Self Cancelling Indicator Use

[pinholenz]

I have an 82.5 xz550. I discovered the other day that it was supposed to have a self cancelling indicator system, so replaced the self cancelling unit with another one assuming it must be dead. No joy. Speedo works OK. Is there a trick to using the indicators to get it to work? I have a left/right/ down for off, indicator switch.  What is the most common cause for these not to function? Tired springs in switch? Magnets fallen off in speedo? Thanks.

[Fuzzlewump]

I'm glad you posted this, as I have recently come across the same puzzle.

Presumably, when you move the switch sliding component to the right or left, it presses against a spring and is locked into position by some kind of locking mechanism. When you push the slider "down" or "in" it should release the locking mechanism, allowing the spring to return the slider to the off position.

I completely disassembled my old switch (I have two) and took a look at it. The strange thing is that I cannot see any locking mechanism for the slider at all. It appears to be held into the right or left position by the friction of the slider against the switch housing. It also has no physical ability to move "down" or "in". Just right or left. When I want to return the slider to the off position from right or left, I must slide it over. No locking or unlocking at all. Both of my switches operate this way, and both appear to be factory. Without any locking/unlocking mechanism, I don't see how the cancelling unit can affect the switch.

Pinholenz, can you push your slider down or in? If so, does it then return to the off position?

[fret not]

There is a module that sort of looks like a relay that does the self cancelling job, it's not in the handlebar switch.

[The Prophet of Doom]

Not all models have the self canceling indicators, but the 16R does.
They are identifiable by a T shaped gate for the indicators.  Left for left Right for right, Down for off
When you push left or right the switch latches ON and the self cancelation device takes over turning things off.

That takes a pulse from a magnetic reed switch in the gauge cluster that circuits to ground about once every 1/3 wheel rotation and sends it via the white / green wire wire to the self cancellation when it counts to enough pulses to = 150 metres or 10 seconds then it turns off, even though the handlebar switch is still latched on.

Procedure in UK Haynes p145 12.7 to test the reed and the self cancellation box

The most likely is that you have a XZ400 gauge unit swapped in as XZ550 parts are hard to find here, then you won't have the reed switch, but there is a slot for it in the white plastic inner .  It's fiddly but easily fixed if you can get someone to ship you the part from a wrecked USA model one. Other wise look for wiring issues first.

The self cancellation unit is long and skinny, about the size of a square lipstick container.  Not to be confused with the flasher relay.

[pinholenz]

Thanks Roro, that will send me off in the right direction. On my bike the self cancelling unit was located on the rear of the TCI casing. Cheers

[pinholenz]

Found the the Haynes test procedure in the manual as you described thanks Roro. Definitely written in the days of analogue electrical test meters. So, I am testing the sending circuit. The manual describes that the meter needle should swing from no resistance( 0 ohms) to infinite resistance when the front wheel is spun.

What does that look like on an automatic digital meter? "O.L" reading I take as "no load". When I join the probes together I get "0.00" which is zero resistance. Is "infinite resistance" a reading somewhere in the mega ohm range or should I expect something else? Thanks

[Rikugun]

On an analog meter infinite resistance is when the needle doesn't move. Similarly, on a digital, it wouldn't read beyond the resting value (probes not touching) of 0.L. An open circuit - no needle movement or 0.L analog/digital respectively - are circuits with infinite resistance.

Depending on the circuit being tested you may get a slight needle deflection (reading a very high value) w/analog meters or on a digital meter a very large number. In practical terms, depending on the component or circuit tested, both of these may be considered effectively an infinite resistance reading in that the component won't work at that level of resistance.

[The Prophet of Doom]

What Riki said. 
Digital meters do vary a bit when a no resistance circuit is made (same as touching the leads together).  One of mine says 9999, one says 0L.

If you have a continuity function on your meter with a beeper, then use that.  You will go between beeping and not beeping.

For this sort of thing I like to use a continuity probe I got from supercheap for about $25. It has a light and buzzer which goes on if approaching zero resistance and warble/flash if there is some resistance.  Thin enough to slip into a connector without damaging it, and unlike a meter and probes, you can hold it in one hand.