Testing Electrical Components

[Brasco18]

I am having a hard time trying to find information for testing some of the electrical components on my '79F. I was hoping all you smart people could help me out.

I recall the clymer guide for my xs650 provide some info on testing some of these components, but the clymer guide for my xs11 doesn't provide this.

How do you test:

reserve lighting unit
flasher canceling unit
flasher relay
Any other components related to the lighting system.

Also, I may have an issue with the running light system. I am waiting for a part to get the bike running. I am hoping that the running light system will work just fine once the bike starts up.

[Brasco18]

I apologize to whoever tried to send me a PM. My browser blocks popups. Please submit PMs in the forum for me, or at least PM me twice so I can use the first to allow popups.

[Crazcnuk]

Your system blocking pop-ups is irrelevant.

You can still access your PMs from the forum screen. Just click on the XS11 emblem next to your name toards the top.

[Brasco18]

How much are they at NAPA? My original question still stands... How do you test these components to determine if they are faulty? I bought some front end blinkers from partsnmore.com. There are two wires; I assume the black wire connects to the blue lead. The flasher relay was bad. This I know. I pulled a working one off my other bike and the blinkers in the rear began to blink correctly. When I attached the front end blinkers, the running light worked just fine and they blinked just fine, but now the brake light blinks instead of the rear blinker. On top of that, while testing it seems the flasher relay has failed. Now it doesn't blink again. Is this in fact the flasher relay or is it the flasher canceling unit? How do I test these to find out?

[TopCatGr58]

Hey Brasco,

Don't ASSume anything! The lights from PNM you got are only 1 filament style lights. Yes, they have 2 wires, but the black is the ground, and the other is the (+) for the light. They are not designed to work as running AND turn signals, not enough wires or filaments!? Someone posted that you could possibly swap out the sockets for one that will work with an 1157 dual filament bulb, but that's a modest amount of work!? The Blue wire you spoke of IS for the running lights, the green and brown ones are the turn signals!

As far as testing info on those components, as you have seen, no one has posted any, I have not seen any on the XS11's manuals!? Most folks just bypass the RLU when it goes bad.

The flasher relay is a thermal unit. The fuse is rated at 20 amps for the signal circuit, a fair amount of power running thru there. The grounds are the notorious fault areas on the signals, the ones for the rear are often inside the fender, the large washer type prong with the black wire attached, lots of corrosion and rust, so it looses it's ground contact to the fender/frame!

But you may also have the front signal lights wired wrong and that could cause problems too. Check your fuse, then check and rewire the front using the green and brown wires for the left/right signals and black for ground, just don't connect the blue!

As has been posted in other recent threads folks have gently taken the OEM flasher unit apart, cleaned the contacts, reassembled, and have gotten them back to working again!
T.C.

[Brasco18]

You say take the oem flasher unit apart and clean... is that the flasher relay (the silver can) or the flasher canceling unit (the black box)? Also, I just checked the bulbs and the rear blinker bulbs say 12V27W 1156. The front ones just say 12V23W. It is my understanding that wattage is just brightness. What do you think I should do?

[TopCatGr58]

The round silver thing is the flasher relay, some were rectangular as well.

IF you mostly want turn signals but don't necessarily care about having the running lights, then connect the front signals as I said in the earlier reply to the brown or green wires for each side, and the black wire of the signal is the ground. Tape off the blue wires.

Next, get some matching 1156 bulbs for the front, yes 27 watts is the recommended size, brightness.

IF the signals still don't work, but you can hear the flasher trying to flash, this is where taking it apart and cleaning the contacts on the inside mechanism may help. Or you can get a 2 prong from the auto/walmart and plug it in, one of two ways will work, but you'll loose your self cancelling feature..avoids the need for testing it!
T.C.

[Brasco18]

I did take it apart and clean it up. It does work now but not very well. It blinks at in irregular beat. I will probably just buy a new one. So in order to get the running lights, I need to have a 1157 bulb with two filaments?

[TopCatGr58]

Hey Brasco,

I'm not trying to sound mean, but did you read my earlier replies??

You need to either REPLACE the sockets in your new front turn signals...the ones you have in the PNM ones are only single filament....the colored wire is the turn signal wire, the black is the ground. You can't just put in 1157 bulbs in it, it needs to have the extra contacts to make the extra filament work.

The flasher may not be flashing properly because the front lights may not be wired properly, or you may still have poor grounds or contacts along the signal circuit.
T.C.

[Brasco18]

Thanks Top. I have figured out the blinker situation. I am going to make a bracket to hold the new ones sometime here. I will simply remove the second wire from the blinker and convert them to single wire.