Bad turn signal relay?

[marek]

Well I just wired my GS450L and everything works but the turn signals.

Well the right front/rear turn signals work 90% of the time, 10% they turn on and stay on.

The left front/rear turn signals turn on and stay on 90% of the time and blink normally about 10% of the time.

The relay still does make the clicking sound each time the signals blink.

I can get the left ones to blink each time I tap the turn signal relay, so I'm guessing the relay is bad?

Not very knowledgeable with anything electrical so I'm just making sure before I order a new one ($32 from a local place here).

[chef1366]

Is the rear frame ground clean? On mine it's in front of the battery box. Double check the bullet connections. Is the ground on the signals themselves on the frame side with the washer on the outside?

[marek]

Frame ground is clean, and all the bullet connections seem to be good.

The grounds on the turn signals are in the same order as the parts manual shows it.

Going from the inside of the frame: Nut - washer - ground - rubber insert - metal bracket - washer - turn signal assembly.

I also did clean the turn signal switch on the handlebars - it was very dirty but cleaning it did not solve the problem.


Also I forgot to mention, sometimes I turn on the right signals and they blink for a while and then they stop and stay lit.

[Steve]

Also I forgot to mention, sometimes I turn on the right signals and they blink for a while and then they stop and stay lit.

Does this happen at idle or when moving down the road? Turn signals not flashing is a syptom of low voltage, among other things. If this happens at idle, it might be normal. Check battery voltage and the charging system.

Also check the connections to the turn signal relay. If they are not clean and tight, the flasher (relay) will have trouble doing its job well.


.

[JATO]

Before you order a replacement flasher relay from Suzuki, try a standard automotive flasher relay. My relay burned out while I was on the road and the only replacement I could get at the time was an automotive relay, it works and I'm still running it. Never saw a need to replace it with the Suzuki part.

[fgh]

When the flasher went on my GS I went to the auto parts store and got an electronic with the same number of terminals. It went right in and hasn't given me a problem since. It won't fix the problem if you've gat a bad ground or wiring. It will however be much less impacted by changes in the voltage level.

[Mark whiz]

I concur with using a standard automotive flasher as a replacement. I had to use one in a jam and it has been working fine for about 10 years now.

[Billy Ricks]

I concur with using a standard automotive flasher as a replacement. I had to use one in a jam and it has been working fine for about 10 years now.

Only way to go.

[robertbarr]

One last thing to check -- are you using 'American' bulbs or the OEM 'Euro' bulbs, or a mix of the two?

There are 'American' bulbs that are a close fit physically, but draw a different amount of current, than OEM. It's the current draw that operates the flasher unit. Worth a look.

[catfishk]

I opened the relay up and fixed it when mine was doing the same thing you described. took no more than a minute to fix. here's what i did- you will need a small rubber band or piece of paper (for real!);

1. open the relay by pulling the black cover off. it should slide off with a quick pry of the tabs holding it from either side. it won't hurt the inners to do this

2. if you plug it in and operate the turn signals, you'll see how this thing works. there is a small 'lever' that a silver, square (electromagnet) pulls on when the capacitor activates. this operation OPENS the circuit. maybe the capacitor is weak, but it still works

3. stick a small fold of paper, or a piece of rubber band in there behind the lever so that the silver magnet has less far to pull it, but not so much that the circuit stays closed. mine needed a shim less than 1mm to do the job

4. plug her in with the cover off and see if it works every time. mine did after messing with it. that was months ago and it still works properly, every time!

OK, so i am definitely a cheapskate. but i like to think i am clever all the same!

of course, you could go the boring way and replace the likely $1.50 part. let the laughing begin, guys...

[ironsheik]

Does it start blinking if you rev the motor a bit? I had charging and ground issues and my blinker would do the same until I gave the system some juice by gunning the motor. If this is the case, add another ground and/or check your charging system.

Josh

[gustovh]

When the turn light comes on and stays on, it is an indication that only 1 bulb is working. It takes both bulbs lighting up to cause the flasher to flash.
V