Turn signal flahser question

[gentlemanjim]

Worked on the wiring today replaced the flaher with an electronic one, no 3 pole thermals available. No work, tried a 2 pole thermal no work. I ordered the Mikes XS 2 pole converter. Will this work or what have others done?

 

[Grinder]

Are working with stock turn signals or led's? For led's you must use a flasher designed for them. Are the lights lighting but not flashing? Most flashers have a X and L terminal on them. The brown (12V) goes to the X and the brown/white (up to the switch) goes to the L. Make sure you have 12V at the brown wire. Your canceling feature won't work with a two pole flasher but that thing will get you killed anyway.

 

[pamcopete]

gentle,

The flasher on the XS650 models with the self canceler is actually a two terminal flasher. The third terminal is for the self canceler and there is no equivalent three terminal flasher available for that application.

Use a #552 thermal flasher for $3. Plug into the brown and brown/white terminals. The yellow / green wire goes to the canceler and is not used with the #552 flasher.

Good morning, grinder...we must have been typing at the same time....

Note: The #552 is not polarity sensitive, so if the "X" and "L" do not match the colors, doesn't matter...just plug and play.

 

[gentlemanjim]

With the original flaher I got lights, but no blink. Put in a 3 pole electronic got nothing. Put in a two pole thermal flahser and got nothing. Empty flasher receptical nothing. The lights are aftermarket incandesents I've used on other bikes with no problems.

When I use a test light on the dark green and dark brown wire that goes to the turnsignals it shows hot with a multi meter, but won't light the bulb. If I wire the light directly to the battery it lights up. Brake, license plate, head lights all work fine.

Must be doing something wrong. Will the Mikes XS adapter help?

 

[73novaguy]

I just got done working 2 days (2 hrs each) on a Sportster blinker problem of the exact kind, I tried EVERYTHING and I went thru 3 flashers. While sticking my probe into the 12 pin plug in the headlight I came across the solution. I wasn't "holding" the button in, on early Sportsters you had to actually "hold" the button because the switch did not "latch" on. So the entire 4 hrs I worked on it, there was never anything wrong. LOL. I hate those things. LOL. So be pateint and you'll get it, have you tried jumping the two wrirs together on the flasher and hitting the button, they should light up. That will tell you if the flasher as the culprit or not.

 

[pyrocentric]

I found my middle flasher wire was popping the fuses after a couple of blinks, so I cut it. Been working great ever since. I'll check the exact flasher model and make sure I cut the middle wire later.

 

[pumps]

With the stock signals I used this one. Two terminals. About $10 I think at Advance Auto Parts.

 

[gentlemanjim]

I jumped the left and center X & L terminals on the flasher recepticle and the lights went on when I switced both left and right. So I must have it wired correctly. I put Mikes XS 2 pole converter tomorrow and we should be a blinkin.

Thanks for all the tips and tricks.

 

[jayel]

when plugging a two prong flasher into a a three plug socket if it doesn't work try turning it 90 degrees to try the other plug in slot

 

[Dennis]

I figured I would just post my problem here as it entails the turn signals
My local auto store could not find the 552 flasher just by those #'s
Its standard EFL552
now my problem
83 heartige special
when giving the bike gas as in going around turns, with the turn signals on (doesnt matter if left or right). The bike misses and carries on like crazy.
I cleaned everything I could think on the switch itself on the handlebars
I installed the above flasher.
Still misses.
OK at idle and I noticed with the head light unplugged it was fine when given gas as well
Do you have to unplug the self cancellor completely? (5 prong plug i believe it is)
I checked ground and did a test on both wires and still the same problem.
I even jiggled the wires around when testing to make sure I didnt find a break in the wire somewhere.

