Motorbike indicators

Hi all,

I recently acquired a motorbike, Honda CB 500 for those who are interested. I noticed something quite strange though. When the lights are off, the indicators flash at a normal rate; however, when I switch the lights on, the rate basically doubles.

I'm sure there is a logical electronics explanation behind this, but I'm wondering what it could be ! I'm thinking about taking the "relay" out, checking all the connections etc.

I have a good multimeter underhand and some basic electronic skills. Any ideas what could be causing this?

Thanks,

Tony

Personaly I would be checking Earth conections. Make up a decent lead with clips long enough to reach from the battery Earth to reach the headlights. Conect to each earth point untill the fault stops. This should narrow down where the fault may be.

dido. it does sound like the lights are dumping or pulling extra through the relay, i'd start by checking all the wires under the tank (along the frame rail) going inside the headlite bucket, a quick test is to give them a little shaking if u can while they are blinking ,and watch out/ b careful.

It'a probably a bad connection. Flashing twice as fast is usually an indication that a bulb has blown. You should remove a bulb and see if the flasher does flash twice as fast with the headlights off.

If that is the case, and it flashes twice as fast with both bulbs and the headlight on, that implies that less current is taken by the indicators when the headlight is on, which would point to a bad connection that is reducing the voltage when the larger load of the headlight is on.

Personaly I would be checking Earth conections. Make up a decent lead with clips long enough to reach from the battery Earth to reach the headlights. Conect to each earth point untill the fault stops. This should narrow down where the fault may be.

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I presume the earth is the black connect on the battery? But then I wouldn't be sure about what wires would actually be the earth, I'll take a look, but I need to figure out what is what before I start connecting things

dido. it does sound like the lights are dumping or pulling extra through the relay, i'd start by checking all the wires under the tank (along the frame rail) going inside the headlite bucket, a quick test is to give them a little shaking if u can while they are blinking ,and watch out/ b careful.

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All the wired under the tank seem fine, the main beam of wires of fully wrapped in tape and sealed, except when some of the wires branch out to their respective connections. So it's really hard to tell where this connection issue could come from. I'll give the shaken method though.

Diver300 said:

It'a probably a bad connection. Flashing twice as fast is usually an indication that a bulb has blown. You should remove a bulb and see if the flasher does flash twice as fast with the headlights off.

If that is the case, and it flashes twice as fast with both bulbs and the headlight on, that implies that less current is taken by the indicators when the headlight is on, which would point to a bad connection that is reducing the voltage when the larger load of the headlight is on.

Click to expand...

Interesting; I took the back left bulb out, and the left side indicators went crazy fast, whether headlights on, or off. But the right ones were normal speed with headlights off, and "intermediate fast" with them on.

I suggest that you check that all the bulbs are the correct power.

Switch the bulbs and see if the side with the fault moves. i.e. move the left bulbs front and back to the right. The driver indicator COULD be involved too.