Cooked Headlamp Harness

[20valves]

Wouldn't it be nice if the nanny government didn't make us run our headlights 24/7 and we could rely on those neat little running lights in the corners of the light assembly and only use our headlights when we actually need 'em? You could even run LED's for the DRL's and have about no current in the system while running in the daytime. Oh well....

 

[Dallara]

so rather than confuse myself further and dive through 25 pages of posts, is jim working with any folks for an upgraded headlight harness like he's done for other bike models?

Maybe Tenerator12 is within driving distance? Not to volunteer anyone or anything...sorry

When I last corresponded with Jim at Eastern Beaver, *NO*, he was not working on any Super Tenere headlamp sub-harness replacement. He simply didn't think there was enough potential volume in it to justify a full-on production item at that time.

Could that situation change? I dunno'... Certainly couldn't hurt to ask him. Note that it was back last fall - around the time I started this thread - that I exchanged e-mails, pictures, etc. with him, along with buying a bunch of connector supplies from him. At that time, from his perusal of the pictures I sent him of the cooked harness, he felt the wire size was indeed too small, but the biggest culprit was the size of the pin/spade connectors in the plug from the main wiring harness to the headlamp sub-harness. He also felt there were too many odd butt-connectors along the way in the sub-harness itself (see pictures early in the thread). He also didn't like the look of the H7 headlamp plugs much, saying he was somewhat surprised Yamaha used them. I purchased some various different, larger plugs and spades from him to install for when I did a rebuilt sub-harness, but as of yet I still haven't gotten around to finishing that re-manufactured harness. Just been too busy working, and riding with warranty replacement harness I got from Yamaha. One day I will, indeed, finish my own re-made harness. At that time I'll post all the pictures, etc. detailing the build.

On another note... I keep seeing some here post that the wire size for this application is adequate. I should remind those folks that all depends on the construction, material alloy, insulation, geometry, etc. of the wire itself. What grade is the metal alloy? How pure is the copper? Is it a high-percentage of copper at all? How many strands? What is the insulation? PVC? Another plastic? And let's not forget that the wire is crimped to brass connectors... And that brass is chosen for it's resistance to corrosion, not its conductivity.

Until one knows the exact construction of the wire there is no possible way to determine if the wire size is adequate unless you pull it off and test it, and do so when it's new and unscorched.

Dallara



~

 

[Combo]

Until one knows the exact construction of the wire there is no possible way to determine if the wire size is adequate unless you pull it off and test it, and do so when it's new and unscorched.

Dallara




~

I agree with you Dallara about construction of wires unless tested or made to a spec. you know.

I do know what I found out about the headlight harness and connectors to the headlight prongs on my bike. I had started my bike cold without the headlight back caps off and after about 60 sec. my right connector was very hot and the wires back away from the connector before they go into the harness wrap were cool. The left connector and wires were cool.

I turned off the bike and installed some grease to the prongs of the right light and installed the connector. Fired the bike back up and both were cool again after 4 min. run time.

I have since filed down the the connectors so that they slide up onto the prongs more and installed grease on both.

Been running cool. ::008::

Just my personal opinion.
I believe 99.9% that this is a connection problem only. If it was a wire problem I think we would have let all of the smoke out of it by now.


Bruce

 

[advd]

Well, it's happened to me today.... the headlight gremlin

I noticed my right bulb was out on the way home from work. I pulled the cover and the connector was completely melted. Wires nice & toasty too. Bike was built January 2012.... just under 4K miles since late April (it rained for quite a bit here though). Now it's perfect riding weather and

I put di electric grease on the connectors the day I brought the bike home..

I am mechanically inclined but not electrically inclined.

I really don't want to take it to a dealer, wait for the part, get the same part, and possibly repeat this process in the future.

Is there anyone out there who has a kit, or a parts list, or something to help those of us in need of a better solution?

Thanks guys (and gals).

