Electrical gemlins

[laurie]

Hi Fellas
My bike seems to have an electrical gremlin. It keeps blowing a fuse on the indicator/brake light circuit. Ive checked and cleaned every connection, checked all of the earth connections that I can lay my hands on,and removed the globes and cleaned up the sockets, but still no joy. Ive also checked the cruise control(its wired into the brake light circuit) and it all seems good.
Ive noticed a slight pulse in the tail light when an indicator is on.......any ideas?
Cheers
Laurie

[Brock]

A pulse in brake lights indicates a bad indicator brake light earth.

[Greencan]

Hi ya Laurie :)...

How apt is the timing of this subject...I spent about 45 minutes on the phone to me old Mate Frank (MC Cruise), yesterday...10 minutes to sort my little conundrum out...the rest just general chit chat about shyte.

Anyway, I digress...Laurie, with the seat off, can you hear the relay (clicking / switching), with the cruise control computer when you apply the brakes (ign. on).?

Also spray some contact cleaner or such like in the switch for the MC cruise...the switch like ALL the OEM switches on the bike are not H2O proof, so I'm thinking of contact 'issue' within the MC switch.

The pulse you see means it's (the brake circuit), is receiving unwanted power from somewhere...the MC cruise as a the source on my part is a guess...the MC on your bike has an off the self computer, not the proprietary build of today...so bit of guess work on my part, but you have rightly considered the MC cruise.

I have just replaced all the incandescent lamps on the arse end of bike 1 with LED's, hence my call to Frank...Laurie, if my suggestion doesn't work, I am happy to phone him on you behalf, or call him yourself...most helpful...and best day will be this coming Wednesday.   

Cheers, Dick :)

[Greencan]

Sorry Mate...I have just had another thought...when you fitted all the tupperware back...but you remember to attach the earth lead to UNDER the LEFT bolt (with the collar), that attaches the rear section that houses the tail lamp assembly? It's that bolt on the LEFT fwd side proximal to the battery

This IS an important earth point.

Ciao, the can :)

[laurie]

Hiya
The cruise relay/computor clicks when a brake switch is activated.......I assume this is what it is meant to do????. Ive also disconnected the cruise,and then checked the indicator/brake light. The pulsing(in synch with the indicator) is still there.
I know the earth lead that you are talking about Dick, on my bike it has always been connected directly the the negative side of the battery. I connected it to the spot you mentioned(presumably the original and correct place), but this made no difference......
BTW...its not blowing a fuse every time I ride or run the bike....only when ive got to make a turn, or brake hard with someone right on my arse...
hmmmmm.back to the wiring diagram and a glass of Dr Merlots finest...
Laurie

[laurie]

Hi Kev
That all seems good. I did find a pinched earth wire on the brake light unit, fixed it, but stil no joy. The bike had some dodgy wiring when I bought it years ago(Lighter socket and hazard lights), but I disconnected and removed it all some years ago.....so I dont think its that either.
I may just have to carry a good supply of fuses....
Cheers
Laurie

[laurie]

Hi Kev
Its just started. Ive not installed any electrical accesories since I installed the cruise control, but that was years ago. (truth be known,I hate electrical farkles!)
Ive had the bike in pieces recently whilst giving it a make over, but I dont think its related. I do recall the lights failing on a ride to brisbane about eighteen months ago. I just put in a new fuse and carried on............definately something dodgy going on!
Laurie

[Greencan]

Hi ya Laurie et al...

Certainly drawing a spurious extra current from somewhere, and in all likelihood it's the 'winker' circuit given the pulsing you mention...the audible click from the MC cruise then rule that out.

I may just have to carry a good supply of fuses....

Not necessarily...

...to turn LEFT: extend out left arm with hand extended

...to turn RIGHT: extend out right arm with hand extended

...to turn NASTY: extend out either arm with hand flexed upwards, and all fingers flexed with the exception of middle finger, which remains extended

too easy

Cheers Dick :)

PS my first two contributions to this thread were after two bottles of (now rare), Barons Wattle Ale to help wash down one of El's homemade pizzas...hence they were my best shots ...it's all electrickary to me

[laurie]

Hiya Dickie and Kev.....
At this point ive exhausted all possibilities (at least those that my wine muddled brain can think of!) Ive worked on vehicles of all kinds all of my working life.................but electrical stuff still has me stumped. Its voodoo and black majic to me. There is always tommorrow.....................
Laurie

[DaleMcLean]

Blowing  afuse wont be from a bad earth.
the suggestion of a lamp in the duse and wiggling wiring etc is te best bet to find the fault.
It will be a wire thats crushed or the insulation worn through. 

