Help with Flasher Relay (new relay not working)

[Jeepfreak81]

Hello everyone!

So I put on some new turn signals the other day and they would light but wouldn't blink. They were only 10 watts as opposed to the 23 watts of the stock blinkers. So I decided to go ahead and do the turn signal relay "mod" as can be found here - http://members.dslextreme.com/users/storagecliff/images/turn_signal_relay_replacement.pdf

I followed the wire colors as laid out in that tutorial and I get nothing. Lights won't even light up at all, never mind blink. Tried starting the bike and got the same thing.

Here's a picture of the new relay I'm using and the old relay with the colors of my wires and what they are marked on the old harness.

HELP! I wanna get this thing going before summer is over and I'm running out of days off.

 

[JTGS850GL]

What model/year bike do you have?

 

[posplayr]

Yea there are some specific differences between the various years. Looking up your model manual and searching the site are usually not wasted efforts.

 

[posplayr]

Out of idle boredom playing the detective I see that you probably have a newer style auto cancel . So you will probably need to disable the TSCU by removing it. The o/g is switched hot. The light blue is What flashes the bulbs.

Unless you want to go through a lot is shinanigans ignore the other wire. Test everything thou roughly before making the perms ant install.

Search for TSCU mods; you have the later style. I have a thread describing what I did.

 

[Jeepfreak81]

Sorry, keep forgetting to add my bike to my Sig. It's a 1980 GS850. I took a look at the wiring diagram. Honestly not sure if I have auto cancel or not, never even ridden the bike with working blinkers (not registered yet)

I got to looking at the old harness and noticed the O/G wire says Ground which is different from what I had gathered following BikeCliff's tutorial.

 

[posplayr]

O/g look again. Primary switch power from Signal fused circuit. I recognize the wire colors you snipped off. You have second gen TSCU. You need a two prong flasher or otherwise remove the third leg.

 

[JTGS850GL]

Check to make sure you have +12V on the Orange/Green wire with the ignition on.

Technically the L terminal should go to the Light Blue wire which supplies +V to the turn signal switch, the Orange/Green should go to the B terminal which comes from the fuse box and the E terminal should go to ground. Make sure your ground is good and clean.

 

[posplayr]

Check to make sure you have +12V on the Orange/Green wire with the ignition on.

Technically the L terminal should go to the Light Blue wire which supplies +V to the turn signal switch, the Orange/Green should go to the B terminal which comes from the fuse box and the E terminal should go to ground. Make sure your ground is good and clean.

I believe what you show is an example for blinker operation given the new flasher purchased. It does not relate to the oem second gen TSCU models. Within this context it is clear if he uses that flasher there will be no auto cancel.

 

[Jeepfreak81]

I'm totally not interested in the auto cancel. That's the least of my worries. This flasher will actually plug right into the stock socket....so I tried that. Didn't work.

I put the stock flasher back in, with the black/blue wire disconnected (i believe that's the one that runs the auto cancel) and I'm back to lighting my turn signals but no blinky.

As far as ground, I'm using the battery to test so that should be good. With the key on I"m getting a little under 11 volts at the O/G wire and nothing on the light blue.


Beginning to wonder if I got a junk flasher relay

 

[JTGS850GL]

The diagram I provided was before the Model/Year was updated but should work for this relay and his particular model. Of course it would disable the auto-cancel feature. I was always under the assumption that auto-cancel was not a priority. TSCU should be disconnected as well.

 

[bwringer]

Crikey, you guys could make a ham sandwich complicated...

Crikey, you guys could make a ham sandwich complicated...

Let's make this simple.

Here's what you do:

- Obtain a bog-standard turn signal flasher with two terminals (they're arranged in sort of an "L" shape _|). $1.99 and up at your local auto parts store. A bit more for an electronic one that will work with LEDs, if you're into that sort of thing.

- Disconnect/remove the TSCU.

- Remove the stock flasher

- Note there are three wires. Hm.

- A two-wire flasher will plug in to this three wire connector, but it won't work. Hmm.

- Experiment with test leads to discover which two wires should be connected to which terminals on the flasher. Seriously -- I don't remember what color wire does what, but you're not going to hurt anything or blow a fuse (unless you contact the frame with a test lead or something) and it will only take you a few seconds to try the possible combinations.

- Using a very small, thin tool (like a jewelers screwdriver, unfolded cotter pin, etc.) release the spade connectors from the plastic connector housing. The connectors each have a tiny metal tab on the back that locks them into the housing. Push this up a bit with the tool and withdraw the connector from the back of the housing.

- Rearrange the connectors in the housing to suit the flasher. (The third wire won't do anything, but leave it in the unused spot in the connector housing to keep it out of the way.) Scribble a few notes in your shop manual beforehand in case you ever want to go back to stock.

- Enjoy your functioning turn signals. Briefly lament the loss of your auto-cancel function.

 

[posplayr]

The diagram I provided was before the Model/Year was updated but should work for this relay and his particular model. Of course it would disable the auto-cancel feature. I was always under the assumption that auto-cancel was not a priority. TSCU should be disconnected as well.

