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Brake Light Flasher
I'm sure that you can tell by my other posts that I am going over this '84 with a fine tooth comb.
The PO's seem to be riders only, but at least they kept this baby inside.
The dash and paint are not sun bleached like alot of other GW's that I was looking at.
Also very little rust .... maybe because we have only 5 months to ride up here in the Great White North.

Anyway, when testing the brake lights I noticed that the trunk lights are hooked up to a flasher which toggles the left/right bulbs if you hold the brake on for a few seconds.

With mine, they toggle ok for 3 or 4 flashes and then one gets brighter and one quits flashing.

I replaced the 1157 bulbs and tried again, but same symptoms.

I "wrestled" the flasher out of the pigtail and it looks like the PO jammed the wrong size flasher into the pigtail (if that's possible).
Each of the 3 prongs are bent IN slightly. If I straighten the prongs - it won't fit.
I figure the easy fix is to pick up a new pigtail c/w flasher and replace the existing one, as it is probably getting tired by now.

Any hints on a particular flasher number or brand to use?
Reply
#1 05-31-2010, 10:30 PM,
When a modulator is installed which seems to be the case, it usually is installed inside the lamp housing in the rear trunk.
I have had one for about 20 years, maybe with today's advancement of electronics they are much smaller but mine is quite a large box and just fits in the space.
Maybe the PO replaced the Honda flasher ?
A picture of what you have may help

<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.ridesafer.com/Goldwing_Tail_light_Modulator_200GW_p/lm00-200gw.htm">http://www.ridesafer.com/Goldwing_Tail_ ... -200gw.htm</a><!-- m -->
The only stupid questions are the one's that are not asked.

Reply
#2 06-01-2010, 04:48 AM,
Tricky:
There is no modulator in my trunk.

When you pull off the bottom trunk panel to get at the bulbs you find the wires to the light sockets and a pigtail with a flasher tied into the wiring.
When you put the brakes on momentarily it acts as a regular brake lite.

If you hold the brake on, it changes to alternating flashes.

Perhaps one of the PO's had it rigged up as such and the flasher is getting tired.

I didn't know if it was a standard '84 ASP setup or not.

If no one else has a flasher in there, it must be rigged.

I'll see what happens with a new flasher c/w pigtail.
Reply
#3 06-01-2010, 07:19 AM,
Wingy,
You're not the only one. I have what sounds like exactly the same thing in my '87 Interstate. Since getting the bike, I assumed that the PO had installed a brake light modulator as mine worked just as you are describing. This last Saturday, I finally got around to installing the LED kit that I bought from L.E.D.tech and when I pulled the bottom panel of the trunk, I discovered the flasher unit. It must be an older non-electronic modulator of some type because after installing the LED bulbs, it now either doesn't work at all or is flashing so fast that it appears to be a steady light.

Hoss
Reply
#4 06-01-2010, 09:36 AM,
It is not a standard aspy or Interstate thing.

AS for changing to LED's personally I would change the two flasher bulbs back and use the safety feature of the modulator.
The only stupid questions are the one's that are not asked.

Reply
#5 06-01-2010, 12:13 PM,
Hoss,
Strange that you and I have it, but it is not a factory item.
Perhaps it was a modification that was popular with a few wing geeks in the past.

Was yours working properly before changing to LED's ?

I may just replace mine with a new flasher until I can pony up for LED's.

Peter
Reply
#6 06-01-2010, 04:14 PM,
Yes, mine worked just like I suppose it was designed to prior to the LEDs. When applying the brakes, it would flash for 5 or 6 seconds and then go solid. As I said earlier, it could still be flashing, just too fast to see the break. The LED kit I bought comes with two resistors for the turn signals. The instructions say to install the bulbs first and try without the resistor. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. When I tried it without the resistor, I actually thought something else was wrong as they just came on steady. It was only when looking very closely that I could see that they actually were flashing, just at about 100 times a second. That could be what the break light is doing also. My plans are to get an electronic brake light modulator that will work with LED bulbs and install that.

Your only problem with installing a regular flasher into the socket is that they will never turn to solid, only flash. If you do that, you may want to check if that's legal. I thought they eventually had to display solid.

Hoss
Reply
#7 06-01-2010, 06:04 PM,
I will do that.

Thanks for your help.
Peter
Reply
#8 06-01-2010, 08:54 PM,


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