I have a blinker problem...

[e3steve]

Try another step: take a temporary test wire from the battery +ve straight to the centre-contact wire of the switch; do this inside the headlamp. Try the switch and see if each side now works in a static mode.

If so, re-attach the original wire that should 'feed' the switch and proceed further below.

If not, suspect the handlebar wiring or the switch contacts.

Now attach the test wire to the terminal that would normally attach to the flasher and that routes into the headlamp; try the switch again.

Blinkers light up via the switch? Check for 12V at the wire that runs from the ign circuit to the flasher, next to the battery.

No lights? Suspect the aforementioned wire shown above in blue.

[tippinwa]

Thanks, I will do that. As soon as I connect the wires and get a result, I'll post it. I really appreciate your advice. I was drawing a total blank, and so its good to at least have a direction. More tomorrow (I hope)...

[tippinwa]

That motercycle is really not cooperating. I have made some progress I guess, but the problem is not nearly resolved. I removed each turn indicator housing and cleaned the base to ensure a good ground and then I tested the ground with a meter. All tested good.

Next as suggested, I ran a jumper from the battery positive to each of the wires on the four turn indicators. Each bulb came on bright and steady. Then, I linked the RR and the RF, and on the other side the LR and the LF, and connected the hot jumper to first one side and then the other. In both cases, the two bulbs on each side came on bright and steady.

Then I connected the hot jumper to the center wire of the handlebar switch. If I put it in the left position, both left side indicators came on bright and steady. Same with the switch in the right side, those lights then came on.

OK, making some progress, I thought. So I removed the battery jumper and connected the gray wire from the blinker cannister to the center wire of the handlebar switch, I turned the key on, and I moved the switch to the left and then the right positon. Nothing happened. No lights. Further, when I did that, the 12.43 volt in the gray wire disappeared! Gone. I fiddled around with the wires for the longest time, and discovered that if I turned the bike off, let it sit for a while, then turned it back on, I would have 12.43 volts at the gray wire. As soon as I moved the handlebar switch, it would disappear. Why, I have no idea as nothing else is connected.

Then I had an idea. I used the jumper from the battery to the gray wire out of the blinker housing, but nothing happened. Then I moved the jumper to the black wire out of the blinker cannister and get this...the turn signals began to work. I got both lights blinking on the left, then I got both lights blinking on the right. They worked normally. I removed the jumper and tested the voltage in the black wire with the key off (zero) and with the key on, 12.43 volts until I moved the handlebar switch to L or R - then the voltage went to zero.

So, the blinkers work if I jump the circuit directly to the battery positive, but not if I use the key to send voltage to the system. That's not right. I cannot have a short because everything else on the bike is not connected except the coils and the rectifier and I doubt either of those would be causing such a problem. I'm about at the end of my rope on this one. Perhaps I need to turn it over to an electrical specialist. I sure hate to do that because I don't want to give up. Perhaps I'll let it sit for a day or two until I can think clearly again. I still belive there is a wiring problem. Somewhere I have something connected wrongly, but I cannot pin it down. I sure do want to ride that old bike a few more times. I'd really like to take it to Thunder Beach down in Panama City next year and show off to all those kids in their crotch rockets and the old geezers on their Harleys.

[e3steve]

Don't jump! It's along way down......

You don't have a 'short'; you have a resistive supply -- perhaps a cut, break or, as previously described, a moisture-damaged and subsequently-corroded conductor (cable), and that is causing the voltage to collapse when the lamps require current. The black wire, from the ignition (key-ON) supply is your problem. The good news? You've found the root cause. The bad news? You ain't finished with it yet!

I'll be working on my CB this weekend, so I'll take time to locate where the source couples with the ign supply.

You MUST find the source of the resistance; it could affect other devices, if not now, then eventually.

Workaround: run a short length of wire, preferably black, from the keyswitch terminal IG to the flasher can(ister) and couple it together with the existing black wire. This will, for now, delay any such situation but should be considered merely temporary.

[tippinwa]

I'm not going to jump. Well, not untill I push this bike off first.

Thanks for the suggestion, I'll do that next. Yesterday, thinking there could be a problem with the wires connecting into the key-switch. So, I removed the switch and one-at-a-time I removed the wires on each post and cleaned them with very fine sandpaper. They had not been removed since the bike was assembled, so they were quite dirty & fouled. Now, they are each bright and clean and have excellent contact.

That black wire has a couple of splices that I can see. One goes to the brakelight switch and the other (I think) goes to the coils. I need to trace that splice to be sure. In fact, I may even replace that entire circuit with new wire (black) with proper splicers for the branches. In 1967 Honda just wrapped and soldered splices, and wrapped the entire harness in electrical tape. Putting new wire in that circuit with proper splices may not help, but it sure won't hurt.

There is "something" holding a charge in that circuit because when I turn the key off, voltage in that circuit does not go to zero. Instead, it goes down fairly quickly but does not reach zero for several minutes. However, when I move the handlebar blinker switch, it immediately drops to zero.

Well, to day I will replace the black wire in that circuit, ensureing good solders and no grounds. I might as well do the same to the gray wire, as it goes only from the blinker can to the headlight where it connects to the handlebar switch.

I appreciate all your great advice (and patience). If the problem were mechanical, I would have a better understanding but this electrical stuff is frustrating. Basically I imagine electrical is a lot like plumbing except one uses water and the other electrons. Hmmm, perhaps I'll start thnking of all those wires as pipes - that might help.

[e3steve]

There is "something" holding a charge in that circuit because when I turn the key off, voltage in that circuit does not go to zero. Instead, it goes down fairly quickly but does not reach zero for several minutes. However, when I move the handlebar blinker switch, it immediately drops to zero.

That will be one of the ignition circuits holding 'hysteresis'; the one which has its points open.

A solder splice is best, but I prefer to use glue-filled heatshrink to insulate and waterproof. Run one black wire from the keyswitch to the headlamp. Slide about 1.5" of 3mm-1mm heatshrink over this wire, one per drop-off and 'part' the insulation at the relevant drop-off points -- don't cut the wire. Wrap & solder each one and shrink the tubing; a heat gun is best, rather than a flame which will melt the cables' insulation and damage the tubing. Done properly, this method will last forever!

Finally, to make the job like factory, slip about a quarter-inch of white heatshrink (ident) over each end of the main wire before terminating. This guy http://www.vintageconnections.com/ has all the terminating stuff you'll need and is great to deal with.

My 'coloured-in' wiring diagram herewith to help you along. The CL should be identical but without the starter circuits.

[Wilf]

I would have figured the condenser is slowly discharging after the ignition is turned off. Why would coil hysterisis take that long?