HD Forums Australia
Home
Topics

Indicator Gremlins

  • kick
    kick
    6 years ago
    Its possessed, has to be. 
    New to me 2000 Fatty with aftermarket indicators. Picked up the bike and everything worked fine. Go for a long run midday following day and no issues.

    Leave to go to work following day in the early hours and indicators not working at all ( apart from a faint flash on the dash indicator that doesn't transfer through to the actual indicator). Head home after work, indicators still not working until halfway home then out of the blue they all start working as design.

    Next day carbon copy of the first, leave home 5:30am and indicators don't work all the way into work but coming home that night halfway home they decide to work.

    So how the hell would you diagnose something as weird as that shite ??
  • Roo Ted
    Roo Ted
    6 years ago

    Mate, if it's only the indicators I'd be looking at a bad connection on your indicator relay. If it involves other electrics aswell then I'd be looking for a bad earth on the battery or main earth connection to frame. A high resistance electrical connection can give these intermittent problems. Good luck & let us know if you find the answer.

    Roo.

  • tussuck
    tussuck
    6 years ago
    Grab a wiring diagram for your model and year and then track the cables through.  Odds are that its either an earth, the blinker unit or the handlebar switch.
    Best way to fix is to trace the cables through.
  • kick
    kick
    6 years ago
    Yeah Im figuring its probably an earth fault as the aftermarket indicators have also been relocated, time to sit down with a beer and do some chasing. Was told thatthe handlebar switches are prone to get coated in crap but I would think for both to go out would be unusual. Either way I will pull them apart and clean them. 
    And yes Roo, only indicators so either earth, the indicator control module or the like.

  • Roo Ted
    Roo Ted
    6 years ago
    Did you find the problem?
  • kick
    kick
    6 years ago
    Nah Roo, still a work in progress. Have checked all the wiring and even redone some on the rear indicators. Cleaned all connections and took off the indicator module to clean out its connectors as well. End result, still the same. On a cold start the indicators wont work for at least 15 minutes running then its no issue.
    Does the indicator module hold a resident charge ? All other functions work without a problem and no fault codes appear.

    That's about the only other thing to try, replace the indicator module.
  • Grubster
    Grubster
    6 years ago
    Had exactly the same problem with my 99 Wide Glide. The blinkers worked randomly. Sometimes yes, sometimes no. And I'd get the faint flash on the dash.
    What caused mine was the wiring from the right hand rear blinker had come out of the clip under the rear guard and the tyre had rubbed on the wires. It was cut right through, but are the bike moved the wires moved and made contact now and then. Did my head on for a while because I started at the blinker module, which tested ok. It was only by chance I saw the broken wires. Might be worth a look under the rear guard.
  • SJM
    SJM
    6 years ago
    I had similar problems on my 2001 softail when i put aftermarket indicators on. (aftermarket were two wire compared to oem which are 3 wire)
    First problem i had was they did not earth properly so i had to ensure the indicators were metal on metal.  from memory i originally had a rubber washer between the blinker and the metal where it was attached so this had to go

    Have you fitted a load equaliser. I had to fit one to mine and this sorted the problems. It was just a plug in unit that fits under the seat


  • paulybronco
    paulybronco
    6 years ago
    I am guessing its its the module / ballast that runs the indicators. Are they LED by chance....
  • Adz69
    Adz69
    6 years ago
    It sounds like a short to me, but one that's only just shorting depending on the temperature of the bike. If it works normally after 15 mins, maybe there is somehwhere a wire just lightly touches, but when everything heats up a bit, the the two contact point move apart. 
    In my job, I see similar things to this where there can be intermittent shorts that sometimes "half short" meaning the contact is so light that part of the power is being shunted to earth but part still passes through normally which starves the signal but doesn't completely kill it. It's hard to trace, but once you find the spot, it's usually a simple fix.
  • SJM
    SJM
    6 years ago
    I will check what brand i have tonight. from memory i only paid around $40-50 dollars...maybe not even that. Badlands have some options but they are around $80-$100 mark
     
  • SJM
    SJM
    6 years ago
    believe i have a kuryakyn 4810 2 amp load equaliser. It does state it is for 2001 and up with tssm security system though i did find a site that advised it can be used for earlier models
    in addition to this i am pretty sure i had to get the kuryakyn adapter
    it was all pretty straightforward..no cutting wires just plug in
    give EASYR a call. has one on the website for $30 and an adapter for $22.00
Topics