Dave

 

[ErnsTT]

On another note... I keep seeing some here post that the wire size for this application is adequate. I should remind those folks that all depends on the construction, material alloy, insulation, geometry, etc. of the wire itself. ~

The wire is only feeding one bulb of 55 Watts, i've been running Ralley lights on the same Gauge (100Watt) so that's not the prblem, its just the slit in the plastic is the problem, it prevents the prongs making contact on the sharp sides of the connector,leaving the flat side with no real pressure (psi) on the surface, giving the corrosion possibility to build a minute resistance barrier causing as resistors are known for *warmth*, the more warmth generated, the more corrosion, the more warmth until eventually given neough current flowing through melting of the plastic around the copper wires in really bad luck situations even causing fire burning down the bike :-(


Further upstream the same gauge feeds both lamp (110Watt and that doesn't even gets grey, an could feed another bulb without problem (a fourth would get it luke warm though) ;-)

So don't be afraid, the gauge is up to spec for quite a higher load, so you don't have to build a beefier harness...
The nice heath resistant prong orifice is all thats needed, or a small file

Is there anyone out there who has a kit, or a parts list, or something to help those of us in need of a better solution?

Yep posted it some day's ago, you only need some dielectric elbow grease, and a lick of acidfree Vaseline, and your girlfriends nailfile...

Make the connector look like this and its fixed until the sbd has passed two decades, don't forget the vaseline though, thats essential corrosion preventing agent, it sthe first thing i do after buying a bike, pull all connectors, spray them (vaseline in a little spray can) and my wiringlooms stand decades of Dutch Winters (loads of utterly egressive roas salt...) My Beemer has beeen sleeping outside all of its life since 1995, and still has no electrical gremlins whatsoever only one Hall pickup gave way in now more than 600kkm...

 

[tomatocity]

ErnsTT, are you using bother dielectric grease and acid free Vaseline? I use dielectric grease but have never heard of acid free Vaseline. Do they do the same thing?

 

[Mellow]

Updated my connectors and all the wiring and there is zero indication of any issues now so I'm good.

 

[Fintenere]

Updated my connectors and all the wiring and there is zero indication of any issues now so I'm good.

Same story. No heating after 10000km (In all 26000km).
BUT Yamaha should have taken more seriously this problem.
Here in Finland the importer Kesko's comment about the problem was: Does not cause any action!

 

[Mellow]

Well, I'm on a long trip and my connectors started melting. I replaced the oem wires with thicker ones AND even used dielectric grease on the fittings. Once I did this I went to my 65w bulbs over the oem 55w ones.

I replaced those on the trip with some 55w bulbs from autozone.

I'm thinking the small headlight cavity isn't vented enough and it gets too hot. If I still see issues I'll put some spade connectors on and go from there.

 

[simmons1]

I am just using spade lugs on mine. So far so good.

 

[Tremor38]

Well, I'm on a long trip and my connectors started melting. I replaced the oem wires with thicker ones AND even used dielectric grease on the fittings. Once I did this I went to my 65w bulbs over the oem 55w ones.

I replaced those on the trip with some 55w bulbs from autozone.

I'm thinking the small headlight cavity isn't vented enough and it gets too hot. If I still see issues I'll put some spade connectors on and go from there.

Funny you should mention that. I installed pair of 5000K PIAA bulbs to better match the light temp of my BAJA squadrons...and shortly after I installed them I noted that the headlight assy was getting uncomfortably hot. I also observed that one light was working intermittently. When I re-installed the OEM bulbs, the temp dropped considerably and I haven't had an issue since then. Interesting to note that the pakage claims the PIAA bulbs consume no more power than the stockers, but have the 'equivalent light output of a 110W bulb.' All I know is that the housing was very noticably more hot with the PIAAs in.

Seeing the percentage of peeps who had aftermarket bulbs installed when this problem occured might be enlightening....pun intended. ::013::

 

[simmons1]

Seeing the percentage of peeps who had aftermarket bulbs installed when this problem occured might be enlightening....pun intended. ::013::

I am still running the OEM bulbs and have had connector melting on both sides. The left being worse than the right. So far so good with just using bare uninsulated spade lugs.

 

[ErnsTT]

ErnsTT, are you using bother dielectric grease and acid free Vaseline? I use dielectric grease but have never heard of acid free Vaseline. Do they do the same thing?

