Wacky Turn Signals? 1984 R80RT

Here's what happens:

Signals work fine 65-70% of the time but it never fails that at some point during the ride, (hopefully not at the inspection station, i dodged that bullet twice so far!), the signal indicator on the dash STAYS lit.

With the size of my fairing, (my wife calls it "the flying fruit stand") i can't tell if the signal is actually illuminated or not.

Anyway, my usual course of action is to turn off the signal, use my arms in the old fashioned way and hope that a twenty something cop doesn't pull me over. SOMETIMES it will work again, flawlessly in the course of the same ride. Sometimes it does not.

Here is the probable BIG clue for those in the know: If i end my ride with the stuck indicator on, (direction does not matter, left or right), then turn off the ignition, still with the indicator pushed one way or the other, THEN turn the ignition back on, the signals will ALWAYS return to normal function.

I cleaned all the contacts at the bulb end for all 4, cleaned the contacts in the handlebar for the thumb actuator and also cleaned what I thought was the contacts for the correct relay. Still no luck.

Any thoughts?

thanks in advance,

Michael

check all the grounds related to the turn signal system, but most likely is a bad flasher relay...

tghsmith said:

check all the grounds related to the turn signal system, but most likely is a bad flasher relay...

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I second the motion...

If i end my ride with the stuck indicator on, (direction does not matter, left or right),

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Yank the flasher and take it down to NAPA for a match-up. If you take it to a BMW shop you'll ride home in an ambulance... . . .

My /7 turn signals sometime don't flash. I've got the beeper still installed, so when I use the signals, the beep remains on until it either starts to flash or until I turn things off.

What I've found is my problem, and I haven't gotten around to fixing yet, is the clutch switch that's in the left perch doesn't seat fully. I can reach up with my hand and gently push the switch back into the perch and generally they'll start working. I should get in there and figure out what's wrong, but just lazy I guess.

Flasher

Thanks guys, especially LEW! that was funny!

Anyway to confirm that in fact what I was cleaning was the flasher relay beside putting the flashers on and pulling them one by one?

M

I was referred to this article myself a week or so ago, so I'm paying it forward.
http://www.airheads.org/content/view/159/98/

I'm a /5 guy, so I'm not really familiar with the R80 series, but this diagram should help identify what you're working on.

All you need to know about BMW relays & Flasher

http://www.airheads.org/content/view/159/98/

schematics

not being an electrician it looks like a pixar characther vomited brightly colored string!

just kidding, i understand the plan, but to confirm is the flasher relay in the headlight bucket or under the tank?

if you say bucket, i've been cleaning the wrong one!

M

I'm going to bet, that it's in the headlight bucket... purely conjecture on my part, but that's were most makes of bikes have their T/S relays.

But if you look at the diagram, the T/S relay is on the left side next to the head light bulb; that's one clue. The wire colors should be your guide for identifying the relay;

brown [term #31, ground],
green/yellow [term #49a, power to the direction selector (switch)]
green/black [term # 49, distributed power (to horn, voltmeter, brake light circuit)]
black/white [term # K81, distributed power (to T/S warning light)]

If the relay you're cleaning doesn't have these wires colors attached to it, you are cleaning the wrong one...

Thanks Lew... but stupid question; what is Turn Signal Warning light? is that for the indicator on the dash?

... what is Turn Signal Warning light? ... is that for the indicator on the dash?

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yep!