Indicators are on solid, not flashing.

[suntrakr]

ok,

Bike ('81) has serious modifications and I'm shifting from modified indicators with ONE LEAD going to them (+) to new e-marked indicators to meet regulatory requirements here. The new e-marked indicators have 2 leads running to the indicators (+ and -).

My thinking was (apart from obviously being flawed) that the original one lead indicators used the chassis/metal connection as the earth to complete the circuit and that I would need to wire these new indicators in a way that ensures the second lead went back to a negative circuit in order for that circuit to be complete.

In test, I wired back the negative lead to the negative terminal on the battery. The indicators come on but come on at half strength and don't flash which tells me that the circuit is complete (they light up) but that somethings really wrong with the implementation.

Has anyone hit this before or can shed some light on it?

 

[member3480]

I have and it had to do with two things the switch or the flasher. So what I did is mock everything up off the bike and test the different flashers and switches until I found a match. Stock handle bar switch for turn signals work good some aftermarket ones seem to be way to thin in wire and even that the led doesn't pull as much of a load as stock I did burn up 9 out of 11 aftermarket switches.

 

[XSLeo]

Are your new lights LED or Incandescent? The stock flasher needs two 27 watt bulbs plus the 3 watt indicator to flash. Most aftermarket Incandescent bulbs are 23 watt. They don't draw enough the get the stock flasher to flash. You need to replace the stock flasher. Go to a parts store and pick up a two prong flasher that isn't load sensitive. Plug it in so the two prongs plug into the brown and brown/white wires.
LED's you need an LED compatibile flasher. I like the one www.superbrightleds,com sells The LF1-S-flat. it comes with leads. These leads go into a plastic housing, The leads unplug from the housing. Plug the red wire into the brown wire of the flasher plug, the grey into the brown/white.
On your new lights if incandescent can you open them up and see the bulb? Does it have one or two elements. If two one lead is power to the running light the other power to the turns. If just one element then one wire is positive the other ground.
The two element bulb will light up both elements if you hook one wire to hot the other ground. One wire hooks to one element, the other to the other element. The two elements hook together then to ground.
You need to investigate your new lights more.
Leo

 

[fredintoon]

Hi suntrakr,
ain't your bikes Grandfathered?
Like Leo sez, most likely the replacement signals don't draw enough power for the stock flasher to work.
And WTF is an e-marked indicator anyway, got a link to them?

 

[oldcoal]

Had that problem on my 1981 when I first got it. The back turn signals where after market. I put on a set of factory ones and they now flash. As others have said not enough amp being drawn to make the flasher work

 

[suntrakr]

I have and it had to do with two things the switch or the flasher. So what I did is mock everything up off the bike and test the different flashers and switches until I found a match. Stock handle bar switch for turn signals work good some aftermarket ones seem to be way to thin in wire and even that the led doesn't pull as much of a load as stock I did burn up 9 out of 11 aftermarket switches.

I'm going to try and resolve with the electrics on the bike if it gets hard then I'll pull it all off at a last resort but like the idea of having all setup on a bench...but hell, that's a bit of work!

 

[suntrakr]

Are your new lights LED or Incandescent? The stock flasher needs two 27 watt bulbs plus the 3 watt indicator to flash. Most aftermarket Incandescent bulbs are 23 watt. They don't draw enough the get the stock flasher to flash. You need to replace the stock flasher. Go to a parts store and pick up a two prong flasher that isn't load sensitive. Plug it in so the two prongs plug into the brown and brown/white wires.
LED's you need an LED compatibile flasher. I like the one www.superbrightleds,com sells The LF1-S-flat. it comes with leads. These leads go into a plastic housing, The leads unplug from the housing. Plug the red wire into the brown wire of the flasher plug, the grey into the brown/white.
On your new lights if incandescent can you open them up and see the bulb? Does it have one or two elements. If two one lead is power to the running light the other power to the turns. If just one element then one wire is positive the other ground.
The two element bulb will light up both elements if you hook one wire to hot the other ground. One wire hooks to one element, the other to the other element. The two elements hook together then to ground.
You need to investigate your new lights more.
Leo

Cheers XSLeo. Your first sentence on your signature resonates with me heaps. Pulled the clutch for the first time the other day to fix the starter. All back in and running fine. Learnt a heap in the process.

Re: indicators. Moving from incandescent to LED...sorry for not providing this info. You're bang on with your reply tho. More investigation done and problem seems to be all in the flasher unit. Have replaced with LED specific unit and away they went. I've since burnt something out or my battery needs to go back on charge (was due) but had them going successfully so progress made. I'll trouble shoot why they're not working now but confident the flasher unit was the problem. Have ordered 3 in from overseas at a cost of $4 (they're up to $60 bucks here!). If they don't work long term, I'll hit the LF1-S which looks like a tidy unit. Many thanks for the pointers.

 

[suntrakr]

Hi suntrakr,
ain't your bikes Grandfathered?
Like Leo sez, most likely the replacement signals don't draw enough power for the stock flasher to work.
And WTF is an e-marked indicator anyway, got a link to them?

Sorry, not sure what Grandfathered means. Is this a sign of youth?

E-Marked is a standards marking that's quite common and says something like the optics in the lights meet certain standards. Here in NZ, our regs around bikes are quite tight and bikes require e-mark lights (although there are exceptions). As I was changing some of the lighting, made sense to look for ones that were e-maked. Won't hurt when the bike is ready to pass it's local compliance test. Here's a link to an Ebay search: http://www.ebay.com/sch/Parts-Accessories-/6028/i.html?_from=R40&_nkw=e-marked&_vxp=mtr

 

[suntrakr]

Had that problem on my 1981 when I first got it. The back turn signals where after market. I put on a set of factory ones and they now flash. As others have said not enough amp being drawn to make the flasher work

Bang on. Thanks for the reply. Am now making good progress and need a bit more time to square away a good lighting solution. Enjoying the troubleshooting a heap. It's a great way to unwind and great when the solution is found.