troubleshooting turn signals

ok... here's where I'm at. My KZ1100 is almost done... I've installed a nice set of chrome turn signals to the existing wiring in the back, however, when the bike is running, they both stay on, the switch has no effect. The emergency flashing works fine though. any ideas? (i've already replaced the flasher unit)

Dost thou have a wiring diagram?????
If you don't have a wiring diagram, you really need one. You just can't tell the players (or the wires) with out a program.
You may not be properly grounded, you may not have the wires into the correct circuit. Do you have an electrical meter? you should be able to check if the turn circuit is working, put negative lead to ground, and positive to the wire you think is for the turn signal, and turn on the turn signal. if you have a varying voltage, you have the right wire and things seem to work, to that point, then I would guess that you are missing a ground.
Good luck.

You replaced the turn signals? Hmmm... FIRST, there is a small wiring harness to the rear of the main harness where the brake light and turn signals plug into. On all of them, there is a black/yellow wire that is the ground. Your harness will have either a single and double plug or a triple plug that plugs into the main harness ground. Make sure that your new turn signals have a ground wire which connects to the main harness. You may need to MAKE a ground and attach to the turn signals and then connect to the harness. Don't try allowing them to self ground to the frame.

The next thing on the small harness is the tail light which is the blue wire for the brake and the red wire for the running lamp. Make sure these are connected correctly. Then... there will be two other wires. They will BOTH be gray or one will be gray and the other green. Kaw used both color methods and I am not familiar with your bike. These are you turn signals. If you have a gray and green, I can't recall which side which goes to. If you have both gray, you will have to try plugging them in to find out which goes to which side. If the wires on the small harness and GROUND are hooked up correctly, then you will have to look elsewhere for the problem. Since the front blinkers work, I think your problem will be in the connections at the small harness to main harness juncture. FWIW: Your hazard flashers are on a different circuit and have their own flasher relay I think. Anyway, if the front flash and the rear do not, the flasher relay is likely fine. On my KZ900, the stock ground consists of a washer a small hole where a ground wire is soldered in. The washer fits over the threaded stem and then a nut goes over to retain the ground wire. The other end of the ground wire has a male connector that plugs into a dual ground wire out connector from the main harness.

Did your bike have working signals before? If so, did the old ones have the same number of wires? Same bulbs?

Almost sounds like you're connected to the circuit for the running lights instead of the signals, but I'm not familiar with your bike.

A wiring diagram is a good thing.

there were signals on the bike when I got it, but they were shot... I plugged these into the same lines in the back, (separate hot wires, common ground) Haven't really looked at the wiring harness, but as with a lot of things on this bike, it's probably "custom"... I'll be able to get to work on this thing again monday, I've gotten myself a wiring diagram, so maybe I can sort through this mess then, thanks.

Cary:
As a point of information the front turn lights on a KZ1000P has a two filiment bulb. The light is also called a position light (?) and turn light. The light comes on when the head light is turned on and flashes with the turn signal switch.
Check the bulb. Is it a 1157 dual filement?
You say wires. Are there two wires and a ground? If so one is for light and one is for signal.
This may or may not be applicable to your application.
Harry

Post edited by: hwms, at: 2006/01/07 14:15

Post edited by: hwms, at: 2006/01/07 14:21