Tach bugs out when I use my turn signal.

When I turn my blinker on my tach needle drops down like the bike isn't even running. It bounces kinda up and down and crap. This just started today and it's driving me batty! Also starting today, my blinkers won't blink. Aftermarket blinkers with 10W bulbs with a voltage regulator installed. Also the neutral light stopped coming on. This all happened today on the ride home.

PLEASE HELP!
1982 Maxim 650

 

Aftermarket turn signals will not work with the stock flasher and cancel unit. You need to either add load resistors in parallel to consume another 17W per lamp, or install a 2-pin electronic flasher module and lose the self-cancel capability, or build a self-cancel capable replacement flasher like I've outlined here: http://xjbikes.com/Forums/viewtopic/p=115206.html

I'm not sure why you're having these other problems, but the 10W turn signals on the stock system are definitely a problem and clearing up that part of the puzzle may make it easier to figure out what else is going on.

Another issue you have with aftermarket turn signals on a 650 is that it uses the ground path through the "other" pair of signals to ground the indicator lamp in the instrument cluster. I.e. when flashing left, the turn signal indicator light is grounded through the filaments of the right pair of lamps. Lower wattage lamps may make this circuit act pretty weird. If you want to continue running 10W lamps, you may need to add some rectifiers to the indicator circuit as I've outlined here: http://xjbikes.com/Forums/viewtopic/p=281369.html

 

It does have the box installed that you would put in if you install LED blinkers. Thanks for the links man. I'll check into some of it tomorrow.

 

WES! ride it up here and we'll do ours together! I'm having a similar problem. Definitely a different cause though

 

sounds like flood damage

 

I had some very similar symptoms after I did an aftermarket coil installation.
In my case it turned out to be a bad ground(Ground wire from harness to coil center bar). Grounding to the frame corrected it.

Maz

 

I think it may be a ground issue. I replaced the fuse and the neutral light, tach, and flashers cleared up until the fuse blew again.

Maz43,
Could you be more specific on where that ground wire is at? I'm not the most mechanical guy on here. Thanks man.

 

Lol! @ Polock

 

I would bro, but after I replace the blown fuse to leave I'd be replacing them every block or two the whole way. That would be one hell of a toll to pay. Lol!

We'll catch up if you come down here to Millville at NJ Motorsports Park. They have a lot of track racing there.

 

i lolld for like 10 minutes

 

You really need an ammeter. A multimeter that reads 20A DC would do.

1. Get alligator clip jumpers or gator tips for the probes
2. Set the meter to DC Amps
3. Remove the fuse that's blowing
4. Clip one probe to one of the fuse clips and the other probe to the other fuse clip
5. Turn on the ignition and note the reading on the meter (engine off, bike in neutral)
6. Try the turn signals and note the reading
7. Start the engine and note the reading
8. Lastly, try the turn signals with the engine running

One of those last four steps should cause the meter, at least intermittently, to start reading above the rating of the fuse. The step at which this occurs should allow you to narrow down which circuit has a problem and is causing the fuse to blow. You 10W turn signals should account for only about 2A when lit.

 

Thanks SQL! I'll borrow my father-in-laws meter and let you know how it came out.

 

Ok. Sorry it took so long, but here are the meter results.


5. Turn on the ignition and note the reading on the meter (engine off, bike in neutral)

- Reading was 10.1

6. Try the turn signals and note the reading

- Left Reading was 10.7 / Right Reading was 11.2

7. Start the engine and note the reading

- Reading was 12.2

8. Lastly, try the turn signals with the engine running

- Left Reading was 12.9 / Right reading was 13.1

 

Which fuse is this? The "Signals" fuse?

Drawing 10 Amps with only the tail light on (Step 5) is too high.

With just the key on and the brake off, it looks like that circuit should be running the two tail lights (2 x 8W) and the neutral lamp (3.4W), for a total of about 20W = less than 2 Amps.

Something is drawing another 8A.

If the brake were on (or one of the brake switches was stuck closed) that would add another 54W = another 4.5 Amps... still not enough to account for the extra 8A of draw you're seeing.

Are there any aftermarket accessories on the bike that might have tapped in to that circuit?

The other things you can check under step 5 are:

1. Take the bike out of neutral and see what the current draw drop to.
2. Remove the bulbs from the tail lamp and see what the current drops to

After 1 and 2 it should be 0. If it is, then whatever you removed that made a big difference was the problem. If it isn't, you'll need to look for other things powered off of that circuit.