Cooked Headlamp Harness

[jajpko]

Okay,

My game plan is to go with the ceramic connectors. These are the ones I want-right?:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/HARNESS-H7-X-2-WIRES-CERAMIC-PLUG-CONNECTOR-HEAVY-DUTY-AFTERMARKET-LOW-HIGH-FOG-/160654238893?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&vxp=mtr&hash=item2567bd24ad

I'll splice them into my stock wiring but being electrically challenged, might I have a mini class on how to do this? (I probably don't just twist the wires together and tape them up with electrical tape.) Tell me how to do it right the first time.

Thanks

Pete

What Eric said plus, this is color coded to your wires. http://tinyurl.com/l7xbhsk These are all the same for the most part, sometime the wire size may be larger but 16 gauge is fine.
When you install, just put the blue wire to blue and the black to black.

 

[Wanderer]

Hello,
Yes those are the ones you want and they are plug and play, no splicing as long as your OEM connectors have not melted. The ceramic socket isolates the heat and keeps it from traveling down the wires. If you do need to solder there are only two wires. 1) make a strong mechanical connection (twisting them together) of the wires, 2) melt the solder on the wires being soldered not on the tip of the gun, that's when you know the joint is hot enough.
Later,
Norm

 

[twinrider]

Hello,
Yes those are the ones you want and they are plug and play, no splicing as long as your OEM connectors have not melted. The ceramic socket isolates the heat and keeps it from traveling down the wires. If you do need to solder there are only two wires. 1) make a strong mechanical connection (twisting them together) of the wires, 2) melt the solder on the wires being soldered not on the tip of the gun, that's when you know the joint is hot enough.
Later,
Norm

Regarding the Ebay connectors, is that a pair for $9.99 or just one? Thanks.

 

[EricV]

Regarding the Ebay connectors, is that a pair for $9.99 or just one? Thanks.

All three links specify a pair, or (2x).

Actually, I believe I used the ones that Japako linked to, but didn't find that in my initial search. Nice that it's a USA vendor.

 

[twinrider]

Thanks for the confirmation Eric, will pull the trigger.

 

[snakebitten]

Japako is the man!
Still looking out for us.

 

[twinrider]

Looks like I won't need the ceramic connectors after all. My Morimoto HID conversion eliminated the stock connectors. ::008::

 

[Tremor38]

Looks like I won't need the ceramic connectors after all. My Morimoto HID conversion eliminated the stock connectors. ::008::

I suggest you look at that more closely. The bulbs ends are hard wired, but the morimotos have spade lugs that are inserted into the OEM connectors further down the line. Just follow the wires from the back of the bulb and you'll find it.
Sent from my SC-03E using Tapatalk 2

 

[Travex]

Basically you are addressing the theory that with a poor connection, there is additional resistance. That increases the thermal conditions. If left untreated, it finally gets hot enough to melt the plastic connector and insulation on the wires.

Yup. ::008::

I stand corrected on my issue... At least for the moment. As my new left lamp quit shortly (+-1k miles) after the harness replacement, I wrongly assumed that the harness was again the culprit. With so little mileage on both the lamp and harness, combined with the fact that I've never experienced a lamp failure this early, I thought it improbable that the lamp quit so young, but it had... Right in the middle of the helical component of the filament. My bike is no stranger to rougher surfaces so I certainly take that in stride. As mentioned earlier, the service manager and I had agreed that I wouldn't open the dome so they could witness any potential failure in an untouched state, but as I had some night riding to do I needed to see if a lamp was the simple fix. Thankfully it was and the wires and connector look normal on the left side. Albeit the right lamp is dimmer than the left.

The dealer was unable to take me in yesterday and we put that off until next week. But he had mentioned that either he or I should (will) check the voltage at the battery as Yamaha suspects the problem could be overcharging. The voltage check should read 13.8-14v @3kRPM at the battery. I'll check that tomorrow. In addition, they mentioned Yamaha does not believe the harness is a problem. <insert scratching my head emoticon here>

In the end, whether you're an electrical engineer or a total neophyte the fact remains that there's a problem with the lighting system that needs to be addressed. This problem will not go away without a fix from the mfg. All well and good that others have taken matters into their own hands and fabricated a lasting repair, but a design/manufacturing flaw still exists for a percentage of owners. Let's hope it doesn't take a nasty experience to emphasize or illustrate the problem further. <End sermon>

ps. Thanks Japako for the link. They're going in my kit while I wait to see what Yammie's gonna do.

 

[twinrider]

I suggest you look at that more closely. The bulbs ends are hard wired, but the morimotos have spade lugs that are inserted into the OEM connectors further down the line. Just follow the wires from the back of the bulb and you'll find it.
Sent from my SC-03E using Tapatalk 2

Looked more closely. You are right that the OEM connectors are still there. But Morimoto uses bare spade connectors to plug into them, so no worries about plastic to plastic contact resulting in a crappy connection like the OEM setup. ::008::

 

[vnp514]

No, those would only transfer the bad connection to a point farther down the line. This is what you want, imho, and what I used. Cut off the oem connector and solder in the new one.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/2-Pcs-Right-Angle-H7-Ceramic-Headlight-Bulb-Connector-Plug-Socket-for-Car-Truck-/380569012856?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&hash=item589bae4a78&vxp=mtr

Or Click HERE (same link)

Eric,

While I'm waiting for parts, I was thinking about how to go about getting this done. When you did yours, did you take out the headlight assembly and then solder or......??

