Electrical.... on VStrom

[kevin-vic-b.c.]

It is not the Venture but I know there is a lot of great electrical knowledge here.

 

My VStrom when the turn signal is on my tail lights flicker in time with the flasher.

I have check battery leads and and the battery when sitting has 12.5 volts and when running there is 14.5 volts and it fluctuates about 1/2 a volts when the turn signal is on.

 

Ideas anyone

[SilvrT]

something in the wiring somewhere would be my guess.

 

Start at the connectors. Unplug, check for corrosion, clean, apply dielectric, reconnect and see what happens.

[MikeWa]

I don't know about the wiring on that bike but these things often use a common ground connection. I would look to one of three areas. Low power, poor ground or bulb interference.

For low power put a meter on the battery (not running is ok) turn on the turn signal and see if the meter flickers. Next find an input wire for power to the tail light and repeat the test. Power should be steady. Next check the ground connection for tightness. You can jumper a ground to the tail light to confirm it is ok or not. Check the bulbs for connection and filaments. It should show up in one of these tests.

 

Mike

[jakester]

I'll second the bad/loose ground wire.

Bill

[SilvrT]

Found this "explanation" on another forum... hope it helps ya...

 

 

chances are, the bad ground is on the signal lights themselves. You have power from the signal flasher that comes out of the + or positive terminal of the battery,and that is good. That power is trying to get back to the negative terminal of the battery --and it is searching for the quickest way FROM the light TO the battery. Trouble is,the ground wire from the signal light circuit is not there,and the power from the signal is just looking for any path it can find and that will flash backwards through any light circuit [that is not operating] to get back to the battery [-] terminal

So much for theory, now how do you find the bad ground? First,take out the bulbs from the front or rear of the bike and see if the front or back signals now operate. Let's say that the front now works fine. Now you can concentrate on the rear, first by removing one bulb,then the other.Honda bulb sockets have ,I think a brown and green wire going to them. Any corroded or rusty connection of the socket thru the green [ground] wire back to the battery,including those little bullet connectors that link the various parts of the wiringharness together--- back to the frame and eventually to the [-] terminal of the battery can cause a "floating' ground to occur. The floating ground will go just about anywhere on the bike,flashing various lights like your example.

You can carefully clean each connection and connector,and add a little 'light bulb or spark plug' grease sold in auto parts stores to keep the corrosion away and make the ground solid once again. A cheap multimeter set to continuity can also be used to find wires that have a broken connection. Keep in mind that eventually the green wire will be fastened to the frame of the bike and rust at that connection needs to be cleaned away as well.

[cowpuc]

Hey Kev - wassup brother.. Still diggin on my Knackers Yard music - GOOD STUFF = THANKS AGAIN!!:dancefool:

 

Aint no way, aint no how this ol boy is even close to being a lectrical guru like LOTS of others around here but this is what I would do if that V-Strom was my baby.. I would take a test lead and connect one end to the negative post on the battery. Then, if the scoot has a removable lense on the blinkers and the blinkers are of the "single element" type (meaning the blinkers themselves are not also providing a running light?) I would remove the lense cover on the blinker that is affecting all the other lights. Using either my test lead with the build in probe point or, using a small jewelers screw driver with the alligator end of a test lead clamped on it - I would turn on that blinker and with the lights effected doing their thing I would push the probe/screw driver end carefully between the base and the bulb and touch it on the metal part of the bulb just below the glass and see what happens. This should instantly clear up the issue if its a bad ground.

In my experience, Most of those blinkers are wired for ground right from the socket to the frame. If doing what I suggest works then its just a matter of figuring out where you have resistance in the ground system. Start with a fresh bulb and a good clean socket area - if its still acting up, probe the end of the blinker where it attaches to the frame, if that shows good result - probe the frame where the bracket attaches - if that solves it - probe both sides where the subframe attaches to the actual frame - if that works - probe where the negative battery cable attaches to the frame...

Any of this make sense at all brother?

If the blinkers on the Strom have dual elements in them (like an 1157 car tail light) so they are serving both as a running light and a blinker) - I would start with replacing the bulb. I have had those particular bulbs loose an element and have the broken end of the element make contact with the other element. This will cause the whole system to "flash" as you speak. If that doesnt clear it up, unplug the feed for the other blinker and the effected one - plug the leads to the affected blinker into the uneffected blinker and see if the other blinker will work properly off the other leads.. If so, the wiring in the blinker itself may have found a way to short out + to + and a new blinker (if not repairable) may be the cure..

 

Hope this all helps some how..

 

PS - you happen to notice I have a small bald spot on top of my head?? That is from trying to figure out situations just like you are working on:missingtooth:.. YE BE WARNED

[SilvrT]

PS - you happen to notice I have a small bald spot on top of my head?? That is from trying to figure out situations just like you are working on:missingtooth:.. YE BE WARNED

 

FWIW, my entire head is bald .....

[yamagrl]

Who'lda thunk it!

 

something in the wiring somewhere would be my guess.

[SilvrT]

Who'lda thunk it!

 

ya ... really figured my diagnosis was original ....

[yamagrl]

ya ... really figured my diagnosis was original ....

 

 

Back at ya!