[terrydj]

Blowing  afuse wont be from a bad earth.
the suggestion of a lamp in the duse and wiggling wiring etc is te best bet to find the fault.
It will be a wire thats crushed or the insulation worn through. 

Gotta agree mate, its a spark somewhere. Just can't let that smoke out.

[saaz]

I with Dale. Somewhere there is probably a wire worn through and now making intermittent contact.  This can be one of the most frustrating to find as it could be in one of the main wiring looms.  I will have a look at the wiring diagram and see if I get any brilliant ideas. Otherwise we can take the bike apart at Blackheath...

[laurie]

Thanks for the offer Saaz, but I was hoping to have it sorted before the Blackheath ride
Laurie

[laurie]

Ive just unravelled a bunch of very dodgy wiring, and a nest of cut wires.Not sure how I am going to sort this lot out. See pic.
Laurie

[laurie]

Progress of a sort, Ive removed some extraneous wiring (see pic) this was all wrapped up in tape and pused up behind the frame. It dosnt seem to be blowing a fuse now, but ive still got the slight pulse in the circuit somewere. At least its a goer now...
Laurie

[saaz]

When I got my ex-nrma bike I took off half a wine box full of wiring and various things. Much of it was just cut and left hanging.  Useful relays and wires for putting back on though.

[Greencan]

Hmmm...Ok, so from what I get from reading all of the above, you go for a ride of varying time and distances with the only constant being an annoying electrical failure at which point you return home to spend a time greater to that of the past ride in the shed with the odd piece(s) of tupperware removed checking and re-checking all the known possibilities and removing small bits of seemingly disused electrical stuff, before going out for a another ride and repeating all of the just mentioned ...Riiiggght I think I've got that

...Ya remember that Darmah that's on the wish list...how's it lookin' now ...mind you it could be worse, it could have begun to mark it's territory by leaving ever increasing puddles of oils each time it's stops for a breather...then we really could have something to chat about over that corner store $4 bottle of Merlot

Just a thought

[DaleMcLean]

...Ya remember that Darmah that's on the wish list...how's it lookin' now ...mind you it could be worse, it could have begun to mark it's territory by leaving ever increasing puddles of oils each time it's stops for a breather...then we really could have something to chat about over that corner store $4 bottle of Merlot

Just a thought

Have you been peeking in my shed???????  THAT is the closest description I've heard of her for years 

[laurie]

Dickie.....yep,that about sums it up. And I will have you know that the corner shop does a very fine $4.00 Merlot
BTW, My band played at the wedding of our local state M.P.last night. They had a very very very fine wine list indeed. Beat the hell out shagging about with neutrons and electrons!!!!
Laurie

[Greencan]

Have you been peeking in my shed???????  THAT is the closest description I've heard of her for years 

Oh!...reetings, (bear with me I've had a bourbon), greetings fellow 'classic' owner from the other side of the 'med'...sooo while you ponder the puzzles of Marconi, I admire in awe in the brilliance of the original prince of darkness...Lucus . And I truly mean I 'wonder' as the might 6 volt system of global illumination had me repeating the mantra "please God be there no roos, please God be there no roos"   as I rode my pride n joy in last of twilight from Newstead to Maldon last year...and yep, ya right the prince of darkness won, and he was further aided enroute by the god of gearboxes as I was stuck in 4th when I reached Maldon's city limits...Ahh the joys of 1000cc of 'V' twin with open exhaust slipping it's clutch only to drowned out by the blokes outside the pub..."change gear ya stupid bastard! " 

Yep Dale...think of the tales we can share having these distractions...whereas, a similar duo of ST riders pint sharing would go like..."I rode from Carins today, and...I saw a cow! "

..."awww, that's nothin mate, moi' and me on my ST and fellow traveling companion on the his BMW (he calls it truck...haw, haw, giggle giggle), saw two cows, and 5, YES 5 dead roos, witha fluro stip across them...you'd think those stupid drivers would've seen the bold fluro cross stripe on them...and not run them over...beat that " and so on....booorrrriinngg!!!

ORoo, the can :)