Melted Headlight Plug

[twicecam]

I noticed a smell coming from inside my fairing when I was riding this afternoon, smelled like plastic burning. I started taking the fairing apart and when I got to the headlight, two of the prongs on the headlight plug were melted . I don't remember the exact bulb, it's the high intensity high beam, (the one Glider use to talk about ) . Let me add I do keep my headlight on high beam all the time . It's on a 09 Streetglide. Has anyone else had this problem, how does the plug replace without cutting and splicing.

 

[Midnight Reign]

Its a typical problem that I have seen very many times, Keeping the high beam on all the time has most likely sped up the situation. Best fix IMO is cut the wires as close to the connector as you can get then replace with exact factory connectors. the part that really sux is, you can buy the whole plug assembly with long pig tails on them, in fact that is the only way you can get the plug. so what I do is buy the plug assembly, remove the 3 wires and stick them in a drawyer somewhere, then attatch new connectors to the harness wires. Redundant and wasteful? maybe, but I absolutely refuse to add 1 single more connection point than is absolutely needed. Or, you could use the crimp on butt connectors, which are also banned from my shop. I know I cause my self a bunch of extra work with this philosophy, but there are no lengths that I wont go to to keep all wiring as close to factory as possible.

 

[Ace Feng]

You can change or replace the whole headlight with a new one if you can find a seller with that kind of price making it cheaper than change the plug only . Yeah , it happens , sometimes EXW price is way lower than it sells on a super-market price .

 

[Blue Wide Glide]

I bought an automotive plug, with with tails, removed the tails, and put my existing wiring connectors into the plastic unit. I bought what was supposed to be a replacement plastic plug from my HD dealer, but the wire connectors did not fit in it. I also moved back to my Luxeon bulb which is very bright, but not as hot.

 

[NEWHD74FAN]

Replace the headlight plug, and make sure to use a tiny bit of dielectric grease in the connection. The tiniest bit of voltage drop say 2 volts times 10A means 20W power dissipated on the pins...now imagine 3W is the amount of heat a night light uses, feel how hot that gets...no surprise melting occurred.:small3d031:

 

[Jack Klarich]

Its a typical problem that I have seen very many times, Keeping the high beam on all the time has most likely sped up the situation. Best fix IMO is cut the wires as close to the connector as you can get then replace with exact factory connectors. the part that really sux is, you can buy the whole plug assembly with long pig tails on them, in fact that is the only way you can get the plug. so what I do is buy the plug assembly, remove the 3 wires and stick them in a drawyer somewhere, then attatch new connectors to the harness wires. Redundant and wasteful? maybe, but I absolutely refuse to add 1 single more connection point than is absolutely needed. Or, you could use the crimp on butt connectors, which are also banned from my shop. I know I cause my self a bunch of extra work with this philosophy, but there are no lengths that I wont go to to keep all wiring as close to factory as possible.

:s IMO also Butt connectors should not be used on a Motorcycle, been there done that leaned the hard way years ago:s

 

[twicecam]

Its a typical problem that I have seen very many times, Keeping the high beam on all the time has most likely sped up the situation. Best fix IMO is cut the wires as close to the connector as you can get then replace with exact factory connectors. the part that really sux is, you can buy the whole plug assembly with long pig tails on them, in fact that is the only way you can get the plug. so what I do is buy the plug assembly, remove the 3 wires and stick them in a drawyer somewhere, then attatch new connectors to the harness wires. Redundant and wasteful? maybe, but I absolutely refuse to add 1 single more connection point than is absolutely needed. Or, you could use the crimp on butt connectors, which are also banned from my shop. I know I cause my self a bunch of extra work with this philosophy, but there are no lengths that I wont go to to keep all wiring as close to factory as possible.

I went to the dealer and got a plug, but of course it turned out to be the wrong one, I'm going to keep hunting till I get the right one because i won't use butt connectors either. I appreciate all the replies, I had a good idea on how to do it, I just wanted another opinion. I will let you know how it turns out.

 

[Webbtron]

I went to the dealer and got a plug, but of course it turned out to be the wrong one, I'm going to keep hunting till I get the right one because i won't use butt connectors either. I appreciate all the replies, I had a good idea on how to do it, I just wanted another opinion. I will let you know how it turns out.

My Sportster headlight is using that connector that has a metal piece in the middle and you use plyers to capture the 2 or 3 wires then fold over the little snap cover. They come in different colors for different gauge wire. Hey it is not perfect but it has held for many years and there is no extra room behind a 77 Sportster headlight. I too have failed using butt connectors.

 

[jimharvey1]

A solder connection covered by a piece of shrink tubing works perfectly. No increased resistance and, if done correctly, impervious to corrosion. That's an easy place to do the repair, too.

 

[ironmark]

A solder connection covered by a piece of shrink tubing works perfectly. No increased resistance and, if done correctly, impervious to corrosion. That's an easy place to do the repair, too.

+1 I had to replace the headlight plug on my RG twice the second time I soldered the wires and used heat shrink also I used dielectric grease and I haven't had any problems since then. I only used the Silverstar 55/60 light bulbs.