Quick Yes or No Electrical Question...Embellish if you Wish.

[robdrobd]

Can a bad flasher relay cause the flashers not to light up at all? In the old Hondas I used to fix up the blinkers would usually stay on solid and I knew it was the relay. On my 1977 xs400, none of the blinkers light up at all, but the wiring is all clean and tidy (buke has 4,000 miles and is in excellent condition.) So again, my question is..Can this also be a faulty relay, or should I start somewhere else?

 

[Scorpio1963]

I know you can remove the relay on the 79-81 the signals still work but only manualy.I need to either replace mine or remove it and see what happens

 

[arfstrom]

Can a bad flasher relay cause the flashers not to light up at all? In the old Hondas I used to fix up the blinkers would usually stay on solid and I knew it was the relay. On my 1977 xs400, none of the blinkers light up at all, but the wiring is all clean and tidy (buke has 4,000 miles and is in excellent condition.) So again, my question is..Can this also be a faulty relay, or should I start somewhere else?

If someone switched out the incandescent lights for LED's, you will get all the lights on. Under the cross bar, infront of the seat, (under the fuel tank). is two relays one is auto cancel, the other is a incandescent relay. once you upgrade the relay, to LED, the auto cancel will not work.

 

[robdrobd]

Unfortunately I have all lights off! And I bought a brand new relay.

 

[BBS360]

You haven't mentioned whether you've switched to LED.
Either way, an aftermarket relay will not be a drop-in replacement.

You'll probably lose the auto-cancel function as it really only works with stock flashers.
Check out this thread: http://www.xs400.com/forum/showthread.php?t=10601
It is about using LEDs but the wiring modifications will likely apply to your flasher relay.

 

[robdrobd]

I don't know what is wrong. I'm not switching to led s. Could it be a short on the fuse box?

 

[BBS360]

Yes, it could be your fuse box. That's a pretty simple check which you should probably do anyways.

That thread is low on details but check it out again.
As I mentioned, whether you're switching to LED or not, aftermarket flasher relays are not always drop-in replacements.

Stock flashers are three pins. How many pins does your new one have?

The stock flasher plug grounds through the auto-cancel unit. While this works for the stock flasher, in my experience modern aftermarket flashers don't like the arrangement.

To use an aftermarket flasher relay you need to confirm that its pin configuration matches the pin configuration in the wiring harness.
If it doesn't match you'll need to change the wiring at the flasher connector.
If the new flasher requires a connection to ground you will most likely need to remove and bypass the auto-cancel unit as described in the thread above.

 

[robdrobd]

I've read on the forum that if one bulb is blown than the others won't work either. Or if the indicator bulb is blown the flashers may not work? Perhaps I should start by taking the indicator panel off and checking that?

 

[BBS360]

From your other thread on the same subject it sounds like your fuse is OK.
I'm not sure why the indicator would affect everything else but it wouldn't hurt to check.

More details would help. What model of flasher relay did you buy? It is possible to burn out the relay if the pin configuration does not match the bike's.

 

[robdrobd]

I got it! Left control looked brand new inside, but the brown/white weld had come loose. Welded it up, everything works. Time to get an inspection!