LED tail lights, grounds .... Maybe not THE problem, but found A problem ...

[Zoom Zoom]

I do believe this was mentioned at some point, but did you inspect the wire running under the rear fender for damage? I mean actually visually inspect it? Run your hand along it feeling for chafing? It has been known to rub through with the tire contacting it. That was one reason I had suggested unplugging it for testing. Also, if the wire is shorted someplace, you would see conductivity between leads with the bulbs removed where there should be none. Being able to unplug a wire to isolate things makes it easier to track down the source of the fault.

I still feel that you **might** be dealing with separate issues regarding the headlight and turn signals. **MIGHT**
If you treat them as separate in your trouble shooting it may be advantageous.

John Henry

[normzone]

Thanks John.

Yeah, it seems like it should be separate issues. Took me a while to realize that just because I discovered them all at once that they could have been gradually accruing over time.

I did a fingertip inspection of the harness and it felt undamaged, but I'm back in there again this morning with a meter and a power probe mapping it out in my mind ( wiring diagram for my mind not available  ). QUOTE: " conductivity between leads with the bulbs removed where there should be none ". Yeah, looking into that next.

My plan is to work on it some more today, finish by painting my valve covers and head guards so I can point to something accomplished, put it back together and ride it to work Monday. Maybe hang a sign on the back that says " NO LEFT TURN SIGNAL, I MIGHT BE CHANGING LANES SOON " or something like that.

[normzone]

So I never have been able to get the turn signal functional stuff out of the decorative plastichrome housings (who invented that stuff, anyway?). So I figured they were not meant to come apart, and were purely disposable widgetry. You know, "no user serviceable parts inside".

While playing with disconnecting the front half of the bike and testing turn signals, then testing with half hooked up, etc, etc, I went to pull out a turn signal bulb on the right side, and neglected to twist it. The plastic reflector and socket came out a little ways. So I coaxed it all the way out.

Some small evidence of wire insulation heating and melting together, but it was two black wires going to the same terminal, and only at the neck of the terminal. So not good, but not the problem I'm looking for.

So I try the left turn signal reflector and socket. No budging. So I get technical on it (point of the test probe used as a pry tool), and after some delicate wrestling it finally comes out. Money shot - green and black wires melted together, and a place in the green wire where the insulation is worn through from vibration, and copper shows.

I'm assuming the melting means I have some other problem some other place, but I'm going to call this progress. I will perform some small blade surgery to separate the melted zones, tape up, and test.

[Tom]

 

[Zoom Zoom]

The melting of the insulation in a spot would indicate a poor connection which will cause heat build up. Usually a crimped end or the spring clip not making a good positive contact with the bulb, or some other connector.

Those melted wires are telling you you're close to something that needs attention. Perhaps you'll get lucky and solve your troubles. If not, you still need to address what you have located. Wrap the wire with insulating tape, check the crimps of the connectors on the end of the wire, make certain the spring clip that contacts the back of the bulb is not loose and also make sure it is clean. Light touch with emery cloth or similar will clean the contacts. Also, if the contacts themselves are blackened, that will indicate a poor connection.

John Henry

[normzone]

I surgically separated the wires in the turn signals that had melted together, clad them in heat shrink.

Tail, brake and turn all began working like partners and friends again. As I closed up the tail light, I heard arcing.

 I don't know if I exposed the ends of the .... They're not spade connectors, they're cylindrical, but same principal. They were shielded in clear tubing, don't know if it was stock or home brewer repair. It had not been an issue before, but it was now. Maybe I caused it, maybe it was there and then the problem shifted to the turn signal. Something caused that melting. I over think things, hard to say.

So I heat shrunk those also. Put the LED tail/brake light in there that started all this and played with everything. Still got no low beam power, but the back of the bike is happy.

My wife undid all the fasteners for the valve covers and head guards - quality time together. I put multiple coats of wrinkle black on them while putting all the rest of the bike back together. It looks great.

My heartfelt thanks to all of you who posted on this thread. Offering your phone number, wiring diagrams, troubleshooting advice, just saying anything helped to sustain my morale.

And now, since I've not made a 2017 donation yet, I'll go earn my 2017 donor badge. I'm sure I'll be back soon with another " Oh no, it's floats away whenever I put the kickstand down, and I have to leash it to a pole" post before very long.

[normzone]

I do believe this was mentioned at some point, but did you inspect the wire running under the rear fender for damage? I mean actually visually inspect it? Run your hand along it feeling for chafing? It has been known to rub through with the tire contacting it. John Henry

I've fingertipped it and decided it was okay, bu today I got on the ground and eyeballed it with a flashlight. There's some red silicone sealant, looks kind of ochre industrial color, where that harness pierces the fender. I wonder if it's stock assembly method or the previous owner's effort at dealing with the rear tire throwing water up there.

[Zoom Zoom]

Probably the latter. The wires just went through a grommet. The silicone, or whatever, was probably added to for some reason.

John Henry

[Tom]

Like Zoom Zoom says probably a grommet.