A very ODD electrical problem

[wallew]

OK, my front right hand turn signal lamp does NOT function properly.

I disassembled the turn signal housing from the fender. I checked and I get electrical signal intermittently (25 v then 2v then 25v then 2v) at the wire connections. That tells me that I have signal to the wires. Rehooking up the turn signal housing back to the fender. Checking the outlet for the same electrical signal, I get the same intermittent signal as I did at the wires. So, my ground is good and my signal is getting to the outlet for the lamp.

The lamp that works in the front left hand turn signal does NOT work in the right hand signal outlet. NOW here's the weird part.

I have a spare Black Out led bulb assembly THAT WORKS in the right hand signal outlet. Exactly as it should. Which means it's a really low light level that blinks properly. I accidentally stepped on the bulb from the right turn signal. So I can't reuse the bulb that did NOT function. It's an ML 1683. Is this correct?

WHAT AM I DOING WRONG???

jim

 

[SixBuy]

My guess is the fender does not have a good ground connection to the frame/ battery negative. The high impedence voltmeter will read voltage but the ground resistance will not allow enough current to heat the bulb filament. The LED draws less current and will fire off.
Clue" the 2V should be closer to O V, though not completely because of the solid state flasher electronics.
Try measuring resistance between the bulb socket (ground side) and the battery negative with the switch turned off. It should be less than a few ohms.
This advice comes with a money back guarantee - if not completely satisfied every penny you paid for it will be cheerfully refunded! Good luck!

 

[cranetruck]

I agree with Harley, the grounding of some parts of the vehicle is not up to par.
Here is my take on it (for a future article):


The fender mounted front composite light assemblies on the M35 series trucks are grounded through the housing to the guard and from the guard
to the fender and from the fender to to the frame via mounting screws.
Looking at the individual parts, you will find that they are primed and
painted before assembly. I recently removed a guard assembly from a "parts truck" and noticed the primer on the bottom of the unit.
Furthermore the wire guard below the fender had also been primed and painted before installation. Notice that the same screws are used to hold the separate parts in place.

The parts list does not show any paint piercing washers for mounting the
guard to the fender. The mounting screws serve double duty in that they also hold the wire protector below the fender in place. This offers no reliable electrical path to the fender.
See figure 73 in the TM 9-2320-211-20P parts manual. The fender itself is not shown, but the ground path must connect to it.

If you are having problems with the grounding of the these composite lights, your all important turn signals, include internal/external lockwashers to complete the path from light guard to the fender via at least one screw.

Hope this helps,

 

[wallew]

OK, allow me to expand a little. First is the rear portion of this particular turn signal is actually the new one which is metal. All the interior 'guts' are new. The front lens was smashed, but I had a couple of spares so that was no biggie.

Second. I have used my dremel to ground all the paint off of the guard on both sides of the bolt holes and on the outside and inside bolt holes of the fender. The inside was COVERED in junk, but it now has clean bare metal as well as the outside of the fender.

I used the nuts and bolts I took off, BUT I inserted 'star' washers front AND rear.

I have NOT checked resistance between the neg of the light and the neg of the battery with switch off. I will next week if the weather holds. If not, the week after.

SO, I've done almost everything everyone has suggested except the resistance of the system, and that's a dead bang on suggestion.

Now I have another question. DOES ANYONE'S light on the turn signal stalk mounted to the steering wheel column actually work? My light IS burned out. I have yet to check for voltage though. That will be next. Electrical problems used to be my specialty on my 1989 Harley Davidson Ultra Classic (large touring bike with all the gee gaws) because NONE of the HD mechanics had a clue, given it's age.

Am I missing ANYTHING ELSE?

jim

 

[SixBuy]

Yeah, my light works but don't ask me why. And you'll actually see the lamp on the schematic which is winging it's way to your mailbox as we speak! Not a clue as to the bulb number though! Heck, it was months before I found out you could pull it out and up for 4-way flashers!

 

[eddiec]

after you install your new bulb, test it again. if it still does not work,(function properly), hook up a wire(jumper cables work great) to the negative post on the batts, and connect the other end to the (grounding) bolts of the light fixture, where they go through the fender. if it then functions, it is the actual fender ground that is giving you the problem.

 

[rice]

The light on the column works on both my deuces.

 

[m35a2cowner]

The little light goes on then off then on then off

The light on my turn signal works, but I have yet to discover that you can pull something out for four-way flashers. The dash lights come on but boy is it hard to see the insturments at night. Is there a reostat? I use a flash light to check everything every once and a while.