Pete

 

[EricV]

Eric,

While I'm waiting for parts, I was thinking about how to go about getting this done. When you did yours, did you take out the headlight assembly and then solder or......??

Pete

I did remove the headlight assembly and place it on a towel on the work bench. I didn't want to pull the wiring harness out of the headlight assy, so just removed the four bolts and unplugged the headlight assy for ease of working on it. Snipped the oem plugs off, stripped a little insulation, trimmed down the new plug wiring a little and slipped some heat shrink over the wires, then soldered them together with some flux and resin core solder. The used the heat gun to shrink the heat shrink tubing over the joints. The ceramic plugs fit under the covers just fine too.

 

[Wanderer]

Howdy,
Well after 6000 miles using the "plug & play" there has been no "transferring of the heat" further down the harness. So solder away if you like
Later,
Norm

 

[EricV]

Howdy,
Well after 6000 miles using the "plug & play" there has been no "transferring of the heat" further down the harness. So solder away if you like
Later,
Norm

Glad you've had good results Norm. ::008:: To my thinking, a connection is a connection, and if there is heat that's melting the plug, I just don't see how it would be better while still using that plug. There was increased resistance there to generate the heat. I have about 16k on my soldered connections with no indication of further heat damage to the wires or any at the new ceramic plugs.

 

[Wanderer]

Howdy,
I believe the root cause IMHO is that the headlight connector was poorly designed to be used in an area with limited air flow. Because of a "water" concern the back of the headlight does not get enough air flow to keep the OEM connector cool because it is part of the load. The point at which the connector and the bulb plug in is the load, that’s where the watts/power get consumed and that is where the heat is generated. By moving the OEM connector away from the load it is no longer part of the load and basically becomes just like a piece of wire in the harness. Ceramic is pretty much impervious to heat, think Space Shuttle, so the watts/power that is being consumed is isolated at the load. The plug and play replacements also have a higher gauge wire further isolating the load.
Later,
Norm

 

[vnp514]

What Eric said plus, this is color coded to your wires. http://tinyurl.com/l7xbhsk These are all the same for the most part, sometime the wire size may be larger but 16 gauge is fine.
When you install, just put the blue wire to blue and the black to black.

::008::

Jim,

Thanks for the link. A lot faster delivery time!!

Pete

 

[cb0802]

Does anyone have the number for Yamaha North America?
I know it's in a post around here somewhere, but nothing coming up on the search. I'm dropping my bike off to have the headlight looked at, and am already preparing for a fight on whether or not this is a warranty issue. During the first phone call, the service manager at my shop started telling how unlikely it will be that this will be replaced under warranty. I replied by saying horse$hit.
Says he, "I've never heard of this on any other Tenere that we've sold".
Says me, "Well you've only sold one, it's in my driveway, and the headlight connector is melted."
Says he, "Well we have a demo on the floor and it hasn't had any problems."
Says me, "It's only been there since last month and only has 1k miles. Mine has 13k in 9 months. I can't see what one has to do with the other."
He, "Well I've only heard of it on one other Yamaha ever. That was my R1, and they wouldn't cover it because I put in halogen bulbs"
Me "Mines not an R1, and it has the stock bulbs. I can't see what one has to do with the other. There are 41 pages about this issue on the Tenere forum, and multiple examples of this issue being warranted."
He, "You can bring it in and it'll take about a week to look at it"
There was then a long discussion about taking a week to look at a melted headlight connector, but I'll save you the details.
Thanks in advance for the help.

 

[Dallara]

Does anyone have the number for Yamaha North America?

...Thanks in advance for the help.

Yamaha Motor Corporation, USA
6555 Katella Avenue
Cypress, CA 90630

Customer Relations
(800) 962-7926

http://www.yamahamotorsports.com/sport/contactus/home.aspx

You're welcome!

Dallara



~

 

[vnp514]

Further to my reply above, there is a single notification on the Automotive Safety claims database of a 2012 YAMAHA XTZ12B/BC having a problem with 2 front spoke nipples working loose and 1 on the front wheel. I have read of the same happening to a few Super10's on this website and on others like ADVrider. It would seem to an ideal way of notifying others that there is a potential safety issue with their Super10 by posting up a complaint on the website https://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/ivoq/ so that Yamaha gets wind that there seems likely to be an issue.
Just saying...
::009::

I did this today. I got an email back saying it takes at least two business days to have them list your complaint. Funny, I didn't see any other complaints about the lighting harness on their site. Maybe I looked at the wrong info?

Pete

 

[BravoBravo]

I did this today. I got an email back saying it takes at least two business days to have them list your complaint. Funny, I didn't see any other complaints about the lighting harness on their site. Maybe I looked at the wrong info?

Pete

Pete, go to the tab "vehicle owners" then click on the "complaints" tab. That will bring up the search complaints screen. Model year is 2012. Vehicle make is Yamaha. I left the model blank. This leads to all Yamaha complaints. There aren't many, but the Super Tenere is the subject of two complaints regarding loose spokes.

EDIT: Sorry, I just re-read your reply. No, I don't see any wiring harness complaints either, just the loose spoke issue.

-Bruce