Today, I was installing some new LED turn signals. Since they are polar, I had to keep testing them to make sure i had the wiring right. after getting the left side done, I was testing the right side's wires. Poof, no more lights and a slight smell of hot metal. Did i blow a fuse or is it my signal switch? :dunno_black:
Either way, I'm illegal for the road :cry:
no more signal lights or no lights at all? well, first thigns first, disconnect thsoe lights, check fuses. but if you wired one in backwards ( which im thinking you did.) you could have done both) check fuses, but find per instructions the right wiring. which is pos/neg. etc test on battery or bike or however. ( +12v supply) but the hot metal smell makes me think you melted a light
still have headlight and brake lights, which function as normal. Hi/low, and running/braking. no turn signals front or back, left or right though.
I would check and replace the flasher as needed
With what sort of flasher? I don't know numbers for anything really, just general principles.
Any flasher would work. But first I would test the 12v coming into the flasher and out. If no voltage is coming in the flasher, then check wiring or fuse(s). If there is voltage coming in but with the turn signals on, no V is coming out, then replace the flasher.
You're
Quote from: Buckeye4Life on September 09, 2012, 08:47:10 PM
With what sort of flasher? I don't know numbers for anything really, just general principles.
You're in Ohio - home of Pinwall Cycles. they are one of the best bike breakers around. Always on ebay. Call them and order a GS500 flasher. Order a left hand control just to be safe.
Hot metal smell would be fried wires or turn signal switch. Use your nose and sniff your bike to locate the source of the odor.
You can still ride with no signals legally in the day time. Riding at night with no signals I am not positive of BUT can get you killed..so legal or not just don't do it.
Hand signals are legal to use in the daytime.
Check your biker signals...you should (if you don't know them already)learn them!
http://blog.motorcycle.com/2009/05/19/safety/motorcycle-group-riding-signals-motorcycle-safety-month/
On a side note ,I often use hand signals in the day
IN ADDITION TO the flashers. If someone is following me a little to closely or gaining on me, I will put a hand signal out so they can get a double signal. Sometime they don't get the flasher,but a hand out they do. Sometimes you as a bike rider do not get a second chance....So you should make it count the 1st time.
learn it live it love it = http://www.publicsafety.ohio.gov/links/mop0001.pdf
-CS
Quote from: Buckeye4Life on September 09, 2012, 07:42:18 PM
Today, I was installing some new LED turn signals. Since they are polar, I had to keep testing them to make sure i had the wiring right. after getting the left side done, I was testing the right side's wires. Poof, no more lights and a slight smell of hot metal. Did i blow a fuse or is it my signal switch? :dunno_black:
Either way, I'm illegal for the road :cry:
+1 on what Adidasguy said. They are in NE Ohio in Massillon near Canton.
Also, there is only 1 fuse on the GS500, and it's under the cover, not the one that's visible. That's the spare. If no electricity, check the fuse. If some electricity, fuse is fine.
the only thing that i could smell was coming from right by the flasher and the fuse
alright so I replaced the fuse and no change. I don't have a voltage tester, so i can't check out my flasher relay. ugh i hate electrical work :dunno_black:
Voltmeeters are cheap. Bought mine at Pep Boys. Best $20 I ever spent. Get a digital one. Not sure if there are dial ones out there anymore mainstream.
oh the things you think you'll never need when you move for college but end up needing 2 weeks later...
Quote from: adidasguy on September 09, 2012, 09:11:04 PM
You'reQuote from: Buckeye4Life on September 09, 2012, 08:47:10 PM
With what sort of flasher? I don't know numbers for anything really, just general principles.
You're in Ohio - home of Pinwall Cycles. they are one of the best bike breakers around. Always on ebay. Call them and order a GS500 flasher. Order a left hand control just to be safe.
Hot metal smell would be fried wires or turn signal switch. Use your nose and sniff your bike to locate the source of the odor.
Could it be the wiring? i mean, with fuses, good fuses should have blown before the wires fry right?
Quote from: Buckeye4Life on September 10, 2012, 07:06:41 AM
Quote from: adidasguy on September 09, 2012, 09:11:04 PM
You'reQuote from: Buckeye4Life on September 09, 2012, 08:47:10 PM
With what sort of flasher? I don't know numbers for anything really, just general principles.
You're in Ohio - home of Pinwall Cycles. they are one of the best bike breakers around. Always on ebay. Call them and order a GS500 flasher. Order a left hand control just to be safe.
Hot metal smell would be fried wires or turn signal switch. Use your nose and sniff your bike to locate the source of the odor.
Could it be the wiring? i mean, with fuses, good fuses should have blown before the wires fry right?
I really doubt that it is going to be the wiring. You don't pull enough amps to melt the insulation off and melt the wire in two. I've got a flasher here if you want it. Can have it shipped today or tomorrow
that would be fantastic. how much do i owe you? I'll pm you my address
$10 shipped. I'm getting ready to leave the house in a bit and drop off all my other packages for shipping so check your PM for the paypal address
If the fuse blew, you'd have no power to anything. Sounds like the flasher took a crap. Because of the small draw by the LED's, the flasher would have been moving really fast. If you put another mechanical flasher on there (read OEM flasher) you'll probably do the same thing. Take your burnt one to the local auto parts store and get an electronic flasher with the same pin out that looks like you could mount back where that on came off. Just my opinion!
Smell of hot metal is a short.
Low current of LEDs will not fry a flasher. After all, NO current is the turn signals off. A little current would make some flashers think a bulb was out and blink twice as fast. It won't fry a flasher.
Most likely you pinched a wire or scraped through the insulation. The wires go through the center steel bolt of the turn signals. Pull on them and you can easily scrape through the insulation.
The flasher could now be toast due to a direct short.
Before turning on the flashers again, disconnect all of them. Test each one with a 9v battery. They should come on. It is possible one has a short inside of it. Check all wires very carefully. Look for the fried wire. The smell of hot metal is a wire burning in two.
i don't have the wires of the rear turn signals left at all. also, the smell of hot metal didn't persist. it was just for a second or two and was gone.
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
Quote from: Buckeye4Life on September 10, 2012, 10:48:52 AM
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.
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.
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.
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?
sorry i seem so ingorant, i'm just brand new to wiring, especially on vehicles.
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.
alright thank you so much. i'll get to that as soon as possible!
Quote from: Buckeye4Life on September 10, 2012, 11:31:07 AM
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.
Quote from: Buckeye4Life on September 10, 2012, 11:39:33 AM
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!
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!
woo hoo. Awesome work bro.
:woohoo:
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. :tongue2: