blinkers wiring question

[dpawl31]

Ok I got my new led blinkers mounted. Keep in mind I haven't traced any wiring yet and my blinkers did not work. Wiring on bike looked stock till I got to the rear blinkers. One wire to signal and the other to signal and also grounded to seat mount. Looks botched a bit. Should it only be the two wires?

I'm also in need of tips on how to clean connections, more specifically where to start to get my blinkers working.

Oh, and should dash and signals work with key on, or only when the headlights kicks in?

 

[Grinder]

Stock signals have one hot wire (dark green, dark brown) going to them along with a separate ground wire for each. Your new LED signals won't work with your stock flasher, you need one made for the LED's. The LED's don't draw enough current to operate the stock flasher. This is the one I used but there are cheaper ones out there. Brown goes to X and brown/white to L. Your cancelling feature will no longer work.




http://www.napaonline.com/Search/Detail.aspx?R=NF_EL12L2_0226730186

 

[dpawl31]

Thanks Grinder. I already have a new flasher, friend gave it to me (brand new) for free.

I guess now I just need some tips on how to clean nasty connections, and more specifically if the blinkers/dash/indicators etc should all work with the motor OFF and headlight OFF but key ON. Yes? No? Some?

 

[dpawl31]

Oh, and can anyone link me to the CORRECT wiring diagram, preferably simplified for an 81?

I don't know enough about the ignition system/timing etc, I think I have the electronic (transistor) ignition? I don't have anything behind either plate on the top of the motor. So I would like a wiring diagram w/o all the ignition BS, lol. I really just need one for the stock wiring for the lights/blinkers/brake/dash/headlight stuff.

 

[inxs]

- could start looking here

- this covers about anything

- here is another

 

[dpawl31]

Thanks INXS.

Am I blind or is there no turn signals in that diagram?
Otherwise that is very helpful, I am tracing things now.
Just not sure if the right wires are plugged into the right spots for front signals.

I am colorblind, this does not help! And not knowing what color the front signal wires should be, ugh.

One thing that would REALLLLLY help... can someone please tell me if the signals/instrument lights should have power when the headlight does NOT? ie, key on, motor off?

I guess I sort of need a turn signal/switch circuit diagram?

Thanks again, this should help me straighten out at least the tail light. The Headlight works fine. Horn is toast, not sure if the horn went bad or the switch, or what... Just want to get my damn tail and turn working!

 

[XSLeo]

Yes, the blinkers should work with out the headlight on. The stockers might not without the engine running at a fast idle.
I like your first diagram inxs, it shows everything in it's own box. I think tis makes it easier to see and understand.
Whith either digram if you get the battery to alternator wiring and reg/rec right and hook the ignition in. the bike should run good and charge good. after that just add what you want.

 

[XSLeo]

Turn signals are easy. Hot wire after the switch, on the upper diagram an extra fuse next to the others, the bottom diagram hook to the wire marked horn/ accessory. Take this wire and hook it to the + on your flasher, from the L on the flasher to the turn signal switch, from the turn switch to each side of the bike.
In you stock harness The new flasher will plug into the same place as the stock flasher.
The + to the brown wire in the plug, the L to the brown/white wire. Ignore the black wire.
Back under the seat you will find a blue and yellow wire that go to the tail/brake light, The ones you need are a Dark green and a Chocolate wire. The dark green goes to the right blinker, the chocolate to the left. These wires are the hot side, each stock turn signal has a black wire from under the nut on the mount stem that runs up and plugs into the black wire from the harness. The tail/brake has a black wire the plugs into the same big connector. Now if your LED lights have two wires, one is hot the other ground. If you hook them backwards they won't light. revervse the wires. If they only have one wire it should be hot the mount ground.
Inside the headlight bucket the wire colors are the same. They ground the same too. If your color blind get some one to help find the colors and use a strip of masking tape with the color written on it to mark each wire.

 

[dpawl31]

OK Been studying the wiring diagram, and what Leo said about the blinker wiring.

So since I don't have a diagram for the signals, I have to guess.

When I took off my seat, my blinkers had two wires. One wired right to another colored wire in the rear end of the harness (hot). Another connected to a black wire in the harness (ground).

Both were the same - BUT! Off of the connection for the grounds for both - were two more ground wires grounding to the seat 'clicks' at the back. SOOO... I was thinking by the way it looked that it was the PO doing some stupid wiring he didn't know what he was doing, and that my new blinkers should wire straight to the black 'ground' going into the harness. BUT now that I think of it, maybe the wire coming out of the harness is a ground coming from another part of the bike, and was supposed to be grounded to the seat 'clicks' like they were?
So essentially what I am saying is - is it normal to have a frame ground wire coming right off the blinker, also attached to the harness?


