turn signals

[bkjwalker]

i have an 82 gs1100ez that i just got running again. had electrical issue. i replaced the entire harness. installed a dyna ignition. runs great again. problem is: turn signals are not flashing. i have a couple of parts bikes, so i have tried 4 different relays and control units. i cannot believe that 4 relays would be bad. and what do the control units do? any thoughts?

 

[Steve]

You replaced the entire harness? What was the donor bike, or was it a new harness?

Do your brake lights and horns work? Sounds silly, but they are powered by the same fuse, so it's a quick check.

Any loose ground wires floating around? Of course, with a different harness, it's possible that wire might not exist.

Any chance you have also changed the speedometer?

The control unit determines whether the flasher should work. Virtually any other flasher on the market is a simple thermal flasher that responds to electrical current going through it, or is an electronic flasher that has a built-in timer that simply turns the signals on and off. The Suzuki flasher is a thermal flasher, but has a built-in relay that determines whether power gets to the flashing part. The Turn Signal Control Unit (TSCU) is what powers that relay. There is a timer in the TSCU, as well as a pulse counter. The pulses come from a sensor built into the speedometer. The TSCU allows the signals to work when they are turned on, then turns them off after the bike has traveled more than 10 seconds at more than 10 MPH.

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[Guest]

stock signals?

 

[bkjwalker]

brand new harness. when i bought the bike bike it had been "cafe'd". no instrument cluster, LED strip for rear lights. not running. the harness had been taken apart. power to the grounds. i have 3 donor bikes. 2-82 and 1-81. went between one of the donors and wiring schematic to make sure everything is hooked up right. all lights work. horn works. turn signals light but dont flash. and no, the LED's are not hooked up at the moment. i need to replace the load equilizer. i am testing evrything with stock until all is good, then i'll switch back to LED

 

[Steve]

What bulbs are in the turn signals?

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[bkjwalker]

regular bulbs

 

[Steve]

There are all kinds of "regular" bulbs. Some work, some don't.

Most look pretty much the same, but have different electrical characteristics.

Care to share the number on the bulbs?

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[bkjwalker]

bulbs are 1157

 

[Steve]

1157 bulbs have two filaments. First thing to check is to see if your sockets have two terminals at the bottom of the socket. Some GSes have dual-filament bulbs in the front for "running lights" or "position lights". I don't know of any (stock) GS that has dual filament bulbs in the rear. If you have 1157 bulbs in the rear, somebody had to get barbaric to even install them, because the bayonet pins on the sides are offset. The slots in the single-filament sockets are NOT offset, making proper insertion somewhat impossible, without some serious effort. Then, when you finally do get the bulb in, the two contacts on the tip of the bulb do not line up with the single contact in the socket, so the bulb will not light.

Bottom line: Check the sockets in all four turn signals. If there are two contacts in the socket, install an 1157 bulb. If there is only a single contact, install an 1156 bulb.

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[Redman]

............turn signals are not flashing. ..............

On, but not flashing.....on both front and back ?

 

[bkjwalker]

yes. i know. 1157 front. 1156 rear. all i had off the bike to test was a front. the relay is the problem. i just found it hard to believe that all 4 of the relays i have were bad

 

[Steve]

Those relays almost never go bad. I find it simply incredible that you have what are probably the ONLY four that have ever failed, and you managed to have them all at the same time.

Sorry, but there is something in me that says the problem is elsewhere, but the clues are somewhat limited.

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[bkjwalker]

i picked up a flasher from the local auto store. using jumpers until they flashed. ill find out for sure when the OEM relay i ordered comes in. as far as the clues being limited. signals light, dont flash, relay clicks. its a brand new harness on a stripped down bike. LED lights that are Not hooked up. using stock turn signals for testing to make sure all systems work before hooking up the LED's. and yes, i have had turn signal relays go bad, just never so many at once. of course 2 of the donor bikes have been sitting(indoors) for 20 years or more. the 3rd i am unsure how long it has been sitting

 

[Steve]

Good luck going through all this again, when you connect the LEDs. :-k

OEM flasher relays and LED signals don't play well together. You basically have two choices:
1. Ditch the OEM relay, install an electronic flasher from Auto Zone. That will require some minor re-wiring of the socket that holds the flasher relay, and you will lose the auto-cancel function of your turn signals.

2. Talk with someone who is VERY knowledgeable about basic electronic circuits and have them design a small, solid-state relay that will be triggered by the stock Turn Signal Control Unit and have it control the same electronic flasher that you had to install for option #1. It will also require some minor re-wiring, but it is different than the wiring for option #1.

3. Yeah, there is a bonus #3. You can install load equalizers, which are just resistors that are connected in parallel with the LEDs. They draw about the same amount of current as incandescent bulbs, making the flasher think that everything is just peachy-keen. You can have the LOOK of LED signals, but you will not be saving any electrical energy by using them. It all depends on <why> you are installing the LEDs.

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