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Buell Forum » Old School Buell » Archive through October 11, 2019 » 97 S1 Headlight plug Melting! « Previous Next »

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Buellerthanyou
Posted on Monday, June 03, 2019 - 07:40 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Custodian/Admin only)

Howdy Fellow Masochists! I was riding my S1 and the high-beam warning light lit up on my dash, signifying that my headlight was burned out. However, upon pulling the bulb, I saw that the bulb was fine, but the plastic plug was melted and was not allowing contact!
What could cause this?
Solutions?
Any help would be appreciated!
Thanks,
Jay
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Jolly
Posted on Monday, June 03, 2019 - 11:37 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Custodian/Admin only)

I had a CRAZY wiring issue that I finally tracked down to... my headlight..... the little peanut bulb leads were connected incorrectly (previous owner had been in there...) the lead that was carrying 12v was connected to the bulb case ground and the ground lead was connected to the + bulb connection..... sooooo the case was getting 12v... making the whole light “hot”.....

http://www.badweatherbikers.com/buell/messages/476 23/846318.html?1551461885
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Ratbuell
Posted on Tuesday, June 04, 2019 - 10:37 am:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Custodian/Admin only)

um...what's a "high beam warning light"? As far as I know, the only indication that a high beam (or low beam, for that matter) has burned out is...darkness in front of the bike.

These are not CAN-bus system vehicles; they're analog. If the blue high beam indicator comes on...you have flipped the switch to turn on the brights. That's all.

That said - if you have an "upgraded" bulb in there like a high-wattage PIAA bulb, it can draw more current than the plug is designed for, causing heat, causing melting.
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89rs1200
Posted on Tuesday, June 04, 2019 - 10:57 am:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Custodian/Admin only)

au contraire Ratbuell.
Owners manual states the high beam warning light will come on in two cases:
* When the high beam light is turned on.
* When the low beam burns out, the high beam is turned on at a lower voltage, so one will not be left riding in the dark.

Concerning high wattage bulbs, I have seen this issue. Using aluminum foil, I punch a hole in the middle, put the bulb through it, and spread out the rest, outside the plastic housing, as a heat sink. Completely unnecessary now that we have LED head lamps at our disposal. WOW are LED headlights great or what?!
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89rs1200
Posted on Tuesday, June 04, 2019 - 11:11 am:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Custodian/Admin only)

D'oh! Just had a thought. Either the high beam or low beam element could break in a way that they both touch. In this case, both high beam and low beam will be on at the same time. This could cause the over heating problem.
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Ratbuell
Posted on Tuesday, June 04, 2019 - 03:21 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Custodian/Admin only)

I stand corrected. Never knew that, thanks.

I'm still partial to HID over LED. Source location in LEDs still doesn't do it for me as far as beam spread and focus goes...and the HID hi/lo with the magnet-switched bulb shift is just as instantaneous for high beam toggles...

Everything I have with a plastic reflector (car or bike) gets a 35w HID; everything with a metal reflector gets a 55w HID. The factory socket only triggers the relay set / ballast, it doesn't actually throughput the wattage for the light source.
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Buellerthanyou
Posted on Saturday, June 08, 2019 - 08:53 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Custodian/Admin only)

Thank y'all!
I'll try an HID/LED bulb and see if that helps. also found ceramic plugs on Ebay! One friend said it could also be a loose/corroded ground. That sound right? Rat, where on an S1 can I hide an HID ballast? ; )
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Ratbuell
Posted on Saturday, June 08, 2019 - 09:30 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Custodian/Admin only)

I use ddmtuming.com for my HID's. H4 bulb, 4300K color temp (daylight white; not blue, not yellow), 35w is bright, 55w is silly-bright. Should have a glass/metal reflector if you have the housing I think you do, so either will be OK.

Want REAL light downrange? Get a 7" Hella E-code H4 housing/lens at the same time, and you'll NEVER outrun your lights.

The ballast is small on these. You can velcro/zip tie it to the top of the bulb housing (round bowl) behind the flyscreen, under the gauges. Small, like 1.5"x2"x.25" thick.
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Upthemaiden
Posted on Monday, June 10, 2019 - 07:54 am:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Custodian/Admin only)

You'd be surprised how much space there is behind the flyscreen on an S1.

http://www.badweatherbikers.com/buell/messages/476 23/306391.html?1189926731
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