Blowing Bulbs And Melting Connectors

I've gone through three or four low beam bulbs in the year/24,000 miles that I've had my '06. Is that a normal burnout rate? Seems kinda frequent to me.

On my trip out to Oklahoma the connector for the left bulb actually melted. We found that the wire had broken right AT the connector and was shorting but I'm wondering if my choice of a brighter bulb might be the issue. I replaced what was on the bike when the first one blew with a pair of Sylvania Cool Blue 9003 HB/2 bulbs. Since then I've replaced one side twice and the other side blew again yesterday!

I've replaced the connector that melted with a new connector and that's working fine *knock wood* so far.

Anybody else having these issues? I searched for other threads but they didn't seem to apply.

[image: View Post]Blesk, on Sep 27 2009, 04:10 PM, said:

I've gone through three or four low beam bulbs in the year/24,000 miles that I've had my '06. Is that a normal burnout rate? Seems kinda frequent to me.

On my trip out to Oklahoma the connector for the left bulb actually melted. We found that the wire had broken right AT the connector and was shorting but I'm wondering if my choice of a brighter bulb might be the issue. I replaced what was on the bike when the first one blew with a pair of Sylvania Cool Blue 9003 HB/2 bulbs. Since then I've replaced one side twice and the other side blew again yesterday!

I've replaced the connector that melted with a new connector and that's working fine *knock wood* so far.

Anybody else having these issues? I searched for other threads but they didn't seem to apply.

I put silverstars in mine two years and 18,000 miles ago with no problems. (Great visibility)

Seems like a lotta burn outs. But unfortunately I'm no electrical troubleshooter.

[image: View Post]Blesk, on Sep 27 2009, 03:10 PM, said:

I've gone through three or four low beam bulbs in the year/24,000 miles that I've had my '06. Is that a normal burnout rate? Seems kinda frequent to me.

On my trip out to Oklahoma the connector for the left bulb actually melted. We found that the wire had broken right AT the connector and was shorting but I'm wondering if my choice of a brighter bulb might be the issue. I replaced what was on the bike when the first one blew with a pair of Sylvania Cool Blue 9003 HB/2 bulbs. Since then I've replaced one side twice and the other side blew again yesterday!

I've replaced the connector that melted with a new connector and that's working fine *knock wood* so far.

Anybody else having these issues? I searched for other threads but they didn't seem to apply.

Melted connectors is abnormal, I never had that tpye of issue, but I was having trouble with bulbs like phillips blowing every 6 months, Since switching to GE, they've been in there right at 2 years, pretty surprising difference.

I'd like to try the wagner Gold, I hear they are highly reliable and slight brighter

But I heard sombody recently tried the sylvania ultras and they blew pretty quick also

The bulb should not burn out your connector unless it is drawing more wattage than the wiring can handle. Some of the chinese off brand "cool blue" lights do draw more power, as they are so blue that they need more light output to even see them (Think of that blue tint as putting sunglasses on your bulb) But the Phillips bulb should not be doing that, my guess would be that there was a short.

Have you gotten a multimeter and tested the running voltage on your bike? Prior models have had overvoltage difficulties which could contribute to short bulb life. A 2006 "should" be OK, but you can't be sure until you measure it.

[image: View Post]pserve, on Sep 27 2009, 05:51 PM, said:

Have you gotten a multimeter and tested the running voltage on your bike? Prior models have had overvoltage difficulties which could contribute to short bulb life. A 2006 "should" be OK, but you can't be sure until you measure it.


Hmmm, good idea!

[image: View Post]Blesk, on Sep 27 2009, 04:10 PM, said:

I've gone through three or four low beam bulbs in the year/24,000 miles that I've had my '06. Is that a normal burnout rate? Seems kinda frequent to me.

On my trip out to Oklahoma the connector for the left bulb actually melted. We found that the wire had broken right AT the connector and was shorting but I'm wondering if my choice of a brighter bulb might be the issue. I replaced what was on the bike when the first one blew with a pair of Sylvania Cool Blue 9003 HB/2 bulbs. Since then I've replaced one side twice and the other side blew again yesterday!

