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The symptoms all point to a faulty battery, and an incorrect test result for the Autozone battery test.
Starting with this: Hitting brakes: Brake lights come on and interior lights dim: a good battery should have no problem driving both the brake lights and interior lights without dimming. The same goes for many of the other tests you've done. If ...
34
Do matching (left/right) lights often burn out within a short time period of each other? If so, why?
No, the salesman was spot on. If you think about it, bulbs are designed to last about the same amount of time. If they are installed in pairs, then the secondary light which matches the first will most likely be on the road to death just as the first. This holds mostly true for higher output lights, like your headlights. Marker lights, being a much lower ...
15
The main purpose for this is so other drivers can see your turn signal. The LED lights are so intense, they do not allow the oncoming driver to be able to see the turn signal. By turning the LEDs off, it becomes readily apparent.
15
Sure you could put a bigger battery in .What may happen is that the total proposed draw is too much for the dynamo and it will go flat.Even if it does not go flat because your appliance usage patterns are intermittent you will get a lower battery life because of the constant cycling .If dealing with the charging system is too hard or too expensive then ...
15
All symptoms point to a dead battery, but as you have already attempted to rule that out, the next thing I'd check would be bad connections or cables.
Turn on the headlights or something else that consumes a fair amount of power - this makes the results of these tests clearer. If the battery is fine, the voltage at battery terminals should stay close to 12 ...
14
That process you're describing is VERY familiar to me - I do that for people from time to time. The difference is REALLY SIGNIFICANT... and at most it should take you five minutes of actual work per headlight - it's really pretty minimal, with diminishing returns VERY quickly.
ALWAYS WET-SAND. Do NOT dry-sand. Start with nothing less than #600 sandpaper, ...
13
I think you hit it. Cost, most of the LED headlights are made to just pack as many LED as possible into the H4 package as possible, but a small percentage of them are actually designed to mimic the H4 fillament. Most of the cheap LED bulbs aren't DOT certified, so look for the certified ones, they give you better performance. I'd recommend a brand, but you'...
11
absolutely DO NOT replace a BALLAST with a RELAY.
They perform different functions completely and are in no way related.
Relay = Switch
Ballast = Current Regulation
A solid state relay may have some voltage limitation attributes but you need to be sure that it matches the ballast that will be provided with your HID kit. I HIGHLY recommend you use those. ...
9
Could be you. I've heard from several sources that when installing light bulbs you should not touch the glass at all. When you touch the glass, any dirt/grease from your fingers will end up on the glass and will cause the bulb to run hotter than usual. This might cause premature failure.
Don't know how much of this is accurate or even if it's true but ...
9
Your question raises more issues than you probably thought.
With respect to the issue of a relay, then assuming your bike has a 12 volt, negative ground, electrical system, all you need is a generic automotive relay, which looks like this (sometimes called a Bosch relay, regardless of whether it is actually a Bosch unit). Here is an article, which looks ...
9
According to this that extra space is for the integrated fog light, which is probably where the fog light would be if you didn't have the separate fog light.
7
That's actually standard Audi & VW behaviour, not an electrical problem.
7
Unless the lenses themselves are badly damaged, I would try to polish them up first. You can buy kits with most of the necessary polishes etc from a lot of detailing supply companies- the one I have experience with is the Meguiar's kit that comes with plastic polish and a polishing "mop" for use in your drill. You'll also need a roll of blue painter's tape ...
7
New bulbs sometimes don't last long if they have any oil or dirt on them to begin with before you install them. Sometimes you can't even see the dirt or the oil but it's enough to cause the glass to overheat once your headlights warm up. Also, it should go without saying ( and surely you already know this? ) that you can't touch the new bulb with installing ...
7
I would say the two peaks should be at the same height. In the UK, beam alignment is part of the annual MOT roadworthyness test, and the government publish a guide as to how to set them up:
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/260552/headlamp-aim-guide.pdf
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/...
7
Each bulb usually has 2 filaments in it, one for low beam and one for high beam. One possibility is that your driver's side bulb has a broken high beam filament and the passenger side has a broken low beam filament.
