turn signal help!

[portero72]

getting annoyed...after a few days off, i went outside to clean the bulb and socket up-there had been corrosion. put it all back together and?!!!! bupkus. nothing-no lefts, no right signals(which had been working before). the only other thing i did was install some motech handlebar risers. any correlation? any ideas? i did buy a multimeter, but have yet to learn how to use it. thx

[mro]

Check wires in head light bucket...

Multi-meter
Check grounds first(cause it’s easy)
Leads plugged into Mr. MM, turn it to OHM if analog or if digital should have a “beep” that it can be set to. Touch leeds together, should result in either needle swinging to far right or beep.
Shows meter is working.

When checking with the OHM/beep setting this way you call it testing for continuity and this shows if the circuit between the two MM leads are continuous (connected.).

With lens off turns, find a non painted surface on frame (like a bolt head, or clean spot on engine) and stick on lead there and then other to turn signal socket. If the socket is grounded then needle on meter will swing to the right or beep as when you test the meter.

Check all four. Clean/reconnect any ground not working and then test it agin.

To check voltage, select first setting on meter that is just above 12V DC (digital may just have DC volt) If you can get to battery positive post or the battery cable that goes to starter solenoid place positive MM lead (should be red wire on MM) and then negative lead on a non painted surface on frame (like a bolt head, or clean spot on engine) this should read battery voltage (12 + volts).

Now turn on key, turn on turn signal, place red lead in socket where the bottom of bulb contact would make contact in socket and black MM lead touch outer part of bulb socket.
Meter should show 12V. If not you got a problem.
(On F models there will be two spots to check for on the front turns, one is turn and the other is running light) rears have just one... (running light will show current with key on, has nothing to do with turn signal switch but does share the ground in that signal)

Turn turn switch to other side and check them same way.
Should all seem to check good and show voltage, need to check bulbs.
(Can turn MM to OHM setting to check bulbs) one lead to contact point on bottom of bulb and other to the metal base, if good needle swings to right or beep...

No power detected points to an “open” circuit. Connector not connecting, broken wire or the switch may be bad..

Should above fail to solve problem...remove seat and check to see if your getting power to flasher. If yes check other side of flasher to see if power is going thru it. If not will need to follow wire to see if it has an open (connector not connected or wire broken).
_______________

As you gain some experience with the multi-meter you will see different ways it can be used and places it can be connected to to help solve problems. Find a “bad” circuit??? but where it’s bad is not obvious?... Try to find center of circuit and test it. Shows good at this test then try and find center of remaining part of circuit and repeat until you can narrow problem area down.

Now for some bad news. Should all check OK and turns still not working can mean that somewhere a connection is “breaking down under load”. The meter does not place a current/amp draw on the circuit being tested, but a bulb does. Hopefully you do not encounter this because it can be frustrating to find problem.


mro
good hunting

[mro]

WTF

gust read my post.......
Hope you know what I mean better than I wrote it


mro
btw, do you have a spare flasher?
If not.....heard that P rom is a good flasher

[portero72]

holy crap that's a lot of good info. i'll have to print it out and read as i work. thx for taking the time. btw-tried switching out the flasher with some 2 and 3 pronged units i got at the auto store-same results. also noticed my front left signal leads were switched-i think. blue went to black and vice versa. noticed the bulb was bright as sin and HOT that way. still no flashy, tho. thx again

[mro]

holy crap that's a lot of good info

Gee,
I thought my second post contained the best info


mro
waiting for TC, Randy or P rom to pounce

[skids]

If any of the two turn signals are out (ie left side), the other on the same side will not flash, given the oem flasher or any other that works with heat (bimetallic). Usually problems are with grounds. The ones that ground to the fender are notorious.

[portero72]

where does that 2into1 bullet style ground go to back there? i am hesitant to unravel that whole harness.

[randy]

IIRC,

There is one spade lug on the fender itself, and the other end of the ground goes into the harness and through a connector under the seat.

The double female bullets are for your signal light ground leads.

[portero72]

would it help to try to bypass that double bullet and ground somewhere else?

[randy]

Anything would be better than the bullets!

Why don't you solder all of the ground leads together at the tail and run one main ground lead back to the frame/battery ground.That should solve your ground problems forever (YMMV)

[portero72]

wow-wild stuff

ok-since i discovered a new prob(no signals at all after previously having rights and no lefts)immediately after installing bar risers and a freshly painted handlebar clamp, i decided to put all the old stuff back on. viola, i get my right signals back and no lefts(same as before). it would appear that the bar acts as a ground, no? still no closer to having all happy signals. i hate electrics. thx for all the help.

[John]

If you have one side T/S then your problem is either the switch or downstream of the switch. Check the brown wire out of the T/S switch. That is the wire that supplies power to the left T/S's. The problem may be a bad/broken solder joint in the switch.

[portero72]

its the socket!!!!!

wow-jerry rigged a spare signal into the bullet connectors and POW! left and right signals. YAY!!!! now my next question-the addition of the bar risers and painted clamp seemed to kill everything. i need the risers(long tour again in a few weeks). how can i get around this? THX AGAIN for all y'all's help. cheers

[portero72]

the latest-with all the old stuff on(no risers, old clamp) all signals work fine-it was a bad socket. but, if i add the SW Motech risers and painted yamaha clamp, ALL signals go away. i know that the bar acts as a kind of ground(as the horn will not work unless switch is screwed tight). does anyone suppose the risers could be interrupting the signal? thx

[TopCatGr58]

Congrats on your solution. Now, yes, the bars need to be able to ground to the frame for the horn and starter circuit to work. SO..
with your risers, you can rough up the area where they grab/contact the handlebars, as well as the place where they contact the Triple Trees, clamps, etc., and then clamp it all together. THEN use your new MM to test for continuity from the handlebar to the frame, as long as you have continuity, then you should have horn/starter/turn signals!
T.C.