Using leo's description of the signal circuit, this is what I plan on doing to test.
Check for 12v at the + part of the flasher. Then for 12v @ dark green and brown wires coming from signal switch when switched in correct direction.
When I was installing the new signals... I had grounds connected to the inner part of the blinker ears. I removed these, and put the ground for the new signals into the harness where those plugged in. I think that was a BAD idea. That's probably another of my issues huh? What were those for...? I was rushing, and I shouldn't have done it. Boo.

Guess I got a lot of testing to do with no time to do it!

SOOOO... any suggestions for how to clean connections? (butt connectors)
I am thinking of trying to clean up grounds before I do any of the butt connectors though.

If I have power going to that, then it should have 12v @ hot wire for blinker. Left and right side

 

[XSLeo]

Take a Q-tip, peal off the cotton, wraps with a bit of fine steel wool, just enough to fit the connector snuggly.

 

[xjwmx]

It's not always easy, but the connectors will come out of the holder. Looking down the front side there's a groove that you can put a paper clip in to push back a locking tab, and the connector will slide out. At that point you can squeeze the connector with pliers to give it more bite on the male side. Ouch! When you put it back in, give it a pull to make sure it's locked in, else the male side will just push it out the back and not go in.

 

[XSLeo]

I was playing with my paint program. Tried to draw the turn signal diagram.

 

[XSLeo]

Oops, I left out a fuse. Should have one between the key switch and flasher.

 

[BillyDean]

Turn signals are easy. Hot wire after the switch, on the upper diagram an extra fuse next to the others, the bottom diagram hook to the wire marked horn/ accessory. Take this wire and hook it to the + on your flasher, from the L on the flasher to the turn signal switch, from the turn switch to each side of the bike.
In you stock harness The new flasher will plug into the same place as the stock flasher.
The + to the brown wire in the plug, the L to the brown/white wire. Ignore the black wire.
Back under the seat you will find a blue and yellow wire that go to the tail/brake light, The ones you need are a Dark green and a Chocolate wire. The dark green goes to the right blinker, the chocolate to the left. These wires are the hot side, each stock turn signal has a black wire from under the nut on the mount stem that runs up and plugs into the black wire from the harness. The tail/brake has a black wire the plugs into the same big connector. Now if your LED lights have two wires, one is hot the other ground. If you hook them backwards they won't light. revervse the wires. If they only have one wire it should be hot the mount ground.
Inside the headlight bucket the wire colors are the same. They ground the same too. If your color blind get some one to help find the colors and use a strip of masking tape with the color written on it to mark each wire.

Hi Leo BillyDean here. New to the site today. I owe you a great deal of gratitude. I am restoring a 79 650 special. My blinkers were staying on. I bought several manuals, checked everything I could before buying an expensive OEM flasher. That didnt help. Then I bought an expensive OEM Flasher cancel unit. That didnt work. After going nuts drawing wiring diagrams and checking everything, I found your previous post on blinkers here, and you gave me the key to my problem. I had bought shorter staulk replacement blinkers of the same stock look and type. 'The light went on' when I read that the stock flasher needs 57watts to operate properly. I literally ran out to the garage and pulled a cover and the bulbs were 23watts. I swapped out the old 27 watters and presto. I have an OEM blinker system with auto cancelation. What a relief.
You have saved a fellow XS650 guy from some serious confidence damage.
BillyDean

 

[Pabeye]

Revive an OLD thread for one quick elementary question.......

I am trying to resolve signal light issues on my 79 "Special", but the first thing I need to know is.......

Should the signal lights function with the key in the "ON" position OR does the motor have to be running?

It would help a LOT to know that! Thanks in advance!

 

[fredintoon]

Hi pabeye,
factory wiring on a '79 is that everything except the headlight will work when the key is turned to ON.
The safety relay turns the headlight on automatically when the engine starts and the alternator starts charging.
Mind you, gawd knows what the dreaded POs have done to it since then.

 

[Brassneck]

Revive an OLD thread for one quick elementary question.......

I am trying to resolve signal light issues on my 79 "Special", but the first thing I need to know is.......

Should the signal lights function with the key in the "ON" position OR does the motor have to be running?

It would help a LOT to know that! Thanks in advance!

The turn signal lights should blink without the motor running.

 

[Pabeye]

Thanks guys, that information helps enormously! Now I don't have to start the engine every time I work on the signals! This bike was pretty stock when I got it, so I don't think the PO messed withat that stuff.

The frustrating think is I think they worked BEFORE I took the bike apart. I am still using the original wiring harness. I thought I might have messed up the leads in the headlight bucket, but the connections seem simple enough, a ground and a hot wire to each signal.

It's getting frustrating.......not sure what to try next.

 

[Brassneck]

With a stock wiring set up, it should be fairly straight forward. I'm not sure what all you've taken apart, but sounds like you may need to trace the power to find the issue.