Gear Indicator Lights

[Guest]

I took off the covers on my left side for polishing awhile back and since then my gear indicator lights have not been working. All connections are correct in the bucket so the problem must be in the case. Has anyone maintenance'd this before? I'm not sure where to start. All other lights are working correctly and my charging system is great.

Thanks,
GSP

[JTGS850GL]

There's another connector between the bucket and the case that may have come unplugged. On mine it's a square plug and a bullet connector.

[Redman]

I took off the covers on my left side for polishing awhile back and since then my gear indicator lights have not been working. All connections are correct in the bucket so the problem must be in the case. Has anyone maintenance'd this before? I'm not sure where to start. All other lights are working correctly and my charging system is great.

Thanks,
GSP

How about the netural light, does that work?

THe netural swtich is in the same switch as the gear selection swtich (like netural is a gear shift position).

If netural light does work but the gear numbers don't, I would suspect the connector up on top, because the gear positions are in a multi connector, but netural goes thru a separate single conector.

If netural doesn't work either, then I wouold suspect the Org/grn wire in instrument panel (that powers all of them) ... or the ground wire to the switch.
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[Redman]

I do not think there is a connector at the swtich, else I would suspect that.

http://www.alpha-sports.com/spst/1979%20GS425E/28.gif

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[gspower]

Yeah. I have no neutral either. I double checked the sensor under the left cover and reinstalled it to make sure it was set properly. Still nothing. I haven't taken the tank off yet to follow the wires but I just - very thoroughly, I might add - inspected the wiring on the bike and I'm pretty sure the issue is not a loose ground. I didn't realize the sensor was so sensitive and admit that I had it out and exposed to rain for quite a few weeks while I was polishing the cover up. My hypothesis is that the actual sensor is bad. How likely is this?

Will take the tank off and touch base on all connections when the weather permits again. In the meantime I will start shopping for the sensor.

GSP

[Steve]

Do the horn, brake light and turn signals work?

No, this is not just a general electrical check, all of them, and the gear indicator lights, are powered by the same fuse.

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[bwringer]

When you removed the switch, did you perhaps misplace the little spring and/or steel nubbin living inside the shift drum that contacts the switch?

[81GS850]

Did any of the wires get pinched when putting the cover back on? You could have pinched and killed the wires replacing the case cover.

[gspower]

When you removed the switch, did you perhaps misplace the little spring and/or steel nubbin living inside the shift drum that contacts the switch?

Que? Como?

[duaneage]

The lights work by grounding a little button against the engine and on each little contact in the engine connection. As you shift gears the button moves in a clockwise direction moved by a shaft in the gearbox. 12 volts arrives in the dashboard on an orange wire and powers all the light bulbs at once. As each bulb gets a ground connection from the transmission they light.

I replaced my bulbs with LEDs because they are 4 dollars a piece. I used a 2,2K resistor in the number 6 position to lower the 12 volts a bit and limit current. This is a popular mod.

[Redman]

Ew, Steve has a good idea. Anything else work that is on that fuse: instrument lights, horn and such?


Or..
Next time you are at the switch: test things by grounding out some of the wires/contacts down there.

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[gspower]

For anyone that might read this with interest in the future: There is a spring and contact that ground onto the gear sensor. I was missing both of these. Upon further inspection the sensor was not the problem. Hope this helps someone else.

[Rob S.]

While we're on the subject, I've got four gear indicators for my 1982 1100e. All of them show the correct info during the day.

Anyone got one that actually lights up?

[phanham]

There is a diff bulb for each gear indication? I ask b/c only 3rd isn't lighting up for my GS550...