Headlight wiring issues
Posted: Sun Nov 10, 2013 10:40 am
Hello everyone,
This is my first post on this forum so be kind. I have done a lot of work on Suzuki GS models, basically 1978 through 1983, but I recently picked up my first 2 stroke. A 1974 GT750. So several things are much different on this bike than I'm used to. It's in really good shape and my progress to get it running again has been going very well. But I've hit a snag in regards to the headlight wiring. This is going to take some explaining to please bare with me.
The bike, when I first got it, had a fairing on the front that was wired up in an odd patch work way, which included 18 feet of stereo wire. There was no headlight on it at all. I have since gotten a complete headlight for it and started getting the wiring set back to the correct stock configuration. Except...the turn signals. The right side works just fine but the left side, only the back one comes on and stays on, and the front doesn't even come on.
So, following other peoples posting on this site, I cleaned up the ground wires on the turn signal itself as well as the turn signal relay. No change. I then replaced the bulb with a known working one, and no change. I then hooked up a complete extra turn signal unit, and again, no change.
So I naturally am assuming there's a ground wire issue somewhere. HOWEVER, on all the wiring diagrams I can find, it shows ground wires as black/white in color. I have NO black/white wires in the headlight area. BUT, I do have a lot of brown/white wires. I started guessing...maybe my ground wires are brown/white and not black/white?? Wiring diagrams also show some ground wires being grounded to the headlight housing. I don't see any wires hanging in the headlight area that can be grounded to the headlight?
BUT..I do have a cut brown/white wire hanging that doesn't have any other brown/white wire to match it up to. So, I thought ,maybe this is the missing ground wire issue. So I hooked it up as an acting ground wire and got no change in results. The rear left turn signal stays on and the front does nothing.
I've been told that if the turn signal relay works for one side, it should still be a good relay and that's not the problem.
I hope this isn't too confusing to everyone. I'm sure it's a simple fix. Maybe my confusion with the colors of the wires is muddling my mind. And I'm thinking maybe the grounding of wires to the headlight housing is only for the older 72 and 73 model years?
Any help is appreciated. Thanks
This is my first post on this forum so be kind. I have done a lot of work on Suzuki GS models, basically 1978 through 1983, but I recently picked up my first 2 stroke. A 1974 GT750. So several things are much different on this bike than I'm used to. It's in really good shape and my progress to get it running again has been going very well. But I've hit a snag in regards to the headlight wiring. This is going to take some explaining to please bare with me.
The bike, when I first got it, had a fairing on the front that was wired up in an odd patch work way, which included 18 feet of stereo wire. There was no headlight on it at all. I have since gotten a complete headlight for it and started getting the wiring set back to the correct stock configuration. Except...the turn signals. The right side works just fine but the left side, only the back one comes on and stays on, and the front doesn't even come on.
So, following other peoples posting on this site, I cleaned up the ground wires on the turn signal itself as well as the turn signal relay. No change. I then replaced the bulb with a known working one, and no change. I then hooked up a complete extra turn signal unit, and again, no change.
So I naturally am assuming there's a ground wire issue somewhere. HOWEVER, on all the wiring diagrams I can find, it shows ground wires as black/white in color. I have NO black/white wires in the headlight area. BUT, I do have a lot of brown/white wires. I started guessing...maybe my ground wires are brown/white and not black/white?? Wiring diagrams also show some ground wires being grounded to the headlight housing. I don't see any wires hanging in the headlight area that can be grounded to the headlight?
BUT..I do have a cut brown/white wire hanging that doesn't have any other brown/white wire to match it up to. So, I thought ,maybe this is the missing ground wire issue. So I hooked it up as an acting ground wire and got no change in results. The rear left turn signal stays on and the front does nothing.
I've been told that if the turn signal relay works for one side, it should still be a good relay and that's not the problem.
I hope this isn't too confusing to everyone. I'm sure it's a simple fix. Maybe my confusion with the colors of the wires is muddling my mind. And I'm thinking maybe the grounding of wires to the headlight housing is only for the older 72 and 73 model years?
Any help is appreciated. Thanks