Blinker issue.

[Yard Dogg]

I can't get my blinkers to blink. I've installed smaller cat eye turn signals and when I hit the blinker switch they just light up solid. One concern is that the wires leading to the signals are 28 gauge or some ridiculous thing. The wires were so small I couldn't even twist them in my fingers. I will rewire them with 18 gauge soon. The bulbs are not LEDs, they are smaller bulbs and they just say 10W on them. My wiring is great on the bike, there is very little resistance and my lights are good and bright, I know they're wired correctly. I've tried another flasher from auto zone. The poles were right, and it was supposed to work with low voltage draws, but they wouldn't even light with that one.

Here's my question. Does it sound like I just have a bad flasher? I haven't looked up the watts for factory bulbs yet, I will soon, but everything people have told me suggests that if my bulbs aren't drawing as much power as the original style, then they should blink really fast vs. not at all. When I flip the switch on, there is a hesitation then they light up like the flasher wants to work.

A Yamaha mechanic said the current draw will depend on whether they are wired in series or parallel, but I think he was thinking of stereo speakers. Then someone else told me the reason the LEDs flash faster is because they draw more current but not as many amps? Weirdness.

For those of you who have switched to smaller turn signals, what did you do with the flasher? Oh, it might help to mention that I do not have the parking light circuit in the front ones, there are 2 wires only, just for the signals.

[Yard Dogg]

Okay, so I just read that my original bulbs are supposed to be 27W each! So I'm getting 20W through the flasher when I should be getting 54W. I think I may just wire in 18 gauge wires and look for stronger bulbs.

How much do LEDs draw? What flasher would you use for those?

[Yard Dogg]

Ack! Okay, I just did some more reading. It seems that in order to keep my auto cancelling, which I like, I will have to find some bulbs to draw 54 watts. This is going to be a challenge. I know what I must do now. I really don't think I can find those, but I'll give it a shot. Not to mention they have to be an amber colored bulb cause I have clear lenses. I'll post again if I resolve it. I may just try to rig some regular bulb sockets into my cat eye blinker housings and switch to the larger light bulbs if I can't find the smaller 27W bulbs. This may be a tech thread soon.

[natemoen]

Or just find resistor and put them.in line to make up the 17w difference at each bulb.

[fredintoon]

I can't get my blinkers to blink. I've installed smaller cat eye turn signals - - -

Hi Dogg,
yeah, the stock flasher unit only works if it sees a 54Watt load.
More than 54 Watts (69 Watts; 3 flashers on sidecar) and it blinks faster until it burns out.
To flash your 2 x 10W cat eye signals you'll need an electronic 2-prong automotive flasher unit.
3-prong automotive units don't work unless you mess with the wiring.
2-prongs plug into the 3-way connector 2 ways; one works, t'other don't.
Electronic flashers pulse the same rate no matter what the load.
The stock flasher is the ONLY flasher that works with the self canceller.
BUT the average cell-phone yakking SUV driving soccer mom ain't gonna see those pathetic little 10Watt signals.
Give up on cute, go back to the full size ones.

[Yard Dogg]

I considered it, but my lenses were all cracked up and..... excuses. Crazy Steve told me a bunch of options, I think I like the resistor idea the most. I'll get it ironed out. The cancellor was the only thing I wanted to keep out of all the goofy XJ 80's tech they put on it. I don't want to get rid of that.