I've replaced the connector that melted with a new connector and that's working fine *knock wood* so far.

Anybody else having these issues? I searched for other threads but they didn't seem to apply.

WAY too many bulb burnouts.

I think you have a 2006 - have you had any wiring recalls done - if there were any for your year?

ALmost sounds like the ground is not working right - causing too much resistance.

Do a search for the BLUE CONNECTOR Ground fix - might be something to consider.

Here it is: http://www.vfrdiscus...p...st&p=411780

Sounds like over voltage. Put a multimeter on the battery poles with the engine running and let us know the voltage.

[image: View Post]jeremy556, on Sep 27 2009, 09:05 PM, said:

Sounds like over voltage. Put a multimeter on the battery poles with the engine running and let us know the voltage.
I'll hit the store and get one (yea, I'm lame... don't have one anymore) and post that up, probably tomorrow. Thanks!

[image: View Post]Blesk, on Sep 27 2009, 09:34 PM, said:

[image: View Post]jeremy556, on Sep 27 2009, 09:05 PM, said:

Sounds like over voltage. Put a multimeter on the battery poles with the engine running and let us know the voltage.
I'll hit the store and get one (yea, I'm lame... don't have one anymore) and post that up, probably tomorrow. Thanks!

They're like $5 for a multimeter at Harbor Freight if you have one near you.

2006 did not have the wiring recall the earlier models did, but it's stilll possible it's not grounding properly.

Alright y'all here are the numbers:

Bike off- 14v
Bike on/engine off- 13v
Idle- 16v
5k rpm- 16v

What's the verdict? Thanks a bunch in advance for the input guys! :fing02:

16 volts is too high.

Have you had the wiring recall performed? On the ABS models, the monitor wire for the R/R tends to read too low of voltage, causing the R/R to provide very high voltage, thinking it is charging a dead battery.

If you haven't had the wiring harness recall done, or have a VFRness, you need to do one or both of those. If you want to test my theory, you can run a jumper wire from the battery positive terminal to the black/white wire at the R/R harness. If your voltage drops to 13-15 volts, that is verified as the cause.

The Honda dealer told me that by VIN number mine is a POST RECALL bike. I was thinking I should still get the VFRness. Sounds like that's the way for me to go then.

Thanks a ton!

If you have the wiring recall, the monitor wire should not be the problem. Please try running a jumper from the battery terminal to the monitor wire at the R/R. Look at the following thread for pictures:
http://www.vfrdiscus...showtopic=34762
http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o140/vfrken02/IMG_5363_16_1.jpg
At the R/R connector, shown above, take a piece of wire, strip a bit of insulation and stick it into the back of the connector with the white/black wire. Then touch the other end to the positive battery terminal (alligator clip would be helpful here).

Really, the wiring recall should fix this issue, so if the recall has in fact been done, the problem is most likely your R/R.

A VFRness is a wise addition regardless, but I would prefer to test this out and potentially save you some time and aggravation.

Hmmm, 16V is indeed too much. Usually folks install a VFRness to increase charging voltage. I would pull the right side fairing and retest the running voltage right at the black/white wire. It should basically be 14.6V exactly, if the R/R is regulating properly. If it is, the next step would be to jumper that down to the battery as Jeremy said. That's precisely how I've done my bike.

Aha! I won't have another chance to work on the bike until the weekend though. I work a 4x10 schedule at work and today was my day off this week. I'll post up the results this weekend.

[image: View Post]pserve, on Sep 28 2009, 09:51 PM, said:

Hmmm, 16V is indeed too much. Usually folks install a VFRness to increase charging voltage. I would pull the right side fairing and retest the running voltage right at the black/white wire. It should basically be 14.6V exactly, if the R/R is regulating properly. If it is, the next step would be to jumper that down to the battery as Jeremy said. That's precisely how I've done my bike.
This is another test you can do. Compare the voltage at the white/black wire to voltage at the battery terminal. It should be very close.

