Malfunction of the stock direction indicator lights blinking fast - any ideas/fixes?

[Mef]

Hi guys,

Just asking if you can give me an idea about what is going on with my stock direction indicators.

Before I start, no modification has been done beyond installing a USB power connection for my phone, but it was done more than one year ago, well before the problem with the direction indicators started.

My bike is a 2023 F3 S and the problem has been happening for about a couple of months - the direction lights do not light when I push the direction switch, but ...

- When I push the switch, the arrow in the display blinks, first at usual speed, and few seconds later, it starts to blink faster.
- The problem is the same no matter if I push the right switch, the left switch, or the Hazard warning switch.
- Randomly, the lights work will right for a few seconds at normal speed, maybe five or ten, then the display arrows blinks fast again.

I have opened the right handlebar cluster to reach the warning button, and the left one for the direction switch. Everything looks good.

The battery is about six months old and the bike is usually connected to a battery tender if it is not going to be used for more than a couple of weeks.

I would like to think that the problem is a connector, but which one affects the four lights and where can I find it?


Thanks in advance for your help.

 

[Little Blue]

That could be a electrical issue with your bike. I am thinking that your flasher may be the problem. Not sure if you have the old version or not. If there is a flasher that can be replaced. Just change it out. Nowadays the flasher is an electronic device and that is not very friendly. If you have a great Spyder Dealer Technician that you can talk to that would be a great help. If you are electrical engineer you might be able to fix this problem.

Any chance you can get someone to take a look at this problem? There is always the Dealer I guess.

Over to you and good luck with your adventure. So Sorry I really don't have any more info on this.

 

[Mef]

That could be a electrical issue with your bike. I am thinking that your flasher may be the problem. Not sure if you have the old version or not. If there is a flasher that can be replaced. Just change it out. Nowadays the flasher is an electronic device and that is not very friendly. If you have a great Spyder Dealer Technician that you can talk to that would be a great help. If you are electrical engineer you might be able to fix this problem.

Any chance you can get someone to take a look at this problem? There is always the Dealer I guess.

Over to you and good luck with your adventure. So Sorry I really don't have any more info on this.

Thanx for your reply, unfortunately for me my model does not have a flasher to replace .

The last chance I have is to ask for our Spyder dealer for repair, probably with the next service, but I would like to solve it before if possible.

 

[Mrmikey]

Mine did that last week. Buddy told me my left signal and brake light wasn't working when I turned into the restaurant, can't see the indicator in the daylight so I couldn't tell. I tried it when we came out and it worked, both brakes and whichever turn I tried. Got home and tried it again, no joy on the left side and the indicator, which I could see now, flashed a couple times normal and then went spastic.
I had the same problem last year and a filament had broken in the bulb and would occasionally connect, so a new bulb and all was good.
This time it was a bad connection from the lead contact nubs on the bulb to the spring contacts in the bulb holder. I pulled the spring contacts out a bit to put more pressure on the bulb and scraped the bulb contacts, all was good.

 

[JayBros]

The last chance I have is to ask for our Spyder dealer for repair, probably with the next service, but I would like to solve it before if possible.

You're about to hoist yourself on your own petard. You say you want to get the problem solved but you're willing to wait until the next dealer service. Huh???

Have you done as @Mrmikey suggests to see if all the turn signal bulbs are flashing correctly?

 

[Snoking1127]

Most modern vehicles are designed to hyper flash when a bulb burns out. That is why when installing LED turn signal bulbs in the Spyders, they hyper flash unless the LED bulb has the built in resistor or one installs the resistor across the bulb leads.

 

[Mrmikey]

.....see if all the turn signal bulbs are flashing correctly?

Not hard to check, remove the bulb/socket assembly from the tail of the bike and wiggle the bulb with the four ways on. If you have a multimeter see if there's any juice at the plug contacts being careful not to short anything out. It'll just be a blown fuse if you do but why waste a fuse LOL.

 

[Mef]

You're about to hoist yourself on your own petard. You say you want to get the problem solved but you're willing to wait until the next dealer service. Huh???

Have you done as @Mrmikey suggests to see if all the turn signal bulbs are flashing correctly?

You are right, my friend. For now, I am investigating myself, but last chance will see the service.

My logic behind is BUDS. Yesterday, I got the shop manual and all the troubleshooting goes thru BUDS signal checking.

For now, I have discovered that the rear lights are not stock (I bought my F3S from a second hand dealer). The cable connections were done correctly by cable welding, but instead of isolating with heat shrink tubes, they used tape. First job done is fix this.

That is why when installing LED turn signal bulbs in the Spyders, they hyper flash unless the LED bulb has the built in resistor or one installs the resistor across the bulb leads.

The flash light has been working properly for about one year and a half, so I assume that the aftermarket lights are not the problem. Anyway to discard this point I will install temporary bulbs.

 

[Mef]

No good news...

After isolating the four corner lights one by one, only the front lights or the back lights, or only the left side or right side, there's no way to make them flash normally.

The symptoms are the same. If the bike is switched off for half an hour or so and then switched back on, then the direction lights flash normally for few seconds and stop. After that, nothing flashes, it does not matter what combination of buttons or lights I try.

Also I have tightened the chassis negative cables behind the batteries, as suggested by the IA. It was really tight.

Any ideas about what to test?

 

[jcthorne]

Shot in the dark here but I have seen the problem several times. Remove the front wheels and check the wiring harness to the front fender turn signals. Many were not routed correctly and the tire rubs them in two and either breaks the connection or worse, causes a high resistance short from the frayed wires.

 

[canamjhb]

Hyper-flash is caused by having incorrect resistance in your electrical system. Things that can cause this are: burned out bulb(s), incorrect bulbs, aftermarket additions, deteriorated connections, failing switches, etc. As you do your troubleshooting, I would start with the easy stuff first. Disconnect all aftermarket electricals, make sure ALL bulbs are factory originals, check and clean all bulb fixtures, search for any compromised wiring and switches... You get the idea. Document everything you do, so that if you do have to turn the problem over to a service shop, you can give them a head start in locating your problem. Good luck... Jim

 

[iSilentP]

If hyper-flash, try this... worked on my 14 RT awhile back

REPROGRAM THE LIGHT CIRCUIT…

Hazard lights in off position
Turn key on
Press and hold hazard flasher to start blinking
Hold it for 30 seconds while hazards are flashing
Turn off hazard lights off
Turn on right turn signal
When blinks once turn the key off

Do the same for the left turn signal

 

[Snoking1127]

If hyper-flash, try this... worked on my 14 RT awhile back

REPROGRAM THE LIGHT CIRCUIT…

Hazard lights in off position
Turn key on
Press and hold hazard flasher to start blinking
Hold it for 30 seconds while hazards are flashing
Turn off hazard lights off
Turn on right turn signal
When blinks once turn the key off

Do the same for the left turn signal

That only works on early model I believe.