turn signal causes short in alternator wiring?

[tkurt]

Fellow 650 riders-
My bike has stock ignition and charging system. My situation arose because the California DMV wants a brake and light inspection done with the engine off, and my right turn signals signal wouldn't light up without the engine running.

I installed a new left handlebar switch and the turn signals worked at first, but almost immediately the right signals stopped lighting up at all and the flasher unit started buzzing when I tried to use them. The left turn signals were fine. So I installed a new 552-type 2 prong flasher unit and both sets of turn signals work with the engine off. I connected the 2 prongs to the brown and brown/white wires. Do I need to go to ground?

When the engine is running and I turn on the left turn signals everything is fine. However, with the engine running (& 14.4V AC on the voltmeter) when I use the right turn signals, the voltmeter starts fluctuating and smoke starts coming from the clutch case/alternator wiring . I plan to check the wiring under there for shorts asap, but was hoping someone here might have some advice. If the short is near the alternator which wires should I be looking at really closely?

 

[tkurt]

Shit I think the "brown" wire was actually black - the flasher needs to be plugged into the green/yellow wire. Let me double check the flasher wiring...

 

[retiredgentleman]

You don't need the yellow/green wire at all, unless you want to use the self cancelling feature. I found the self cancelling to be dangerous, because it was not reliable when it would cancel. I leave the self cancelling module unplugged for safety reasons.

Yes, brown and brown/white are the correct wires to connect to the flasher unit.

If you want your signals to flash reliably, when you have low voltage such as when the engine is off, buy a Tridon HD12 flasher unit. It works on capacitor charge time, and not on supply voltage/load resistance.

 

[tkurt]

Hi RG,
I definitely didn't use the green/yellow wire, and have no desire for the self-cancelling feature.
So if this is correct, something else is still causing a short when I activate the right hand turn signals, but only since I installed the new flasher...

Thanks for your help!

 

[retiredgentleman]

The turn signal sockets and bulbs can have corrosion, rust, and even water in them. Take each right side bulb out and inspect...................clean out any crap. Maybe try different bulbs.

Short circuits can be hard to find.....................use your ohmmeter and the wiring diagram.

 

[angus67]

cant help you with the short, but I also have no blink unles my bike is running just above idle with a 522 tridon.
I now have installed this...
http://www.superbrightleds.com/more...-universal-motorcycle-electronic-flasher/193/
Now they blink reliably, even without the bike running. Im on my own wiring harness, no charging issues. these units require no load, because they are meant for LED's. But I am running bulbs, just not enuf load to trip a traditional flasher.

 

[tkurt]

RG, I followed your suggestion and checked the bulb sockets on the right side and everything looked OK, so I opened the headlamp bucket. On close inspection, the wire from the right front turn signal was not well isolated where it connected inside the bucket and was probably making contact with something (i assume it was touching ground & causing a short when the blinker was activated). Anyway, everything looks good now

 

[tkurt]

Cool! thanks for the tip Angus