Turn Signal Woes

All to do with wiring, charging or just trying to figure out whats gone wrong.

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Bloop2
To the on ramp
Posts: 276
Joined: Tue Jan 22, 2013 3:40 pm
Country: Ontario, Canada
Suzuki 2-Strokes: B100P,T200, 68,70,74 T500,GS650G DL1000

Turn Signal Woes

Post by Bloop2 »

Hi, have just finished connecting all the wiring on my Cobra. I have an NOS main harness, all the turn signals have been rebuilt, chromed, connectors cleaned. Wiring harness rebuilt and cleaned, connectors replaced etc. Headlight, tach and speedo lights, brake lights, hi low beam all work. The only thing that doesn't work is my turn signals, when the ignition key is turned on, I can hear the click in the flasher relay, the right turn signal comes on along with the indicator bulb in the tach, but they don't flash, they stay on. When I turn the left on, it does the same thing along with a buzzing noise from the relay. Sometimes when it's buzzing, it won't light up. I have a fully charged battery, have checked all the connections over and over, have swapped out the relay with another, still the same, looking through my pile of parts right now to see if I have another relay. Any ideas...Thanks
Forgot to mention that I'm using original 1073 automotive style bulbs which came with my collection of T500's, they are actually mentioned in the parts catalogue.
Fred
68 B100P x2
68 T500 Cobra x3
69 T500
70 T500 x2
74 T500
76 GT500
76 GT185 x2
81 GS650G x2
04 DL1000
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ConnerVT
Novice racer
Posts: 963
Joined: Wed Jan 18, 2012 8:01 pm
Country: USA
Suzuki 2-Strokes: T500R (now), T500M (40 yrs ago)
Location: North of Albany, NY

Re: Turn Signal Woes

Post by ConnerVT »

Paint or powder coat on the frame? May wish to burnish up the threads on the indicator stalks, as well as where they screw into the frame. Chrome isn't the best conductor.

Quick check would be to run a wire from a good ground, right to the light bulb socket.
Bloop2
To the on ramp
Posts: 276
Joined: Tue Jan 22, 2013 3:40 pm
Country: Ontario, Canada
Suzuki 2-Strokes: B100P,T200, 68,70,74 T500,GS650G DL1000

Re: Turn Signal Woes

Post by Bloop2 »

Frame is painted, have a good ground for the main ground for the harness. Will check the turn signals again and try a ground wire as you suggested. My chrome plater never plates on any threads. Yes there is a lot of chrome on the turn signal hardware.

Thanks.
68 B100P x2
68 T500 Cobra x3
69 T500
70 T500 x2
74 T500
76 GT500
76 GT185 x2
81 GS650G x2
04 DL1000
User avatar
ConnerVT
Novice racer
Posts: 963
Joined: Wed Jan 18, 2012 8:01 pm
Country: USA
Suzuki 2-Strokes: T500R (now), T500M (40 yrs ago)
Location: North of Albany, NY

Re: Turn Signal Woes

Post by ConnerVT »

From your first post, it sounded like you have done some good troubleshooting. The ground wire test will help prove/eliminate the ground return path as an issue.

Figure there are a number of connections from the ground side of the bulb socket which can be marginal - socket screws to directional housing, housing to stem, stem to frame. The mechanical flasher units are very picky about having enough current flow to heat the element that makes them flash. High impedance (bad connection, wrong size bulb, etc.) will keep them from working normally.

Also, you do have the correct size bulb for the flasher indicator in the tach? (Parts List and Service Data Manual says 12V 1.7W for the indicator, all other bulbs are 3.4W. Hmmmmmm)
Bloop2
To the on ramp
Posts: 276
Joined: Tue Jan 22, 2013 3:40 pm
Country: Ontario, Canada
Suzuki 2-Strokes: B100P,T200, 68,70,74 T500,GS650G DL1000

Re: Turn Signal Woes

Post by Bloop2 »

I knew about the wattage for the signal indicator, have the correct one in. I was playing with an old battery that wouldn't hold a charge for very long yesterday, I hooked up a good battery from my GT185 this morning, now making progress. The right side now blinks properly, but the left still buzzes when turned on. Will continue on with your suggestions.

Thanks!

Just figured it out, there's a ground wire that goes from the Tach/Speedo mount, I had this hooked up to the black in the headlight, the ground wire actually connects to the speedo back light. This now works too. Now I'm down to just getting the neutral light to work.

Neutral light now works, actuator arm in the neutral switch needed a bit of bending.

I realize now that the Cobra had separate wiring for the tach and speedo lights, the speedo had it's own ground whereas later harnesses combined all 4 lights into one harness with a ground for all 4 going back into the main harness.

Thanks for your help.
68 B100P x2
68 T500 Cobra x3
69 T500
70 T500 x2
74 T500
76 GT500
76 GT185 x2
81 GS650G x2
04 DL1000
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