Noob need help with turn signals Plz

I just bought an 82 kz750 Spectre off craigslist with 6387 original miles for $950 and it runs great! So I think I got a good deal.

When I bought it the guy told me that the turn signals don't work and this is true as the front signals were gone. The back signals were lit just wouldn't blink unless I did it manually. I figured I'd just buy an aftermarket set throw them on complete the whole system and they would be good to go. Not the case.

The wires from the bike are blue, black and gray. The wires on the new signals are red, black and black with white. I bought bullet connectors and have tried every combination with the wire colors and the blinkers just wont blink. The hazard lights worked but not the blinkers.

For a minute I had all 4 signals lit up, then I only had the front and not the rear. So I figured I had the wires wrong, again, and switched the wires around again. Now I have switched all the connectors around and none of the signals light up. Did I burn something out? The fuses are all ok.

I don't know how I went from having back lights to all four lights to having front lights to having no lights at all. I popped the headlight out could I have done something in there?

Sorry if this is long winded. I'm completely frustrated and I hope someone can make sense of my post and my situation. Any help would be appreciated.

Sounds like they flasher can is bad. Get a new one and then test the wires in the headlight bucket like this-the bike has running lights on the front, and have three wires on the stock blinkers for the front and two wires for the rear. The after market blinkers you got will have two wires for all four blinkers. Get your tester, unplug all the blinkers, turn on your ignition, find the running light wires. They will be on all the time while the ignition is on. Mark those wires. Turn on your blinker for either the left or right, use your tester to find the wire that is making the blinker turn on. mark that wire either left or right depending on which way you turned your blinker switch to. Do the same for all four wires. The other wire left over is for the ground. Find out which wire on you new blinkers is for the ground and hook them all up. They should work. If not, check your fuse. If they don't work after that you will have to check all the wires from start to end to find the loose ground or short. WHEWWW that was long winded. :laugh:

Not sure on the Spectre's but on most of the KZ', the flasher relay also is looking for a load to work "blink" properly....

They basically stop flashing and just go to ON only when one of the turn signal bulbs blow...

As Don mentioned, relay possibly bad as well....
Also, if you replace the turn signals with LED versions then you'll need a relay capable of LED load sensing...

Just something to think about,

OMR

Another thing is are the aftermarkets both blinkers and running lights? They usually have 2 elements and 3 wires (ground and 2 hots). Blinker only usually have 2 wires(ground and hot) and one element. And yes the flasher needs to see a resistance to flash. Resistance is NOT futile! You could go to just back blinkers but you would need to get a couple of resistors from like Radio Shack and put them inline to get them flashing.

I tried the electronic flasher route and it didnt work too well on my bike what I did find that worked was using the old kind of flasher yet use the variable load flasher.... You can put the flasher from the hazard lights in the signal flasher spot and see if it works that what I did and it works great now......

Locozuna wrote:

Another thing is are the aftermarkets both blinkers and running lights? They usually have 2 elements and 3 wires (ground and 2 hots). Blinker only usually have 2 wires(ground and hot) and one element. And yes the flasher needs to see a resistance to flash. Resistance is NOT futile! You could go to just back blinkers but you would need to get a couple of resistors from like Radio Shack and put them inline to get them flashing.

Actually, the resistors would need to parallel (from hot wire to ground) around the LED to make the bimetallic flasher work. You need more current to make it flash.

twfields79 wrote:

I tried the electronic flasher route and it didnt work too well on my bike what I did find that worked was using the old kind of flasher yet use the variable load flasher.... You can put the flasher from the hazard lights in the signal flasher spot and see if it works that what I did and it works great now......

Here's the easy way: a rurn signal/running light has three wires (two hot, one gnd) and the bulb has two filaments. The brighter 16W filament is for the turn signal, the dimmer 8W filament is the position light. A turn signal only is a single filament (16W) bulb. Only two wires, one hot one gnd.

The left front and rear turn signal (16W) lines connect directly together and wire to the output terminal of the TS switch. The right front and rear TS filaments wire together and hook to the other output terminal from the TS switch.

The center terminal of the TS switch connects to the flasher output. The other terminal of the flasher goes to 12V.

Progress? I bought new fuses and a volt meter. New fuses in and All the wires checked. I have no running lights and the front should be running lights and turn signals. I do however have a working blinker on the right side and the left one will work if I jerk it off with my thumb. I keep blowing my tail meter fuse. It was late and I went to the auto parts store and bought 14a fuses instead of 10a cuz they fit the slot and that's all they had.

I think I'm getting close guys any ideas? So now no running lights, working right signal and manual left signal. And I keep blowing my tail meteer fuse. What's next?

BTW I really appreciate all the help!!!

I got all of the wires checked, new bulbs, fuses and flasher. I have working rear blinkers and from marker lights but now no front blinkers. What now?

Check the front wires that are hot to make sure they are the running lights. You check them by hooking up the tester and then turning on the blinker switch. If they are the running lights the tester will not flash if they are the blinkers they will. Dig around and see if there are any wires not connected to anything or cut off somewhere. Those will be either the blinker or running light wires. Did the after market blinkers you picked up have three wires or two? If they have two you want to have blinkers more than running lights to stay legal. Since your blowing fuses it sounds like the P/O cut off the running light wires and one is touching metal somewhere blowing the fuse. It sounds like your getting close. Also you might want to take the switch apart and check it out. It might be worn out are wearing out. You might be able to clean it up and make some slight bends so all the parts make better contact.

Thanks for the tips! I'm almost positive that I've got it! I had the wires wrong. Running lights were hooked to the flashers. Would that cause my battery to die since one sucks more juice than the other?

Reason I ask is I found myself stranded at the gas station. Right after I went in and told them all about my new bike and the great deal I got on it! Then had to come back in and ask if anyone had jumper cables! Moderately embarrassing!!! New battery is in place and the wires hooked up the right way now though! Could that be a problem with the charging system? Or could it be just that I had the wires hooked up wrong, burned the fuses and drained the battery? What/how do I check for that? Before I hooked this all up I checked all the wiring to the signals for resistance and got 000's all the way around.

Only thing I have left, as long as my new battery is ok, is that my brake lights don't light up when I push the foot or the hand break. I looked at the bulbs and can't tell if they are bad or not. Now that I am typing this it sounds like another job for my new voltmeter. Right? Thanks again for all the help you guys I really need it. I'm good with mechanical things but I don't know S*&T about electronics...