 

[wallew]

m35a2cowner,

OK, the four way flashers are activated by turning the stalk right. THEN right again. Some say they have to pull up on the bottom of the stalk. Mine is either broken or does not have that option. I just lift up for a right turn and then go up one more spot. You should now have a four way flashers working.

The dash bulbs have TWO positions on the lower left lever of the light switch levers. The one above off is 'dim'. The one above dim is 'bright'.

After putting the lever to the bright position, if you still do NOT have enough light, consider cleaning the two dash bulb covers that unscrew. Mine were extremely dirty. After cleaning them, my dash lights were much better. BUT it does bring out a 'failing' of the dash bulb lights. They need to have one bulb between the speedo and the tach. THAT would help immensely.

Oh, I also got two green bulb covers that look pretty good in place of the red bulb covers. I changed out the 'bright' light to blue, so when I turn the bright lights on, it looks like it's bright purple. The only one I left RED was the air shift lever.

 

[m35a2cowner]

turn signals

Thank you, I'll try the tips you mentioned. Are green lens available at auto parts stores? I am seriously considering the headlight upgrade mentioned in a different posting. Any advancements on the spin-on oil filters?

 

[SixBuy]

m35a2cowner,
My flasher stalk, lever, whatever, has a small ribbed interlock extending from the base of the lever about halfway out toward the tip. Pulling the ribbed portion towards the tip unlocks the lever so it can be raised further past the right turn position. That activates the 4-way. Does yours have the ribbed thing?

 

[m35a2cowner]

Well I'll be

Darned if it wasn't there and it works. Something new (besides the locomotive air horns) for the Memorial Day Parade this year. Thanks for the instructions and advice. The SS Board is like taking a correspondence course about deuce ownership. Thankfully no tests.

 

[wallew]

Actually YOU will be tested the longer you are a member here. Because at some point, you will find YOUR niche in our green iron world and have the answers that no one else has.

Randy and I were discussing options on the oil filter spin on filter today. He's going to remove the oil filter base for me tomorrow.

THEN I will try and find the adapter that will be necessary to add the spin on filter.

Randy and I will keep you folks informed. Some time in the next week or so. I SURE HOPE we can find the adapter readily made so that we don't actually have to machine something, cause that will drive the price up.

I'm hoping for a 'go to the Ace hardware and buy part #" whatever and then 'go to Napa and buy part #" whatever for the spin on filter. I'm hoping for a kind of 'plug and play' type of thing.

THAT would be the BEST solution for everyone here. I'm not about making money on it. I just LOVE doing the research and finding the solution. Then you move on to the NEXT modification...

jim

 

[SixBuy]

m35a2c...,
Actually, I had no idea it worked that-a-way 'til I read it in a post last year! What goes around, comes around!

Jim,
Did you ever get the right turn light working? Did the schematic make it?

Also, I thought the oil filter spin on conversion consisted of just a 'close nipple' with machine thread instead of pipe thread and a filter of the right dimensions with the gasket in the right place. Just your run-of-the-mill, everyday magic!

 

[wallew]

Harley,
Yes, I got the wiring diagram. THX SO MUCH. No, I have not gotten the right turn signal working yet. I'm hip deep in a master bath remodel that I have about a week and a half to finish before my MIL shows up.

Can't have the house in disarray when she gets here.

Not sure about the oil filter conversion. RandyLBarnes is going to be removing the one from his parts truck and then he and I will start looking at it trying to decide what needs to be done. It looks like all we have to do is add a 7/8-16 threaded pipe. Then screw the spin on filter to that. BUT until I can actually measure the ID of where you would screw in the center post, that part is still up for speculation.

HEY GUYS! I gotta question. When you pull the center post (along with the rest of the oil filter) is there anything else screwed into the oil filter base? Thx. jim

 

[40grit]

does the lamp socket look a little cruddy? usually you can get a voltage readig with a meter because of the spiked test leads, but the rounded bump on the bulb may not make a good connection thru the crud ( making a high resistance connection)...just a thought..

 

[wallew]

40grit,
Good thought. I have already sanded the insides of all the lamp connectors AND the rounded contacts so there is clean metal there.

I am just missing something. I don't know what. My left hand turn signal works great. And inside it was really ratty until I cleaned it up also.

thx for the try.

jim