Turn signal issue

[kevinsmith1517]

Hey guys, I had just figured out my electrical and i have my turn signals on a toggle (on-off-on). They were working just fine and then I put LED lights in them; now when I flip the toggle either way all four turn on. What can I do to get them to go back to being just one side?

This is how I got it.

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The attached photos are what I'm working with now, none of them show my issue. Just wanted to show you guys since i have been trolling on the forum for a few months now.

 

[BBS360]

Typically this is caused by the circuit backfeeding to all lights through the turn signal indicator light on your handlebars.
It's hard to see what you have left for indicator lights on your instruments. If you only have one light that flashes rather than a separate left and right light you'll need to isolate the circuits by adding diodes.

There should be a few existing threads on here that deal with the procedure. The search function should bring them up.

 

[kevinsmith1517]

I have the toggle under the seat on my ammo can along with my headlights and ignition. I will look it up.

Thanks BBS!

 

[levdir]

Great looking bike. Here's a potentially easy fix: if the weird behavior started with the addition of LEDs, there may not be enough load on the circuit to trip the stock signal relay. You can try replacing it with an LED-specific relay and see if that solves your problem.

 

[kevinsmith1517]

I put halogen bulbs in and they are both still turning on when I flip the toggle, I must have goofed up my wiring somewhere between the two. Unless there is something missing? I flip my toggle either way and they both turn on and flash.

 

[levdir]

Oh, okay. I misread your initial post; if they're flashing it's not the flasher relay, obviously. I took your post to say that they all came on solid.

 

[kevinsmith1517]

Could it be a ground issue? I went ahead and and cut in and now I know for sure it is not a positive wiring issue. I cut in and ran the positives directly after signals to my toggle and had the toggle powered of course and it is still doing it. My rear blinkers are doing just fine. I just do not understand why the front signals are doing this to me.

Thanks for the compliment on the bike lever. I am happy with how it is coming together.

 

[kevinsmith1517]

I just crossed over and looked at a ninja forum (unfortunately). There was a guy that had the same problem and put diodes in and it fixed the problem, which I believe are just resistors?

 

[BBS360]

They are different. You might "solve" the problem with resistors but that defeats the point of going to LED.YYou'd lose the lower-power benefit.

Diodes only allow electron flow in one direction. They are used to prevent the back feeding issue I mentioned.
Does your bike have an indicator light that flashes when your signals are on?
Seems odd that it'd do it with halogens too but that is the typical cause of this with LEDs. Could be an indication of something else wrong with the wiring.

 

[kevinsmith1517]

I do not have an indicator an indicator light. I have a video I was going to post of it, but it would not allow me to for some reason.

 

[arfstrom]

On a traditional bike, aka restored. The turn signal wire seem to end with the indicator light. Since you have done all the wiring, it will be easy to figure out. The issue with the restored going to LED is that the ground element, is used by the indicator light. If you go to the superbrightLED website, they have a metric diode kit, for the restored normal issues systems. So here is my thought, if your still using the traditional switch (short term memory, I think you said you have a toggle on/off/on. Some where there is a ground spot.

solution: the Metric kit from superbright is isolating the ground to specifically the left or right lights. it does that by splicing into the system, and adding a ground, then (diode) does not allow for cross stream contamination, (ghostbusters, don't cross the streams) which is what your currently doing. you have one ground, and you need to figer out how to uncross the streams.

For me, when I discovered this, (previous to get the metric kit) I was able to check every line, and then the eureka moment was when I pulled the indicator out, and if I remember right I had flashing lights working, Or not working because the were not ground. I am not going to add pics of what I did, cause you don't have the brown wire. I remember my thought at that time, is !That is why Yamaha went to 2 arrow indicator lights in 1982 and newer. TMI, fine back to the back row pews for me. (BBS360 your right on, as usually, thanks for being here!)

Video wont post if its too big, post it to Youtube, then in advance mode, you add the video to the post. You tube gives you some privacy if you only want to share it if we click the link, or (activated by post) then you don't have to have it searchable with all the millions of other short vids.

 

[BBS360]

Good to hear from someone who has done the modification. The more detail the better.
Even a modified bike with no indicator might still be wired with the same crossing-the-streams method.

My '76 xs360 has separate left/right indicators and hopefully won't need the diodes when I do the LED upgrade.

 

[kevinsmith1517]

I figured it out, for some reason my wire was fried in the middle and a bit and obviously that is no good. Fixed and now working. Thanks for the input!