turn signals stopped working on 91 Kaw Eliminator

Discussion in 'Motorcycle Technical Discussion' started by john, Jul 2, 2005.

  1. john

    john Guest

    turn signals stopped working on 91 Kaw Eliminator. bulbs and fuse looks ok.
    please email ideas on troubleshooting to
     
    john, Jul 2, 2005
    #1
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  2. Use your brain[1], or else hand signals.

    Shan't.

    [1] "Turn signals" or "indicators" - let's see now: bulbs, fuse, flasher
    relay, switch. Plus various wires connecting them together. Safely
    assume that all four wires to all four flashers haven't simultaneously
    fallen off. Ditto for the bulbs. So that doesn't leave much, really,
    does it?
     
    The Older Gentleman, Jul 2, 2005
    #2
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  3. john

    Stone Guest

    Not much useful advice given to you I noticed so here's mine:
    That guy's right; there's not much to flashers. First, always check the
    fuse. If you know the switch works (check with a multimeter set for
    resistance or a continuity checker if you have one) and the leads to all
    the parts from the switch are continuous, check the flasher relay.
    They'll be in the circuit, usually under the seat somewhere. The bulbs
    don't matter cuz they aren't Xmas tree lights. One can burn out or break
    a wire and the rest should still flash.

    I had the same problem, they went out altogether and wouldn't flash or
    come on. The problem was the guy before me had 2 relays wired in so when
    one of them went bad it didn't allow the lights to even come on steady,
    indicating a shot flasher relay. Now that was a mystery when they all
    stopped coming on.

    Btw, a car flasher will work just fine as it's just a simple electric
    circuit indentical to a car. So don't pay extra for super duper
    motorcycle flasher relays. Go to a scrap yard and grab one for a buck or
    two.

    -Stone
     
    Stone, Jul 2, 2005
    #3
  4. This would be my first port of all, actually. And they're often behind a
    side panel, too.

    What he said.

    Let's hope he's reading this.
     
    The Older Gentleman, Jul 2, 2005
    #4
  5. john

    john Guest

    Thanks for the "good" feedback. What was mentioned is what threw me off--
    that i got nothing. I didn't get the kind of symptoms i'd see on a car if a
    bulb or flasher went.the fact that they all went out at once puzzled me, as
    i'd expect at least one side to work and for the bad side to come on but not
    flash, like a car, or for both to light but no flashing. I thought it would
    be very low chance that the switch would go bad to both contact sides at
    once, giving me nothing on either side. I'll look for a flasher, and in the
    interim, it seems if i jump across the flasher, that the lights should light
    up , but without the blinking, so that could tell me the problem is there,

    Otherwise, i guess it's conceiveable that the switch went, but since it's
    garaged, rarely in bad weather, and in very nice shape, i would be
    surprised that the switch went bad from some type of corrosion. .
     
    john, Jul 2, 2005
    #5
  6. Wise move - it's almost certainly going to be the flasher relay, or
    conceivably the connections to it.
     
    The Older Gentleman, Jul 2, 2005
    #6
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