'74 Honda XL 350 Turn sig issues Flasher???

Wildman1971 · 04-28-2012, 11:42 AM

I'm working on this bike and I'm trying to figure out the correct way to test the turn sig relay. The front turn sigs will just come one bright but won't flash. Same at the rear for the side I have on. But that is where I'm having another issue. The rear turn sigs are very dim. Taillight is also dim. I've checked and cleaned all connections with no avail. There could be a wire somewhere rubbed thru I guess but I've not found it. This is the old 6v system. Has a new battery. Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

rpet · 04-28-2012, 02:51 PM

signals solid on and not flashing means that your flasher unit isn't working. Emgo makes a 6v one that works for this bike.

dim signals and rear light could mean poorly charged (or dying) battery; that's usually the cause. Is this a lead-acid battery and does it provide sufficient voltage?

I would make sure the battery is working correctly, either with a volt meter or installing it in a different bike. Being new doesn't mean a whole lot with a lead acid battery.

Wildman1971 · 04-28-2012, 06:06 PM

The front turn signals are nice and bright but the rear is very dim. I noticed a white wire up front in the ignition switch area that wasn't hooked to anything. It's a female bullet connector end. I found a wiring diagram and it shows a resistor that a whit wire hooks to then supposed to be grounded. I wander if this could have something to do with it.

truck6driver · 04-28-2012, 08:01 PM

DIM lights on one end of the bike would be a bad ground. In fact if you have a bad ground it will find it through another buld and back feed another light. This adds resitance giving it the dimming effect. Look for ground wires and check each bulb socket seperatly with all the bulbs on the rear removed. Use a ohm meter to check ground and volt meter to check power wires.
You want as close to 0.0 ohms on the grounds to the battery ground and same as battery voltage on the positive side.

put you ground wire of the meter on the negative side of the battery for both test.

Too bad you are not local or you could just bring it over and we could sort it out.

Ray

Wildman1971 · 05-01-2012, 05:50 PM

Okay, I made some progress. Seems that someone in the past had an 1157 12v bulb in the taillight! I put the correct 1154 6v bulb in and it worked like a charm. Same with the turn sigs. They were 12v bulbs. I put the correct bulbs in it and they light up like they should. Although I still have no flash which I'm going to try and find a new 6v flasher. Crossing my fingers that it will take care of it. Well, at least I know for sure that the grounds are all good! after going thru all of them and cleaning connections, grounds, fixing a few sorry looking wires and such. Now to find a flasher!

04-28-2012, 11:42 AM	#1
Wildman1971 ^OP Gnarly Adventurer Joined: Jan 2011 Location: Indiana Oddometer: 113	'74 Honda XL 350 Turn sig issues Flasher??? I'm working on this bike and I'm trying to figure out the correct way to test the turn sig relay. The front turn sigs will just come one bright but won't flash. Same at the rear for the side I have on. But that is where I'm having another issue. The rear turn sigs are very dim. Taillight is also dim. I've checked and cleaned all connections with no avail. There could be a wire somewhere rubbed thru I guess but I've not found it. This is the old 6v system. Has a new battery. Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

04-28-2012, 02:51 PM	#2
rpet Awesometown Joined: Aug 2010 Location: Brooklyn, California Oddometer: 311	signals solid on and not flashing means that your flasher unit isn't working. Emgo makes a 6v one that works for this bike. dim signals and rear light could mean poorly charged (or dying) battery; that's usually the cause. Is this a lead-acid battery and does it provide sufficient voltage? I would make sure the battery is working correctly, either with a volt meter or installing it in a different bike. Being new doesn't mean a whole lot with a lead acid battery. __________________ '76 Xl250 '04 XR250R '09 DR650 '10 TR450

Thread Tools	Search this Thread
Show Printable Version Email this Page	Search this Thread: .
Display Modes
Linear Mode Switch to Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode

04-28-2012, 06:06 PM	#3
Wildman1971 ^OP Gnarly Adventurer Joined: Jan 2011 Location: Indiana Oddometer: 113	The front turn signals are nice and bright but the rear is very dim. I noticed a white wire up front in the ignition switch area that wasn't hooked to anything. It's a female bullet connector end. I found a wiring diagram and it shows a resistor that a whit wire hooks to then supposed to be grounded. I wander if this could have something to do with it.

04-28-2012, 08:01 PM	#4
truck6driver The Fireman Joined: Sep 2007 Location: Hope Mills, N.C. Oddometer: 5,788	DIM lights on one end of the bike would be a bad ground. In fact if you have a bad ground it will find it through another buld and back feed another light. This adds resitance giving it the dimming effect. Look for ground wires and check each bulb socket seperatly with all the bulbs on the rear removed. Use a ohm meter to check ground and volt meter to check power wires. You want as close to 0.0 ohms on the grounds to the battery ground and same as battery voltage on the positive side. put you ground wire of the meter on the negative side of the battery for both test. Too bad you are not local or you could just bring it over and we could sort it out. Ray

05-01-2012, 05:50 PM	#5
Wildman1971 ^OP Gnarly Adventurer Joined: Jan 2011 Location: Indiana Oddometer: 113	Okay, I made some progress. Seems that someone in the past had an 1157 12v bulb in the taillight! I put the correct 1154 6v bulb in and it worked like a charm. Same with the turn sigs. They were 12v bulbs. I put the correct bulbs in it and they light up like they should. Although I still have no flash which I'm going to try and find a new 6v flasher. Crossing my fingers that it will take care of it. Well, at least I know for sure that the grounds are all good! after going thru all of them and cleaning connections, grounds, fixing a few sorry looking wires and such. Now to find a flasher!