Turnsignal issues

[Guest]

So I did a search and found some good information, but wanted to verify what I'm thinking before I spend some dough...

84 Katana 750 (pop up version). Runs well, but the turnsignals dont flash. Both right and left sides, front and rear, come on, and stay on - they just don't flash. If I hit the left turn button, both front and rear left side light up constant. If I hit the right, both front and rear right side come on constant. Everything is factory issued stuff, connections are good, grounds are good. Sometimes they work as they should, sometimes they light up constant. It's like the flasher unit is getting ready to go but hasn't decided if it wants to or not.

I'm thinking to replace the flasher with something that looks about the same from the local autoparts store. Anywhere else I should be looking? Any recommendations as far as a replacement flasher?

[KRISTI'SGS550]

I got mine for my bike at a local motorcycle parts store for a couple bucks. I guess if you take the flasher into a parts store and find something that will match up it might work. Worth a try. It looks like the relays are $95 on bikebandit, I dind't look aywhere else.

Cory

[Steve]

I'll second the idea of a bad flasher.

You can find a replacement at the auto parts store, but it might not be a direct replacement. I believe the stock flasher has three terminals on it. On most automotive flashers with three terminals, the third terminal is a ground connection. On our bikes, I think it is tied in to the auto-shut-off control unit, so you might have to experiment a bit with which terminals to connect.


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[Smokinapankake]

New development - I pulled the little plastic cover off (should have taken a photo) just to see what happens. With the engine running, the blinkers operate as they should. When the engine is shut off, but the ignition is on, they only light up constant. Don't know if that means anything.

I've not had time to source a replacement yet....

[80GS1000]

Check that your battery is fully charged and that everything is grounded properly. I had the same problem till I charged up the battery all the way.

[Steve]

With the engine running, the blinkers operate as they should. When the engine is shut off, but the ignition is on, they only light up constant. Don't know if that means anything.

Rather than a bad flasher unit, it just might mean that your battery is about to go. As 80GS1000 suggested, give it a full charge overnight, leave the charger off for a couple hours, then check battery voltage. If it goes down much below 13.0, it might be time to replace the battery.

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[Smokinapankake]

So I just did a check using my (t)rusty voltmeter, and this is what it reads: Lights on, engine off, high 12's. Remember, the pop ups can turn lights on and off independent of ignition. Anyway, lights off, engine off, high 12's. Lights on, engine at idle, mid 13's. Lights on, engine approx. 4000 RPM, 14.5-ish...

Could be a low battery, but I think the battery may be OK, just due for a charge.

Flasher is a two pole unit, so no self-cancel.

[kichigai]

Did you change your turn signals with a aftermarket one? The turn signal circuit likes to see a certain amount of resistance to blink correctly. I found out when I changed mine out with mini turn signals. I had the same symtoms as you. If you did, I hear you can add resistors to get the correct resistance back.

[Escobarclan]

If all else fails.

Jumper your blinker straight to the battery, inline fuse with it. Just disconnnect the main terminal first.

Jumper the ground to the blinker, just don't touch it until you're ready. You're eliminating everything except the wires to the sigs, but you can do that too by getting 2 cheap 1157 bulbs and coming off the blinker with em. You can solder wires to these bulbs easily, and you can use them in the future for testing and/or other blinker problems. They use alot off wattage, and if your blinker's contacts or coil are weak these bulbs should work when your stock bulbs won't.

If you want to salvage your blinker unit, you can take it apart, and hit the contacts with some fine sand paper, I've saved many like this.

I've acually seen the inside of blinker units get alot of dust (mostly on dune buggies). Dust has no dielectric value so it can short your blinker or seep wattage from coil wire to wire. That's mostly why tv's go bad.

[Smokinapankake]

So I charged the battery while I was at work (10 Hrs) and upon my return I found the blinkers behaving just as they did before. Haven't had time to double check the charge on the battery, just took 1/2 minute to check blinkers before my wife had to leave ... I may just bite the bullet and source a replacement. Or just live with it as they flash normally while the engine is running.