upgrade lighting
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 21,208
Likes: 12,796
From: South Carolina
That doesn`t even make sense. A bad ground is a bad connection, nothing more. There is no bad ground feeding back through the passing lamps.
Sorry for the rant, but there is too much junk science passed around as fact when it comes to electrical circuits.
If the lights are dim, they are not getting enough voltage, and the stock setup has that drawback designed into the system.
If the passing lights do not go out when hi beam is on, the wiring has been altered.
The best way to get full voltage to the lights is to use a relay and draw power directly from the battery instead of drawing power through the dimmer switch and through who knows how many connections.
Sorry for the rant, but there is too much junk science passed around as fact when it comes to electrical circuits.
If the lights are dim, they are not getting enough voltage, and the stock setup has that drawback designed into the system.
If the passing lights do not go out when hi beam is on, the wiring has been altered.
The best way to get full voltage to the lights is to use a relay and draw power directly from the battery instead of drawing power through the dimmer switch and through who knows how many connections.
Last edited by Dan89FLSTC; May 9, 2014 at 07:00 PM.
Road Master
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 842
Likes: 47
From: New Hartford CT
Road Warrior
Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 1,376
Likes: 36
From: Round Rock, TX
Costs nothing to run a separate ground to test it.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 21,208
Likes: 12,796
From: South Carolina
I had a situation where I would sometimes lose the headlight and dimly illuminate one turn signal lamp and its indicator on the dash. Improving the ground to the fairing fixed it. His passing lamps, when turned off, are dimly lit. I think the headlight is losing ground and grounding through the passing lamps.
Costs nothing to run a separate ground to test it.
Costs nothing to run a separate ground to test it.
There is no path for power from the high beam circuit to the passing lamps.
If the passing lamps are dimly lit, it is because there is something wrong with the wiring, or it has been altered.
Road Warrior
Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 1,376
Likes: 36
From: Round Rock, TX
The passing lamps are powered by the low beam circuit. When the hi beams are on, the low beam circuit does not have power.
There is no path for power from the high beam circuit to the passing lamps.
If the passing lamps are dimly lit, it is because there is something wrong with the wiring, or it has been altered.
There is no path for power from the high beam circuit to the passing lamps.
If the passing lamps are dimly lit, it is because there is something wrong with the wiring, or it has been altered.
Edit:
Here's a thread from an unrelated forum about the same phenomenon with a poorly grounded trailer.
http://www.automotiveforums.com/t224...h_w_break.html
I'm back to saying my money is on a ground issue.
Last edited by Owtlaw; May 9, 2014 at 09:43 PM.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 8,202
Likes: 3,089
From: NW AR
Well, the OP's problem, not the seeking an upgrade issue, but the problem, I think could be the ground but could also be a connector or the switch. hoghead, when you checked the voltage at the headlight and spotlights, what did you use as the ground point? Also, take an alligator clip lead and ground one end to something really, really ground, like the battery negative, and then touch the light bar with the other end. Does the weird behavior change? Touch the ground wire of the headlight. Any change? That would rule out ground problems in that circuit. Measure the resistance from the battery negative to the engine case just for the hell of it, and to the light bar. Jumper from the battery positive to the headlight low beam +. If that makes everything bright, switch/connector.
Thread Starter
|
Advanced
Joined: Feb 2014
Posts: 91
Likes: 0
From: oklahoma
thanks guys. dr. hess that is what i will start with when i get back, we are taking a weekend trip to eureka springs.
when i did my testing i grounded to the headlight bucket and the passing lamp buckets. the grounds for the passing lamps are riveted to the inside of the bucket so i tested there.
to clear up, when i switch to hi beam my passing lamps do NOT go out, BUT they DIM way down. i'm getting 4.5-5 volts to the passing lamps when on HI beam.
another thing, IF i disconnect either one of the passing lamps the entire system works as it should. headlight and hooked up passing lamp bright, when i switch to high beam the passing lamp goes completely out.
when i did my testing i grounded to the headlight bucket and the passing lamp buckets. the grounds for the passing lamps are riveted to the inside of the bucket so i tested there.
to clear up, when i switch to hi beam my passing lamps do NOT go out, BUT they DIM way down. i'm getting 4.5-5 volts to the passing lamps when on HI beam.
another thing, IF i disconnect either one of the passing lamps the entire system works as it should. headlight and hooked up passing lamp bright, when i switch to high beam the passing lamp goes completely out.
Dirt don't hurt
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 21,066
Likes: 4,568
From: Haslet Texas
That leads me to believe that whatever the stock system uses to shut off the passing lamps when you turn on the high beams is not working correctly.
At a guess there is a relay somewhere in the system that is no longer operating as it should.
It could also be that someone tried to rewire it sometime in the past (as already suggested) and they did a bad job of it.
Do you have the electrical schematics for your bike?
HD Forum Stories
The Best of Harley-Davidson for Lifelong Riders
Jason Momoa Is Turning Classic Harleys Into PHEVs
Verdad Gallardo
Harley-Davidson Fat Boy Becomes a Dark, Decepticon-Inspired Custom
Verdad Gallardo
6 Weirdest Harley-Davidsons Ever Sold to the Public
Verdad Gallardo
7 Times Harley-Davidson Chucked Tradition Out the Window
Verdad Gallardo
7 Surprising Harley-Davidson Products that Are Not Motorcycles
Verdad Gallardo
8 Best Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Ever
Pouria Savadkouei
10 Worst Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Ever
Pouria Savadkouei
Killer Custom's Jail Break Is The Breakout That Refused to Blend In
Verdad Gallardo
