Turn signals not working

Status
Not open for further replies.
Joined
Oct 5, 2012
Messages
168
I traced my turn signal problem down to the right switch control. I can turn the bulbs on but putting a jumper wire from the white to the Red/green or white/green. I sprayed the hell out of it with electrical cleaner but the only thing working in there is the kill switch. (72 750 turn signals and kill switch is in the right switch). Anyway, it's kind of a mess in there... the PO re-soldered one of the wires. Was thinking about just replacing it till I saw what OB was asking for them, and used pieces of crap that I wouldn't even want on my bike are going for 50 bucks on Ebay. So I guess I'll try making this one work. Does anyone who's brought one of these back to life have any suggestions on where the problem lies and how to fix it?

Also, I'm not sure if my bike had a flasher on it before I ripped it apart or if I just lost it, but where does the turn signal flasher usually mount?
 
Yes, the switch clusters can be rebuilt. If the connections are all good, then a careful cleaning of the contact points should get everything back working. Originally, the turn signals grounded through the housing, but you may find running a ground wire back to a red wire somewhere or the frame will be more effective. Check to see if you've got power to each of the power wires for the signals. If you do, and the signals don't work, then try grounding the socket with an alligator clip back to the frame. If that gets the signal working, then solder a ground wire to the socket and run it back to the harness.

The flasher is mounted to the gusset welded to the back end of the main frame tube, right next to the rectifier, behind the battery. There's a little spring clip that holds the small, rectangular flasher in place.
 
BillT said:
Yes, the switch clusters can be rebuilt. If the connections are all good, then a careful cleaning of the contact points should get everything back working. Originally, the turn signals grounded through the housing, but you may find running a ground wire back to a red wire somewhere or the frame will be more effective. Check to see if you've got power to each of the power wires for the signals. If you do, and the signals don't work, then try grounding the socket with an alligator clip back to the frame. If that gets the signal working, then solder a ground wire to the socket and run it back to the harness.

The flasher is mounted to the gusset welded to the back end of the main frame tube, right next to the rectifier, behind the battery. There's a little spring clip that holds the small, rectangular flasher in place.

This really threw me. I took the switch apart and tested continuity on the toggle contacts for the turn signals. They had continuity when in the open position. It took me a while to realize that this is normal, and I didn't even try to understand why because it made no sense.. (maybe something to do with the flasher?). But the problem was that the 2 copper armatures (that the plastic toggle switch presses against when you flip it) had lost some of their spring tension and no longer made contact when the switch pushed against them. By bending them a little I was able to get them to come back in contact when activated by the switch. I'm glad I took the switch apart as the whole thing needed a good cleaning... even though the little ball bearing that sits on the spring bounced out and ran across the garage floor and hid for about ten minutes. I had actually given up looking for it and was in the process of substituting a BB, when out of the corner of my eye I spotted it gleaming in a patch of sunlight about fifteen feet away. I also had to try 3 different generic flashers before I got one to work... finally settling on the Tridon EL-12 from Advance Auto (that someone on here recommended) which works well. The other two I had picked off the shelf, (the cheapest and 2nd cheapest) either didn't flash at all or did so intermittently. So anyway, my $2.32 Chinese turn signals are installed and working well... a fine testament to that which has made the U.S. the drastically different place that it was when most of us here grew up in the 50's and 60's.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top