Flashing oil and Gen. light???

[brian]

I installed a new wiring harness on a 65 FL and now after the switch is turned on within @ 15-20 seconds the oil light begins to flash and then a the generator light begins to flash as well. I have gone through the wiring diagram several times and everything appears to be correct. I ran the oil sending unit wire direct to ground and they still flash and I removed the gen light wire and the oil light still flashes. I removed the turn signal flasher and still the same results, any ideas???

[Bill D.]

I installed a new wiring harness on a 65 FL and now after the switch is turned on within @ 15-20 seconds the oil light begins to flash and then a the generator light begins to flash as well. I have gone through the wiring diagram several times and everything appears to be correct. I ran the oil sending unit wire direct to ground and they still flash and I removed the gen light wire and the oil light still flashes. I removed the turn signal flasher and still the same results, any ideas???

Brian, I tried to post a reply but I am not sure it went thru.
I would suggest that you isolate the gen lamp receptacle so that only the 2 wires are hanginging loose - the B+ and Signal wire. Then connect the B+ wire direct the Battery + terminal and the Dignal wire direct to the Battery Neg. terminal. If the light illuminates as it should then your problem is in the loom or the way your dash indicator lamps are wired. If the wires smoke or the lamp shorts out then you have a bad receptacle.
Question are you using any other flashers or circuit breakers?

[brian]

Thanks for the reply. I haven't been able to get back to the bike for several days, but this weekend I found the problem. Never assume that the bulbs are right just because they light. I switched the bulbs with what is to be in them and everything worked fine. I checked the bulbs that were in it and they were GE 257 bulbs. after digging into what these bulbs fit, I find out they are random flashing bulbs used in dash panels on cars and trucks for parking brake indicator lights. after they burn for 10 to 20 seconds they have a built in heat sink that causes them to flash. under normal use if you turn on the switch and start the motorcycle, the gen. light and oil light would be out because the engine was running before the bulbs would ever flash. This one drove me nuts. So if you want to drive someone up a wall, just stick a 257 bulb in a dash light!
Thanks for taking a stab at this one, but I should have replaced the bulbs in the begining.

[Bill D.]

Congrats - your info on the GE 257 is quie interesting. When I get a chance I will look them up out of curiosity.