Turn signal glitch, I'm stumped.

[Drif10]

Got a heavy rain problem. Just washing the bike doesn't do this.

The turn signals won't work after being parked in a heavy rain, or the day AFTER riding in heavy rain. During the ride in the rain, worked fine. Normally bike is parked in the garage, unless I'm away. After 30 minutes of riding, they'll just start working. Shut the bike off, turn it back on, and no turns for another half hour. Hazard lights work fine.

Replaced the fuse just because I had some, no change. Cleaned and lightly greased the turn switch, no change. But it was it good condition before I touched it, I had serviced the switch last fall.

The harness connectors are clean and checked.

I just don't know what next. Maybe the key switch? Is thing that old enough tech that the lights power goes through it, so maybe it needs some TLC? My BMWs, the ecu controlled that, switch was just to power ecu.

Help.

 

[Sierra1]

Wiring diagram?

 

[Drif10]

I've studied it.

Turn switch, electronic relay, connectors for both, hazard switch and connector for it, last thing I can see is the key switch.

Connector for it looks good, it's just a hassle to get at the bottom of the key switch where the switch plate is, so I haven't dived that deep in to this.

There's always the 'damaged wire in the harness' scenario, which would really suck. Took months to figure out my RT abs problems were just this.

Just wondering if anyone else had been there, done that.

 

[WJBertrand]

May try packing all the associated connectors with dielectric grease?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

 

[VRODE]

Have you tried displacing water/moisture from the key switch with WD-40? This might point to the problem.

 

[Sierra1]

Have you tried displacing water/moisture from the key switch with WD-40? This might point to the problem.

I thought about that too, but wondered if the water was trapped at the bottom, and couldn't get out. I guess if you put enough WD-40 in, the water would be on top of the WD-40. Maybe? I was wondering if high pressure air was forced into the switch. Blow/dry the water out.

 

[Drif10]

Good ideas, folks. Gonna try the compressed first in the morning, see what happens. Then try the WD.

Might just bite the bullet and drill out the security bolts on the ignition switch and service that connector. 100k on the bike now, probably needs it anyways.

 

[Squibb]

The manual suggests that if the turn signals don't work then it's either the wiring or the switch. No mention of checking any relay, which, in your case seems to work fine with the hazard flashers. Have you checked for codes though?

I'm not sure what year your bike is, Gen 1 or 2, or whether there are any after market mods such as self cancelling or LED upgrades (G1). Presumably fuse 8 is good, checks for continuity, with no corrosion around the fuse holder area.

The left hand handlebar switch seems like the place to start, followed by a continuity check of the wiring to/from the relay, so I would commend you to leaving the ignition switch well alone at this stage, as you have hazzard flashers, so you can focus on the most likely culprit first. It's so easy to create new problems, disturbing the loom, rather than solutions.

 

[Drif10]

No codes.

Working fine this morning, before I touched anything, of course. I love intermittent electrical problems.

Also: wiggle checks reveal nothing. Doesn't cause or cure anything.

I'm thinking about trying to replicate the condition by pouring water on select areas, one at a time. Soak the ignition, wait a day and see if the problem reoccurs. Then the turn switch. And so on, until I can localize the issue.

 

[Fennellg]

Sometimes these things resolve them selves. One of my headlight bulbs was out. I hit the high beams a couple of times it working now. I would park it in the sun for the day. Let it dry out. Then the wd40 followed by the grease. These things tend to pop up at the worst time. If you are on a trip and it’s bugging you then your attentions are not fully on riding.