Electrical Problems with Tail light and turn Signals

[Mrtinajero]

So I'm having electrical problems with what it says in title. The problem is that my tail is not on at all. It just happened randomly the other day. I hooked up my new headlight/turn signal and it was fine until yesterday. The fuse had actually blown, So I went and got more 10A fuses and they blow every time I just turn the key to get the lights going. It did once stay on for a minute but then all the turn signals stayed lit and the turn signals don't work. So any input would help

[Lonerider62]

Generally when troubleshooting a problem, I would start with changes made to the the system prior to the begining of the problem. I'd suspect something up front associated with the new headlight/signal installation grounding, consequently blowing the fuse.

[crazy steve]

So I'm having electrical problems with what it says in title. The problem is that my tail is not on at all. It just happened randomly the other day. I hooked up my new headlight/turn signal and it was fine until yesterday. The fuse had actually blown, So I went and got more 10A fuses and they blow every time I just turn the key to get the lights going. It did once stay on for a minute but then all the turn signals stayed lit and the turn signals don't work. So any input would help

The turn and tail lights are two separate circuits, so you've somehow connected them together, probably when you hooked up your new front signals. On your standard, there's two wires that connect to the stock two-filament lights; a blue (running light, which also goes to the taillight) and a chocolate (left side) or dark green (right side). There is no ground wire, grounding is done through the metal housing, frame, etc. So when you hooked up your new lights, how many wires did they have? If aftermarket, nearly all have separate ground wires, so if your new lights only have two wires (single filament lamp) coming out of them, the black one is a ground. DO NOT connect this to the blue, take it to a black wire or chassis ground. If your signals have three wires (dual filament lamps), then you can connect the blue wire to the remaining wire.

Here's a troubleshooting guide.... http://www.xs11.com/forum/showthread.php?t=35337

[fredintoon]

Hi Michael,
most likely the short circuit that's blowing the fuse is one you created when making that last hookup. Unhook stuff until the fuse don't blow to find out what went wrong.
It's dark inside the headlight; that's my excuse as to why I mistook a black wire for a dark brown one to short out the turn signal flasher.
Note that an electronic flasher will pulse at it's normal rate even if it's connected straight to ground. For 3 pulses, then the fuse blows.

[Mrtinajero]

So crazy, my turn signals do have two wires each (One black and one black/white) Do not connect the ground one correct?

[cywelchjr]

Generally on a bike the black wire will be ground, so try leaving that not hooked up and see if that makes the problem stop happening. When you come over we can look at it, I've got the meter and everything to troubleshoot it and electricity and electronics is my specialty right behind computers. Are the bulbs single or dual filament?

[fredintoon]

So crazy, my turn signals do have two wires each (One black and one black/white) Do not connect the ground one correct?

Hi Michael,
if you have bought generic aftermarket signal lights they may well have twin filament bulbs in them. If so, one wire feeds the running light filament and the other feeds the signal filament with both filaments being grounded through the mounting stem.
Aftermarket dual filament lamps typically have a 22W/6W bulb in them.
You can connect both filaments to the flasher power wire to give the stock flasher enough Wattage to make it work.

[Mrtinajero]

I believe that it is dual filament. And that make a lot of sense. I'll give it a shot tomorrow morning and let you guys know what happens. Yeah cy, if it doesn't end up working out, we'll take a look at it when I head over

[Mrtinajero]

So i hooked up the turn signals with only the black and white wire and it was working when I touched the black wire to the frame but when I attatch the stems of the turn signals to the headlight ears, they don't work anymore. Even after I touch the black wire to the frame. I did try it while the blinkers were working and the stems spark when they touch the ears until they get full contact and they no longer blink. Very confused

[fredintoon]

So i hooked up the turn signals with only the black and white wire and it was working when I touched the black wire to the frame but when I attatch the stems of the turn signals to the headlight ears, they don't work anymore. Even after I touch the black wire to the frame. I did try it while the blinkers were working and the stems spark when they touch the ears until they get full contact and they no longer blink. Very confused

Hi Michael,
you have two current paths through the light. One goes up the b/w wire to one filament and then to ground, t'other goes up the plain black wire to t'other filament and then to ground.
If you power one wire and ground t'other the power flows through both filaments and they both try to light up but as the 6W filament limits the power flow the 22W filament can't see enough power to light up, it can only act as a conductor.
All this changes once you ground the lamp itself. Grounding either wire once the light body is grounded connects both sides of the filament to ground so no current can flow.
Try this:-
Use your multi-meter set to Ohms to check that the light body is actually grounded.
Connect one wire direct to the battery, see if a filament lights up.
Repeat with the other wire.
Now you know if the light works.

[crazy steve]

I believe that it is dual filament...

You need to verify that, as it makes a big difference. If it's dual filament, then the two wires are power wires to the lamp and grounding is done through the signal body. Single filament, then one is a ground and the other is power, but it still may have a ground through the body; check to see which wire is ground by testing between the wires and the body, the one that shows no/low resistance with the lamp removed is ground. If it's dual filament/two wire and either wire reads to the signal body with the lamp removed, then you have a defective light.

[Mrtinajero]

Figured it out. Ends up that the black one was the one that needed to be connected. The b/w one was the running light wire

[cywelchjr]

If nothing else if it was still not working when he came over we would have figure it out then.