Turn signal trouble

[adam79]

I was having great difficulty getting my turn signals (XS1100SF) to work properly. So I took off the the box from the handle bar, opened it up, and sprayed it out with electrical contact cleaner. this is what it looked like:



Then I disassembled it further. Contacts are now clean, but I dont know which side to tighten the screw to the signal switch.

Should I do it here?:



Or Here?:

[bikerphil]

Looks like you just tighten it. That switch lever floats. You push in to cancel the signals and a spring type mechanism pops it back out. It should fit only one way.

[adam79]

oh, okay, so there is no danger of tightening it down in the wrong position cause there s only one position?

[bikerphil]

Should be in the out position until pushed in to cancel the signals.Test it before you put it all back togeather, make sure it operates freely. Lube it up with some di-electric grease too.

[adam79]

This turn signal problem is frustrating. I cleaned out the switch components with elec. connection spray, and wiped them up with a qtip. The switch slides and moves freely, and it sits where it is supposed to, and the switch is making contact on both brass tabs, but only the left turn signal will work. Randomly I can get the right hand blinkers to work, but, 95% of the time, only the left. I've now tokk apart every little piece in the housing, and sprayed them out with the cleaner individually, cleaned with Qtips, and Im about to polish with simichrome to hopefully remove some of the orange rust and green corrosion. If this doesnt work, I dont know what to do, because all the wires are intact, and so is the sodder.

[Yahman]

Check to make sure that the right turn signal bulbs are making good contact and that the wiring connections are good also.

Larry

[XSPastor]

Make sure the contact surfaces are shiney clean. Some 0000 steel wool is ok if the corrosion is stubborn. Contact cleaner may not be enough. This is a momentary contact switch. Make sure that when the switch is in the center postion that it's not touching either the right or the left contact. check the wires for continuity, check the turn signal grounds. Check the contacts at the flasher unit under the right side cover. Make sure they're clean.

[John]

Those brass tabs are actually a part of the self cancelling system. The actual T/S switch is actually below the brass tabs. The white plastic piece in the pic is the switch it self. It makes contact with the three wires (brown/white, green and brown) that are under the brass tabs. These three wires are known to break at the solder joint, and a condition like yours will arise. One side working, the other not. If I recall, the wire color for left turn is green, brown is for right turn. Check the solder joint on the brown wire. If the switch is still assembled, use a volt meter or test light, and probe the connector where ther T/S wiring plugs into the harness. Activate the left T/S and probe the green wire, it should have power, and be flashing. Now select right turn and probe the brown wire. It should have power, and flash. If it doesn't have power, then the problem is up at the switch. If it has power, and doesn't flash, then check for power at the individual T/S's. You have power there, then the next likely pace to look is at the bulbs and then the grounds for the T/S's that aren't flashing. The way the circuit is set up, if one side works and flashes then the other side will flash also, unless there is a bad bulb or ground. If you don't have power at the individual signals, then it sounds like a broken brown wire somewhere in the harness.

[XSPastor]

Those brass tabs are actually a part of the self cancelling system. The actual T/S switch is actually below the brass tabs.

John's absolutely right. It's been a while since I had that switch apart. His advice is dead-on. Obviously the voice of experience.

[adam79]

I didnt have a wire brush, or steel wool. Should of asked first. I used a file to get what I could. All the metal pieces in both the white boxes, and on the black tab with the 3 wires connected, were completely dirty and covered in brown rust or green corrosion. I cleaned it the best I could, and now both blinkers work, although my left blinker will sometimes turn on solid and not flash.

This self canceling function sounds nice..... wish it would work. My blinkers stay on indefinitely, and do not turn off unless I push in the button in at an angle.

Im going to pick up some steel wool and have at it. Sounds like that will solve my remaining problems, except, the self cancelling function. What would cause that to fail, and how do I check/fix it?

[bikerphil]

flasher

Had a similar problem with left not flashing. After making sure all grounds and connections were good, I took the flasher unit apart. There is a ground connection inside that was dirty, I filed the breaker point type contacts inside, and also decreased the gap of the contacts. Works perfectly now. If someone replaced your original flasher with a car-type flasher, the self-cancelling feature will never work.

[adam79]

The flasher unit? Like at the bulbs? Or, do you mean the parts I have already taken apart?

[John]

The only thing that will prevent it from flashing on just one side is a bad bulb, (the current cannot get through the filiment) or a bad ground. The flasher works because of heat generated within it when it has a load applied. There is a bi-metallic strip inside that heats up and cools of rapidly, making and breaking contact within the bimetal strip. That is what causes the flash. If there is little or no load, or if the current doesn't go to ground, it will not flash. Ever noticed that if either a front or rear turn signal bulb on one side is burned out, the good one will just get brighter, but won't flash? That is because of a decreased load.

[XSPastor]

Sounds like that will solve my remaining problems, except, the self cancelling function. What would cause that to fail, and how do I check/fix it?

I had to replace my flasher canceling unit to get my self canceling system back on line. Your part number for that is FLASHER CANCELING UNIT ASS'Y (1A0-83395-02) you can pick up a used one on ebay or get one from the dealer for about... gulp... 75 bucks! I'm not saying that this is your problem; it's just what fixed 'em for me. The module gets a pulse from the leaf switch in the speedo. If that leaf switch isn't working, the the flashers will flash all day. Jack up front tire and spin it. You can usually hear that leaf switch clicking. If not, check to make sure it's working. You can just check accross the two wires and spin the wheel. It should switch on and off in pulses. I'm sure if you search here you'll come up with more about it.

[bikerphil]

[QUOTE=adam79;185247]The flasher unit? QUOTE]

The one behind the right side cover.