| Author | Message | ||
     Jolly |
might be looking at a S2T that has some electrical gremlins in the turn signals, intermittent and seems to be tied to "any time its not a brand new battery"...just beginning to dip my toe in the s2 water so don't know anything about the small things to sort out on these...is this a normal problem that occurs with these or is there something else completely different going on? | ||
| Ratbuell |
S2's use Harley turn signal modules, with two buttons (one on your left handlebar, one on the right). They have a hazard function and they have a tie-in to the speedo for a distance-cancel feature. Since it's a "module" and not just a relay like on all other Buells...it's possible it could be fritzing out. It could also be a pinched wire at the switch housings. Are the grips stock? If not...that's usually a giveaway to the possibility of hamfisted installation. | ||
| Jolly |
thanks, Im just beginning to head down this path, the seller has let me know that this is an issue and from his report it only shows on a weak battery, now he says he has run new grounding wires from a few different points...that kind of scares me as I am no expert but I have done some of my own wiring on cars and bikes (NOT AN EXPERT) but I still use solder and heat shrink and ensure wires are run cleanly...not sure about multiple grounding wires....ground is normally a source of issues, however, running extra wires to try and compensate for a faulty install or a module going bad, only adds to the problem...so not sure about anything right now, only data is from an email and have not had an opportunity to chat with the guy. 96S2t with wide bags, cant tell in the angle of the photo if they are s2 bgs or s3 bags, but the frame is grey and its a 96 and it has bags so I take it to be a stock s2t with s2t bags...vance and hines muffler, recently repaired base gasket leak and head gaskets replaced at HD shop....the guy sounded on the up and up and like a good guy, he also owns a 95 s2 that he has done some nice motor mods to, Andrews cams, lightening heads, mikuni carb so he knows his way around the s2 version... | ||
| Ratbuell |
The S2 will have more than one ground wire from the factory. Battery to frame is the main one...there are also various component-to-frame grounds throughout. If he was simply replacing them with new...I wouldn't worry too much. From your description, he doesn't sound like the type to start drilling screw holes for wiring points... If the bags have two barrel locks on top (look like chrome buttons sticking up), they're S2 bags. If they have a plastic latch handle that's recessed in the middle...they're S3. Chances are it's an original S2T with OEM bags. Not many people changed existing bags over, but a lot of people who were adding bags anyway...added S3 bags. | ||
| Leftcoastal |
I had turn signal issues with my "S-2'd RS" when I first got it from my friend that built the bike initially. I figured it was the module. Got another one (bring $$$) and it didn't fix it. Turned out to be the side that wasn't working had a replacement bulb that was the wrong resistance. Replaced it with the right bulb (about a buck and a half) and it was handled. The shop (independent aftermarket H-D type place) I got the module from actually took back the new module, though installed, and refunded the cost! Never usually happens with elec. parts. Bottom line - check the small stuff first. | ||
| Bkerchuck |
As the potential seller here, I can tell you what has been done and how. Additional ground wires are all 1 piece runs of wire, no cutting or splicing of factory harnesses here. Additional grounds are run from the front subframe ground post to the battery, from the tail light ground post to the battery, and I removed the OE pin and wire at the turn signal canceller and replaced it with a new OEM pin and ran wire direct to the battery. All 4 turn signals were replaced with aftermarket units so all bulbs are matched. I swapped the module with the one from my 95 S-2 and bike did the exact same things, intermittent turn signal function. They will typically work but either be very dim that you can barely see them or blink really slowly if at all. I rode the bike to work today and here's how that went. 4 way flashers work but turn signals wouldn't blink! At the suggestion of one of my techs, I work part time at an HD dealership, I've replaced all of the circuit breakers. He told me that since all power from battery passes through them he'd seen a few cases where the breakers themselves were acting up and not passing full voltage. Grips are stock. Only area I haven't gone into is the housings and switches themselves. Wife and I currently have 5 bikes in garage and this is the one seeing the least use I simply don't have the room or ambition to keep trying to maintain all of them. I want to see it go to a good home and I'm certainly not looking to rip anyone off. When I do ride it I just keep pushing the button on and off to make them blink! | ||
| Ratbuell |
What pin and wire did you remove from the "canceller"? If it's the signal wire coming from the speedo...it should NOT be hooked to battery. That could be the problem right there... | ||
| Bkerchuck |
Hell no I'm not stupid! I have the wiring diagrams. I removed the original ground for the canceller that runs with the main harness and installed a single ground wire direct to battery ground. One of our techs told me that with the sharp bend that main harness takes in that area, he'd seen a couple of instances where one or more of the ground wires in that cluster had broken.Rather than tear apart a significant amount of the bike just to check that possibility, I simply gave the canceller it's own ground. | ||
| Ratbuell |
Don't get offended...I was just going by what you had typed, trying to help figure out the issue. I don't have my diagram handy...does the module ground go to ground through the harness? Or does it go through a relay or another component on its way? Asking...again, my manual is in the garage at the moment. Working four ways makes me think it's something to do with the speedo signal wire, too...try unhooking that wire from the module and see if that fixes the issue. It may be getting a constant "cancel" signal, keeping Left and Right from working but allowing the hazards to work. | ||
| Bkerchuck |
Sorry if I took offense. I've been getting some help from 2 of the techs at the dealership I work for and consensus continues to be that it's a grounding issue.What seems odd though, is that the problem gets worse when the bike gets wet. Washing it or riding in the rain really antagonizes the issue. I haven't taken the time or energy to look any further into it for awhile. Owning multiple bikes means something always needs done and I've just been letting this on a back burner. As far as I can tell from the diagram, ground from canceller goes through the harness. After a brief ride in the rain on Saturday, 4 way flashers were dim and barely visible. | ||
| Ratbuell |
Start at the "surface" - what gets wet first? The signals themselves. Pull a bulb and try the signals. No change? Put it back and pull another bulb. Repeat through all four. If that doesn't do it, start checking connections working from bulbs back towards the module. If you want to get scientific about it...grab a multimeter to check resistance levels and open/short conditions in addition to just pulling / unplugging components. |
