johnson@uwvax.UUCP (Coni Johnson) (06/15/85)
*** REPLACE THIS LINE WITH YOUR MESSAGE *** Help! I just bought my first cycle a few weeks ago. I bought it used--a 1981 Suzuki GN400X with 3800 miles on it. Everything seems like new on it except that the turnsignals only blink when the engine is running at 3500 RPMs or more. The girl I bought it from said it's been like that since she bought it new--why she didn't have it repaired on warranty, I'll never know--and the repair shop I took it to said that the battery simply doesn't have enough power. I've had the battery fully charged, and can't fit a larger one in the little space on my bike. Does anyone have any suggestions to solve my problem? I'd like my turnsignals to work properly, of course, in traffic situations. If I sound ignorant about this, it's because I'm just learning...please, be kind. Thanks for any help you can give me, Coni Johnson
rep@panda.UUCP (06/17/85)
In article <220@uwvax.UUCP> johnson@uwvax.UUCP writes: >*** REPLACE THIS LINE WITH YOUR MESSAGE *** > >Help! I just bought my first cycle a few weeks ago. I bought it used--a >1981 Suzuki GN400X with 3800 miles on it. Everything seems like new on it >except that the turnsignals only blink when the engine is running at 3500 >RPMs or more. The girl I bought it from said it's been like that since she >bought it new--why she didn't have it repaired on warranty, I'll never know--and >the repair shop I took it to said that the battery simply doesn't have enough >power. I've had the battery fully charged, and can't fit a larger one in the >little space on my bike. Does anyone have any suggestions to solve my >problem? I'd like my turnsignals to work properly, of course, in traffic >situations. > >If I sound ignorant about this, it's because I'm just learning...please, be >kind. > > Thanks for any help you can give me, > > Coni Johnson Newsgroups: net.cycle Subject: Re: turnsignal problem Summary: Expires: References: <220@uwvax.UUCP> Sender: Reply-To: rep@panda.UUCP (Pete Peterson) Followup-To: Distribution: net Organization: GenRad, Inc., Concord, Mass. Keywords: In article <220@uwvax.UUCP> johnson@uwvax.UUCP writes: >*** REPLACE THIS LINE WITH YOUR MESSAGE *** > >Help! I just bought my first cycle a few weeks ago. I bought it used--a >1981 Suzuki GN400X with 3800 miles on it. Everything seems like new on it >except that the turnsignals only blink when the engine is running at 3500 >RPMs or more. The girl I bought it from said it's been like that since she >bought it new--why she didn't have it repaired on warranty, I'll never know--and >the repair shop I took it to said that the battery simply doesn't have enough >power. I've had the battery fully charged, and can't fit a larger one in the >little space on my bike. Does anyone have any suggestions to solve my >problem? I'd like my turnsignals to work properly, of course, in traffic >situations. > > If what's happening is that the turn signals just come on and don't blink off, I've seen the same problem in Hondas (mine and at least three others). The problem seems to be caused by the fact that the bulbs don't draw enough current to cause the bi-metallic flasher to heat properly. At higher engine speeds, you get more alternator output and the flasher works ok. Using higher current bulbs has cured the problem in all cases that I've seen. If the original bulbs are 1073's and 1034's, replace them with 1156's and 1157's respectively (obtainable from auto parts stores or such places as K-M(ap)ART). Although the difference in operating current is only about 10% or so ( I don't have the exact specs here at work) the difference in operation of the turn signals is spectacular. I have no explanation for why they don't use bulbs suited to the flashers or flashers suited to the bulbs in the first place! Pete Peterson