Winker Won't Wink

Hello,

I have a 1970 Dax St70 - 6 volt, all original. The left rear blinker didn't work when I bought the bike so I tried to fix it. I installed a new bulb and found the ground wire loose so I reattached it and it still doesn't work. I have juice to it with the switch on (tested with meter). There are two wires there. Any suggestions. All the other lights and winkers work fine. except they do not flash even though I just installed a new winker relay too. Any ideas on either of these is appreciated.

Happy Trailing

The reason that just one light doesn't work has to be either faulty wiring, faulty bulb-holder or faulty bulb.
Double check the bulb by replacing it with one of the other ones that you know to work (brand-new bulbs have been known to fail immediately).
If you say you have checked that there is power there then it must be the holder itself at fault, make sure that the bulb is making contact correctly.

Do the indicaters flash with the engine running?
The old 6V system was never very good and would not allow the indicaters to flash on the battery alone but when the engine is running above tickover they are usually ok, they can however slow down to a very slow flash when just on tickover or even when the brake-light is applied.

Litch,

You were spot on with your diagnosis. It was the holder. I took it apart and found the ground wire was supposed to be soldered to a tiny washer in the holder and it just fell off in my hand. So I resodered it with a brand new wire (tough going, was just like making a new holder), but I put it all back together and prayed and you can't imagine how pleased I was when it worked. It still doesn't blink but tomorrow I am going to install a new 6V 4.5 amp battery and maybe they will make her blink. If not I'll be back with a new post.

Thanks for your advice very much and for getting me right to the heart of the problem.

Have you tried it with the engine running?
If it doesn't work and the generator is charging correctly then it can only be the flasher relay, they are usually a reliable unit but if it is the original one then it could be shot.

LITCH wrote:Have you tried it with the engine running?
If it doesn't work and the generator is charging correctly then it can only be the flasher relay, they are usually a reliable unit but if it is the original one then it could be shot.

Yes I have tried it with it running. Everytime I do something on it the first thing I do is kick her over and run up and down the street. I have learned through experience not to do too many repairs at one time without making sure I haven't ruined everything and she still runs. As for the Relay, I bought a brand new one and installed it. The old one was twice as long as the new one. New one was like 1-1/2" tall. Old one was like 3". Anyway, it was installed and the winkers light but will not wink. I also just today installed the new 6V 4.5 amp battery which works great but still no winkie. Maybe I should check the wiring to the relay to make sure thats alright since it SHOULD work.

What wattage bulbs are you using and does the relay say what it is designed to operate with (usually it is printed on the side)?

LITCH wrote:What wattage bulbs are you using and does the relay say what it is designed to operate with (usually it is printed on the side)?

The bulbs are replacement bulbs from NOS arts & Service and so is the relay. The bulbs say 6V/21/3CP and the relay says super winker flasher on the bottom. Both are replacements for Honda CT70 even though my bike is an ST70.

On another matter I just installed a brand new horn and it was sometimes going off by itself so I took the darn handlebar switch apart and saw where the little metal tab was hitting (big mistake taking it apart) there is no way to get it back togetjer again now. A tiny ball, a tiny spring, a tiny metal plate and they all have to line up. Impossible struggle. So I am looking to buy a new handlebar Horn/Winker switch now. Either that or take off all the blinkers and the horn and just get a BOZO the CLOWN horn for the handlebars!

Seems like every little thing (electrically speaking) is a massive and nearly impossible chore to fix or repair/replace.

I wish the parts depot sold patience as well as parts.

A new horn / indicator switch isn't a problem, I ordered a new (genuine) one earlier in the week and it arrived yesterday.

Haven't got indicators on my ST70 yet and I can't recall what I had on my old bike (long gone) but I seem to recall they aren't 21W, am I correct in thinking this?

LITCH wrote:A new horn / indicator switch isn't a problem, I ordered a new (genuine) one earlier in the week and it arrived yesterday.

Haven't got indicators on my ST70 yet and I can't recall what I had on my old bike (long gone) but I seem to recall they aren't 21W, am I correct in thinking this?

You know I really don;t know what the correct wattage should be because I don"t have a manual. I should invest in one I suppose. Where did you buy your indicator/horn switch? Same place as I do NOS parts and Service on the web?

I hope the one I bought is the right one because I really would rather leave the blinkers on the bike, they look cool and the bike looks more complete.

Do you have a picture of your ST70? What year is it?

I just took a picture of mine today and I'll try to see if I can upload it to here.

LITCH wrote:A new horn / indicator switch isn't a problem, I ordered a new (genuine) one earlier in the week and it arrived yesterday.

Haven't got indicators on my ST70 yet and I can't recall what I had on my old bike (long gone) but I seem to recall they aren't 21W, am I correct in thinking this?

Let's see if this works for my picture I took this afternoon........