Guest Posted January 21, 2010 Share Posted January 21, 2010 Used the bike for the first time yesterday after it being sat in the garage since before Xmas. Before I left for work I did all the usual checks, lights, brakes, tyre pressures etc. but on the way to work and on the way home last night my right indicators started flashing at double the usual speed.When I stopped I had a quick look and the rear indicator does not flash but the front does but at twice the rate. The left indicators work as normal.When I got home I had a look at the connections for the indicators (I extended them to fit my side pannier racks) and all connections looked good... and the lights worked as normal.Is this likely to be a ground issue? Is the fact the the rear doesn't flash mean that its the ground to that light that is the problem?When this problem occurred I checked the hazards and they flashed at the correct rate, but I didn't check to see if the rear right indicator flashed (I suspect not...).Thanks for any help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 21, 2010 Share Posted January 21, 2010 the rear bulb has gone.... simples Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 21, 2010 Share Posted January 21, 2010 If the bulb has gone why does it sometime work? Flapping filaments?!Have a spare at home so will try it later Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 21, 2010 Share Posted January 21, 2010 If the bulb has gone why does it sometime work? Flapping filaments?!Have a spare at home so will try it later you don't mention it being occasional.. but generally a bust bulb will make the other flash at twice speed, or stay illuminated.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 21, 2010 Share Posted January 21, 2010 Yes I did!U reckon a ground issue then at the bulb that isn't flashing when problem occurs? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 21, 2010 Share Posted January 21, 2010 if the bulb is fine then its defo a connection, if everything looks fine, have a look under the seat to see if theres any chaffed wires... shorting on the frame... also re-check your extensions, crimps aren't the best.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 21, 2010 Share Posted January 21, 2010 This is very odd... it worked ok on way home but then a few miles to go the problem returned. Luckily when I got home it was still happening so I swapped bulbs over and it still didnt work... plus the filament looked ok... so its not the bulb.I checked my crimps again and it doesnt make it work if its not flashing, or make it not flash when it is flashing One thing I did notice is that when it isn't working if I try my hazards it does flash.I will go over the connections again tomorrow but I'm starting to think maybe something is a bit duff with the flasher unit?One other thing I've noticed recently (and I cant be arsed to start a new thread!) is that even though sometimes I am in neutral, the neutral light doesnt come on... I have to be a lot gentler when putting it into neutral to have the light come on... duya reckon a simple clean of the neutral light switch is all thats required?God I hate electrics! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 21, 2010 Share Posted January 21, 2010 The joys on motorbikereing Rick Indiacator - suggests you have a continuity problem of some description to the back bulb. If you had dodgy flasher unit, it'd do it to both bulbs, not just one.Neautral light - Common problem I believe. Can't hurt to clean the switch, if you can get to it easy enough. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 21, 2010 Share Posted January 21, 2010 Right I have digged out mr haynes and I am armed with my multimeter... I may be some time Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 21, 2010 Share Posted January 21, 2010 Best of luck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin the Bear Posted January 21, 2010 Share Posted January 21, 2010 If the connectors check out, try cleaning the bulb holder. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rennie Posted January 21, 2010 Share Posted January 21, 2010 it will be corrosion on/in the lampholder! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 22, 2010 Share Posted January 22, 2010 Ok so the indicator is sorted... checked relay as-per haynes and it was ok, so checked my crimp job and that was ok (little corrosion but nothing too bad) and checked bulb holder... quite a bit of corrosion (+1 rennie & ctb )... cleaned it all up and appears to be working just fine now Re: neutral light... works positively when in garage so will see what its like over the next few days. I followed mr haynes and disconnected the GP sensor lead when ibike was in neutral and the light should go off... and it did meaning that the wiring is ok between this connector and the dashboard. The gear position sensor is the next thing to check but cant be arsed tonight or anytime soon... but may look at in the future.Things always come in threes and as I was leaving the garage I noticed that the alarm led was initially very bright when arming the alarm, but flashed dimmer and dimmer until you couldn't see it! If the alarm was dis-armed and re-armed it again flashed brightly and then continued to dim. I checked the connector, ~3V pulses consistently going to LED... but at the LED terminals it dropped to 0.6V when it began to flash... I have around 10 identical LEDs and a quick wire-up (will solder tomorrow, far too late now) and it works fine. I looked at some of the original cable (about 5m all wound up, have reduced the length to 10cm or so) and the negative copper wire, when you strip the cable, is completely black nearest the LED but usual copper colour near the connector... the positive copper wire looks as it should over its entire length... whats happened there then? Any ideas?Anyway an eventful night and pretty much job done... thanks for all your help guys. