Electrical problem with Buell headlight setup

[dimitre977]

Last week I finished up my Streetfighter conversion with the Buell headlights. Sunday I took it for a 3 hour trip and when I got home noticed that the right side headlight was out. Today I was looking into what had caused the light to go out and found that the ground side of the connector that plugs into the back of the bulb had melted. On the ground side of the plug the exposed copper that you can see at the connection is darker than the wire you see at the other connections. When I wired up the bike I removed the stock connectors from both the headlight and the bike and used heat shrink insulated butt connectors. The left side headlight and the running light still work fine. The question I have is for anyone with any electrical knowledge (I have very little). If my explanation above makes sense could I have wired something wrong causing this or could it be a problem with the headlight? I wanted to try and get some insight as to the problem before I call Surdyke (The place I ordered it from and see what if anything they can do to help take care of problem).

 

[Motogiro]

Have no idea of what the headlight configuration is on your bike. Does the right side lamp have a high and low beam filament? Does it have 3 connections at the back of the lamp? If the left lamp were a low beam only (2 Connectors) and the right lamp has high and low beam, and both high and low beams were on in the right lamp, it might explain what seams to be a high current situation that would cause the return path (that ground) to heat up. In other words both filaments use the same ground wire so it must pass twice the current. You might have to change the connector to a heavier duty nickel plated one as well as increase the wire size to ground to carry more current. Make sure the lamp connector is clean of deposits and oil from fingers etc. It must also have a snug mechanical connect. If it was a loose connection, you can suffer high resistance and heat at that point.
Also those new lamps may draw more current and need heavier than the stock connectors to begin with. Make sure you don't have the high and low beam wires reversed if that's what the configuration is.

I'm sure there are folks that have experience with this set-up. Try to PM Mclovin. I believe he has this set up on the FZ6. Also do a search here on the forum.

Cliff

 

[dimitre977]

The Buell headlights have two single filament bulbs (2 connections on the back). The whole headlight assembly uses a common ground. Each light has a ground but there was only one ground wire at the plug so I only used one ground wire from the bike wiring. I wired up the right side using the stock wiring from the FZ6 and on the left side I powered the light with the wire from the BD43 dual headlight mod. I have both headlights on at the same time. I also supplied power to the built in running light from one of the constant power wire from one of the turn signals.

 

[Motogiro]

Does that mean you don't have a high beam? Or is one of the lamps a high beam? Maybe the right lamp and it draws more current than the left lamp?

Since no one else has jumped on board on this, I would change out the burned connector with a high quality nickel plated type. Drive the bike and see if that wire and connector then stays cool. Does the insulation on the ground wire seem to have melted for any considerable length? In other words did the wire itself heat up?

Cliff

 

[Jman]

I am guessing the headlight is not fused? Enough current draw to melt a connector would surely blow a fuse if it were there.

 

[dimitre977]

Does that mean you don't have a high beam? Or is one of the lamps a high beam? Maybe the right lamp and it draws more current than the left lamp?

Since no one else has jumped on board on this, I would change out the burned connector with a high quality nickel plated type. Drive the bike and see if that wire and connector then stays cool. Does the insulation on the ground wire seem to have melted for any considerable length? In other words did the wire itself heat up?

Cliff

I do not a have a high beam. Both bulbs are 12v 55w H7 bulbs. The insulation right at the edge of the exposed wire looks like it melted. I can see a couple of inches of wire from the bulb to were I started taping things up and the rest looks fine. I haven't removed any electrical tape to check the rest of the wire yet, I plan on doing that on Thursday, but my guess is that it's okay do to what I can see. My thinking is get a new connector and also use the spare ground from the bike wiring instead of wiring to one ground like it is now. Cliff, do you know where I can a good quality nickel plated connector. I'll search the web but thought if you know where I could get one it would save me some time.

 

[dimitre977]

I am guessing the headlight is not fused? Enough current draw to melt a connector would surely blow a fuse if it were there.

The new headlight does not have its own fuse. Is the FZ6 headlight fused? I did not change anything with the stock wiring other than removing the wiring plug so I should not have affected any fuses if the bikes headlights are fused.

 

[Motogiro]

I am guessing the headlight is not fused? Enough current draw to melt a connector would surely blow a fuse if it were there.

The headlight should be fused and if the problem is a just a heated connector and no current overdraw it wouldn't blow the fuse.

I do not a have a high beam. Both bulbs are 12v 55w H7 bulbs. The insulation right at the edge of the exposed wire looks like it melted. I can see a couple of inches of wire from the bulb to were I started taping things up and the rest looks fine. I haven't removed any electrical tape to check the rest of the wire yet, I plan on doing that on Thursday, but my guess is that it's okay do to what I can see. My thinking is get a new connector and also use the spare ground from the bike wiring instead of wiring to one ground like it is now. Cliff, do you know where I can a good quality nickel plated connector. I'll search the web but thought if you know where I could get one it would save me some time.

It's probably just the connector. I would go to an automotive supply and get a headlamp connector. It doesn't necessarily need to be nickel. Just make sure the tab on the headlight is really clean and that the new connector fits tightly on the tab. I'm assuming the tab on the bulb is the same as a car type.

PM me and let me know how you make out.

Thanks,
Cliff

 

[dimitre977]

Thanks for the help Cliff. I'll let you know how it goes.