My left turn signal light on dash started staying on all the time. The turn signal itself doesnt stay on. Both turn signals work correctly . Anyone have any ideas on what could be wrong, and what to look at?
John
(http://fjowners.com/gallery/7/1486_27_07_14_7_25_56.jpeg)
You say that the signals are working properly, but the instrument panel light stays on. I would say that you have a problem in the Handle Bar switch assy, or a bad Main Relay Unit.
If it was a bad wire in the wire harness, then the signals would not work.
Fred
This can be caused by feedback into the signal circuit from the running light. Look at socket sub-harness ,terminals in the socket base. Remove the bulb from the front socket
and see what happens, this could point you in the right direction, (pun not intended.!)
I took the bulb out, very clean inside the turn signal. Check the wires back to the harness, looked good. I took the 2 screws off the handle bar switch, but could not pull the switch apart. The choke lever/ring keeps it from coming apart. What's the easiest way to get it apart?
Do you mean that the dash indicator stayed on with the 1157 signal light bulb out of the front socket with signal switched off ?
Yes, with the bulb out, the indicator light was stil on.
The next thing I would do is remove the fuse from the running light circuit, or whichever fuse it shares, to see if that shuts off the dash light. You could check the two terminals in the running light socket to see if they both show 12v. There should be power at one terminal only, ie the running light. If you find power at the signal terminal (I bet you will),
you can start moving back up the wiring to find where it's coming from. This is where a wiring diagram and the ability to understand it will help.
Stay with it!
Ill check that next. Wont be able to till Thursday night.
On my 85 there are no running lights, and the turn signal doesn't stay on like the indicator. There is no power down at light until the turn signal is on. I'll look for a fuse on Sat.
I never noticed that running lights hadn't made it to the FJ in 84/85. Go figure. It's hard to say just where your indicator light could be getting power from. A good place to look is any area where the main harness, or a handlebar switch or sub-harness has been damaged, repaired or modified.
Looking at the wiring diagram, there are just not that many spots that seem like a cross feed might occur. It's significant that the indicator lights up, but the actual blinker does not.
It can mean that the indicator is grounding through one or both of the signal light filaments. They don't light up because the indicator uses very little current. The indicator is in parallel with the two blinkers, as they are with each other.
Here's one more suggestion,,, remove both front and rear signal bulbs and see if that puts the indicator out. It should, If you now use a test light on either signal bulb socket center terminal, do you see power? Did that make the indicator light up ,at all?
Keep with it, I'm game if you are !
And,,,, to open the left switch , you must remove the choke cable from the control. Then the ring can be rotated enough to unlock it from the switch housing.
Disconnected front turn signals, and rear turn signals/running lights. Indicator light still on.
It could be power feeding back up through the bulb from a poor earth somewhere. It will probably be worth cleaning up the frame earthing points anyway as the years are starting to add up for all Fj's. Corrosion will be creeping in and building resistance even if the effects are not obvious yet.
DBF newbie has a good point about something else looking for ground and getting it through the indicator. Cleaning up grounds is a good idea. Getting at the back of the instrument cluster is not so easy but you may need to have a look there. Gang plugs at that end of the main harness would be worth a shot. Open them up, hit them with a shot of air and or contact cleaner. Assembling with dielectric grease is good, keeps water out, all but eliminates corrosion.
Does the indicator light blink with the turn signals? Has someone replaced bulbs in the instrument panel recently? If the harness tape on the back of the cluster is in bad shape you could have one of the back ground bulbs in the turn indicator hole.
The indicator does not blink, it stays on. All the bulbs were replaced last year.
Something is either shorting voltage into the circuit that the dash bulb is on or is providing a ground path for an energized dash bulb circuit. I have not studied the wiring diagram to determine which kind of circuit is it.
with the key on, engine run switch in stop, push the start button. does the light go out?
have you had the fairing off. you might have bent one of the pins in the connector. The light always has a ground and is looking for power to turn it on. since both front and rear lights are parallel with the indicator if it was just a short all of them would be on. the fairing connector is the most likely place for this fault.
As stated in previous posts. Check the connectors in the main fairing that go to the instrument cluster for burn/scorch marks.
If all connectors are good. Going on the assumption that ALL of the lights operate on the instrument panel, right front and back turn signal operate, the left rear turn signal operates, and the headlight turns on, THE ONLY place the turn signal bulbs get power from is in the left handle bar switch assembly the yellow/red or the brown/white wire coming from the main relay unit. From what I see in the wiring diagram, The yellow/red and the brown/white wires feed both left and right turn signals. From all indications that I see, check the yellow/red wire going to the connection for the left turn signal in the left handle bar switch assembly.
Fred
there are 12 wires associated with the left hand controls. 2 wires separate out before the harness connector, those are for the headlight hi and low beam. the harness continues to the right side behind the fairing to a blue 10 pin connector. it is after this connector where the wires separate to go the front, rear and indicator. since all wires are common before this connector no point going to the switch.
some point after the blue 10 pin connector there will be a splice, the one going to the indicator will then go to a 12 pin connector behind the headlight. Next in line will be the 9 pin connector to the gauge assembly.
look for damage to the chocolate colored wire somewhere between the 10 pin blue connector and the gauge assembly.
The indicator sort of flashes when you start it. It does not go out. Opened up the switch, looked good in there, but then I didnt know what to look for. To recap, unplugged front blinkers,headlight,rear brake light, and turnsignals.light still on. Unplugged the 10 pin connector and the indicator went out, but that was to be expected.
Looks like it time to remove the fairing.
Quote from: craigslist1340 on August 10, 2014, 06:23:16 PM
...time to remove the fairing.
Pretty easy job, just don't forget the two (2) bolts on either side of the headlight (INSIDE THE FAIRING).
They're easy to overlook.
Steve