turn signal electrical short

[meathead400]

I jammed a screwdriver in place of a blown fuse. I know, I know. trust me never again. now the left rear turn signal energizes when engine running. what should I look for regarding a short. I have a multimeter. but little electrical experience, which I think by now is obvious. I don't know how to find a short...if that's the problem. I cant afford a real mechanic. please help

 

[jmd_forest]

I suspect the problemis in your turn signal button. IIRC, the circuit is always energized up to the button and the button connects the electric to one or the other set of turn signals or nothing at all (that is when the signals are completely off). If the signals are on, you are probably passing electric thru the button when it should be off. If so, you will need to either dissasemble and clean/repair the switching mechanism or buy another button with switching mechanism.

 

[meathead400]

I have decided to ditch the instrumentation. I may be inclined to rewire the signals if I cant find the short. anyone have a good color diagram for 1982 maxim signals? I would like to use the factory switch, provided it works correctly. I think the ignition is shorted to the signals some how. when engine starts the left rear signal lights up solid. if I separate the signals wiring from the ignition wiring that should fix it? electrical problems hurt my head

 

[XSLeo]

The ignition and turn signals have no interconnection, one can't interfere with the other.
Power from the fuse comes to the flasher on a brown wire. From the flasher it goes out on a brown/white wire to the turn switch. From the turn switch to the signal lights.
Now find your flasher, unplug it. Now see if the left light lights up when the key is turned on.
If so the flasher is probably bad. Also use your meter on the 20 volt DC scale and test the voltage on the brown wire in the flasher socket. Is it the same as battery voltage?
Ok now make up a jumper wire so it can plug into the brown and brown/white wires of the flasher. Now try the turns. If everything is ok then they should come on but not flash. If so replace the flasher. Most any two prong flasher from the parts store should work fine. Just plug it in so the two prongs go into the brown and brown/white wires.
another thing to check is the turn switch itself. Remove the left switch housing from the bars. Look at the wires where they attach to the switch. Often they come apart, poor soldering at the factory.
Check the wires for the turns by the turns, they might have been pinched or cut.
Leo

 

[meathead400]

i need to know which wires in the front harness connect to the front signals. its what started this whole mess, not knowing where the signals connected. i think i fried the flasher. the light comes on but don't flash

 

[meathead400]

anyone know which color wires the front signal lights hook into? I cant find diagram for 1982 xs400 j. I picked up a two prong flasher relay at ct and im still waiting for my new signals but I was hoping to hook up the old signal lights and see if they flash with the new flasher relay. also I want to change the sprockets for higher cruising speed at lower rpm. I don't care about acceleration so much.you guys have been a great help on this project. many thanks. I have to address a bad rear shock as well. its like riding a pogo stick. id like to raise it a couple inches as well. need to richen the fuel mix a bit to be safe. how? that's all I intend to work on other than routine maintenance.

 

[TimmyT]

should be brown and green, cant remember which side is which but they would match up with whatever you have set up on the rear signals as they run in tandum. I tried the brown and brown/white jumper trick and was overjoyed that it was only both my flasher relays are crap (0 for 2). Also I think I will do away with the flasher cancel relay, I have 2 of those as well and think both might be shot as well. If you are looking for the connectors a good portion of the wiring is in the headlight bucket.

 

[XSLeo]

The right side uses a Dark Green wire. Don't confuse this with the green wire for the headlight.
The left side uses a Chocolate wire.
The turns ground through the body. A ground wire runs from under the mount bolt nut and plugs into the harness ground in the headlight bucket.
Leo

 

[meathead400]

