Just joined the forum... Thanks for having me.

I have my first Harley 1986 Sportster 883. My issue is that I took off the turn signals (front, back and break light) and now I am having issues.

I cant get them to work unless I touch the housing on the frame. When I touch the housing on the frame they work perfect (grounding them) but if they just hang and do not touch the frame, nothing. I know I can just mount them and they will work but I am thinking that the ground is off or missing. I ground the triple tree to the bottom of the bolt on the risers since I read that it had a rubber bushing and need to be ground, still nothing.

Went to the local Harley shop and the guy was nice and said it had a ground off but I cant find it at all.

The batter ground is working and the steel braided cable is working and attached (because I can ground on the frame.

I looked over the wiring diagram and I am not great at understanding that stuff or testing with a meter.

I am at a loss if anyone can help.

 

Look at the wiring diagram in your service manual, you will see that the turn signals are grounded by the contact of the housing to the frame, there is no separate ground wire.

That is why they don`t work when they aren`t touching the frame.

As long as you don`t ride around with the signal housings hanging from the wires, you will be fine...