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Main Area => General GS500 Discussion => Topic started by: Briggs on January 25, 2004, 11:06:32 AM

Title: turn signals that do not flash
Post by: Briggs on January 25, 2004, 11:06:32 AM
Problem: My turn signals on the left do not flash.

I have tried switching both front and rear signal from left to right. Then the problem is opposite. So I know it has nothing to do with the signals.
The relay makes a single click and will not keep clicking. If I tap on the relay it will flash, wierd.

Any sugestions....? HELP!!
Title: Re: turn signals that do not flash
Post by: GRU on January 25, 2004, 11:56:15 AM
Quote from: BriggsProblem: My turn signals on the left do not flash.

I have tried switching both front and rear signal from left to right. Then the problem is opposite

when you switch the left bulbs with the right ones then the right ones don't flash (before the left ones wern't flashing)....try buying new bulbs...
if that's not the problem then it's got to be the relay
Title: turn signals that do not flash
Post by: Blueknyt on January 25, 2004, 11:56:49 AM
the flasher is a bi-metal switch, if it works at all, its good. your problem is comeing from connection issues. double check all connections front and back.
Title: turn signals that do not flash
Post by: Briggs on January 25, 2004, 12:42:11 PM
I forgot to add that the ones that don't flash just stay on.

Also I tried actually connecting the opposite signal not the bulbs

hmm
Title: turn signals that do not flash
Post by: jake42 on January 25, 2004, 01:12:20 PM
try the relay for the trunsignals.
it's cheap.. i think i paid 4 bucks for mine at advance auto.  
if you don't know what it looks like it should look like a round metal canister
with either two or three prongs on it.  sorry for hte lack of detail I've never had to change the one my gs but they're pretty much universal looking on  alot of bikes.

good luck

jake
Title: Wagner...
Post by: The Buddha on January 25, 2004, 02:05:50 PM
A wagner 552 relay will fit and work great...
Cool.
Srinath.
Title: turn signals that do not flash
Post by: Briggs on January 25, 2004, 04:39:47 PM
ok update

Pretty sure the relay works.
One of my front signals seams to be wierd. One works both left and right. I hooked that one into both circuits. The other only goes on and does not blink, no nmatter what side circuit i have it in.I replace the bulb in that one with a brand new one and still nothing

Truely stuck...
Title: turn signals that do not flash
Post by: CasiUSA on January 25, 2004, 06:14:15 PM
Try replacing the bulbs. I had this exact same problem when my idiot friend dropped my bike. The bulb would go on, but not flash. Replacing the bulb with a new one remedied the situation.
Title: turn signals that do not flash
Post by: Blueknyt on January 25, 2004, 10:25:48 PM
ok, look, if one side flashes the relay/flasher is good, if the bulb comes on (unless its a dual filliment bulb 1157 and you have running lights With your turnsignals as one unit) the bulbs are good. the problem is in the connections.   If you take the flashing bulb from one side and put it in the non flashing side and it does the same thing then its still not the bulb, but the connections.    this includes the contacts inside the sockets, the wires coming out of the socket, the connections at the ends of the wires all the way up to the switch in the handlebar control.  I hope this helps clearing up any Grey area's specialy the flasher/relay
Title: turn signals that do not flash
Post by: Bob Broussard on January 25, 2004, 11:47:08 PM
Make sure the bulbs are the correct wattage. They're all 12 volt, but the wattage varys. If you replaced one bulb with a different rating it will go on and not flash. Or sometimes it may flash really fast.
Look at the metal part the fits in the socket. It will have the rating marked on it. I had trouble with my aftermarket signals until I got the right bulbs.
Title: turn signals that do not flash
Post by: Briggs on January 26, 2004, 05:36:02 AM
Ok thanks. Can anyone tell me the correct wattage bulbs to get, or do all the bulbs just have to match?
Title: turn signals that do not flash
Post by: Briggs on January 26, 2004, 05:57:27 AM
Also I want to add that when it did flash it flash half the speed of now working side.
Title: turn signals that do not flash
Post by: Briggs on January 26, 2004, 09:55:15 AM
Update...
I talked to some guys at work (electrical engineers) about this. They siad that the total wattage from both front and back had to be wiith in factory spec wattage. If the total wattage drawn by the bulbs is higher then factory it will blink faster, lower = slower. To low and it will not blink at all.
I am not sure how far off mine are, but I will check this out tonight. This is all to do with how the flasher unit works.
Title: turn signals that do not flash
Post by: Bob Broussard on January 26, 2004, 10:20:38 AM
Just check one of the original bulbs. It will show the rating on the metal part that fits in the socket. Find a bulb to match that rating and you should be set.
Title: turn signals that do not flash
Post by: Diderich on January 26, 2004, 10:43:57 AM
on my old saab, this kind of weirdness usually meant I had a bad ground.  I don't have the bike or the wiring diagram in front of me, but make sure all of the connections are tight and not corroded.
Title: turn signals that do not flash
Post by: Briggs on January 26, 2004, 08:44:29 PM
Ok.. Just got in from a night of wrenching and my flasher problem is solved. I am not really sure if this is how the turn signals are sopozed to be set up, but the one I was having problems with had two wires attached to the two little "posts" inside the bulb housing. I noticed when I would bridge the negitive turminal to the metel housing it would flash. I cut the wire and attached it directly to the housing and whala. I now have flahing turn signals. I compared it to teh other turn signal that was working and it appears that even though the cases are identical one is a two wire setup and the other is a three wire setup. One of the wire was cut real short so I didn't really notice this before. Anyway the one that was cut was the one the non-working signal was using. Anyway my problem is solved.

END
Title: turn signals that do not flash
Post by: Diderich on January 27, 2004, 10:49:38 AM
Hey hey!  I was right!  Well in a completely unhelpful kind of way...I'm going to get myself a cookie.
Title: turn signals that do not flash
Post by: Briggs on January 27, 2004, 11:15:02 AM
Not so fast. You were only partialy right. I was acctually grounding the wrong filement. (the lower wattage filement) By attaching the ground the the bulb housing/case I made contact with the higher wattage filiment in the bulb. Like I said before, whala!

REAL END
Title: turn signals that do not flash
Post by: Diderich on January 27, 2004, 09:12:24 PM
well..i already had my cookie...you can't have it back.  And now i have to go look at a wiring diagram to figure out what the heck you mean..GS homework for me...