Turn signal wiring?

Young Will

Young Will

XS650 Enthusiast
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Hello I'm new to this site, so don't know where to post this.

Recently put new turn signals on my 1980 xs650, also put in a new 522 flasher relay. I had the turn signals working a couple of weeks ago but after taking them off and reinstalling them I think I messed something up. The signal fuse now blows everytime I try to turn the turn signals on. So what I'm thinking is I messed up the wring.

(Third picture)At the tail light I have the blue and yellow wire's from the tail light going to the blue and yellow wire at the tail. Then the black wire on the tail light is going to the one of the two black wires with the two connectors.

The rear left turn signal positive wire is going to the light brown wire and the negative (ground) wire is going to the black wire with 2 connectors. The right rear turn signal positive wire is going to the light or dark green wire and the ground is going to the other 2 connector black wire.

(Fourth picture) In the front the left turn signal positive wire is going into a double connector which has a light brown wire going in and out of the double connector. Then the ground wire is going to a double connector that is attached to the headlight with a kind of dark blue color wire (not sure the color but it's not the yellow or green wire in head light, so the other wire of the three). The right turn (picture two) signal positive wire is going into the a double connector with a dark green wire going in and out of it. The negative wire is then plugged into the head light in the double connector with a yellow wire in and out of it.

See pictures above to see what I'm saying. Also the red wire and black wire is from the turn signals. Also my first picture is just a main photo of all the headlight wiring and I noticed that there is a loose yellow wire at the top left and I was wondering if this goes anywhere.

Also I'm not really sure how to use a wiring diagram, so if anyone has a picture or can explain that would be great.

Thanks
 
The left turn signals are dark brown. The right signals are dark green.
Follow the small cable from the Turn Signal switch to the headlight bucket, and find the dark brown and dark green terminals. Now use your VOM on the lowest ohm scale, to measure the resistance from the dark brown to ground. It should measure about 3 ohms or 0 ohms. Do the same test for the dark green. One of those will likely measure 0 ohms, meaning it is shorted to ground. Once you know which side is shorted out to ground, you can test further by unplugging the specific colour along the harness.

Meter leads may measure 0.5 to 0.7 ohms, so when I say 3 ohms it may read 3.7 ohms, and when I say 0 ohms it may measure 0.7 ohms.
 
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A bit of your problem may lie in your front turn signal wiring. You have both positives to each turn signal plugging into a brown wire connector. This is wrong. The right turn positive plugs into a dark green wire, ground into a black wire. The left turn positive plugs into a chocolate wire. Ground to a black wire.
One thing to remember on most Yamaha's Black is always ground. If you have an item that has a positive and a negative negative always plugs into a black wire.
Never any other color wire.
The yellow wire is headlight high beam. The headlight bulb end has the double connector, two single connectors plug into the double, one is power from the dimmer switch, the other is power out to the dash indicator light.
Your rear turns and brake/tail light are fine.
On the headlight the low beam is also a dark green wire. Be sure you art not plugging the right turn into this wire.
The headlight DG wire is a single connector, the turn DG wire is a double connector.
In pic #4 your thumb is on the headlight wires. You have the ground for one turn plugged into a yellow connector, Just above and to the left is a black wire with a multiple connector, unplug the black wire from the yellow and plug it into that black wire.
You should have another single yellow connector, plug that wire into that double yellow connector.
Leo
 
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I would strongly encourage some time spent with the proper diagram and your bike. I find there is little point to troubleshooting an electrical system without a basic understanding of what you're looking at.

Each circuit will have an origin at a positive source and an end, an earth or ground, at the frame or wired back to the battery.

Various switches, loads (bulbs, starter motor), and relays (starter solenoid, turn signal flasher) are placed inline of this circuit.

Most of our grounds are black. Just about every black wire is a ground, I don't know about your aftermarket ignition or alternator.

Positive sources are likely red (before the main switch), brown (after the main switch), or blue (lights).

The brown/white (hot, +, but flashing) passes energy through the turn signal switch and depending on whether L or R comes out dark green (Dg) or dark brown, chocolate (Ch).

From there, pick one and follow it out of the turn signal switch. It will split at a few spots, but you can then follow each branch to its respective end. At each, you will find a bulb and shortly after the bulb, a ground to earth.

On our bikes the frame acts as an earth, connected to the battery's black (-) terminal. The battery itself is the link to the red (+) non-switched power, completing the circuit.

Get familiar with the diagram and how it relates to the pieces on the bike. A whole world of understanding will follow. You will have less frustrations if you start by understanding how it should work before you try to solve the problem of why it doesn't.
 
XSLeo is correct.......................In picture #4, you have to unplug the black from the 2 yellows (high beam) and plug in another yellow, which is likely the loose yellow you have. The black just unplugged from the yellow goes to another black (ground).
 
While you're at it, because these gents are not wrong, take a look at the diagram.

Start at the high/low beam switch. Follow the yellow wire, through its branches to their ends. RG and Leo are having you make your bike look like the diagram. Yes?
 
Thanks a lot guys will try that out and give the diagram a hard look over when I get home. I will let you guys know if I have any more questions.
 
Got everything hooked up right now. However my signals are still not working. I heard the flasher relay tick for like a millisecond then nothing happens to the lights and now it isn't doing it. Maybe the flasher relay burned out?
 
IDK why but the right blinker circuit seems more reliable than the left. Experienced this on both a 77 and a 78 .. I blame the handle bar switch as I have no other explanation. So test the right blinkers first ? RT
 
Thanks again, going to just get all new fuses. Probably going to check a local motorcycle shop on Monday for them, because my auto parts store doesn't carry that size 10A fuses.
 
Ok so I have replaced all of my fuses and even put on a new 552 flasher relay. When I go to test the right turn signal the flasher does click one time but there is no light in my after market turn signals. Now I did plasti dip my rear fender and the turn signals worked before doing that so could that cause an issue. Also I have handle bars that our painted black so could that also cause an issue as well? Let me know thanks
 
TimeMachine said:
One click .. engine on and voltage above 13 ?
Click to expand...
It also just clicked once when the engine was off and the neutral light flashed then the fuse blew. So I'm assuming my wiring may still be wrong. Will post a picture of the front headlight wiring which I believe is correct.
 
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Here are the pictures of the wiring. Also I have looked at the diagram and followed everyone's advice, but I still maybe messing it up.

First picture my thumb is on the ground and and the red positive wire near my pointer finger is going it to a double connector with a green wire going in and out.

The second picture is the red wire is positive then my pointer fingers is where the negative wire is going.
 
nj1639 said:
That dark green connector in the first pic should only have dark green wires going to it, no power connects there.
Click to expand...

Oh ok, where does the right turn signal positive wire connect go to then. I thought that the right turn signal connects to the dark green wire?
 
If you're using aftermarket signals then yes, it would go there. Stock would be dark green for the one side and dark brown for the other.
Time for an ohm meter to trace down your grounds....checking for continuity.
 

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