'flashing' lights with turn signals (weak ground??)

[kenora_guy]

Hi everyone, here's the scenereo...

1980 GS 550 L, headlight off all is swell. Headlight on and the opposite front signal flashes (i.e. dims) to the pulses, same for the headlight (pulsates) and brakelight too.

The mechanic I use for my business vehicles says it's a weak/bad ground which makes sense, but when I jump a ground wire direct from any of the lamps to the battery or engine it DOES NOT improve. Any ideas guys and dolls???

Q2, assuming that it is a weak ground OR that the alternator just can't keep up at an idle, if I ran lower wattage bulbs all around (except the headlight) do you think that would eliminate the pulsation. I figure I can cut ~2 amps, more if I convert to LED's but then thats BIG $$$..

I need the flicker gone to have the bike pass a safety...

TIA for any insites/insights you have to offer...

 

[Redman]

Welcome to GSR.

I would say either:
- a bad ground for each of the circuits that are falshing, maybe.
- or, more likley, some bad connection (some resistance) in the power ciricuit that supplys all the circuits of the devices that are flashing. WHich would be between the R/R and the main fuse, and/or between the main fuse and the ignition switch, the ignition switch itself, and/or from ignition switch back to the other fuses.
- maybe first thing to check would be the back of the fuse block.

Could troubleshoot it by trying to find where the voltage drop is with a volt meter. That way can better narrow down the suspect, rather than having to suspect everything.

Yes, lower wattage t/signal bulbs will reduce this. Using LED bulbs will greatly reduce it, but, then your t/signal flasher will not work.

.

 

[argonsagas]

I agree with the suggestion about the poor ground.

First clean the battery terminals and then the negative cable attachment where it meets the frame. You might consider adding a second cable to the frame, attached at a different point, but you would do well if you attached a second ground wire directly to the mounting bolts of the rectifier/regulator which is where it appears to be needed most.

 

[DanTheMan]

Hey, welcome aboard! A Minnesotan further north than me on the board, Yeah!!!!
I would do the tedious task of going through all the bullet connectors in the headlight, and the ones at the R/R. Make sure the r/r is well grounded, preferably to the neg. post on the battery, it should solve the pulsating light problem.
Just out of curiousity, what safety test do you have to do?

 

[kenora_guy]

So, if jump from the...

So, if jump from the...

Ok so what I am reading is that the most likely culporates are the frame ground, rectifier ground, or one end of the battery negs... So If I put a jumper accross each those points I should see an improvement and doing it one at a time will tell me where the trouble spot is????

The bullet connectors to the headlight are not likely the problem as there are none... The wiring was butchered by the previous owner and wirenuts keep that part of the circuit together... yes, I pulled them apart and made sure they are clean and tight and I am planning on cleaning up ALL the wiring as required in the off season... for right now I just want to get her legal so I can enjoy a few weeks of open road...

 

[DanTheMan]

Sometimes jumpers aren't enough. I tried that route before. You're getting a large current draw and insufficient ground, if you're talking jumpers with alligator clips and bite connectors or the like, it's likely it won't help. I'd check the ground off of the turn signal relay also.

 

[spyder2120]

hey kenora guy, stupid question; do you turn signals double as running lights? mine is a 79 750l and i have no running lights to speak of.

 

[kenora_guy]

No??? maybe

No??? maybe

Dan, the fronts have 1157 and only come on with the headlight... the rears are 1156's which I find kind of curious...

One would think that it would be all 1157's and have running lights all around or all 1156's and have none... Guess this old girl didn't need it to make federal requirements... I plan on putting the equivelent 1157's all around in LED this winter, but want the bugs out first...

Q. Ok I know that the factory mechanical flasher won't work with LED's but if I replace it with a electronic flasher, won't it work without the need of resistors??? Resistors IMHO defete one of the major purposes of going LED--less load and thus better fuel economy...

KG

 

[kenora_guy]

OPps

OPps

SORRY, guess that was Spyder I should have directed my last post to..

 

[rustybronco]

Dan, the fronts have 1157 and only come on with the headlight... the rears are 1156's which I find kind of curious...

One would think that it would be all 1157's and have running lights all around or all 1156's and have none... Guess this old girl didn't need it to make federal requirements... I plan on putting the equivelent 1157's all around in LED this winter, but want the bugs out first...

By putting 1157's all the way around you would have yellow running lights in the rear.

all rear signal/running lights are required to be red and that is the reason for not using the dual filament bulbs (1157's) on the rear .

not so curious after all...

 

[81gs1100]

By putting 1157's all the way around you would have yellow running lights in the rear.

all rear signal/running lights are required to be red and that is the reason for not using the dual filament bulbs (1157's) on the rear .

not so curious after all...

all rear signal/running lights are required to be red

When did they come up with this rule? Sure don't apply to motorcycles, not any I have seen in the last how many years. Maybe for running lights, but not turn signals, as motorcycles don't really use running lights out back. At least I don't remember seeing them on while driving, only turning, but I could be wrong.

