Gremlin in my wiring

[ryan]

I rewired my 69 flh and have some really funny things going on. I have triple checked everything and cannot seem to pin it down.
Ignition first click, I turn on the rh turn signal and the tailight blinks, turn on the lh turn signal and both lights blinking including the dash bulb, but the rh turn signal light up and do not blink.

Ignition two clicks, left turn signal on and both bulbs blinking correctly as well as the dash bulb. All other dash lights as well as, tailights, fender light barely visibly blink.
I turn on the rh signals and nothing comes on nor blinks, but the fog lights come on

Again, I have checked all terminals, connections, wiring and everything else, but all looks to be in it's correct.

The ignition switch is not mechanical, but electrical. I think it is either a faulty switch something may be contacting between terminals somewhere.

Brake lights works fine in both ignition positions.

Not sure if anyone can help, but it sure get frustrating. Harley should have used more colord and used those colors throughout from point a to point b. Lol

ps: everything that happens on my bike gets mirrored on my sidecar, tailight, fender light, fog light, turn signal, brake light.

[Buster]

I recently had this happen on a different brand bike (not a Harley)and it was a bad ground at the rear turn signal lights. I believe the rear turn signals were having to find an alternative ground route. When I on the turn signal for either side, all four turn signals and the rear tail light would blink at the same time.

[ryan]

Thanks for sharing that with me Buster.

[Jerry Wieland]

Rule of thumb in DC electrics using a chassis ground. If it does not make sense bet on a bad ground.

Jerry

I rewired my 69 flh and have some really funny things going on. I have triple checked everything and cannot seem to pin it dow
Ignition first click, I turn on the rh turn signal and the tailight blinks, turn on the lh turn signal and both lights blinking including the dash bulb, but the rh turn signal light up and do not blink.

Ignition two clicks, left turn signal on and both bulbs blinking correctly as well as the dash bulb. All other dash lights as well as, tailights, fender light barely visibly blink.
I turn on the rh signals and nothing comes on nor blinks, but the fog lights come on

Again, I have checked all terminals, connections, wiring and everything else, but all looks to be in it's correct.

The ignition switch is not mechanical, but electrical. I think it is either a faulty switch something may be contacting between terminals somewhere.

Brake lights works fine in both ignition positions.

Not sure if anyone can help, but it sure get frustrating. Harley should have used more colord and used those colors throughout from point a to point b. Lol

ps: everything that happens on my bike gets mirrored on my sidecar, tailight, fender light, fog light, turn signal, brake light.

[Architect]

I had all sorts of weird **** going on with the turn signals on my '70, blinking, not blinking, off, on, etc, etc.

Took the lenses off, removed the bulbs, all sorts of crud on the bulb base and in the socket. Cleaned everything with a wire brush then some Vaseline, everything worked as it should, Been two years since the problem.

Sometimes it is easy.

[ryan]

This happened to my 77flh and took me a few days to figure it out, but an ignition base screw came out a lodged between my positive coil post and chrome coil cover, how does that happen???. All kinds of back feed issues throughout the harness. Crazy! Lol

[ryan]

I finally got a chance to work on my wiring issue today. I established grounds by taking a jumper wire from the neg post of the battery to my rear tailigh bar, to my fog light bar and to my dash. No change, so I isolated the issue working from the switch post, that was blinking, to the union post on the dash from which I isolated two wires to the front panel and found the two posts in question, the wiring on both posts were correct but clearly there was an issue. I looked at the two posts and did not see any wires touching so loosened th first terminal post nut and started pulling each wire off slowly while inspecting them, after pulling the last wire and I saw a single strand of wire that led to the other terminal post in question. I grabbed the piece with a small pair of needle nosed pliers and it pulled right out. I put everything back together and everything worked correctly. Then I pulled each of the 3 jumpered grounds off one at time with no change. The piece of wire had to come from trimming and stripping wire up front. Next time I will shield the panel.
Another issue arose or I did not notice it, my generator light on the dash is not working when ignition is turned on in both positions, not running, and the bulb is verified good. Time to figure that one out now.

[ihrescue]

Often some obscure cause. One bike I was working had similar problems as you described. I looked over every inch and termination of the circuit and still could not find it until isolating sections. Turned out to be the spring in the turn signal socket had gotten partially past the phenolic disc that holds the terminal and the spring had provided a short to ground. You sometimes really need to look very close and at every single element to find the problem. Way to go on your trouble shooting.

Mike Love