HALOGEN BULBS FRIED EVERYTHING!!
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Laughing Gas
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 1,200
Likes: 4
From: Ottawa, Ontario Canada
HALOGEN BULBS FRIED EVERYTHING!!
A friend of mine had 1 burnt out headlight on his 20 year old MERCEDES and he bought some blue headlamp bulbs of unknown or un-noticed wattage at an automotive surplus wholesaler. I was with him & I almost bought a set for my truck that day, BUT SKIPPED IT.
So it was a cold day and he just replaced the 1 burnt out one.
A f4ew weeks later he has 2-fried headlamp wiring assemblies, 2-fried sockets and both the old and new bulbs melted the holes where the bulbs screw into the lamp assembly. WHEW.
Whata mess on a nice old car!
Just wondering how changing 1 bulb to higher wattage can fry both harnesses, and make the original bulb burn hot enough to melt a hole in the opposite light????
So it was a cold day and he just replaced the 1 burnt out one.
A f4ew weeks later he has 2-fried headlamp wiring assemblies, 2-fried sockets and both the old and new bulbs melted the holes where the bulbs screw into the lamp assembly. WHEW.
Whata mess on a nice old car!
Just wondering how changing 1 bulb to higher wattage can fry both harnesses, and make the original bulb burn hot enough to melt a hole in the opposite light????
Posting Guru
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 1,130
Likes: 0
From: Rural Central Ohio
The aftermarket bulbs you got are blue-coated halogen bulbs running at 65 watts (to compensate for them being dimmer because of the blue coating) and therefore will generate more heat than the stock bulb. That is odd that both of them got hot like that.
MMNC (SS)(Ret)
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 11,602
Likes: 148
From: SE Georgia
the higher wattage bulbs are trying to draw more power through the same wiring harness.
the wiring harness isn't rated for that kind of power draw. as the higher power is being used, it heats up the wiring due to that excessive draw. His fuse block should have protected the circuit though.
and, it is a 20 year old vehicle. the wiring is probably old and time rotten. a combination of the higher draw and perhaps a little moisture can certainly liven things up
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