Unless it was last week... All the new suzuki motorcycles still run amber turn signals out back.

 

[spyder2120]

given that they double as running lights i agree with the guys. has to be either a bad ground(s), corroded connectors or just low current. grab yourself an $8.00 multimeter (if you dont already have one) and check your wiring. go through the stator paper tests (found in the garage section), and check every connection on the bike. as far as grounding; i grounded the r/r straight to the battery, have a small jumper from the frame where the battery box bolts down running to the batt (box is old, rusty and didnt trust the grounding through the bolt there). i also have a ground split off from all rear lighting going to the batt. may sound like overkill, but my aftermarket signal light (dont double as running lights) would flash really fast for about 4 sec. then get normal and the headlight would dim when i engaged them. also my batt. would barely charge. i had a bad r/r as well as bad grounding. this improved things things untill my new r/r came in. after the ground rerouting and cleaning i had just enough charging current (from12.4v before to 13v after) to allow me to ride with low beam only. sorry i wrote a book here but i tried to cover what i could think of with examples. hope it helps. borderline voltage can cause all kinds of freaky malfunctions with lighting and running.

 

[spyder2120]

in wv the rear running/brake light is red and turn signals are amber. not sure of the laws from state to state.

 

[81gs1100]

in wv the rear running/brake light is red and turn signals are amber. not sure of the laws from state to state.

Laws couldn't differ from state to state or motorcycle companies would lose thier minds changing or swapping out parts to make the state happy.

I know the brake light/tail light has to be red.
The trun signals are amber.

An added running light I guess should be red...

The only thing is the turn signals on a stock Suzuki don't double as running lights.

If the rear turn signals are lighted when you turn on the key I would bet thats your problem right there. There is no constant/running light wire running to the back for the turn signals. So if they are turning on the PO might have stole juice from the tail light wire and if so drawing more power from that curcuit. Unless he wired the tail light wire in to a standard one wire signal and cut off the turn signal curcuit all together.

Best thing to do is find yourself a wiring diagram and investigate. You don't have to be good at it to start getting an understanding of how they should work.

 

[rustybronco]

all rear signal/running lights are required to be red

All the new suzuki motorcycles still run amber turn signals out back.

I.E. stop/running lamps.

the reason I stated it that way, was to exclude license plate lamps and the subject "turn signals".

My apologies if I wasn't clear enough.

 

[81gs1100]

I.E. stop/running lamps.

the reason I stated it that way, was to exclude license plate lamps and the subject "turn signals".

My apologies if I wasn't clear enough.

No problem there, the problem is why the turn signals opperate as running lights.

You had me thinking for a bit tho as alot of Harley guys have red turn signals, but it never dawned on me that they also double the turn signals as running lights.

 

[81gs1100]

hey kenora guy, stupid question; do you turn signals double as running lights? mine is a 79 750l and i have no running lights to speak of.

Whoa, backtrack...

Yes, and no, the fronts should turn on as running lights with the key, and the rears no, they are only used as signals. And no you can't just toss in a different bulb and get running lights.

The rears have 2 wires, signal and ground.
the fronts have 3 wires, constant, signal, and ground.

Ummmm, yeah... If your front turn signals are just 2 wire with black and black/white, then you do not have running lights.

Constants are gray wires, signals are black, and ground is black/white.

 

[spyder2120]

if the fronts are supposed to be running lights then 1157 would be the ticket. but if it is some shadetree mod and not from the factory, then i could see it as a big problem. there would be such a drain the bike would probably be hard to start. i have a buddy with a '80 xs650 and the front turn signals are also running lights, but the rear are only turn signals. maybe suzuki did the same thing that year, if not, then that mod is draing too much current.

 

[81gs1100]

Hi everyone, here's the scenereo...

1980 GS 550 L, headlight off all is swell. Headlight on and the opposite front signal flashes (i.e. dims) to the pulses, same for the headlight (pulsates) and brakelight too.

The mechanic I use for my business vehicles says it's a weak/bad ground which makes sense, but when I jump a ground wire direct from any of the lamps to the battery or engine it DOES NOT improve. Any ideas guys and dolls???

Q2, assuming that it is a weak ground OR that the alternator just can't keep up at an idle, if I ran lower wattage bulbs all around (except the headlight) do you think that would eliminate the pulsation. I figure I can cut ~2 amps, more if I convert to LED's but then thats BIG $$$..

I need the flicker gone to have the bike pass a safety...

TIA for any insites/insights you have to offer...

ALright here is the original post... kinda got lost in the shuffle.

A few things here we need to know:

1. are the turn signals stock?
2. how many wires do they have?
3. what happens when you turn on your headlight?
4. what happens when you turn on each turn signal?
5. does the horn work?

Just for giggles what you said is when you turn on your headlight everything starts pulsing? If that is the case it would seem to me that the PO wired the turn signals into the headlight thinking that would give him running lights?

 

[spyder2120]

i like the way your thinking. lol.