Understanding a flasher problem

[Rickrod3]

My flashers work most of the time.
At idle the flashers will often stop working. A blip of the throttle will get it working.
As I understand the resistance of the circuit will cause the flasher coil field to collapse and reestablish opening and closing the contacts.
How does raising the idle thus raising the voltage cause the flasher to work?

Thanks in advance
Rick

[motoman]

Looks like U answered your own question........

[DiverRay]

As motoman said, when you "blip" the throttle, you increase the output of the alt, and the voltage goes up, and the flasher now works!
A fix is the clean EVERY SINGLE CONNECTION on the bike! Pay special attention to the ground between the battery and the frame/engine. Put antisieze (sp?) on ALL grounds! Use dielectric grease on all "hot" or positive connections. Don't forget the battery post themselves!

[3Phase]

Rick, there is a standard two-wire connection with a bimetallic contact arm in the flasher that heats and cools to make and break the flasher circuit.

Not enough voltage = not enough heat to make the arm break the circuit so the lights flash slower and then 'hang' on.

Rev the engine and the voltage goes up, the arm heats up and breaks the circuit and the flasher starts working again. Like Ray said, clean the contacts in your wiring harness and you should be able to get the flasher to work even when the engine is not running.


There is also third wire in the stock Yamaha flasher that goes to a giant capacitor molded into the end of the flasher body, that's why the flasher unit is so honkin' huge. It works with the factory self-cancelling circuit and it's not usually a problem.

[Rickrod3]

Okay thanks guys.
I'll keep up the KP. duty on the wiring harness.

Rick

[bobber]

flashers or indicaters as we say

you could put an electronic flasher relay onit .they work good.no auto cancel with them.

[Rickrod3]

you could put an electronic flasher relay onit .they work good.no auto cancel with them.

Trying to keep the auto cancel. Thanks tho. They work 99 percent of the time just don't want to have to blip the throttle to have them flash while pressing the brake stopped at a light.

I have cleaned a few connectors and it seems better so, I'll keep cleaning.
I also am waiting on some led tail and brake lights which should help.

Thanks
Rick

[bikerphil]

Rick, after making sure all your connectors and grounds are clean, the last resort is to take the cover off the factory flasher unit and file the "points" on the relay with an emery board or fine sandpaper. You will probably find that they are pitted. HTH

[cywelchjr]

Trying to keep the auto cancel. Thanks tho. They work 99 percent of the time just don't want to have to blip the throttle to have them flash while pressing the brake stopped at a light.

I have cleaned a few connectors and it seems better so, I'll keep cleaning.
I also am waiting on some led tail and brake lights which should help.

Thanks
Rick

Change out the brake lights to LEDs, and that may well solve that problem. You can pick up the 1157 type red LED lights at Auto Zone or the like and they are a direct plug in replacement. No more dimming of the headlight when the brake light comes on. And that's even with the extra 4 lights of the vetter trunk on mine.

[Rickrod3]

Change out the brake lights to LEDs, and that may well solve that problem. You can pick up the 1157 type red LED lights at Auto Zone or the like and they are a direct plug in replacement. No more dimming of the headlight when the brake light comes on. And that's even with the extra 4 lights of the vetter trunk on mine.

Hey CY:
I'm waiting on these.

http://www.superbrightleds.com/cgi-b...cycle_bulb.htm

I'm thinking it will do the trick.

Rick

[Rickrod3]

I replaced the two tail light/stop light bulbs with the led type.
It solved the problem.
Still going to continue to replace terminals in the connectors to ensure reliability.
Any how thought I'd let you guy's know how it turned out and thanks for your input.

Rick

[DGXSER]

Good work Rick. Yep, keep cleaning anyway. You never know which connection will be the one that causes the next gremlin. So while the riding weather is still hit or miss at best, spend some quality time with your ride.

[Rickrod3]

Good work Rick. Yep, keep cleaning anyway. You never know which connection will be the one that causes the next gremlin. So while the riding weather is still hit or miss at best, spend some quality time with your ride.

Will do Don.

Bike is running good I take many rides in the 70 mile range took a trip to lake George 180 miles planning on XS north trip to Va. around 400 miles.
Trying to make sure it is reliable as possible.

Rick