Signal & Brake Lights

[tiel]

First let me say that thanks to all the knowledgable XSives out there I now have a running (10 times better) XS than when I bought it. I am now focusing my attention on the signals & park/brake lights, (or the lack there of) I dont have anything working on that end of the system! I have checked all the fuses, connections, bulbs etc. I do have a working headlight & panel lights. Can anyone point me in a direction/place to start my search? The original Yamaha manual is really vague on this topic + I would probably understand more about them squiggly lines & funky symbols if I would have paid more attention in electronics class!

[desert1]

signals

Buy yourself a multimeter and check for voltage at the signals front and back, if no voltage at the sockets work your way back thru each wiring connection until you get to the fuse, get rid of any crimp fittings you may find along the way they are a poor fitting and often corrode. Pull the fuses out and clean the brackets, check that the fuses are physically solid. Wiring schematics look a bit complex, and the squiggly lines mean either a ground or a switch or a union with another wire or a fuse etc.

Good luck with your project.

Bruce
78XS1100
Alpha

[tiel]

signals

Update! got all the lights working, had to fabricate a new fuse block (using the new blade fuses) and also guess what! if the battery is low the lights don't like to work! (DUH) The only problem I am having now is the flasher relay, looks like it went south! The Yamaha Dealer want $45.00 for a new one! any ideas on where I can find a new one other than the dealer? I guess I could go to a local MC salvage yard but would prefer new!

[desert1]

signals

Shoulda mentioned that, low battery and no flash........

Took my bike out for a run today, last for the season when 2 min. down the road the engine quit suddenly and I had to walk home, get my pick-up and return and retrieve my bike. Still dont know why it quit but will figure it out next spring.....right now we are getting an early snow storm and riding is out of the question....ah these old bikes, forever challenging the mind....maybe I should rename it"Challenger"....

Glad you got your problem sorted out Tiel.

Bruce
78 XS1100
Alpha

[Jerry]

The original (OEM) Yamaha flasher has an auto cancel feature built into it. No after-market unit does, so if you want auto-cancel, fork out the $45.00. Some other Yamahas in later years used the same flasher, so you may find one at a salvage yard, but take the old one, preferably with numbers on it, to match up to the replacement.

If you can give up the auto cancel, pick up a 2-prong 12v flasher at your local Walmart, K-mart, or Target store. Price will be around $3.00. Hold the bike-side connector with the open part toward the ground and install the flasher into the center and right-hand slots. Dimensions are the same on both OEM and replacement flasher, so no mods are needed. If you plug the new flasher in wrong you won't hurt anything, it just won't work.

To save a bit of current, most auto parts stores will have an 'all electronic' version of the 2-prong flasher, price around $10.00. Takes less current to operate, and your lights will blink at about the same rate at idle as they do at speed. Instllation is the same as the standard flasher.

I've been using the 2-prong for a couple of years, works just fine. Note: 3-prong units won't work without mods...use the 2-prong and it is a plug-in swap.

A couple people have reported they took the OEM unit apart, cleaned it up (it isn't very well sealed) and got some additional life out of it. Have not tried this myself, just an idea.

[tiel]

Signals

Thanks Jerry,

Did the two prong swap and all is working now! I splurged and bought two of the electronic relays and switched out both the signals and the emergency flashers. Now that all is good mechanically I can start on the cosmetics, But thats a whole other nightmare! ( the PO didn't take very good care of this bike cosmetically) He figured if it started and ran it was good to go! Thank god he kept up on fluid changes & lubes.





Tiel (Mark)

XS1100 G (project)
XS850 ( attitude Adjuster)

[Jerry]

Glad it worked. Purpose of this forum is to pass along info and techniques, so ask if you run into a problem. Someone may have the answer.

If you come up with a solution, post it for others to see and try if they ever run into the same problem.

Cosmetics are tricky...bikes are old enough so few cosmetic parts and pieces are available from Yamaha, or they are very expensive. Try looking at the eBay auction site. On the tips section is a list of motorcycle salvage yards and other parts sources. Be sure to check them out as well. Some info on painting, refinishing, side cover and emblem repairs are also on the Tech Tips links.

[TaZMaNiaK]

Sorry for reviving a 4-year old thread, but I came across your forum on Google while trying to solve a problem.

I have an '82 XJ750, and I have installed LED units in the turn signals to lighten the load on the electrical system. The OEM flasher will not flash with LEDs, so I have a 2-prong electronic flasher installed. Now, I have left my signals on many times, and I'd like to have the auto-cancel feature back. Does anyone know what the role of the flasher is in that circuit? I need to come up with some way to restore the auto-cancel. I have since misplaced the stock flasher, but I remember there was a capacitor inside..

Any help would be appreciated.. .

Thanks,
Matt

[LoserShoes]

The stock self canceller requires the full load of the bulbs to operate correctly. The easiest way to do it with LEDS would be with a microcontroler. If you are electronics enabled, one wire to the flasher pulls to ground so the cancel unit can stop the flasher. The other two are power and ground.

Steve

[e.z.nightrider]

I ordered a new 1A0-83350-70-00 from DGY Motorsports. They sent Part # 2NV-83355-00-00. The new part is rectangular but comes with its own rubber mount. It works. It fits. And I think its ALL ELECTRONIC soit should work with the leds.

Ed Z.

P.S. The cost was about $55.

[LoserShoes]

Pretty sure thats the one I got too. And of course I had to take it apart to see how it worked. It's a relay and a Resistor/Capatior timing circuit that does require a bulb to work, had dirty bulb sockets and it wouldn't work till I cleaned them well. You could put a resistor in the output to load it, but that kind of defeats the purpose.

Steve