Keep left cos the right indicators don't work.

[Kookaburra]

On my 1985 twin shock R65 the right turn indicators and dash display went intermittent and from yesterday evening have now stopped working completely. The left indicators and dash display still work fine. I suspect it is the contacts in the switch so I tried squirting electrical contact cleaner into the slot and moving the switch around a few times but this did not cure the problem. So what's the next shot(s) please? 

[georgesgiralt]

Hello,
I bet it is the internal of the switch coming loose.
Dismantling and reassembling is not for the faint of heart and keep attention of those small springs and balls attempting to go with their elders in nowhere land...

[Carott]

Any attempt at switch disassembly should be done inside a large clear plastic bag. Those little springs and balls yearn to fly and be free.

Brett

[Bob_Roller]

How does the switch feel when you select the right side ?
I'm on my second replacement switch for the left side .
Plastic parts get brittle and break in this incessant desert heat we have here for 6-7 months of the year .
I don't know your electrical troubleshooting experience, but if you remove the fuel tank, disconnect the electrical connector for the left switch assembly, find the wires for the right turn indicator, put the switch in the right position and check for continuity between the wire that is blue with a black spiral band and the solid brown wire .
No replacement parts are available for the switch .

[georgesgiralt]

I was sick and tired to buy new left hand switches because they failed at the turn indicator switch. So I bought an old left hand switch second hand. One suited for the old R65 or other bikes but made by Hella.
Since then, no more problems...
Just my 2¢
YMMV ...

[tunnelrider]

I don't know your electrical troubleshooting experience, but if you remove the fuel tank, disconnect the electrical connector for the left switch assembly, find the wires for the right turn indicator, put the switch in the right position and check for continuity between the wire that is blue with a black spiral band and the solid brown wire .

Definitely do this first as Bob said, it's much better to establish whether the switch works before messing about with it.  Look at the terminals in the connector under the fuel tank for corrosion or dirt or perhaps the terminal has moved out of place in the connector, while testing for continuity on the right wire to brown with the switch on turning right.
Since you've cleaned the indicator switch with contact cleaner make sure you spray some lube like CRC556 in there otherwise it won't operate smoothly, just a friendly reminder...

You can replace the indicator switch in the left hand assembly if you get your hands on a spare.  I did because the spare I got was off a mono, looked hideously clean and new, didn't want to put it on so I unsoldered the indicator switch and soldered it into the original assembly.  You can do this without the risk of jettisoning parts into the upper atmosphere.

[Kookaburra]

As always, some awesome advice based on hard experience from around the globe.

In answer to Bob Roller, moving the switch to either right or left feels about the same -a fair bit of lateral play before it clicks in.
 
I'll do the electrical continuity test first before resorting to a large clear plastic bag and safety glasses.

In the spirit of this forum that there is no such thing as a silly question.

- Is CRC556 in the same stable as WD 40?
- What does the acronym YMMZ... stand for?

[georgesgiralt]

YMMZ i don't know.. What I intended to write was Your Mileage May Vary ... Sorry
CRC56 is a contact cleaner and, if I'm not mistaken, contains no oil. WD40 is a water displacement product and contains some sort of oil which dries out.
Different usage and very different products.

[Kookaburra]

Thanks Georges, Great answers.

With Bob Roller and tunnelrider leading the way I took the tank off and went down the check electrical continuity track and to my very pleasant surprise quickly discovered dirt and/or a poor connection into the terminal block was the cause of the problem. Cleaned and reseated all the terminal connections within cooee for good measure. 

So now able to indicate a right turn again but I still prefer to keep left. 

[Bob_Roller]

Good to hear it was a quick fix and no expensive parts had to be ordered !!

[tunnelrider]

Yeah great result Kookaburra, glad to hear that too.  CRC556 is in the same stable as WD40 as it's main use is a light lube but apparently (according to Snowbum) WD40 is not to be used on electrical connectors, switches etc as it is corrosive. Another interesting tip he gives on using CRC556 is that BMW used it to lube the airhead electrical connectors on assembly at the factory.
Keeping left is better for me too!