Trailer lights once again

[E-Fishin-C]

I just notice when I turn on the signal lights, all lights slightly pulsate.. Now I know that this is cause by a bad ground Do I look for on the scoot or on the trailer, I Have a 6 prong connector

[relic]

Look at the trailer and the wiring for the trailer on the bike as last time we had the same issue the wires were corroded behind the licience plate where we wired mine. Hope this helps

[Bubber]

I always use the KISS principle

"keep it simple stupid" ( sometimes I am extra stupid thats why the second "S")

 

I have found especially on trailers it is always the ground. SO that is why I use the KISS.

 

Most of my trailers are grounded through the ball and that makes a losy ground in my oppinion.

 

Next if no lights at all CHECK FUSES. second use of the KISS method. after that I am lost. LOL :Avatars_Gee_George:

 

Bubber

[Marcarl]

If the lights dim only on the trailer, then the trailer is the culprit, but if the bike does it as well then look for a ground problem on the bike. If your bike is not running this issue will come up as well even though your grounds may be in good shape, so to be sure put a charger on your battery as you do these tests, then you'll be sure to have enough power to properly feed the system.

[FreezyRider]

Many RSV's that I have seen do this.

My first one (a 99) did it. My current one, also a 99, does it. A friend has a 2001, same color as yours, and it does it too.

 

On mine, I have just about driven myself insane trying to find the issue. I replaced the rear wiring harness thinking that all of the cobbled up connections that the PO did to it were the issue. Nope. I went through all of the turn signals and removed any existing corrosion in the bulb sockets. One of those sockets was badly corroded and when I saw it I thought that I had found the problem. Cleaning them helped, lessened the problem somewhat, but it's still there.

I've been through every wiring point, ground point, and connector that has anything to do with the turn signal system (at least all that I've been able to identify). As a test, I ran temporary ground wires from the turn signal housings directly back to the battery. Still does it.

 

I've come to the point where I'm wondering if the ignition switch could somehow be involved in this. Many people have had weird electrical issues relating to the switch. Don't know, but sure wish I could find and kill this gremlin.

 

Joe

[Marcarl]

Many RSV's that I have seen do this.

My first one (a 99) did it. My current one, also a 99, does it. A friend has a 2001, same color as yours, and it does it too.

 

On mine, I have just about driven myself insane trying to find the issue. I replaced the rear wiring harness thinking that all of the cobbled up connections that the PO did to it were the issue. Nope. I went through all of the turn signals and removed any existing corrosion in the bulb sockets. One of those sockets was badly corroded and when I saw it I thought that I had found the problem. Cleaning them helped, lessened the problem somewhat, but it's still there.

I've been through every wiring point, ground point, and connector that has anything to do with the turn signal system (at least all that I've been able to identify). As a test, I ran temporary ground wires from the turn signal housings directly back to the battery. Still does it.

 

I've come to the point where I'm wondering if the ignition switch could somehow be involved in this. Many people have had weird electrical issues relating to the switch. Don't know, but sure wish I could find and kill this gremlin.

 

Joe

There could also be an issue with the wiring being too light to feed everything properly, but my best guess would be to look at the hot side connections to make sure they are good and clean and tight. We had a similar issue with Wizard765's bike last year with his newly installed bumper,,, drove him nuts as it was his scoot,,,, me?????? my worked fine so it was his problem:whistling:,,, and we tried everything. Finally he said he was going to install relays to the signals and brake lights, so the original circuit would run the relay and the power for the lights was then to be run through a new #14 wire,,,I thought,,well if you want to do the work, who am I to argue,, you know, kind of sceptical ???,,,,,,,,,,,,,,sh*t,,it worked.

[straycatt]

If your bike is not running this issue will come up as well even though your grounds may be in good shape, so to be sure put a charger on your battery as you do these tests, then you'll be sure to have enough power to properly feed the system.

 

 

I just finished my trailer rehab, going from incandesent lights to led's and had this exact problem.

The bike has a Drawtite 5 to 4 wire converter on it. The bike is running all conventiional bulbs and the trailer all led's.

