Plug and Play LED headlight bulb hi beam stops working after a few minutes
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Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 51
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From: La Quinta, California
Plug and Play LED headlight bulb hi beam stops working after a few minutes
My bike is a 2012 Harley FatBoy Lo. At start up, the LED bulb works perfectly. However, if I have the switch set to hi beam, after 5-10 minutes, whether the bike is running or not, the hi-beam fails and the bulb reverts to low beam. Thereafter, the hi beam will not stay on at all, it instantly goes to lo beam. I have had the same result with 2 different plug and play LED bulbs.
I have put back the old H4 halogen bulb, and that bulb functions properly.
What is the likely culprit??? Heat (from the bulb itself)? Voltage? I notice some of the plug and play LED headlight bulbs have an in-line device, the ones I purchased do not.
Thanks for any advice.
I have put back the old H4 halogen bulb, and that bulb functions properly.
What is the likely culprit??? Heat (from the bulb itself)? Voltage? I notice some of the plug and play LED headlight bulbs have an in-line device, the ones I purchased do not.
Thanks for any advice.
Last edited by joebad; Feb 7, 2023 at 11:35 AM.
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Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 51
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From: La Quinta, California
The first bulb I tried was a Pathfinder UBH04 Mini H4 LED which I bought from SoCalMotoGear, link to that bulb: https://socalmotogear.com/ships-afte...justable-base/
Last bulb was also a Pathfinder LED H4, purchased from J&P Cycles, link: https://www.jpcycles.com/product/901...umens-led-bulb
Last bulb was also a Pathfinder LED H4, purchased from J&P Cycles, link: https://www.jpcycles.com/product/901...umens-led-bulb
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Joined: Dec 2012
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From: La Quinta, California
I've had LED turn signals and brake light installed for years, no problems. See my reply to Ranger73 regarding the bulbs that aren't working for me and where I got them. Thanks.
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Joined: Sep 2010
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From: Beyond Fucital
Those bulbs are open back so they can breathe. you're trapping the heat in a bucket, so the heat sinks aren't dissipating the heat to open air
and the thermal link is cutting out. It resets itself when the bulb cools off.
Plus, those aren't compatible with the fluting of a motorcycle lens.
Try a deeper bucket.
and the thermal link is cutting out. It resets itself when the bulb cools off.
Plus, those aren't compatible with the fluting of a motorcycle lens.
Try a deeper bucket.
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Road Master
Joined: Dec 2014
Posts: 821
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From: N/E Indiana
I used an Auxito H4. Its made to work in a Reflector Housing. I added a Plug and Play Resistor to turn off the Red Warning Light. It works Flawless.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/AUXITO-9003...edirect=mobile
https://www.ebay.com/itm/AUXITO-9003...edirect=mobile
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Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 51
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From: La Quinta, California
My bike is a 2012 Harley FatBoy Lo. At start up, the LED bulb works perfectly. However, if I have the switch set to hi beam, after 5-10 minutes, whether the bike is running or not, the hi-beam fails and the bulb reverts to low beam. Thereafter, the hi beam will not stay on at all, it instantly goes to lo beam. I have had the same result with 2 different plug and play LED bulbs.
I have put back the old H4 halogen bulb, and that bulb functions properly.
What is the likely culprit??? Heat (from the bulb itself)? Voltage? I notice some of the plug and play LED headlight bulbs have an in-line device, the ones I purchased do not.
Thanks for any advice.
I have put back the old H4 halogen bulb, and that bulb functions properly.
What is the likely culprit??? Heat (from the bulb itself)? Voltage? I notice some of the plug and play LED headlight bulbs have an in-line device, the ones I purchased do not.
Thanks for any advice.
1. I discovered that even on low beam, with the ignition on but engine off, within 1 hour the bulb goes off... this happens with either of the new LED plug and play bulbs I bought. It also happens after disconnecting from the battery the few accessories/accessory connections (cell phone, gps, heating jacket, battery tender) I have installed.
2. Eureka! I bought an inline resistor, it's 6 ohms, 50 watts. It has h4 type connectors at both ends, so it too just fits onto the existing connectors. With the resistor connected, the LED bulbs function perfectly.
What I think that means is that the canbus is being fooled into thinking that the old style bulb is still installed, at least that's the best explanation I've found on the net.
That still leaves me with some questions..1) is there another, more elegant solution, that is, can I otherwise trick or train the canbus or eliminate the problem without having this sizeable (or even any) transistor to deal with... it gets very hot. 2) why doesn't this seem to happen with others with the same or similar bikes to mine?
Thanks!
Road Captain
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 604
Likes: 64
From:
As RHPAW said you need a "Load Equalizer" or a "Ballast". Just different names for the same thing.
Check with the Company's that you bought the lights from for their recommendations for them.
FYI The LED's don't produce the heat that regular lights do or use as many Amps.
KenK
Check with the Company's that you bought the lights from for their recommendations for them.
FYI The LED's don't produce the heat that regular lights do or use as many Amps.
KenK