Left turn signal flashing rapidly, flasher relay buzzing always

[Chuck78]

So on my wife's bike, the right turn signal works normally, but the left flashes rapidly, and the flasher relay cannister looking piece started making a loud buzzing noise but has quieted down. I first wondered if there were two flashers, one for each side, and the other one maybe was buried in the mess of wiring by the battery. It seems as if there is only one shared flasher though? I haven't looked at the wiring diagram, but from reading a reply of Matchless', it sounds like power goes through the flasher to the switch, and the left or right position then goes to the bulb, and then to ground?


So would a rapidly flashing left bulb indicate maybe a burnt or corroded or melted contact in the left controls? Maybe added resistance or a very slight short could have done the flasher relay in for good? Still works fine on right turn signals, and the noise has mostly subsided. It was making the noise without the signals on even, this is why I assume that it always has constant power going to it.

[Chuck78]

Also, I haven't torn apart the GS400X gauge wiring harness, but it only has one shared turn indicator in the face of the tach with the brights and neutral indicators. If this does not have a diode inline with the wiring to the indicator, does anyone have any idea what electrical value of diode I need to look for?

A diode is like a one way check valve for voltage. A diode in each signal feed will keep the two sides of signals from lighting each other up simultaneously, while still sharing the same indicator bulb.

[rustybronco]

It sounds like a shorted turn signal. Either the wiring is pinched, the socket or bulb has shorted out. Unplug the turn signals one at a time and try it again.

[rustybronco]

It was making the noise without the signals on even, this is why I assume that it always has constant power going to it.

That would mean a shorted wire somewhere between the turn signal flasher and the turn signal switch.

One shared flasher...

[Gorminrider]

wiring diagram from BassCliff right there on the right side of the page...

http://members.dslextreme.com/users/bikecliff/

yes, what rustybronco says.
...single relay...switch just directs to left/right and thereby completes circuit
"+"->flasher->switch->bulb->ground...

Apparently,( if I see it right)The dash indicator bulb just taps off BOTH lines- it doesn't need a separate ground.Clever... it gets to ground by actually passing through the unused turn signal bulb , but the resistance of the turn signal bulb is minimal compared to it's own resistance so it's no problem, albeit an oddity if you don't know why there's voltage at the signal not used!

No diodes required whatsoever...and you'd lose a bit of brightness due to loss of about 1.2 watts if you think to put them on the turn signals...