I will run new grounds. I think chocolate is lighter than brown. I should be able to get them working now. ill know when I get my new signals.
I read that the signals wont flash if they are not ALL hooked up. I may not need a flasher relay after all and the battery was weak at the time. the switch is ok(no corrosion/broken parts). Im hoping the signals will work when I get my new ones hooked up. I hate waiting for parts.
sun was shining today so I went for a short ride. aaaahhhhhhhhhh freedom. bike runs ok for what it is. gearing sucks! I keep searching for another gear. also there is a rough patch from mid range up in the acceleration, hesitation, lean maybe? the plugs are new. I know there could be fifty things that cause this but Im worried about the things that can hurt the engine if unchecked. noticeable ticking as well. valves probably need to be adjusted. sure is fun to ride though. comfortable too since I changed the bars and lowered the forks. ill try and get some pics and video for the xs soon. many thanks and have a good one

 

[iamunique127]

Welcome to the forum, Meathead400. It's good to see more Canadians on here, boy.

 

[levdir]

My signals aren't working either. I followed the diagnostic procedure you posted, Leo; I've got no signals at all whether the flasher is plugged in or not. I pulled the switch assembly apart to see if something was loose or broken there, but all the solder joints look intact and the assembly is clean and has clean contacts. Near as I can tell there is no broken connection in the harness, although the main harness trunk is wrapped so I can't tell directly. However, my indicators were working before I took the switch unit off for the first time. There is a disconnected bullet contact on a black wire in the harness in th headlight bucket and I can't see where it might have come from. The grounds on the front signals are clean. I'm stumped.

EDIT: The loose black wire is coming from the main harness trunk that runs under the tank.

 

[Scorpio1963]

I know inside my headlight bucket I have a empty connector that has two black wires connected from the back side.It looks like something should go in the front side but nothing goes there.Its supposed to be like that so don't worry about a black wire with a blank connector.Your problem could be with in the flash unit or flasher relay.Im battling the same gremlin I have signals on the left but none on the right.If theres any flaw within the wiring you going to have to unwrap the sheathing.I did this on along my whole harness and found brittle broken wires I ended up splicing new pieces in.Also check the couplers that connected to the flashers,there maybe corrosion inside of them not allowing good connections.Also take the turn signal stems off the bike theres wiring that's connected through them to bulb.Good luck

 

[levdir]

The little square rubber bushings that go between the bucket and the headlight bracket came off after I loosened the signals to get at the ignition assembly, could something be shorting there?

 

[Scorpio1963]

Hemmm not sure about rubber bushing mine are plastic but highly doubt it has anything to do with your problem..Have ran continuity test to the flasher relay to check for power?If memory serves me correct theres a flasher relay and flasher canceling relay.I would suspsect the first one is bad or you have broken connections going to it.Check out the wiring diagram.Theres one on the 3rd page of my thread ignition problem.

 

[meathead400]

thanks again guys. with your help I was able to install the new signals and the new two prong flasher took care of the blinking. one wire to chocolate brown, one to dark green, the other two grounded and I have signals I had to remove the right side top engine mount to access the flasher relay. I removed the tank too and forgot to reinstall the hose from the left carb intake to the petcock when I put the tank back on. she ran like crap until I found it. yesterday, my old lady bumped the bike with the car coming in the driveway and the throttle grip smashed out our house window. mmmm humble pie, have another slice honey. Canada's worst driver. I hope she doesn't see this or the next time it could be me in the window

 

[meathead400]

link to my bike

 

[Scorpio1963]

Your valves sound out of spec real bad.

 

[DARKMIDKNIGHTWARRIOR]

Your bike looks good! I like the two head lights.

 

[willem]

Nice lookin maxim I like the dual tail and headlights too

the valves don't sound too bad actually I think, the sound is not really off I think (its the video a little as well) But if you haven't checked the valve clearances yet you probably should do that anyways.

The idle could be a little smoother though, you should go through the motions (valves, carb clean and sync, idle mix, idle rpm adjustment) and you'll get it a bit smoother. Good stuff, I like it when people post videos

 

[Scorpio1963]

From my hear it sounds like a metallic sound coming from the exhaust and your idle definitely could be smoothed out.Listen to some youtube videos of sound clips that will give you an idea on what your engine should sound like.