 

[XSLeo]

If you use a twp prong flasher and plug it in the socket where the brown and brown white wires are, then it shoud flash ok. Doing this bypasses the canceler. The Green/yellow wire that is no longer used goes to the canceler.
If your bike misses when using the turn signals, I might check the alternator. If the alternator isn't putting out enough juice to run the bike and charge the battery, the low voltage can effect how the TCI box works. It don't like low voltage.
Check the battery voltage before turning the key on, after the key is on, once started it can take a few minutes to recharge the drain of the starter. Then check the voltage at idle and reved to above 2500 rpms.
The before the key on check should be above 12.5, with the key on it may be lower. Once running and the battery has recovered from starting, 12.5- 13.5 is good. At higher revs it should get to, but not over 14.5. All these readings are + or - 10 %.

 

[angus67]

im going thru this problem too, but I have to give another try after reading somewhere that the 552 flasher needs 27 watt draw to flash. when I turn mine on, they are dim, noflash. but thatrs only the front turns burning 3 watts, if I add proposed rear lights to the system, it flashes, but I dont have mounts back there yet, so I know I'm golden, just need to find the time. add another light.
oh, btw, I have after market lights. not the stockers. also read the stock system only draws 23watts, (?) so ?

 

[XSLeo]

The stock flasher needs two 27 watt turn signal bulbs and a 3 watt indicator bulb to flash.
Most of the flashers at the parts stores are not load sensitive, use any bulbs. Any of the three prong flashers are not the right flasher to use. A two prong flasher is what to get. The two porongs need to plug in so the brown and brown white wires are used the black or green/yellow are not used.
If you have 3 watt bulbs in your turnsignals it won't flash. It will be dim because it's not as bright as a 23 watt bulb.

 

[angus67]

The stock flasher needs two 27 watt turn signal bulbs and a 3 watt indicator bulb to flash.
Most of the flashers at the parts stores are not load sensitive, use any bulbs. Any of the three prong flashers are not the right flasher to use. A two prong flasher is what to get. The two porongs need to plug in so the brown and brown white wires are used the black or green/yellow are not used.
If you have 3 watt bulbs in your turnsignals it won't flash. It will be dim because it's not as bright as a 23 watt bulb.

they are bright flashwhen I introduce another bulb to the system.

 

[OldGuy]

OK. I have the stock flasher in place on a 79 650. I have two led signals on the front with 25 watt resistors across them. On the rear I placed short stalk signals with very small bulbs. I now read that this won't work with the stock flasher. Not enough load. The signals lite but won't flash. Can any one tell me what flasher I might be able to buy that will work?

 

[XSLeo]

Me, I would remove the resisters, get a LED capable flasher. Most have just two prongs. When you install the new flasher the two prongs plug it into the brown and brown/white wires in the stock flasher plug. The third wire goes to the turn signal canceler, just ignore it. The canceler is a pos anyway.
I got my flasher from www.superbrightleds.com I used the LF1-S-flat, just remove the plastic on the connector and the wires plug right in. On the flasher the red or grey wire to the brown wire of the bike, the black to the brown/white wire. $8.95 It can flash just one led or up to 150 watts of bulbs.
Leo

 

[leodr]

Me, I would remove the resisters, get a LED capable flasher. Most have just two prongs. When you install the new flasher the two prongs plug it into the brown and brown/white wires in the stock flasher plug. The third wire goes to the turn signal canceler, just ignore it. The canceler is a pos anyway.
I got my flasher from www.superbrightleds.com I used the LF1-S-flat, just remove the plastic on the connector and the wires plug right in. On the flasher the red or grey wire to the brown wire of the bike, the black to the brown/white wire. $8.95 It can flash just one led or up to 150 watts of bulbs.
Leo

Hi Leo,
So your cancellation switch will not work with LF1-S-flat flasher? Have you looked at Tridon LED03 ... will this work better?
Also, do you think princess auto 1157 and 1156 led lights for $9.99 will work. SKU 8063869 and 8063828.
I have a stock 82 heritage special.
Thanks for your expertise.
/Leo

 

[XSLeo]

I don't know anything about the Tridon LED03 flasher. I did a search and found the specs on the flasher. You can try it. Will the self canceler work with it, I can't say.
I don't have a Princess Auto around here, but I searched for those numbers.
They look good. I have not used them so I can't say they work good. All I can say is try them.
Leo