Nope, vaseline is a pure corrosion inhibitor, and nice thin and creaping, so it gets into the end of the wire preventing it from corroding and tus preventing a build up of a resistance bride (dutch term translated...) and that resistance is producing warmth like the corrosion of the prongs with the unmodified connector receptable...

I've Spray vaselined my bikes vor 20 years now, and te R3B is now almost 17 Years Old, always sleeping outside and riding all through winter, its clutch is ruined again by a leaking tranny seal (3rd clutch now a TT heavy duty clutch) but had no Electrical problems but for a lazy mechanic, who crimped diverter cable ruiners on the loom for my towhitch...

 

[whisperquiet]

I just went out and checked mine (the bike currently has 15,700 miles) and the connectors still look like new. The only thing I did previously was apply some genuine Harley Davidson dielectric grease on the connectors/lugs some time ago. I have checked for melting 4 or 5 times since new and am lucky so far.

 

[mcbrien]

Here's my update ::010::

Hotter than hell

 

[Checkswrecks]

Here's my update ::010::

Hotter than hell

Clearly resistance in the aftermarket spade connector. I see this occasionally with the Pep Boys quality of materials used in the after market electrical parts. The plastic in the aftermarket fuses that you can buy cheap at flea markets can actually catch fire!

Try to use better quality parts and for now take the sleeve off the connector. There's nothing to insulate it from.

 

[jajpko]

Clearly resistance in the aftermarket spade connector. I see this occasionally with the Pep Boys quality of materials used in the after market electrical parts. The plastic in the aftermarket fuses that you can buy cheap at flea markets can actually catch fire!

Try to use better quality parts and for now take the sleeve off the connector. There's nothing to insulate it from.

I don't agree with that, no offense. The stock connectors were very stout and the same thing happened. Some people thought it was the plastic connector that was causing the problem and this clearly proves it is not.

I changed out the entire wire in the headlight system and installed new ceramic covered connectors. I also used a relay in the circuit so other than the trigger wire, it is completely independent of the bikes wire harness. I just checked mine and they look as good today as when I did the install.

I am still of the opinion the wires and or sub connectors are not up to the job on some bikes. . ymmv

 

[Checkswrecks]

If it's still hot, it's still a bad connection. No if, ands or buts. A lot of subpar junk sold in electric connectors. Of course we all know if it burns there at the lamp, the problem is right there? Just want to be sure, because there is no electical explanation other than a connection problem right at the lamp itself if that is where the heat is. It's not further down the line at other connectors, wire size or any other scenerio dreamed up.

Agreed.

There are three ways to reduce heat at the local connector. Two are by reducing resistance and the other is with cooling. Reducing resistance in this type of attachment means either increasing gage or improving conductivity.

Most of the cheap connectors have no plating and your left one has that raw copper look to it. Plus it has that nice vinyl insulating sleeve to hold heat and the difference between the blackened right one and slightly tanned left sleeve spell out the difference in temperature between the two. The connector on the power side of the bulb got hot enough to bond with oxygen from the atmosphere, slowly making a copper oxide film, which is resistive.

btw for the dielectric grease people, here's the oxidation you are slowing or preventing. The ceramic connectors are plated and not just bare copper.

Resistance & amperage makes heat.That's why just the right one side got hotter, it's on the power side. Some energy was given off as heat at the filament, so the left spade ran cooler.

The ideal design should have a larger wire gage, with thin insulation that doesn't trap heat, then connected with plated spades. All three of these features add cost.

You now know more about spade connectors than you probably ever wanted, right?
::003::

 

[Don in Lodi]

The ultimate: gold plated spade connectors, and acid core solder. No crimp to add to the mess.
What's the plating on the nicer ceramic connectors?
16k with dielectric grease and Silver Star H7's and no heat issues. I would like the better connectors though. Winter Project.

 

[mcbrien]

Those spade connectors were installed by my dealer to keep me on the road while a new harness
was in route. These connectors were used for 4000 miles . Now the new harness is installed and the
old one and the origional plug is all going back to Yamaha for inspection . What puzzles me is why just
this one side continues to be a problem . Could it be the bulb ?