Gear Shift Indicator

[Kip]

To make a long story short......took bike to a local shop to get some carb work done....after about 4 months of hounding, begging, threatening, finally got it back.....now the gear indicator has the 3 light on all the time regardless of what gear i am in......does any one have a clue as to how the glear position indicator works and how i can fix it? (not about to take it back to that same shop)

[Anonymous]

I believe that the indicators lighting up are a result of a ground applied to the bulb(s). Maybe theat shop pinched a wire putting your bike back together. I don't have my manual available right away or I'd tell your for sure (working off memory here).

[TheNose]

What kind of bike do you have? Maybe I could look it up in my manual if I knew what to look for. My 77 750 has an led indicator that works off of a switch. The switch has a different position for each gear.

Terry

[Anonymous]

I had a switch let go about 2 years ago- on my gs1100e it is located on the end of the gear selector (barrel???)) i think that it is behind the clutch basket then behind the oil pump gears and again behind the oil pump itself--its a screwy thing and looks like the old mouthpiece out of a telephone--i heard some guys say that it can be taken apart and the slide contacts cleaned--only europeans are capabale of such wonderous feats(i say it in admiration)--i replaced mine--the symptom was that 2nd gear leds never lit up--i hope you find the problem--if nothing works at all, then i will go along with the aforementioned -disturbed wire or a connection that was never replaced.--- good luck

[Anonymous]

could be in the indicator

I doubt that the switch in the gear case that uses a mechanical contact switch is at fault. I would look at the wire connections to the indicator lights and even taking out the board and looking for short circuits. I have taken one apart on a 78 gs550 and the board had some obvious connection problems. after some solder and a couple of new L.E.D's it has been working fine.
Mike

[Kip]

good info

hey guys
thanks for the info....i will start out by checking the wiring going up to the indicator....that kind of makes sense since i am sure they had alot of the bike apart.....

it is an 82 GS850L by the way.....

never had any problems with the gear indicator prior to it going to the shop....i'd take it back and make them fix it .....but i don't think i want to go through dealing with them again.....

[Anonymous]

shops

I've had lots of problems with my local bike shop. Here is what they've done for me, and how long it's taken them.

Kaw 454 LTD - Oil change and spring tune up: 9 weeks
Kaw 700 LTD - Carb timing and adjustments: 6 weeks
Kaw Vulcan 750 - Final drive seal replacement: 4 weeks (still not fixed)
Front fork seal replacment (just brought in the forks): 4 days.

Any wonder why I'm not letting them any where near my GS?

[TheNose]

The switch completes the circuit to ground for each gear position. It most likely has a pinched wire somewhere between the indicator and the switch. You can unplug the indicator and check the wires to the switch with an ohm meter to see which one goes to ground. If it doesn't change when you change gears, then I would trace that wire for a short.

Terry

[mcycle-nut]

My '78 GS750 gear indicator changes with every gear change, but it is to usually something funky like 7th, or 9th. 8O

[Anonymous]

grandebob

those guys dont know what there doing at that bike shop.

[1100ED]

Re: grandebob

those guys dont know what there doing at that bike shop.

how can a new rider tell if a bike shop is good or bad without being cheated first

[Anonymous]

if you can ask other local bike owner`s that is the best way to tell really hard to find a good shop!!!!!!!!