Are electrical components interchangeable between years?

[Recreateme]

Hey everyone, i was just wondering if you can swap electrical components between the years?

I have a 79 xs 400-2f and I am looking for new relays (the flasher and the safety relay that sits up by the front fork under the tank)

I am having some trouble finding these online in Canada for my year but see some on ebay for other years..

So can i buy an 78, or an 80 or whatever other year and it would work, or did they change these up ?

(or can anyone help me find these parts ?)


Thanks

 

[xschris]

The flashers are interchangeable but the light relay is NOT for that you will need a pre-80 one.

 

[Recreateme]

By 'flashers' do you mean the flasher relay right ? Not just the turn signals...

Also, what is the light relay? is that what is up under the gas tank by the forks?

My issues is that my turn signals no longer work, my oil light, and brake light works though.. (neutral, and gauge lights have never seemed to work)

 

[xschris]

The flasher relay looks like this. You can use a two prong one you will find in a auto parts store will just loose your self canceling function. Also make sure the battery is fully charged or the stock flashers will not blink. The light relay ( for the head light and gauges back lights) is a square box up front under the tank. The later 80-82 models are not the same.

 

[Recreateme]

OK thats what i thought.

Is it safe to say that if my oil pressure light, tail light and brake light function normally then my light relay is in in working condition even though my gauge, neutral and headlights dont work ? lol

 

[xschris]

The head light and gauges back lights are hooked to the relay the brake, neutral oil light are not. You might want to check wires/grounds if not.

 

[Recreateme]

Is there any special way i can remove my light relay and test to see if it is working or not before i buy a new one?

 

[xschris]

I don't think so not that I am aware of

 

[Recreateme]

Well, if your saying - My Neutral light, gauge back lights, and headlight are all through that relay, while my turn signals, and oil light are not. Then Its fair to say that relay is broken, since all of the lights that its supposed to regulate do not light up lol

I can get one off Ebay, i just wanted to make sure before i spent 30$

 

[xschris]

The neutral light is not through that relay. Just the headlight and the gauge back lights. I would check your neutral switch/ wire or the bulb itself for that. I have a 79 2-f and when I remove that relay that's what happens.

 

[Recreateme]

Okay... I just ordered a new relay for the lights from ebay. From a 78 xs400.

I know the bulb is good, so it must be the switch itself because as far as i can see the wire looks fine all the way into the case where the switch would be, so the issue has to be down there somewhere.

I hear that area can get pretty gunky so I am hoping its just dirty or something else that is easy to fix.

I will probably try to pick up a flasher relay from somewhere in town, just gotta figure out what store sells them. The one in there now is a Tridon 552 if that makes any sense, its a 2 prong

 

[xschris]

Sound like someone has replaced the stock flasher with an auto one already.

 

[Recreateme]

Yeah it looks fairly new, but still not working. I've called around and found a place that sells an OEM model I can pick up Wednesday.

 

[xschris]

Make sure the harness ground wire is hooked up to the frame it could be your issue.

 

[Recreateme]

It doesn't look exactly like that, but yes, i sanded off the paint in that location to ensure a good connection..

I did find out my battery had a dead cell, and 0 cranking amps, and as soon as the charger was taken off it would drop rapidly to 10v lol That may have played a hand in things not working well.. I am going to install the new battery tonight and see what happens. However i have already ordered new relays so that can't hurt.

 

[xschris]

You have to have a good battery for these bikes to run/work well.

 

[willem]

i can attest to that fact

 

[Recreateme]

I am back on this topic..

I replaced my battery a while back and still no lights.

I bought a new safety relay, and still no lights..

I can confidently say this issue isn't caused by my battery or my relays, so is there any ways i can check what is causing this? Or a way or jumping the wires somewhere to have the lights always on when the bike is on?

Just once more - My turn signals work great, my oil light works, my tail light works, and my brake light works.

My neutral light, gauge back lights and headlight doesn't (and all the bulbs are replaced and brand new working bulbs)

 

[Yamaguy55]

Headlight_ if you want to check a relay: measure across the contacts and when you energize the coil of the relay, the ohms should drop to almost zero. You can fabricate temp leads and hook to battery for testing.

Instrument lamps. They are lamps, and they burn out. frequently. Pull the instruments and pull off the chrome covers, the bulbs are the small harness that is inside the instrument buckets. They just pull out of the instrument housing. They could be the newer plug in lamps, or the older bayonet turn-to-lock lamps. I'm guessing the bulbs are all burned out. The neutral light should be on if there's power in the battery, the key is on, and the transmission is in neutral. The switch for the neutral light is that triangular plastic thing below the front sprocket that has a light blue wire going to it. If you ground that wire, the bulb should come on, no matter what gear you're in.

But the lack of instrument lamp illumination is almost always dead bulbs. Buy a box, they like to burn out.

 

[Recreateme]

Yamahaguy - I have already changed the bulbs in all of my gauge lights, it was the first thing i did and they still don't light.

What do you mean "across the contacts when you energize the coil" ? What contacts do i measure across ? and how do i energize the coil?