46
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 ...
16
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, ...
16
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 ...
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. If ...
10
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
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
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
Move More Comments Link To Top
18.7k4 gold badges50 silver badges76 bronze badges
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
Bulbs - Swap the bulbs, like the comment suggested, with the ones on the other side. If works switch back and get replacement.
Fuse - Swap the fuse with another in the fuse box with the same rating. If works switch back and get replacement.
Connectors - Check for corrosion on connectors. Clean connectors with fine grade sand paper. Coat in something ...
5
I would bet the problem lies in the relay, which should be located under the hood. It should look something like this:
Each of the high beams and low beams will have their own relay. The switch which is only used to energize the relay. The relay provides the power for the head lights.
The underhood fuse box should look like this:
On the underside of the ...
5
It is possible that the adjustment is not correct, i.e. the lights are still shining too steep down though the knob is set to 0. Though you can test this on your own, shops will do this with more precision. It doesn't cost much and may be for free.
DucatiKiller suggests high-power bulbs in his comment.
From the legal side (they're for sure illegal in the UK,...
5
As Autistic and Chenmunka say, if you want to increase the electrical power you're using (by having a higher-rated headlamp), you'll need to generate more power - by having a bigger alternator or dynamo/generator. Simply fitting a bigger battery won't help, as it'll still discharge all the time you're using more power than you're generating.
It sounds like ...
5
The best way to keep them looking good is to utilize clear spray lacquer which is is not affected by UV. UV light is what causes the cloudiness in the first place. By spraying the clearcoat on there, you effectively protect the lense from the harmful UV rays.
After you get through sanding the lense down, throw several light coats of the clear, then follow ...
5
After hours of tracing cables, removing panels and taking apart more of the car than I'd like to admit, I figured the issue out. Apparently there's a cable for control current (or something like that). The control current had gone out. The car still kept thinking the lights were on, as the LED control circuitry was apparently using the power the car was ...
5
No, you don't "really need" it. However, the purpose of the grease is to keep out moisture that can degrade the connection and the bulb's performance. So if you see any signs of corrosion when you remove the old bulb, I would say that it would be a very good idea to clean the socket well and use some grease.
In my, limited, experience the bulbs that tend to ...
5
It depends.
What you are referring to is dielectric grease. It doesn't conduct electricity so it is safe to use on electrical connectors.
Modern vehicle assembly lines don't grease bulbs because the rubber seals are sufficient at keeping moisture out, the electrical connection can be made more reliably.
Having said that, if the rubber isn't sealing ...
5
They flash because that's how their brightness is altered. Rather than use a large resistor to vary the current through the LEDs, they are flashed on and off faster than your eye can detect. When they are on more than they are off, they are bright. When they are off more than they are on, they are dimmer. That's a very general description, I don't know what ...
Only top voted, non community-wiki answers of a minimum length are eligible