Nothing wrong with it as long you understand what it is.

 

[posplayr]

I'm totally not interested in the auto cancel. That's the least of my worries. This flasher will actually plug right into the stock socket....so I tried that. Didn't work.

I put the stock flasher back in, with the black/blue wire disconnected (i believe that's the one that runs the auto cancel) and I'm back to lighting my turn signals but no blinky.

As far as ground, I'm using the battery to test so that should be good. With the key on I"m getting a little under 11 volts at the O/G wire and nothing on the light blue.


Beginning to wonder if I got a junk flasher relay

What you are failing to comprehend is that the TSCU is your biggest problem regardless of whether you want auto cancel or not. Jtgs850 shoewed you how to rewire the new 3 prong flasher so it would work which nessesarily removes the TSCU from the circuit . Bwinger showed you how to use a two prong flasher as another way of removing the TSCU.

 

[Jeepfreak81]

No reason to get snippy, it took me a while to realize what TSCU was referring to. I was following basscliff's guide and also saw no mention of the tscu there. So I apologize for my ignorance.

 

[posplayr]

No reason to get snippy, until a couple of posts ago only the auto cancel feature was mentioned, not that the tscu needed to be bypassed. I was following basscliff's guide and also saw no mention of the tscu there. So I apologize for my ignorance.

I am not getting snippy just stating fact. Reread all of my comments and find something untrue.

 

[Jeepfreak81]

Didnt say it was untrue, but maybe you remember being a beginner once? Did you not wish people to be patient and properly explain things. Being new to the gs world I didnt pick up on what a tscu was. Then after rereading and searching I figured it out. Bwringer's post was especially informative.

Now if somebody wishes to clarify for me if I follow the previously posted diagram then I can just disconnect the tscu or is there more to it than that.

 

[Jeepfreak81]

Let's make this simple.

Here's what you do:

- Obtain a bog-standard turn signal flasher with two terminals (they're arranged in sort of an "L" shape _|). $1.99 and up at your local auto parts store. A bit more for an electronic one that will work with LEDs, if you're into that sort of thing.

- Disconnect/remove the TSCU.

- Remove the stock flasher

- Note there are three wires. Hm.

- A two-wire flasher will plug in to this three wire connector, but it won't work. Hmm.

- Experiment with test leads to discover which two wires should be connected to which terminals on the flasher. Seriously -- I don't remember what color wire does what, but you're not going to hurt anything or blow a fuse (unless you contact the frame with a test lead or something) and it will only take you a few seconds to try the possible combinations.

- Using a very small, thin tool (like a jewelers screwdriver, unfolded cotter pin, etc.) release the spade connectors from the plastic connector housing. The connectors each have a tiny metal tab on the back that locks them into the housing. Push this up a bit with the tool and withdraw the connector from the back of the housing.

- Rearrange the connectors in the housing to suit the flasher. (The third wire won't do anything, but leave it in the unused spot in the connector housing to keep it out of the way.) Scribble a few notes in your shop manual beforehand in case you ever want to go back to stock.

- Enjoy your functioning turn signals. Briefly lament the loss of your auto-cancel function.

Thank you this is very informative and easy to follow. Gonna give it another go with the relay I have and the tscu disconnected seems I already purchased this relay. If it doesnt work I will be picking up a 2 prongand following these directions to a T

 

[posplayr]

Didnt say it was untrue, but maybe you remember being a beginner once? Did you not wish people to be patient and properly explain things. Being new to the gs world I didnt pick up on what a tscu was. Then after rereading and searching I figured it out. Bwringer's post was especially informative.

Now if somebody wishes to clarify for me if I follow the previously posted diagram then I can just disconnect the tscu or is there more to it than that.

You made a claim I was being snippy, apparently you though the phrase "failed to comprehend" has "snippy". I thought it appropriate as you were fixated on Basscliff's write up although it was not completely applicable and were apparently unable to gather that fact with the help of three other posters.

Further after all this help, your conclusion that "I'm totally not interested in the auto cancel. That's the least of my worries." is missing the whole point that all the solutions revolve around getting rid of the TSCU function. That is the main reason for the variety of options.

Is lack of comprehension inherently a newbie mistake? Perhaps but not intrinsically. It is not a fundamental property of learning to lack comprehension. It is a fundamental part of NOT-learning that rests in lack of comprehension. :-\\\

 

[bwringer]

blahblahbutthurtblah...Now if somebody wishes to clarify for me if I follow the previously posted diagram then I can just disconnect the tscu or is there more to it than that.

Yes, unplug (and remove if you want) the Turn Signal Control Unit. Zip-tie the connector somewhere out of the way. Once you switch over to a standard flasher, it's not used.

The TSCU works in conjunction with a special flasher relay and a sensor up in the speedometer. Normal operation is fully described in the manual, so I'll leave it up to you to track the info down if you're interested.


Oh, and:

 

[Jeepfreak81]

Once again thank you bwringer, when properly explained it is easy as pie. If the rain stops I will head out and give it a try.