Got a "fix it" ticket from LAPD for a blown headlight...

[The Stigenator]

I was in the valley, driving west bound vanowen, saw cop going to take a left at a light.. went past him, saw him seconds later behind me at the next light, lights his cherry top.. i pull over.

Guy goes ' do you know you have blown headlight'.. i am like 'yeah it just blew, i noticed it a mile back'. Anyway guy gives me a 10$ fix it ticket.. ugh!

Anyway the bulb replacement isnt hard. the issue is this... I have a melted bulb connector.

I bought 2 replacement connectors, so i need to replace both connectors (both kinda melted).. funny thing is that i run stock wattage and yet they melt.

So question is how best to replace the new connectors so i can put a new bulb.
Should I solder the new connections and use a heat shrink tubing
Should I use crimp on connectors
Should I use T Splice connectors?


The big issue is that there is not much room to do work on that side where its blown, the radiator overflow tank and pipes are in that side..and i had replaced that connector once about 70000 miles ago, i used crimp on splice connectors and trust me that thing was hard to do in that limited space. So doing anything, even soldering will be hard.


CLIFFS:

Blown headlight - got a fix it ticket from LAPD
Connector on blown headlight melted. - have replacement connector tips
What best way to replace the said connector.

LOSS.. $10 for fixit ticket.

 

[Demon-Xanth]

I'd personally go for soldering. But a good crimp will work. I'd avoid using the splice.

 

[The Stigenator]

I'll look into a good soldering..

darn a hot girl at work wants to borrow my car and its out of action!!!!

 

[nakedfrog]

Fix-it tickets cost money there? Lame.

 

[drnickriviera]

If you can't solder it, i'd use a posi lock connector. http://www.posi-lock.com/

I really like them. Easy to use. I think autozone or napa carries them.

 

[jagec]

I prefer soldering with shrink tube. It's a better connection IMHO.

Shouldn't they waive the ticket fee if you can show that you corrected the problem?

 

[T2urtle]

butt-connection!!!! its like crimping with heat-shrink...

 

[The Stigenator]

UPDATE:

I used a butt connector to replace both sides.. but i got a secondary problem.

The high beam light is now ON (although very dim), you can go to highbeam and it comes on as normal,but in low beam the high beam light is dimly on.

Any idea what it might be?

 

[jagec]

Originally posted by: TheGoodGuy
UPDATE:

I used a butt connector to replace both sides.. but i got a secondary problem.

The high beam light is now ON (although very dim), you can go to highbeam and it comes on as normal,but in low beam the high beam light is dimly on.

Any idea what it might be?

Sounds like a grounding issue. Get a multimeter, unplug both headlights and grab a headlight connector with the car on and headlights off, and measure resistances between all three wires and the frame (find some bare metal). One of them should measure a very low resistance (indicating its the ground), and the others shouldn't. Now turn on your low beams and measure voltages. You should get the full 12V (13.6, whatever) between the low-beam wire and the ground wire, 13.6 between the low beam wire and the car frame, and zero between everything else. Now repeat the experiment with high beams...same story on the high beam wire. I'm guessing it's a poor ground, but it could also be current leakage...this test should narrow it down.

 

[The Stigenator]

i will try look at the grounding issue.. i thoguht it might have been a grounding issue that is causing the light to lightly turn on.