cannot get my flashers to work, help

[mrhammer2u]

I have a 79XS. Headlight, brake light and rear running light only thing that works. Cannot get any signals to light at all. I installed LED rear lighting and yes I have a no load flasher. Besides the flasher, is there anything else I should be checking besides the connections,...which I believe are correct.

I have the dark green and brown wires connected to the proper sides and I wired the groud direct to the ground on the battery and nothing.

Is there another unit/module that I should be checking?

[mrhammer2u]

Also, if there are any local XSers who could help me out I'd be glad to pay you to come look and help me out. Bike is in Parsippany, NJ (Morris County).

[DiverRay]

If you have the 2 plug flasher, try it in the other two plugs of the connector. Also, when you turn on the Left turn signal, do both left lights come on? How about the Right?
First start is getting the proper lights to glow. If you put a "jumper" made of 2 1/4" male connectors and a short bit of #14 wire in place of the flasher, you should be able to get lights to light when you hit the turn signal. Again, you will need to play with the jumper to get the two correct plugs. Mark these!, as they are the plugs for the new flasher. Once you have both rights on with the switch, try the lefts. Remember, the front lights need the ground to frame via the wire behind the hold down nut for the signals.
And no, I'm out here in warm Can'taffordYa, so it would be a long way for me to ride out there.

[mrhammer2u]

Yes, it's a 2 plug flasher. I've tried it both ways. I have no blikers ata ll, in other words they don't light up at all,..not even solid.

What exactly do you mean by jumper? Do you mean bypass the flasher all together?

[natemoen]

By jumper he is saying make up a short wire with a male spade end on either end and plug it into the socket that the flasher goes into to see if the flasher is the problem or if the problem is elsewhere.

[crazy steve]

Did you unplug the turn signal cancel module? Are you using the brown/brown white wires at the flasher? Are you getting power at the brown wire at the flasher? If you do have power at the brown wire, jumper it and the brown/white together. If the lights now come on steady when operating the switch, it's the flasher. No lights, you may have a poor connection in the plug to the handlebar controls on the brown/white or a bad turn switch. It's not uncommon for one or more wires to become disconnected at the switch from a broken solder joint. Could also be dirty/burned contacts in the switch.

The switches can usually be repaired/cleaned, just pay very good attention while disassembling it.

You have checked just the lights for operation, right? Poor grounding in the light housing can also be a problem.

[mrhammer2u]

I just got some male connectors and will jump the flasher tomorrow. I just worked on it at lunch and I was able to get the lights to work,..momentarily. I heard the flasher flashing but the light was not blinking. I tested both lights and determined the bulbs are good. Also, I have 2 new flashers that I was toggling between,...so I can't imagine I have 2 bad flashers???

I have a feeling there is a problem in the switch (handlebar controls).

The only difference from when the lights did not work at all from today when the lights did come on,...is that today I have the controls open. When I closed the controls (screwed them back to the handlebar) they did not work. Hmmmm.....

Will test some more tomorrow.

What's a turn signal cancel module and where is it?

[crazy steve]

Yeah, sounds like an issue with the switch and/or it's wiring. Probably a pinched wire or wires.

The turn signal module should be hanging off a frame tab on the top frame tube right above/behind the battery on the left side. A black box with six wires going to it and a white plug. It's not needed if the self-cancelling feature is disabled.

[mrhammer2u]

Yeah, sounds like an issue with the switch and/or it's wiring. Probably a pinched wire or wires.

The turn signal module should be hanging off a frame tab on the top frame tube right above/behind the battery on the left side. A black box with six wires going to it and a white plug. It's not needed if the self-cancelling feature is disabled.

I don't think it ever had self-cancelling. There a way to test if this module is the culprit? Going home at lunch for some more troubleshooting. Making that jumper today for the flasher and will open up the switch assembly again.

[DiverRay]

The self cancelling works off the speedo and a timer. If it quits or fails, the only result is the need to manually cancel the turn signals, like most bikes. My guess is the Left switch assembly. The solder DOES break at the switch with age, as well as wires rubbing causing a short.(but not often)
Go with the switch area, and go slow, write notes, and take pictures to help get it back together properly. IF all else fails, you CAN get a new unit from Mikesxs, and just swap wires in the connector to match the 1100.

[mrhammer2u]

Do all xs11's have self cancel? Or was that a feature/option?

[crazy steve]

The self cancelling works off the speedo and a timer. If it quits or fails, the only result is the need to manually cancel the turn signals, like most bikes...

The module can cause the signals to not work; unplugging the module is the first thing Yamaha says to do when troubleshooting the signals. Even just a poor connection to the module can cause problems, I had that issue when I was troubleshooting my SG harness...

Makes me wonder how many 'bad flashers' were blamed for non-functioning signals when it was really the module connections. And yes, all XS11 bikes had this feature.

[mrhammer2u]

The module can cause the signals to not work; unplugging the module is the first thing Yamaha says to do when troubleshooting the signals. Even just a poor connection to the module can cause problems, I had that issue when I was troubleshooting my SG harness...

Makes me wonder how many 'bad flashers' were blamed for non-functioning signals when it was really the module connections. And yes, all XS11 bikes had this feature.

So just unplug it and check the connections fro corrosion?

How does the self cancel go bad?? I would like for mine to work again.

[crazy steve]

The factory troubleshooting procedure for the turn signals is to unplug the module first. If the signals now work, it's a module problem. If not, then you have to go deeper into the system to find the problem (leaving the module unplugged). Page 6-20 in the factory manual has the complete procedure. Note that if the cancel module is missing, the turns will still work, just not self-cancel.

As designed, the factory turn signal system will only work if all electrical components are OEM or have identical electrical specs as OEM. Now, if you want to retain the self-cancelling feature with non-stock parts (and this includes any LED lights in the circuit or a non-stock flasher) some wiring modifications are needed. You will need a good OEM cancel module and speedo with a good reed switch though. The mod is here: http://www.xs11.com/forum/showthread.php?t=39871

[motoman]

Do all xs11's have self cancel? Or was that a feature/option?

All the XS11/XJ series have self canceling signals.