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Lights-headlight/ turn signals go out when turning the bars

  • Thread starter Thread starter FEFD17
  • Start date Start date
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FEFD17

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Ok it runs!! It charges! It had lights until I turned the bars? It keeps the Neutral light on no matter if I turn the bars. My question(s) are, why and what wire(s) feed from the battery to the switch and from the switch to the connectors that run the lights. Also, i am not sure if this is related or not but, while i was testing wires, i had the key on and after about 15 minutes the left coil was hot when i touched it? is this normal? my r/r has new and clean grounds, stator soldered connectors with heat shrink connectors. If I get the lights figured out, I can register and ride this puppy today!! Been a miserable fight with finding stuff after fixing other broken stuff, but I have no desire to be stranded either!. I checked the wiring to the coils and I have good clean connection. 82 GS450L.


I tried a different key switch just to see but no luck
 
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its normal for that coil to be hot after sitting with key on, and look inside the headlite housing for corroded/loose bullet connectors!!

BTW you can use the run/stop switch to eliminate current draw on the ignition when testing.. it will save the coil and igniter from excessive heat and possible failure.
 
Check the wiring where it comes up from the frame into the headlight bucket. I wonder if you don't have wire showing in there and it's shorting out on something
 
It seems that it must be a plug connection that is being pulled apart when you turn the bars. There should be enough slack in your cables so there is no tension on the plugs turning the bars from stop to stop. Check the wire routing with the tank off to see how this is happening. You might have to replace the main harness plug going to the headlight. There might be more than one plug or only part of one plug is breaking connection. The lock tab might be broken off the plug. Also check the cable bundle for any damage. If you have to cut the bundle open for inspection use 3M 33 or 3M Super 88 electrical tape to re-wrap the bundle. Most other electrical tape you commonly see is throw away junk for temporary repairs, you want the permanent repair tape.
 
cowboyup3371 said:
I wonder if you don't have wire showing in there and it's shorting out on something
Click to expand...
Does it blow any fuses when the lights quit? If not, nothing is "shorting out".

I am more inclined to agree with OldVet.
OldVet66 said:
It seems that it must be a plug connection that is being pulled apart when you turn the bars. ...
There might be more than one plug or only part of one plug is breaking connection.
Click to expand...

.
 
Steve said:
Does it blow any fuses when the lights quit? If not, nothing is "shorting out".

I am more inclined to agree with OldVet.


.
Click to expand...

No fuses are blowing. If I keep the bars to the right or center, then the lights -usually work. If I turn from center left, they go out. Now that said, it will sometimes not work at all no matter where the bars are. I got really frustrated with it and had to walk away a couple of nights ago. I am going out later today to see if I can test the bullet connectors one by one to see what wire(s) are the problem. It's gotta be more than 1 wire feeding the headlight and turn signals. Only thing I can of being shared by both headlight and turn signals is a ground. Is that correct?
 
Just looked at a wiring diagram for your bike, apparently there is only one fuse for the entire bike, so if that's not blowing, you are not shorting out.

Since you have things that are not working, you will have a power issue, but you will have to do some digging to see if it is on the power side or the ground side of each device, and it's not all that hard.

This would be easiest to do with a test light, rather than a meter. Open up the headlight bucket. Connect your test light ground lead to the battery or other KNOWN good ground point that is not forward of the steering stem. Touch the point of the test light to the low beam feed of the headlight (white wire), turn the key ON and turn the handlebars. If your test light flickers at the same time the headlight flickers, you have a power problem. If the headlight flickers and the test light doesn't, you have a ground problem.

Repeat the testing for the turn signals, you will be looking for a light blue wire. One problem with testing the turn signals is that most of that wiring is on the frame, so it doesn't move. Only after the selector switch on the left handle bar would you find intermittent power due to motion of the handlebar.

Looking at your wiring diagram again, I see that there is a connector that might have up to 9 wires that has connections for headlight, turn signals and horn. Is your horn also affected by turning the bars? If so, I would concentrate my efforts at the 9-pin connector. I don't know if that would be in the headlight bucket or under the tank, but there won't be very many of them, so it should be easy to identify.

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Thanks again to everyone !! I thought I had it fixed. Now inside the head light bucket there is a black with a white stripe wire connected to a female bullet 4 way. I am thinking its a turn signal ground. If I touch that to metal (touch the fork) the head light comes on. The right turn sinal (the only one I have with a bulb in it while testing) will also light up WITH NO WIRES THAT GO INTO THE STEM HOOKED UP. Only wire hooked up is the outside wire that goes direct to the connector and the other end grounded to the nut that mounts the sinal light itself. Fwiw yes if I turn the bars still it (turn signal) goes off&on. Going to look for a new harness.



Btw one last unrelated question. While looking for the factory manual for the bike, I looked on EBay. What is the difference between a manual or a " supplement"? If any at all?
 
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It wouldn't hurt to put some dielectric grease in the plug to seal out moisture and any other thing that might get in there.
 
Supplements are updates to the main manual. So, for my 1980 550, I need the original (which was issued in '77), plus the supplement for a 1980 model.

BikeCliff has many manuals available on his site.
 
Anyone know what year(s) interchange with the harness? My frame and title say 82
 
FEFD17 said:
Thanks again to everyone !! I thought I had it fixed. Now inside the head light bucket there is a black with a white stripe wire connected to a female bullet 4 way. I am thinking its a turn signal ground. If I touch that to metal (touch the fork) the head light comes on. The right turn sinal (the only one I have with a bulb in it while testing) will also light up WITH NO WIRES THAT GO INTO THE STEM HOOKED UP. Only wire hooked up is the outside wire that goes direct to the connector and the other end grounded to the nut that mounts the sinal light itself. Fwiw yes if I turn the bars still it (turn signal) goes off&on. Going to look for a new harness.



Btw one last unrelated question. While looking for the factory manual for the bike, I looked on EBay. What is the difference between a manual or a " supplement"? If any at all?
Click to expand...
Why go find another harness , just take the time to service the one you have , clean all connections and add a little dielectric grease and you will be fine. If you replace the harness you are going to be doing the same thing anyway.:confused:
 
With the proper connectors, or modern waterproof connectors you can make your harness as good or better than the day it was manufactured. A good crimping tool that bends the open ears of the connector back into the wire is required, and makes a better connection than solder unless you are good enough with a soldering iron to insure there is no cold solder joints, and that takes a bit of skill. Thirty years takes it's toll on connectors but proper maintenance or replacement will fix that. The vintage connectors and crimping tool can be had here: http://www.vintageconnections.com/
 
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