• Required reading for all forum users!!!

    Welcome!
    Register to access the full functionality of the GSResources forum. Until you register and activate your account you will not have full forum access, nor will you be able to post or reply to messages.

    A note to new registrants...
    All new forum registrations must be activated via email before you have full access to the forum.

    A Special Note about Email accounts!
    DO NOT SIGN UP USING hotmail, outlook, gmx, sbcglobal, att, bellsouth or email.com. They delete our forum signup emails.

    A note to old forum members...
    I receive numerous requests from people who can no longer log in because their accounts were deleted. As mentioned in the forum FAQ, user accounts are deleted if you haven't logged in for the past 6 months. If you can't log in, then create a new forum account. If you don't get an error message, then check your email account for an activation message. If you get a message stating that the email address is already in use, then your account still exists so follow the instructions in the forum FAQ for resetting your password.

    Have you forgotten your password or have a new email address? Then read the forum FAQ for details on how to reset it.

    Any email requests for "can't log in anymore" problems or "lost my password" problems will be deleted. Read the forum FAQ and follow the instructions there - that's what we have one for...

  • Returning Visitors

    If you are a returning visitor who never received your confirmation email, then odds are your email provider is blockinig emails from our server. The only thing that can be done to get around this is you will have to try creating another forum account using an email address from another domain.

    If you are a returning visitor to the forum and can't log in using your old forum name and password but used to be able to then chances are your account is deleted. Purges of the databases are done regularly. You will have to create a new forum account and you should be all set.

Turn Signal Switch Lubrication

cowboyup3371

cowboyup3371

Forum Guru
Past Site Supporter
I have been fighting with it for the last two years where pushing it left activates my left turn signals without any problem. However, when I push it right I have about a 10% chance of getting it to activate. If I unscrew the insides and reseat everything than it starts working again for about 75 turns or so.

As the mechanism itself looks good, should I use some sort of lube for it?
 
i dunno the 'correct' lube but anything is better than nothing .. I just use whatever i have laying aroung. JB BLaster, wd,electronic cleaner / combinations thereof?? etc...
 
I will try something like that then. Of course it's the issues like this that make me feel my bike is possessed as no one else seems to have encountered the problem:o
 
I rebuilt my switch a few years ago and it had a dielectric grease inside. Mine has the auto cancel springs so using the grease to hold everything together, while I put the cover back on, was a big help. Been working great ever since.
 
Used dielectric grease on mine too, after cleaning all the contracts to remove corrosion.
 
bonanzadave said:
I rebuilt my switch a few years ago and it had a dielectric grease inside. Mine has the auto cancel springs so using the grease to hold everything together, while I put the cover back on, was a big help. Been working great ever since.
Click to expand...

A couple of days after changing the front signal housings (everything was working fine) I had a sudden no signal issue on my '81 1100e. Something on the signal circuit was creating very high amperage and blowing fuses. I was able to trace the source back to the switch. so I removed it and started to take it apart not realizing small springs and contacts would come flying out at me :/ . I was able to get it back together about 90% except for the two longer springs that provide the tension for the switch button. Do you have any pictures of how the switch goes together? Or know if anyone has done a writeup on it? Thanks!
 
bonanzadave said:
I rebuilt my switch a few years ago and it had a dielectric grease inside. Mine has the auto cancel springs so using the grease to hold everything together, while I put the cover back on, was a big help. Been working great ever since.
Click to expand...

I did the same.
 
You might be tempted to use WD-40. That might work for a short while, but is more of a cleaner and Water Displacement formula.
Follow that up with the dielectric grease and you should be fine.

.
 
Steve said:
You might be tempted to use WD-40. That might work for a short while, but is more of a cleaner and Water Displacement formula.
Click to expand...

And it leaves that nasty chalk when it dries.
 
Hmmm. I opened this thread because my blinker switch is pretty stiff. Could I just squirt some white lithium grease in the slot, or do I need to disassemble it?
 
If you are going to take the switch apart, I wrap a plastic bag around it and poke a screwdriver through the baggie. There are tiny little springs and a ball bearing inside. rather than doing it on the bike I disconnected the harness and did it on the bench. There is an excellent post with pictures by Frijoles and beans 4/25/2012 page 10 of 20 on what you will find inside. When putting it back together the thumb button goes in from the outside, it has to be twisted back in. Hope this helps and Heaven help you if you lose one of those little springs. The dialectric grease helps a lot when putting it all back together.
 
I ended up disassembling the switch and cleaning everything up good then spraying a light coat of lithium grease. It has worked well since.
 
Hey there. I did a search for "Frijoles" and got nothing. I'm trying to find the post you mentioned about how to reassemble the left hand switch. That sounds like exactly what I need. Thanks for your help!

Scott
 
His account was deleted probably when they updated the forum some time back. I'll see if I can find something
 
cowboyup3371 said:
His account was deleted probably when they updated the forum some time back. I'll see if I can find something
Click to expand...

That's great. Thanks.

I've got the switch off the bike and on a table in my living room right now. I'm really struggling to figure out how to put it all together. I have everything figured out except for the two longest springs. And even after I do figure out where everything goes, getting all to stay put while I put it back in the housing is going to be a challenge too! Right now I'm practicing how to fit the circuit board into the housing smoothly with none of the parts on. Once I have that technique down, then I'll add the parts and pray!
 
For future reference, a plastics-safe electronics cleaner spray with a lubricant can get mechanisms like this working smoothly again without taking the thing apart. Not quite as good as actually putting dielectric grease in there, but a lot faster and springamathingys don't go flying everywhere.

There are several -- look for one that specifically mentions that it leaves a lubricant behind, and not one that's "residue-free".

For example:
https://www.amazon.com/Hosa-F5S-H6-...989&sr=8-4&keywords=contact+cleaner+lubricant
 
I had to dis assemble mine once
its a intergrated turn hi lo switch
one position was blocked due to a build up of road grime slurry crap inside tha tno cleaner would dislodge.
Disassemble in a nice pillow case or curse yourself for not doing so.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top