Got a turn signal issue....

[krooozn]

My trike is a 2003 Shadow Classic 750cc and I am having a small issue with one of the turn signals. It is a sporadic gremlin that shows up at will....the right rear winker will work correctly at some times and others instead of blinking it just kind of does a pulsing twinkling kind of thing, not a true on/off blink pattern if you will.....but as I said earlier, it is a sporadic thing. I am in hopes that maybe someone can point me in a direction to begin tracing the gremlin....it seems to be isolated to the right rear, all others work correctly, even the right front works correctly while the right rear is doing its own thing.....

I hate electrical gremlins :Monster:with a passion......HHHEEEELLLLPPPPPPP!!!!!!!

Thanx....Anita

[Gorilla]

My trike is a 2003 Shadow Classic 750cc and I am having a small issue with one of the turn signals. It is a sporadic gremlin that shows up at will....the right rear winker will work correctly at some times and others instead of blinking it just kind of does a pulsing twinkling kind of thing, not a true on/off blink pattern if you will.....but as I said earlier, it is a sporadic thing. I am in hopes that maybe someone can point me in a direction to begin tracing the gremlin....it seems to be isolated to the right rear, all others work correctly, even the right front works correctly while the right rear is doing its own thing.....

I hate electrical gremlins :Monster:with a passion......HHHEEEELLLLPPPPPPP!!!!!!!

Thanx....Anita

You might have one bulb on that side that is not making good contact with the contacts in the socket or maybe a ground issue.

[Ol' Grey]

Agreed with what Gorilla said.........Since your turn signals work otherwise, your turn signal relay is probably fine. You might start with the bulb to insure that it's not loose in it's socket and that the contact points aren't corroded.

Chances are that each of the turn signals have separate plug-in connectors, two each, one for electrical current going in and one for ground. Make sure that those connectors are also free of corrosion and that the connectors are tight.

Another possibility would be dirty or corroded contacts inside the switch housing on the handlebars. You can carefully remove the switch housing and spray the contacts inside with Electrical Contact Cleaner, making sure that you don't get any on any paint and wiping off any excess. Radio Shack is one place that sells Electrical Contact Cleaner in a spray can and it comes in 2 different types, one has a lubricant, one doesn't and I'd recommend the one without lubricant.

[kj5ix]

I agree it could be a bad ground or contact in the socket.

[pmar6004]

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<img src="images/misc/quote_icon.png" alt="Quote" /> Originally Posted by <strong>krooozn</strong>
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<div class="message">My trike is a 2003 Shadow Classic 750cc and I am having a small issue with one of the turn signals. It is a sporadic gremlin that shows up at will....the right rear winker will work correctly at some times and others instead of blinking it just kind of does a pulsing twinkling kind of thing, not a true on/off blink pattern if you will.....but as I said earlier, it is a sporadic thing. I am in hopes that maybe someone can point me in a direction to begin tracing the gremlin....it seems to be isolated to the right rear, all others work correctly, even the right front works correctly while the right rear is doing its own thing.....<br />
<br />
I hate electrical gremlins :Monster:with a passion......HHHEEEELLLLPPPPPPP!!!!!!!<br />
<br />
Thanx....Anita<img src="images/smilies/AGGGH.gif" border="0" alt="" title="AGGHH" class="inlineimg" /></div>

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</div>From what has already been said, I might add that you could have problems like you're experiencing if you have replaced some of your OEM incadescent bulbs with leds or if you have some of both. Don't mix them if they're for your directional lights. Leds drawn such little voltage that they often don't fire the blinker relay. Just a thought....<img src="images/smilies/shrug.gif" border="0" alt="" title="Shrug" class="inlineimg" /><br />
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Daydreamer

[krooozn]

I should have mentioned in my post that the lights are indeed LEDs....and the ones on the leftside blink nice and strong and bright.....the brake lights are nice and strong as well, it's just the rightside that seems to have this issue. I will try to get the lens off this weekend and take a look. I just have no real experience with electrical issues, so I depend on help from my forum contacts to walk me through troubleshooting these things....and I need to also add that if any of you want to try to walk me through any troubleshooting...I need instructions as though you were trying to explain to a six-year old....(teeheehee)

Thanx again! Anita:Pepper:

[Gorilla]

