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Electrical ? (Headlights)

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Old Jul 9, 2007 | 06:06 PM
  #1  
kawasaki150hp's Avatar
kawasaki150hp
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Electrical ? (Headlights)

I have never had this happen before. My hedlights started to get touchy on me. If I pulled the **** all the way out the headlights would work but the taillights would not. I had to play with the headlight switch for a second before all lights would come on.

So, I just pulled the panel on the dash looked at the switch and found that one of the wires that plugs into the switch had a short and almost started a fire. All around the wire was black and the plastic plug was charred and melted. I removed the wire cut it down to good wire cleaned up the plug and put it all back together.

I turned on the lights again and saw smoke coming from the wire again. I touched the wire and found out that the wire did not short but that for some reason the wire is extremly HOT, so HOT that it is causing the metal clasp at the end of the plug to heat up and ment the plastic around it in the plug, thus causing the smoke.

So any ideas on what is causing this one wire to get so hot? All the other wires leading to the plug are cool. Thanks
 
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Old Jul 9, 2007 | 06:30 PM
  #2  
FordMudder302's Avatar
FordMudder302
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From: Canada
Well, it sounds like you have a short somewhere, and the fuse isn't working properly. I would suggest checking to see if the fuse required for the lights is the one rated for them, if it is, maybe your headlight wire is fused to another wire of a different application. Without seeing the problem, I can't say much more.

Gig

PS- Check the grounds too. Usually bad grounds wouldn't cause that though, just dimmer lights or non at all.
 
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Old Jul 9, 2007 | 07:28 PM
  #3  
mhg's Avatar
mhg
Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 1,279
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From: savannah,ga
highly likely your switch has a bad contact on the inside
this will cause the connection to heat up
pull the wire of the switch and run it straight to
another hot wire to see if it still heats up
if you have a meter that you can measure amps with run it thru
that to see the amount needed for the circuit
 
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Old Jul 10, 2007 | 09:31 PM
  #4  
kawasaki150hp's Avatar
kawasaki150hp
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Thanks for the information, at least I have a starting point now.
 
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Old Jul 11, 2007 | 06:12 AM
  #5  
92F150Flare's Avatar
92F150Flare
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Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 829
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From: Goose Creek SC
Welcome to FTE

I'd bet you need a new switch........First sign is having to "play" with it to get lights on.......I'd sure replace it.

Good Luck
Bob
 
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