HEAD LIGHT bulbs burning out

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Model T Ford Forum: Forum 2014: HEAD LIGHT bulbs burning out
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Albin Werner on Sunday, October 19, 2014 - 07:03 pm:

I have a new generator on my 25' ... the head light bulbs keep burning out! how do I decrease the voltage coming from the generator? ie. which way do I turn the 'contact'? i have loosened the nut inside the generator ....


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Will Copeland - Trenton, New Jersey on Sunday, October 19, 2014 - 07:20 pm:

Are you sure its not a bad ground to the headlight bulbs? The generator should only be putting out six volt.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Albin Werner on Sunday, October 19, 2014 - 07:54 pm:

Will, I am new to my 25' touring and my neighbor tells me that I have OCD (!) .... I agree

How do I check the 'ground'? and
How do I determine that the out put is 6 volts?

Thanks

PS my wife (and sister) are assisting me in the upholstery of the new 'top' ... FUN


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Aaron Griffey, Hayward Ca. on Sunday, October 19, 2014 - 08:02 pm:

Bad ground on the headlights should make the lights dim, not burn out. A bad battery ground will pop the headlights out quickly.
Get a cheap volt meter and read the battery voltage with the engine running fast enough to show the highest charge position on the amp meter. It should be around 7.2 volts, not more that 7.5.

A loose battery cable can cause headlights to blow. Check both ends of the ground cable. Both cables.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Clayton Swanson on Sunday, October 19, 2014 - 08:52 pm:

Aaron is on the money, been there. clean and tighten your battery to ground connection, take two aspirin, and call us in the morning


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Garnet on Sunday, October 19, 2014 - 09:31 pm:

... or better yet, check all the connections from the genny back to the battery.

Garnet


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By JohnH on Sunday, October 19, 2014 - 10:37 pm:

The generator is a current source, not a voltage source. That means the voltage can rise, in theory to an infinite amount, unless there is a load connected (the battery).
This is why an original T generator can charge a 12V battery with no modification. It's also why the windings can burn out should the cutout fail open circuit.
I once measured an unloaded generator and got about 30V out of it before I decided it would be wise to stop.
As the other postings suggest, there's likely to be a bad connection between the battery and the rest of the wiring.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Dan B on Sunday, October 19, 2014 - 10:49 pm:

You need to adjust the third brush inside the generator in order to regulate the output.

Get a voltage regulator from fun projects and adjust the third brush exactly like the instructions tell you.

Your bulbs will stop burning out.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Norman T. Kling on Monday, October 20, 2014 - 01:10 am:

Any connection between the ignition switch and ammeter to the battery can cause the problem. A loose connection will be found at the yellow wire at the ignition switch, the connecting block, or the starter switch. It could also be a connection at the battery itself or the ground at the battery. Even be an open inside the battery. Unlikely a battery problem if the starter turns freely.

This is what happens when there is a loose connection. The generator is made in such a way that it reads as though the battery is dead and puts out many amps current because the battery itself acts as a voltage regulator, the excess current goes into the light bulbs and burns them out. It can also cause the ammeter to burn out and if you are running on battery, could damage the ignition system. It would have no effect on the ignition if you are running on magneto.

Anyway, check all connections including corrosion or loose connections. If you don't find a loose connection, take the battery to someone with a tester to check for internal problems in the battery.
Norm


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Royce in Georgetown TX on Monday, October 20, 2014 - 07:43 am:

The generator charges the battery by having a higher voltage than the battery. The difference in voltage causes current to flow from the generator to the battery. The higher the voltage difference, the higher the current.

Your ammeter should read about +1 - +2 Amps with the headlamps on at cruising speed. More than this and you will burn out bulbs often due to the voltage being too high.

This is one of the many advantages to a Fun Projects voltage regulator.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Tim Wrenn on Monday, October 20, 2014 - 07:51 am:

Since with any anomolie there can be a multitude of reasons and fixes, here's how my similar situation went with continually burning out the stop light on my '20. I cleaned virtually every connection there was, tightened them all, and while it seemed to help slow down how quick it burnt out, it still would. I was planning on re-wiring from the switch to the terminal strip eventually, so figured might as well get that done finally, after putting up with this problem for six months. Well, the short of it is, that solved the problem! Even my headlights now run brighter! Not saying that's your problem, but certainly something worth looking into if it hasn't already been replaced recently. Not expensive either.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By James A. Golden on Monday, October 20, 2014 - 09:58 am:

That generator can put out 36 volts and survive, if the current is set to 3 Amps or a little less.

If there is a loose connection on the way to the battery, all that voltage will go to the head light and tail light bulbs and they will glow like old flash bulbs, but only for a few seconds.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Willie K Cordes on Monday, October 20, 2014 - 10:42 am:

I had the same problem on my TT. The answer was a loose battery connection on the battery terminals.
Cleaned post and terminals and no more bulb failure. Without that battery connection to limit the generator output, the voltage will surge up and in a second, you have burned out bulbs.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By John F. Regan on Monday, October 20, 2014 - 03:53 pm:

Headlights burning out is normal if one is trying to use an 8V battery. I never recommend 8V conversions for any vehicle but we do make the 8V voltage regulator for those who insist that an 8V is fine for day time driving. It is an old fashioned "fix" usually for a sick starter. To properly charge an 8V battery the VR will put out 9.4V and that will give very short life to any 6V bulb. Any lower will result in very short life for an 8V battery.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Jerry VanOoteghem on Monday, October 20, 2014 - 04:42 pm:

Albin,

Look for a bad battery ground as others suggest. Also, check the connections on the back of your switch & ammeter for being loose or shorting. I had a terminal come loose on my ammeter some years back. It caused the same situation you're having.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By James A. Golden on Monday, October 20, 2014 - 06:24 pm:

I had the same problem with a Model A years ago.

The Model A also has a 10 Amp generator.

My tail light usually burned out with the head lamps.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Albin Werner on Monday, October 20, 2014 - 11:06 pm:

thank you all!!
I am returning the 8V battery and following the posting from John Regan on Mon, I discovered that the 'regulator'I have is 8V!

I will order the 'wrench' he has for loosening the "nut", the 6V regulator and fuses (Fun Projects.com) ...

My thanks to you all and I will report!!


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