Turn signal issue

[Toms99tj]

I have led turn signals and i have a Badlands load equalizer hooked up. So i was buttoning things up from my springer install and wired up the headlight and new front led turn signals and now all 4 turn signals stay on like running lights. I did run just one ground the the headlight and used that for the turn signals also. I started to dig a little and found the load equalizer casing had a bubble in it and it was warm. I am thinking the load equalizer went bad but when i removed it the lights still just stayed on. So before i order a Custom Dynamics module with load equalizer i wanted to get other ideas to check.

[7and7is]

The folks that are going to "chime" in will want to know model/year of the bike.

[Toms99tj]

95 sportster 1200

[TexasMudTaco]

Yeah, I think you can assume it's toast. On the bikes that I've wired from the ground up, I add a LED specific turn signal relay. I can't remember the price, but they are cheap.

[Toms99tj]

I just bypassed the TSM and the turn signal is off till i hit the button. So i am going to assume the TSM is shot.

[docmel]

I just bypassed the TSM and the turn signal is off till i hit the button. So i am going to assume the TSM is shot.

Before you go guessing and replacing parts $$, consider the lights just stay on when you removed the equalizer. I beleive you have a ground or wiring issue''

I have a 2006 Streetbob and replaced all turn signals with LEDS and they work fine. Yours should as well

Triple check your wiring and grounds

Take the time to run your old ones w/o the equalizer: If they do the same thing, its most likely a wiring issue. If they work fine, put the LEDs back on w/o the equalizer

One last question. Do your leds have 2 wires coming from the LED (one for ground, one for hot) or is it just one wire? If its just one wire, you HAVE to have a good solid ground for each light (The LED body in the back must ground to your bike)

[Toms99tj]

The leds have 2 wires. I have gone through the wiring today and everything is good. The only thing that changed was the toggle switch i wired in to replace the stock high beam switch. I eliminated that this morning and still the same. Im going to get a cheap flasher relay and wire it in and see what happens but i think the TSM went and somehow is giving constant power to the lights.

[BuddhahoodVato]

Custoarily,
bad ground is the culprit,
but if you have a bubble,
toss the MF.

[Dougtheinternetannoyance123]

*MAYBE* Those Badlands turnsignal modules have improved over the years, But IMHO they are junk. Cant count how many bikes with crappy wiring cobbled together with those modules installed just failed to work, I just remove and toss them. JUNK!

Now, 2 things. You can NEVER have too many grounds and never assume your ground is good. I do redundant grounds. I pigtail every components and run one wire to ground at components location or close to it, and the 2nd wire back to a central ground on the bike. Often near the battery. As well as clean and check with a OHM meter all wires and connections once a year.
Many people do a crappy job with grounds and expect the ground path to follow a very tortured path. Is there a ground from the headlight to the main frame or.... are you assuming it will get there thru the throttle cables/clutch cable and a greased steering bearing?
On 1970s British bikes those idiots assumed a ground path on chrome plated plastic turn signal housings. !!!!!!!

#2, Turn signals and the flasher units work based on circuit loads. The modules correct these loads to the proper range, and also generally help the flasher relay function.
Older systems use a mechanical flasher relay with a Bimetalic strip inside. You could hear & Feel the unit crack! Crack! Crack as the strip inside opened and closed. Cut one open and look!

Now, there is no such thing as a universal flasher relay. Part numbers define the range. If you swap in a car flasher often the flasher bulbs go way too slow, or not at all, or conversely way too fast. (Meth-tweaker flashers! Will induce a epileptic seizure!)

It has to match the load resistance in the flasher circuit. Thats why there is a code and part number. Now, these modules? These are intended to balance that stuff out, quality of the units and the knuckle dragging mouth breathing DPO who installed it varies a LOT! (DPO-Dreaded Previous Owner! Because you dont want to admit you screwed it up!)

So, Surprise surprise surprise!


LED bulbs dont consume a lot of watts, very low and dont really register with your incadescent bulb flasher relay. While a LED maybe a improvement, and more effecient, You have to match components to get it to work. You must match the flasher unit to the type of bulbs being used. Maybe it will help to have a good quality TS system module, But I cant recommend one at this point. I simply dont know of a good unit, but I am sure someone makes a good one.

Allrighty,, Nighty night Blinky!

[Toms99tj]

So the ground to the TSM was bad i guess. I just cut it and ran a wire right from the battery and it worked well some what. I need to either wire the load equalizer back in or wire the led flasher relays i have. I will hopefully get back on this tomorrow if the rain stops

[Toms99tj]

I just got done buttoning this up. For now i ran a new ground for the TSM and wired in 2 led flasher relays and all seems good. I ordered a Custom Dynamic module to replace the oem and the relays. I must have done something to the ground when I disconnected the wires from the handlebar controls. Thanks for all the help.

[Toms99tj]

So this issue ended up being the ground shorted out and ruined the turn signal module. I got this Custom Dynamic one and it works perfect and its half the price.

https://www.jpcycles.com/product/590-1313/custom-dynamics-auto-cancel-turn-signal-module

[70fatster]

How do you short out a ground?

[Toms99tj]

I dont know I am just guessing because the ground was shot. Thats all I know and the issue is fixed and works better than before.