New Member

[mro]

where can I find it?

Most offten the turn signal grounds in question are the ones on the rear turn signal stem located inside rear fender. Sometimes the black ground wires under rear part of seat have corrosion on the connectors too.


mro

[al_ngl]

So which flasher would I buy if my ground was fine? like how many amps and how many prongs? I don't know if you guys got the link but the site is here:

http://cooperbussmann.com/6/Flashers.html

I don't know what model the signals are. They are dual filament type. I have the green wire on either side wired to the red wire on the signal. Black to black, and blue to black/white.

[TopCatGr58]

Hey Al,

Either 232 or 246, main thing is 2 prong, the 3rd leg on OUR bikes is for the self cancelling feature, the auto 3 prong units won't work. However, IF you have normal bulbs and not LEDs, then you don't need to replace the flasher. You can take a cheap 2 prong thermal one to test your signals to make sure you have them wired properly. If they work with the automotive flasher, then your OEM one may be faulty or failing. Some folks have taken it apart, cleaned the contacts within it, and gotten it to return to service which would retain your self cancelling feature!

I don't know what model the signals are. They are dual filament type. I have the green wire on either side wired to the red wire on the signal. Black to black, and blue to black/white.

I hope that's just a typo, because you should only have 1 green wire, and 1 brown wire, each going to the left and right signals. The green wire should NOT be split/spliced to both signals!?
T.C.

[al_ngl]

No it's not a typo. But my wires are colored differently, I noticed. My book covers E-H XS 1100 models (a.k.a 78-81). I don't know if thats the last year they were made. Anyway I was looking at the wrong year of bike in the diagrams and I noticed the wire color is different on at least a couple years. And mine are correctly wired, Whew! It appears that the blue or purple wire is running lights, and green must be signals, right?

I need a two prong flasher unit? But my stock one is three prong. I guess that's why the three prong flasher I bought today didn't do anything. I'll just go back tomorrow and exchange for the two prong whichever number I think it will be. Either one you said should work, right? maybe the prongs are reversed or something? Like + and - are swapped.

I checked ground points, and they look fine, like I said there is very little rust. Just on a little bit of the forks, a spot on one exhaust pipe, and on the headlight. Also I put the bike on a charger to see if it would help the signals, but they didn't get brighter or start flashing or anything. I did leave it on a slow charger for the night to see if that makes a difference, but I really think it's the flasher. And it's only like $10.

[mro]

RE: Turn signals

wire color is different on at least a couple years.

Standards all years:
left side chocolate (brown) = turn
right side dark green = turn
blue = running lights both sides

Specials same w/o the blue


mro

[al_ngl]

I have purple, green, and black on the left.
I have blue, green, and black on the right. but the green and black are in the same positions on either side. So maybe mine was converted? I think the headlight isn't from an XS. I thought it was from a special, but I think it was from a different bike entirely now. Maybe the signal wires came with it.

[fredintoon]

Going 2-prong

Hi Al,
betcha the aftermarket front signal lamps only have a 22Watt signal filament. You need 2 x 27 = 54Watts for the stock flasher to work. If you only put a 22 + 27 = 49Watts load on the stock flasher it simply won't work.
What to do, what to do?
a) Go back to the stock flashers
(OK if they are still around but not otherwise)
b) Get an electronic flasher.
You gotta use a 2-pin because automotive 3-pins are wired different & won't work for you.
There's two ways the 2-pin will fit in the 3-pin socket. One way harms nothing but does nothing. The other way makes the signals flash.
Two drawbacks to this:-
1) You lose the automatic signal cancelling feature.
2) It will also flash if only one bulb is working so you get no indication that the rear is blown because the front is still going.

[al_ngl]

Ok I'll go two prong electronic then. I don't care if it flashes on just one bulb, I check my lights all the time anyway.

[al_ngl]

Bought the 232, plugged it in, and it works perfect now. I put everything back together and took it for a ride. Next I need to get some new spark plugs and recheck the carb tuning. I think one of the carbs is a little off.

[Montreux_Blue]

Originally posted by al_ngl
Next I need to get some new spark plugs and recheck the carb tuning.

Get the NGK iridium plugs (BPR6EIX), they are expensive but worth it. You'll notice a difference in power.

[al_ngl]

That's exactly what I was planning on getting

[Montreux_Blue]

Sorry about the gear lecture.

[al_ngl]

No, it's okay. I use NGK iridiums on my 1975 Yamaha DT400B