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rennie Posted January 22, 2010 Share Posted January 22, 2010 black copper normally means it's been warm!if it's ok now just keep an eye on it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin the Bear Posted January 22, 2010 Share Posted January 22, 2010 A poor connection will cause a hot spot. Silicone your crimps to keep the weather out. Another name for 5m of wire coiled up is ........a heater. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 2, 2010 Share Posted February 2, 2010 Update re: neutral light... When bike is started in morning, or when cold, neutral light works as it should, whereas once I've ridden off and come to a stop and select neutral the light doesn't always come on. What I found out thism morning is that if I lower the side stand the neutral light comes back on and the engine isn't killed... whereas if I am in gear and put the side stand down the engine is killed Any ideas? Do u think a bloody good clean of side stand switch is in order? Again... I hate electrics. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 2, 2010 Share Posted February 2, 2010 Update re: neutral light... When bike is started in morning, or when cold, neutral light works as it should, whereas once I've ridden off and come to a stop and select neutral the light doesn't always come on. What I found out thism morning is that if I lower the side stand the neutral light comes back on and the engine isn't killed... whereas if I am in gear and put the side stand down the engine is killed Any ideas? Do u think a bloody good clean of side stand switch is in order? Again... I hate electrics.stand switch seems to be working fine, otherwise it wouldn't work as it should, undo and clean the switch connections... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 2, 2010 Share Posted February 2, 2010 Grumble grumble... little update... all connections cleaned as-per WF and the following tests performed...1. I put the bike in neutral and ensured the neutral light was illuminated. I disconnected the gear position sensor (GPS) wiring connector and the neutral light should turn off - and it did. This checks to ensure the wire between the connector and the instrument cluster isn't earthed at any point. So the wiring from the connector to the dashboard is all good.2. Now there are three cables coming from the GPS, a pink that goes to ECM, a ground cable, and a blue cable that splits with one end going to ECM and the other end goes into a pair of opposing diodes near the sidestand relay (see my little diagram below, with zoomed in area of the "fuse box and diodes relays" area). I disconnected the GPS wiring connector and checked for continuity on the GPS side of the connector between the ground and blue cable when in neutral and in other gears. Haynes says there should be continuity when in neutral and no continuity when in any other gear. When in gear there is no continuity and when in neutral sometimes there is and sometimes there isn't When there is continuity and I reconnected the GPS wiring connector and switched on the ignition the neutral light is on If I then go up or down a couple of gears and then go into neutral with the neutral light off there isn't continuity... so this looks as if the GPS may be faulty.3. I also checked for continuity between the GPS wiring connector and the ECM - all ok... 4. My last check was to check the voltage between the pink and ground wires on the GPS wiring connector when in gear with the ignition on. Apparently the voltage in any gear must be >0.6V. I was getting readings of 1.8V, 2.3V, 3.3V, 3.7V, 4.2V and 4.7V with 5V always in neutral... regardless of whether the neutral light was on or off (and therefore whether there was continuity between the blue and black cables).What I think I've learnt is that all wires are ok from the GPS wiring connector to the ECM and from the GPS wiring connector to the sidestand relay/instrument cluster. There does appear to be a continuity issue between the blue and black wires when in neutral. This effect isn't seen when checking the voltage between the pink and ground cables in the GPS wiring connector, with it consistently being 5V in neutral regardless of whether there is continuity between the blue and black cable. I didn't get to the stage of removing the GPS because I haven't got a spare O-ring seal for when I refit it.The diagram below, showing the wiring with the sidestand switch, does this explain how when I am in neutral and the light is not on that when I kick the sidestand down the light is illuminated? Sorry for the crappy drawings I've copied them from my haynes manual. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 2, 2010 Share Posted February 2, 2010 so its the GPS.... do you need it? disconnect? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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