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<img src="images/misc/quote_icon.png" alt="Quote" /> Originally Posted by <strong>krooozn</strong>
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<div class="message">I should have mentioned in my post that the lights are indeed LEDs....and the ones on the leftside blink nice and strong and bright.....the brake lights are nice and strong as well, it's just the rightside that seems to have this issue. I will try to get the lens off this weekend and take a look. I just have no real experience with electrical issues, so I depend on help from my forum contacts to walk me through troubleshooting these things....and I need to also add that if any of you want to try to walk me through any troubleshooting...I need instructions as though you were trying to explain to a six-year old....(teeheehee) <br />
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Thanx again! Anita:Pepper:</div>

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</div>okay now that you have added the LED bulbs to the description, LEDS draw far less current and therefor the turn signal relay is confused. That relay works on a certain about of current passing through it. The relay contact strip heats up from the current breaks the contact causing the turn signal to blink and then cool allowing it to reconnect. When you install LEDS the current may not be enough to allow it to blink as designed. You can add what they call a ballast resister in line to add more resistance allowing more current to be drawn and then the flasher works as designed. The reason one side is working (IF THIS IS THE ISSUE) is the wiring maybe providing enough resistance on that side. If this is the issue you will only need the resister on the side that is not working correctly.

[krooozn]

Thanx Gorilla for the help.....can you tell me where I can get one of those ballast resistors from, and then maybe instruct me on where and how this will attach into the circuit? I don't quite understand the whole thing, for I feel certain that this system worked correctly at one point in time...so what would make it act up now? I know you are only trying to help me diagnose a problem you have not seen and are basing your guidance on what I have posted....but I just don't understand what would make it not work correctly now. Is it possible that maybe the handlebar switch has some corrosion and therefore not making a good solid contact, I do feel that this trike at some point in time has been left out in the weather, for it does have some rust and what looks like waterspot damage on some of the chrome. I am just grabbing at straws here, because I can't really afford to take it to a shop right now.

Thanx so much for your help with this.....

Anita

[Gorilla]

Wow hard to answer all that. When you are dealing with electrics it's pretty much all just digging until you find the issue. You say it work correctly at one time. Are you saying that because it worked correctly when you owned it? You have first hand knowledge that it worked? If not then it may not have. KURYAKYN has them. They are called "LOAD EQUALIZER" by them. Wherever you get them they should come with instructions. Basically you are just adding the equalizer into the circuit to add load (resistance) The positive side will go to the power feed for the effective circuit the other side to ground.<br /><br /><br />
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Before you spend money start going through the wiring and switches cleaning and making sure all connections are clean and solid.<br /><br />
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Also check grounds to make sure they are not bad.<br />
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A quick way to see if the load is the issue would be to take a regular turn signal bulb with some wires soldered on for leads and put it into the circuit as an added light temporally and see if the flashing is the way it is suppose to be.

That is the same thing that the load equalizer does. If the flashing is the proper rate then you know what the issue is. If not then fall back to the troubleshooting.

[krooozn]

Sorry to ask so many questions.....at least all at once! (teeheehee) I have seen them blink correctly once or twice since I have owned the bike, but I am basing my statement on the fact that Virginia requires a yearly state inspection and if they weren't working correctly at the time of the last inspection, it would have failed and the current sticker is valid through the end of September. The problem seems to be just in the rear rightside blinkers, because the front blinks strong and correctly each time it is engaged, so that leads me to believe that the problem is somewhere in the rear of the harness....maybe a ground? I absolutely hate chasing electrical gremlins!:Monster:

Anyway....I really appreciate you sticking with me through this Gorilla....I know I can and do ask a lot of questions, but it's how I learn.......

Thanx....Anita

[krooozn]

Okay....update......today I took the lens off the rear and began my troubleshooting, I looked for shorts, I looked for broken wires, I checked with my test light and everything back there seemed to be working correctly. The test light blinked just as it should have when applied to the rightside socket....but the LEDs would even twinkle.....so I hunted and created a few brand spanking new cuss words, and finally I had one of those Ah-Hah moments....I put the lights back onto the sockets, opened up the garage door and fired that puppy up.....and poof like magic the darn blinker works absolutely fine when the bike is running! So evidently when you just turn the key on and try, there isn't enough voltage or something going back there. I placed a couple calls to some places that build these trikes and they were all in agreement that this is the issue....and since I only have need for them to work correctly when the bike is running and I am on it....I am closing this chapter and declaring my problem solved!

Thanx so much for all the help and not giving up on me.....

Anita

[Nana]

LOL! ........ That is a great Ah-Ha story . I'm just happy to hear the problem is resolved. Hang around, we'll find something else to worry about and you can join the fun!

[Gorilla]

Glad you have the issue resolved. Every day is a learning process.