R100GS Left Indicator Blowing Fuse, any ideas?

[MikeS]

I collected my first Airhead at the weekend and towards the end of my 400 mile trip back home the indicators stopped working. I didn't care at the time because I was so happy with the bike.

After a lot of testing and blown fuses I have pinned it down to the whenever I try to turn on the left indicators the fuse blows. I have put new bulbs in both left indicators just to be sure but it is still happening. Indicating right does not blow the fuse.

Anyone got any ideas on what could be the problem or how to go about troubleshooting it?

Thanks

 

[cookie]

probably a short in the wiring of the left hand flasher circuit. might be a fault in the flasher unit, but i think that less likely.

probe with a multi meter, isolating bits of the circuit until you find it.

alternatively, have a look at the wiring in likely places such as inside the indicator body where the wire exits the stem and the other end of the stem where the wire will perhaps be bent over something sharp and metal. you might get lucky.

 

[MikeS]

Thanks, I'll try that, electrics have never been my strong point.

 

[toadjam]

indicators

i had the same problem , i traced it to a common earth in the wiring loom . i stripped the tape off the loom and found 4 wires crimped covered in a plastic sheath ( ooh er missus ) . when i stripped the plastic of 1 of the wires had broken away . i soldered them together and that cured the problem .
hope this helps .

 

[cookie]

i'm curious how a loose earth blows fuses?

 

[how much]

Mike

worth having a look (a buzz with a multimeter or strip the black plastic tape back on the loom) where the wiring drops down from the headlight round the base of the headstock/lower fork clamp...

my 1985 r80 g/s had similar problems a while back and it was several wires had failed due to fatigue with the constant turning of the handlebars..


took me bloody ages to sort mine out


hm

 

[toadjam]

wiring

ok ! , could have been a live .

looked in haynes manual and looked like a common earth .

not a sparky but this cured my indicator fuse problem .

 

[Jason_01]

The rear light on my R80R is doing the same thing, bloody annoying, going through lots of fuses and have been caught on the motorway in the dark and the rain with no rear lights. Have started delving into the loom at the front of the bike and Im seeing plenty of signs of wear/abrasion in the loom

 

[MikeS]

Turns out the previous owner had managed to trap the rear left indicator cable underneath the exhaust mounting bracket when he refitted the standard exhaust. The cable was squashed flat and shorting on the frame.

After I had spent hours trying to find the problem it only took my mate (engineer) about 30 minutes to isolate the area where the problem must be and then find and fix the problem. Very impressed I was and I have also learnt loads about bike electrics in the process so a good result in the end.