A very common issue in ABS models without a VFRNess or recall wiring was a large voltage drop between the battery and the white/black "monitor wire." The purpose of the monitor wire was to let the R/R know the battery voltage, so if the battery was low, the R/R could generate a higher voltage to charge the battery faster. Of course, when the battery is >13 volts, and the monitor wire is reading 11 volts, the R/R starts pumping out 16 volts and boils the battery and fries bulbs, connectors, fuses, etc.

[image: View Post]pserve, on Sep 28 2009, 08:51 PM, said:

Hmmm, 16V is indeed too much. Usually folks install a VFRness to increase charging voltage. I would pull the right side fairing and retest the running voltage right at the black/white wire. It should basically be 14.6V exactly, if the R/R is regulating properly. If it is, the next step would be to jumper that down to the battery as Jeremy said. That's precisely how I've done my bike.

Oddly enough, the VFRness was invented to solve the 6th gen overcharge issue and 30 amp fuse meltdown...it just so happens the same sort of fix, adapted to the older models, helps boost (stabilize actually) their charging voltage.

[image: View Post]Tightwad, on Sep 28 2009, 10:04 PM, said:

Oddly enough, the VFRness was invented to solve the 6th gen overcharge issue and 30 amp fuse meltdown...it just so happens the same sort of fix, adapted to the older models, helps boost (stabilize actually) their charging voltage.
Sorry about the generalization, Josh. The stock system has many faults, and I know your stuff remedies several of them. Keep up the good work.

[image: View Post]Blesk, on Sep 28 2009, 07:57 PM, said:

Alright y'all here are the numbers:

Bike off- 14v
Bike on/engine off- 13v
Idle- 16v
5k rpm- 16v

What's the verdict? Thanks a bunch in advance for the input guys! :fing02:

Wow, I think you've disvovered the issue , over charging

I have the same symptoms but my voltage meter is nice and steady up to 9k right around 14v. I'm testing off the battery terminals. Is that correct? I bet I'm on like my 5th set of head lights in 35k. Silver Stars have a very short life.. but I only get about six months out of them.

I'm going HID very soon. That should solve the problem....no?

Kevin

[image: View Post]billyjackjimbob, on Sep 29 2009, 02:02 AM, said:

I have the same symptoms but my voltage meter is nice and steady up to 9k right around 14v. I'm testing off the battery terminals. Is that correct? I bet I'm on like my 5th set of head lights in 35k. Silver Stars have a very short life.. but I only get about six months out of them.

I'm going HID very soon. That should solve the problem....no?

Kevin

My understanding is that the battery will give you a more steady reading and to find out if the R/R is putting out too much voltage you should test either at the bulb connectors, or just downstream of the R/R. Electrical guru's, is this correct?

I know HID bulbs have to have ballast resistors, I would think this would protect them from voltage spikes.

[image: View Post]billyjackjimbob, on Sep 29 2009, 01:02 AM, said:

I have the same symptoms but my voltage meter is nice and steady up to 9k right around 14v. I'm testing off the battery terminals. Is that correct? I bet I'm on like my 5th set of head lights in 35k. Silver Stars have a very short life.. but I only get about six months out of them.

I'm going HID very soon. That should solve the problem....no?

Kevin

ARe you saying, your seeing 16 volts or just going through bulbs?

[image: View Post]spud786, on Sep 29 2009, 04:39 PM, said:

[image: View Post]billyjackjimbob, on Sep 29 2009, 01:02 AM, said:

I have the same symptoms but my voltage meter is nice and steady up to 9k right around 14v. I'm testing off the battery terminals. Is that correct? I bet I'm on like my 5th set of head lights in 35k. Silver Stars have a very short life.. but I only get about six months out of them.

I'm going HID very soon. That should solve the problem....no?

Kevin

ARe you saying, your seeing 16 volts or just going through bulbs?


He only has 14v, but still blows bulbs.

