the color diagrams, I prefer Haynes over the Clymer. (Also the Clymer does not cover the newer models.)

Checked Amazon: Order now if PRIME and get Wed. free. Get it tomorrow for $3.99 postage.
WOW! Amazon has it in the Seattle warehouse. I could even get it today! Delivered!

[Buckeye4Life]

Hey, guys. New update. I got the signal flasher in the mail today from weedahoe! I checked and rechecked my wires over the last couple days and figured that i didn't melt any wires, and had power everywhere but coming out of the relay. I changed out the relay, reconnected and retaped my wires to the LEDs and wow!!! I have turn signals again! thank you so much to all the people who helped me get my bearings about the wiring on a GS!

[weedahoe]

woo hoo. Awesome work bro.

[adidasguy]

 

It was good to check everything and eliminate the possibility of fried wires.

Plus - now you know every wire in your bike. Wiring should never scare you ever again.

And you have a manual to read at night to put you to sleep.