Flasher relais: where how and what

[willem]

My turn signal indicators can go either on or off (they don't 'blink'). This must be the relais, but where can I find this on my '89 DOHC? I have the wiring diagram but it might as well be a chinese restaurant menu in my eyes.

And the inevitable question, where would you buy a new one if this one turns out to be unfixable? Are those relais things model specific or can I just pick up something at a general electrics store? I'm pretty good with a soldering iron and I have some of those plastic sleeves that shrink, so I should be able to fix it myself.

 

[JPaganel]

Chances are you just have the wrong bulbs. If you have bulbs with too little wattage they will do exactly this.

You can try and hunt for an OEM relay, try replacing the bulbs, or you can get a generic electronic flasher from an auto parts store for $10 or so. If you go the generic flasher route you will lose autocancel.

I used EL-12, also called Tridon FL32. This is an electronic flasher that works on a wide range of loads. It has two prongs, plugs in directly in place of the OE flasher, and even fits into that rubber ring where the OE flasher was. Works great.

 

[bentwrench]

The two flasher relays are inside the backbone of your bike, under the tank. Once controls the flashing, and the other is the self-cancelling unit that keeps you from looking foolish riding down a straight road with your blinkers on (as though you wouldn't see them anyway.)

You can replace the blinker unit with a cheap LED relay from eBay for a dollar or so. That will let you run any kind of lights you want, including LEDs. Then, you just need to ground one of the wires on the self-cancelling relay (on my 83 it's the Green and Yellow, but I don't know the colour on the 89.)

Anyway, it's totally fixable, and cheaply too.

 

[willem]

Good. The previous owner put on different blinkers and appearantly that's when it started. I think I'll try to find a generic LED relay and keep an eye on turning my blinkers off myself, they don't do the self-cancel atm anyways.

Thanks!

 

[arfstrom]

Its either that or put a risistor in there, to create a voltage drop to trigger the signal that there is a light on. Of coarse, my funniest thought, (but a do-able) some one actually put in 3 LED's on the circuit, to get the draw. But I don't know if its three per side, for 6 total.

here is something that is easily found on eBay/Amazon
http://www.xkglow.com/50W_6Ohm_LED_Load_Resistors_p/xk-re-6-50w.htm
btw I just googled that , and threw that on here, Do your Research, and get what you need. I liked the picture, and it is clear enough most of us could do that, if want to counter everything LED lights are suppose to do for us!
Tobie