A search reveals that your headlight bulbs are likely of type H4 and look like the following. They match my description above. This video ...
7
Do matching (left/right) lights often burn out within a short time period of each other? If so, why?
Lightbulb failure is a random event, which is not pre-set to happen after X hours of service or before a certain date. It is provoked by stress from vibration, repeated heating up and cooling down and voltage spikes above nominal voltage.
Having said that, lightbulbs have a predictable ageing process where their filament gradually thins out via evaporation. ...
6
You can remove the bulb and put a couple desiccants into the assembly until it dries out. You will want to inspect the housing for cracks and any breaks in the seal. You can use silicone sealant to fix the leak.
If it is still under warranty, I would try having them replace it first.
6
My car doesn't have this "Max Heating" setting, so my experience may not help you, but I have two reasons why I always turn the lights on while defrosting the car:
the extra load on the engine actually provides more heat so the interior heats up faster, because the engine revs harder to keep the battery output voltage at the same level
the lights being on ...
6
The all of the "super white" headlights (which look blue-ish compared to normal headlights) are safety hazards for multiple reasons:
They have a much greater effect of blinding oncoming drivers -- and, if you have them adjusted improperly or use your hi-beams at inappropriate times, drivers in front of you two.
The "white" light produced by these headlights ...
6
Do you have a Pulsar 220? If so, you probably don't want two full-blown headlights, if the electrical system on a 220 is anything like that of the 135LS. On my bike, the electricals can barely keep up with all the lights on, plus both signal lights blinking (unless I raise the idling speed).
You should probably look into adding accessory lights, instead. ...
6
I recommend looking for a replacement side panel. Otherwise the standard panel beating approach is to try and hammer out the worst of the dents first. Car bog/filler/bondo is a last step to fill minor imperfections. This is harder than it sounds. Panels that have been creased or stretched seldom pop back to thier original position. Judging by your photo the ...
6
It really looks like it's down to the switch, if the high beams work normally (Not just using flash to pass) and both low beams quit at the same time, and you are positive the bulbs are good. The one thing that can fail that would take out both low beams is the switch.
Everything in yellow below is good based on your description of what works. The pink ...
answered Sep 1 '15 at 13:56
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6
I would not want to increase load to your dynamo. I'm skeptical that you actually have that type of charging system but can't back my claim.
IF it is a dynamo then I would do something in order to add your accessory lighting load.
- Replace your current headlight with an LED version, it will consume less electricity and give you room to add the accessory ...
6
Sounds like the bulb socket is corroded. You could try spraying it with contact cleaner, or trim an emery board to fit and giving a couple of passes with that to remove the corrosion. With any cleaning method, I'd recommend putting a little petroleum jelly on the bulb contacts to try to prevent any further corrosion.
6
Most vehicles not using an LED headlight have multiple filaments in the bulb. These frequently do burn out independently. Low beam is also the most used filament, and likely to burn out first.
Given no fuses are blown or wires loose, it's most likely just a bad bulb.
Bulbs are generally pretty cheap, a few dollars, so it's worth just replacing it just in ...
6
I think there might be a regulatory component that effects stated brightness
I found in CFR (Code of Federal Regulations) 49
The maximum wattage at 12.8 volts (design voltage): 65 watts on upper beam, and 55 watts on lower beam.
BUT...there are some caveats to this related to headlamp type and additional components to the commercial regulations which ...
6
If the bulb in question is the same fitment as the original (is just a higher wattage or whatever), then it should cause no issues with the wiring. I believe the main differences can be linked back to what type of gas is used inside the bulb and what filament is used to produce the light. Some are going to be hotter than others, no doubt.
Usually, if you ...
5
Not by any amount you can measure, no. The power consumed by the bulbs are such a small fraction of the total that you would not notice it, unless you are adding multiple spotlights or going all retro-mod, maybe, like this pic from the Telegraph:
5
Although the link shows how to remove the condensation it doesn't deal with the cause.The seal has failed and that what is allowing moisture to accumulate.After drying reseal with 3M window seal.It comes on roll and sticks to about anything.Wrap a bead around the light assembly where the lens is glued the housing.Also check the seal where the bulb socket ...
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