When the bike is not running with the ignition on, the bike turn signals will flash normally but the trailer lights only flicker. Hit the brake and and the whole trailer/bike combo flashes as it should.

 

Start the engine and all funtion properly, brake or no brake.

Battery is fully charged, all wiring checked and double checked for resistance and voltage with a multimeter

 

I even temp wired in a test light at the flat four trailer connector, and it blinked like it should while the trailer still just flickered. Tried wiring in a 2.5K resister as well with no change.

I did not try a battery charger, but will tonight when I get home just for fun.

 

I suspect it has something to do with the load on the led's, but I accept that it's just the nature of the beast as I can find nothing wrong with either scooter or trailer.

This would have been good information to have a few days ago when I was going crazy looking for an mystery problem that didn't exist.

[Marcarl]

I just finished my trailer rehab, going from incandesent lights to led's and had this exact problem.

The bike has a Drawtite 5 to 4 wire converter on it. The bike is running all conventiional bulbs and the trailer all led's.

When the bike is not running with the ignition on, the bike turn signals will flash normally but the trailer lights only flicker. Hit the brake and and the whole trailer/bike combo flashes as it should.

 

Start the engine and all funtion properly, brake or no brake.

Battery is fully charged, all wiring checked and double checked for resistance and voltage with a multimeter

 

I even temp wired in a test light at the flat four trailer connector, and it blinked like it should while the trailer still just flickered. Tried wiring in a 2.5K resister as well with no change.

I did not try a battery charger, but will tonight when I get home just for fun.

 

I suspect it has something to do with the load on the led's, but I accept that it's just the nature of the beast as I can find nothing wrong with either scooter or trailer.

This would have been good information to have a few days ago when I was going crazy looking for an mystery problem that didn't exist.

As odd as it might seem, try a temp run of #14 wire to the back with a relay installed. Somehow I tend to think it's the LED's, although they don't need much amperage they do need full voltage to operate well.

[BuckShot]

I just notice when I turn on the signal lights, all lights slightly pulsate.. Now I know that this is cause by a bad ground Do I look for on the scoot or on the trailer, I Have a 6 prong connector

 

My ground runs from the battery all the way back to the plug on the bike and through that all the way back to the trailer lights. I was having the same problem with reg. lights and LED's. Ran a short wire off the ground wire on the trailer to the trailer frame under the trailer and it solved my problem. I think the ground wire was to small to carry the current ( if that makes sence) that far. If your trying to ground through the ball, you may never get a good ground.

[Nighthawk II]

I know this probably sounds stupid cause I think that you guys are too smart to overlook this, but do you have grease on the ball and reciever. If so what kind. I don't pull a trailor with my bike but I do with my truck. I generally keep the ball and reciever greased with a little dielectric grease cause as someone mentioned before the hitch is part of the ground circuit. It keeps the rust from building up on the ball and inside the reciever.

[saddlebum]

Forget the hitch--thats a lazy mans ground and very unreliable. The bare pin on your trailer connector coming from the bike is ground , clamp a good test light to it and then tuoch either the pos on your battery or another known reliable hot wire, if the light glows bright your ground connection is good. Now staying connected to the ground pin test all your other pins for tail brake and signal with the same test light. If everything works you know the hook up on the bike is good. Now you trailer is fiberglass so chance,s are nothing is grounded to the frame, each light will have a ground wire going directly to it from a splice, which will have one wire coming from the plug. Now this plug being the opposite of the one on the bike will have one covered pin and the rest bare. the covered pin is the ground pin on the trailer side. some times the wire coming from this pin instead of going directly to the lights will simply just be attached to the frame.( A spot that often looses connection with age) and the ground wires from the lights will be connected to nearest piece of metal frame. another source of trouble. Otherwise it will just run to a splice and from the splice go directly to all the lights. The splie depending on how it was done can often be a source of trouble.

 

One last thing if your trailer only has red lights on the back and your bike has amber rear turn signals then you need a conversion module wired into the bike. If your bike already has the conversion box it may have decided to take a vacation perminent like.

Edited April 8, 2010 by saddlebum