81 KZ550 Hot Ignition Wire

I was riding the other day when I notices my blinker was acting really weird like not blinking correctly and being all erratic. When I got home I was looking around and noticed that the white white coming out of the blade fuze to a bullet connector was hot. I also noticed that the blade fuse was a 30 amp and not the standard 20 it should be.

So...Where do I begin to look and what is mos likely the culprit?

The problem could be in the handlebar control switch. I would take it apart & check for dirty connections or damage. And check other stuff methodically, especially the turn signal wiring & relay/flasher. also check the bulbs & sockets as they can corrode. Your bike should have a turn signal control unit. not sure how to test that.

I would also check all of the connections at the fuse box to make sure they're good & to check for poorly done work. The main fuse white wires should go to the ignition switch, so check that connector in the headlight bucket. The ign switch has soldered connections, so you could remove the bottom cover to check there. The po may have installed blade fuses because he was trying to fix a problem, but that didn't work, so he tried to mask the problem with a 30A fuse. Be sure to install the correct size main fuse (20A).

loudhvx --- topic with motorcycle stuff links -->> KZ550 wiring diagrams are in the manual link

CULPRIT

Excess heat = too much current

if Power = Current x Volts and you have bad connections, to get the same power you need more current.

Heating in wiring is based on the square of the current: double the current, quadruple the heat...



where to look first


As above, battery connections, engine earthing point, ignition switch would be the first point of call. A digital multimeter and some reading here will help you narrow down the problem.

Martin, good advice but better disconnect the 'winker' switch block connector and check the resistance with a mter -loads quicker and more definite.

There is only 1 blade fuse. It's inline with the white ignition wire.

Many electrical problems can be attributed to poor contact and the resulting high resistance in pin connectors and chassis grounds. Age and moisture accelerate formation of corrosion and lead to odd, intermittent electrical problems. Cleaning pin connectors is often as easy as removing and reseating the connector a few times. An application of conductive grease to the pins and sockets will not only prevent further corrosion damage, it will also improve overall conductivity of connections while supplying a good thermal path to help dissipate heat. Note that conductive grease is not the same as dielectric grease, a common misconception.

After performing the steps suggested above, consider applying conductive grease to the pins and sockets, and cleaning chassis grounds. NoOxId works well on vehicle electrical systems. We used this grease for decades on critical connections in copiers, printers and production scanners. Many equipment manufacturers specify it by name for pin connectors:
www.sanchem.com/electrical-contact-lubricant.html

A tube will last a very long time. No need to pack the entire pin connector body; just coat the pins and put a small dollop into the pin sockets:
www.amazon.com/NO-OX-ID-Compound-Electri...s=no+ox+id+a+special

Good Ridin'
slmjim & Z1BEBE

Thanks wildman...