turn signals aren't working...help please

Ok so i Have a bobbed out 81 xj650h and i put new turn signals on. they stay on like running lights but will not flash when i put on the left or right turn signal. fuses seem to be ok, bought new relays. the only problem i see is smoke coming from the diode in the headlight housing once in while. not sure if they are related or if i have the wrong wires hooked up to the turn signals. any ideas would be appreciated.

 

Smoke is not good, I would get a wiring diagram and check it. If this started right after you plugged a bunch of stuff back in then ya you prolly mixed some wires up.

 

Its possible your lights aren't drawing enough power to trip the thermal flasher originally in the XJ's. You might want to make a $3 investment and buy an electronic flasher. Try searching "LED turn signals" in the forums to learn how to change flashers and the part number to get. Even if you aren't using LED turn signals, the signals need to be using I believe 27W bulbs (don't quote me) to trip the flasher and most turn signals, I don't think, draw that much current anymore. Good luck!

 

the new ones are led bullets

 

Never even thought of that, yup the old flashers use a bimetallic contact arm, when it heats up from the current going through it, it bends thus breaking contact and shutting off the light until the arm cools, straightens out again and makes contact, turning the light on. this cycle goes on every time the light flashes. If the LED,s only draw a very small amount of current the bimetallic spring in the flasher will not heat up and bend to brake the circuit and turn off the light..

 

The flasher is probably your problem then. Check out this thread:

http://xjbikes.com/Forums/viewtopic/t=2156.html

and this one:

http://xjbikes.com/Forums/viewtopic/t=1 ... t=led.html

Realize though, you will lose the auto-cancel feature unless you build a separate circuit, not that you ever used it anyway. Good luck!

 

Looks like Woot in the second post said he thought it was a thermal flasher but found its not, still works on the same principal.

 

well i tried the electronic flasher and all they do is slightly pulsate

 

Have you sure the correct voltage and amperage is getting to the flasher and the turn-signals? It might be multi-meter time....

 

well i just purchased load resistors...hoping they work

 

well i installed the resistors and the turn signals work great!
[/img]