FZ6 No tail light, no turn signals or hazards but fuse ok

[edthebad]

I have recently bought a 2006 FZ6 which was all working this afternoon until I think I accidentally shorted to ground a live feed to the rear bulb. It had been bodged by the po and I was going to solder and heat shrink it, however the fuse it ok which makes me wonder why it and the turn signals no longer work (they're on the same fuse). I have ordered another flasher relay as a possibility but does anyone know what else I could check. Could I have blown the resistors for the indicators and would that or the relay really have affected the whole circuit and not blown the fuse? Just for clarity I changed the fuse and the new didn't make it work either. Any help much appreciated. The bike starts up fine and I have checked all the other fuses in that fuse box just in case.
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Ed

[cresad]

Hi

This might sound daft but have you checked the bulbs themselves ?

Adam

[edthebad]

Not a stupid question. , really don't think it's the bulbs as everything was working fine and then suddenly not. Which would mean they would have had tp all go together.
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Ed

[Sister Sledge]

Electrical isn't a strong point but think of it this way - they share a common fuse so do they share a common ground (Earth) point? Could that common ground point have failed? (melted)

If you don't have one then it's time to grab an electrical test meter. They're useful around the house too.

[Islander]

Are you sure the fuse isn't blown? Have you tried substituting a known good fuse?

If yes to the above then check the ground for the rear lights.

Also, as above buy a multimeter. They take a lot of guesswork out of electrical issues.

[edthebad]

I have substituted the fuse. The ground could be an issue but it seems strange that it was working one minute and not the next - as if a fuse had blown. Usually I’m pretty good with electrics (I have an old MGB so I need to be!j, but I’m looking at wiring which has been fiddled with when a po has upgraded to LED signals. It’s as if the circuit has broken somewhere certainly but if it isn’t at the fuse then could it be a resistor or a relay? I’ve ordered a new relay anyway so I’ll have that answer tomorrow but I’ve never known a relay to fail before a fuse.
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Ed

[Sister Sledge]

If the fuse had a higher fail rating than the bodged in wiring then the wire will be the weakest link.

Could be the wire failing internally or wire which is damaged inside the insulation failing - sometimes incorrect wire frays inside the insulation and those last threads of copper are easily blown.
Please tell me the bodged in wire isn't single strand copper?

Sounds like a full replacement of the wires that have been bodged in are the answer. I know I'd be doing that.

[edthebad]

No it's not single strand but I'm inclined to rip it out and start again. I'm leaning towards it being a dodgy earth so I'll get out the multimeter and see what's what.
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Ed

[Islander]

[Rednine]

Are your dashboard lights working? I'd also check the white multi connector block behind the screen, assuming it's typical Yamaha
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Smoke me a kipper, I'll be back for breakfast.

[Hong Kong Phooey]

Sounds like earth wire melted, electrical faults or shorts rarely take out more than one component, that's normally the consequential fire's job.

Brake light circuit gone too?

Common point to all those failed items would be an earth feed or fuse.
There will probably be a wiring diagram in the stickies, possibly gone at the switchgear end rather than where you'd be expecting, but less likely.

I'd start simple. Multimeter the subframe to both test points on the top of the blade fuse, should be continuity. Test battery neg to subframe, same result. Bulb holder to frame, same again. Don't forget to disconnect the +'ve as you don't want to knacker anything else when probing, especially in the bulb compartment.
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'81 CG125, '97 FZS600 : '99 CBR600F4, '09 KTM RC8

[lukamon]

this happened to my fz6 not a month ago. the cause was crusty connectors under the left hand seat panel. just unplug them a few times to scrape them clean, spray with cleaner, and see if they work
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killa wrote: Im an ass man myself

[barrkel]

I had a similar-sounding issue with my VFR once upon a time. It turned out to be corrosion in a connector block. My friendly local mechanic put some shunts around it, took the bad wires out of the block with separate connectors.

Like lukamon, I'd check out the state of your connectors.
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Bikes: S1000R, SH350; Exes: Vity 125, PS125, YBR125, ER6f, VFR800, Brutale 920, CB600F, SH300x4
Best road ever ridden: www.youtube.com/watch?v=s2MhNxUEYtQ