[image: View Post]Ryanme17, on Sep 29 2009, 11:39 AM, said:

My understanding is that the battery will give you a more steady reading and to find out if the R/R is putting out too much voltage you should test either at the bulb connectors, or just downstream of the R/R. Electrical guru's, is this correct?
To know what the voltage is at the bulbs, you'll need to measure it at the bulbs.

Quote

WAY too many bulb burnouts.


You're not buying those Cheech and Chong bulbs are you? :biggrin:

[image: View Post]spud786, on Sep 29 2009, 09:39 PM, said:

[image: View Post]billyjackjimbob, on Sep 29 2009, 01:02 AM, said:

I have the same symptoms but my voltage meter is nice and steady up to 9k right around 14v. I'm testing off the battery terminals. Is that correct? I bet I'm on like my 5th set of head lights in 35k. Silver Stars have a very short life.. but I only get about six months out of them.

I'm going HID very soon. That should solve the problem....no?

Kevin

ARe you saying, your seeing 16 volts or just going through bulbs?



Not seeing 16 volts anywhere. Only 14.... maybe I'm getting defective bulbs.... who knows. My hope is that the ballist will take care of the problem. Nice H4 HID kits on Ebay for around $60. Silver Stars run $48. It's worth $12 just to look ULTRA MEGA AWESOME with HIDs. LOL. Even if they blow too!

Kevin

Blesklie: :wub:
I see you have some plastics for sale. Were the scratches from a get off or a tipsy? :unsure:
I was just wondering if that might have any role to play in this, ie loose connectors/pinched wires etc. :huh:
I thought '06 and up didn't have any issues in the wire areas.... :(

Josh, if I understand you correctly, the VFRnessTM would still be a good choice to shore up 'weak links' for all 6th gens? :comp13:
Greg :fing02:

[image: View Post]billyjackjimbob, on Sep 29 2009, 09:36 PM, said:

[image: View Post]spud786, on Sep 29 2009, 09:39 PM, said:

[image: View Post]billyjackjimbob, on Sep 29 2009, 01:02 AM, said:

I have the same symptoms but my voltage meter is nice and steady up to 9k right around 14v. I'm testing off the battery terminals. Is that correct? I bet I'm on like my 5th set of head lights in 35k. Silver Stars have a very short life.. but I only get about six months out of them.

I'm going HID very soon. That should solve the problem....no?

Kevin

ARe you saying, your seeing 16 volts or just going through bulbs?



Not seeing 16 volts anywhere. Only 14.... maybe I'm getting defective bulbs.... who knows. My hope is that the ballist will take care of the problem. Nice H4 HID kits on Ebay for around $60. Silver Stars run $48. It's worth $12 just to look ULTRA MEGA AWESOME with HIDs. LOL. Even if they blow too!

Kevin

I blew the oem set around the 6th month mark , I bought 3 set of Phillips premiums from the UK, they all blew by about every 4 month by 25,000 mile. Switch to GE motorcycle walmart stuff, and they've been in the 2 years next month and 40,000 mile. Bike now at 64,000. If there was a short or wiring issue, should have presented itself by now.

But just a simple Brand change made a world of difference in my case, it was a pain in the a$$ blowing every 4 to 6th month.

[image: View Post]Veefer Madness, on Sep 30 2009, 01:59 AM, said:

Blesklie: :wub:
I see you have some plastics for sale. Were the scratches from a get off or a tipsy? :unsure:
I was just wondering if that might have any role to play in this, ie loose connectors/pinched wires etc. :huh:
I thought '06 and up didn't have any issues in the wire areas.... :(

Josh, if I understand you correctly, the VFRnessTM would still be a good choice to shore up 'weak links' for all 6th gens? :comp13:
Greg :fing02:
I did not drop my bike. :mad: Some jacka@@ backed over it in a parking lot. Instead of just painting the pieces that got damaged I insisted that the insurance either paint the WHOLE bike or give me new plastics. They opted for new plastics. Hence the plastics for sale. I was having these electrical issues way before the run in.