I wonder if anybody can throw a bit of light my way.

A few months ago I posted that my indicators & hazard lights had suddenly stopped working. At the time of this discovery I also noticed that when either indicator button was pressed the digital clock faded into nothing. I later found the hazard switch had a dodgy solder in one of the wires under the handlebar pad. Once this was re-soldered both my indicators & hazard were functional again (and the clock remained visible) 

Fast forward to yesterday, and coming back from work once again the same thing started happening (no indicators/hazards & clock fading). My first obvious port of call was checking the integrity of the hazard switch again. It seems fine. But now I notice that there are some strange noises coming from the relay box under the tank. The sound is almost like a fast high pitched whirring. Hard to describe. 

There is a slight difference in sound between the indicators and the hazards and they appear (though I could be wrong) to be coming from different relays.

Are there different relays for the indicators and hazards?
Does anyone have a diagram of what the relays are?
Am I even looking in the right place?

My bike is a 1990 16v.

Check the earthing point on the frame under the tank. The noise you describe is almost certainly the relays not earthing properly. Sounds like you're caught an angry wasp in there, doesn't it?

Hi Dai 

You're right mate. A whole bunch of 'em.

The flasher module is not a "set of relays" rather it is a complex electronic circuit card inside of a box.  It has several inputs (RH indicator sw, LH indicator sw., Cancel sw., and Hazard sw.), several outputs (RH and LH indicators and Hazard indicator) and power feeds (switched 12V, unswitched 12V and ground).

Fuse 3 is common between the clock and the flasher module providing unswitched 12V to power the clock with the ignition off.  So if the clock and flasher are acting up simultaneously, my first point of investigation would be that fuse itself and the holder for the fuse.  It sounds like the fuse is flakey or the electrical contact in the fuse holder weak and intermittent.

robmack wrote:The flasher module is not a "set of relays" rather it is a complex electronic circuit card inside of a box.  It has several inputs (RH indicator sw, LH indicator sw., Cancel sw., and Hazard sw.), several outputs (RH and LH indicators and Hazard indicator) and power feeds (switched 12V, unswitched 12V and ground).

Fuse 3 is common between the clock and the flasher module providing unswitched 12V to power the clock with the ignition off.  So if the clock and flasher are acting up simultaneously, my first point of investigation would be that fuse itself and the holder for the fuse.  It sounds like the fuse is flakey or the electrical contact in the fuse holder weak and intermittent.

Thanks very much Rob.

Fingers crossed that the culprit 

The beers are on me Rob 

Fuse 3 was indeed the culprit. 

I must confess the fuse didn't look too bad, but a clean up with fine wire will did the trick.

Thanks very much guys.

I love this forum!

Glad it's sorted. Enjoy.