Some time back, during this last summer, I noticed my turn signals acted up. They seemed to operate intermittantly. The day I noticed it, I had washed the bike the night before so I just figured something got wet and it would dry out over time. Well, once they started working, they worked fine. Problem solved, right?
NO
The next day, same thing. Didn't work when I first sarted the bike, but after driving a bit, they worked just fine. I finally got a wild hair the other day and decided to rip into it and check it all out. I traced and tested every wire in the circuit. I checked the switch contacts. Everything checked out just fine.
Well, earlier tonight, I found that when I turn the key on, I can press the right turn signal button 13 times and it will work flawlessly after that. Same thing for the left except it requires 22 presses. Once I turn off the key, I have to go through the same routine all over again.
I'm convinced that the turn signal cancel unit is bad, BUT what the hell would cause them to act so weird? I have an electronics background and I'm sure there's not much to the control circuit but I'll be damned if I can figure out what would make it act like that. Anyone have a schematic for the innards of the turn signal cancel unit? I'd like to have a look at the insides of the thing...ideally without cutting mine open.

Ahh to have a turn signal canceling circuit! Oh wait! I do! I put my hand back on the bar after signaling!

I had that same problem last year. In my case it was poor connections.

As Will said BAd connections or BAD earth

The HD circuit needs a certain amout of load to work and if it doesn't get it it plays up.


Pull ALL your bulbs out and clean the contacts, if that doesn't fix it then pull your switchblocks apart and also clean with electronic contact cleaner...

If you can find it, use De-Ox-it...best cleaner made (IMHO)

You can spray it into the switches, for good measure (although I doubt its your problem, but its good for them anyway)

Then, after cleaning (with above cleaner) and buffing ALL connections, use a bit of the goop called dielectric on each of the bulb contacts, and other contacts like it...

Remove and replace or simply clean ANY corroded (or likely corroded) ground you find on the bike...

Clean your battery posts and put some naval jelly on the contacts when you're done reconnecting to stop corrosion (just a little!)

Good luck and let us know how it goes!

:)

I changed the bars on my wife Hugger and found that the wire were cut, got pinched by the clutch bracket.

Well, here's what I came up with.The left rear turn signal bulb was NOT a sylvania 1156. It was a philips....something or other. (I forget now because I smashed it for causing so much hassel.) It was in fact a single filament bayonet bulb but apparently was drawing more current than the control unit wanted.
I replaced it with a sylvania 1156 and problem solved. The really odd part is...when i first got the bike, the right rear was burned out and I replaced it with a sylvania. I didn't pay any attention to what flavor the bulb was at the time and I didn't have any problems until a few months later. ...very odd.

Glad you got it sorted! Turn signal switches are not really serviceable, as they are completely sealed (it's literally just a plastic resin box with two wires coming out of it) so it's rare for them to fail. Mine developed a mind of their own too, not too long ago, which turned ot to be a poor connection under the tank.

....While your rooting around with the wiring....pull the wire bundle in the headlight housing, check for rubbed or bare spots. I lost the turn signals on the left side, pulled the wire in the headlight housing found 5 or 6 bare spots on the wires that had rubbed through just from the vibration.....cleaned 'em, plastickote 'em no problems since.

I might follow that tip myself, WAbiker, as my problem re-appeared again today.. :dammit

After having numerous turn signal bulb failures and associated elec. problems. I use liberal amounts of dielectrc grease on all my electrical/bulb connections, & have had fewer problems with no repeat problems since doing so. Only been doing this for several months and a couple thousand miles tho.