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Dim headlights


jprobus

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My headlights on my '76 7010 Landlord are very dim. They barely light the way at all. Anyone have similar issues? I know they're run straight off the generator. Would it help to straight wire them - through the switch and a fuse of course - off the battery? Could the bulbs be old? Housings fogged? LET THERE BE LIGHT! Any ideas or help would be greatly appreciated.

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You should start with a voltage test at the bulb socket, >12v needed. If so then whats changed? diff bulbs, poor connection(s), bad switch? ...

If you dont have 12v then ck voltage at battery, switch, breaker, etc..Try to eliminate possibilities 1 by 1

good luck

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Part of the problem is the haze on the on the lenses themselves. You can get a cleaner for that at an automotive store or get new lenses.

Generally there is no dim bulb. Either they are on or burnt out. Dimness is either corrosion of faulty ground.

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You have to fiddle with the switch to get the lights to come/stay on...could a bad switch cause dimness? I have a new switch, just haven't gotten around to installing it

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quote:Originally posted by jprobus

You have to fiddle with the switch to get the lights to come/stay on...could a bad switch cause dimness? I have a new switch, just haven't gotten around to installing it


id="quote">
id="quote">Either way console plate needs to be lifted. You can then jumper the wires at the switch to see if your light intensity changes. If it doesn't you probably have a bad ground ground should be fairly easy to chase down.
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Yes, take all connectors apart and clean and shine them. Fine sandpaper on the terminals works good. Remove your ground wires where they bolt onto the frame and shine them up also (maybe install a new toothed washer also).

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quote:Originally posted by Brettw

Do any of these solutions work on Brother-in-laws?


id="quote">
id="quote">I have never been able to find anything to make any of mybrothers-in-law a darn bit brighter.:D
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You're gonna love this...always check the simplest thing first. I took the housings apart and they were full of dirt. The lenses were coated, the bulbs had a solid, thick layer of dirt all over them. That's after I pulled the top of the console and checked all the wiring. Of course I was adding a rear work light and replacing a fickle switch anyway, so that had to be done either way.

After cleaning up the lenses, bulbs, housings, etc, they got a lot brighter. Still not nearly as bright as I'd like, though.

I tried running them straight off the battery circuit, that really made them brighter, but the alternator can't keep up. It can't charge the battery faster than I'm draining it. And, an interesting side note: The Ammeter is pretty darn accurate on charge/discharge.

Any other ideas? Has anyone else figured a way to get brighter lights on these tractors? Can you somehow upgrade the alternator's charging power? Anyone know how many amps these alternators produce? Thanks so much for the help guys. I'm so glad I found this place.

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Also, you can take the lens from the lights and soak them in chlorine bleach. That will remove the cloudiness from both the inside and outside. Spray them with one of the protective lens coatings from an auto parts store after cleaning them. I was surprised how clear my lens were after soaking them in bleach.

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quote:Originally posted by jprobus

Any other ideas? Has anyone else figured a way to get brighter lights on these tractors? Can you somehow upgrade the alternator's charging power? Anyone know how many amps these alternators produce? Thanks so much for the help guys. I'm so glad I found this place.


id="quote">
id="quote">First of all, ammeters are archaic. They only tell you which way the electronic water flows, one way or another. A voltmeter tells you more, condition of the battery, how the charging system is maintaining the battery. If everything is up to snuff, the system voltage should be in the area 13.5 volts with engine running and a nominal 12 volts not running. So check the system voltage B 4 swapping a bunch of stuff. My 2 cents.
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I suggested the Voltage test at the begining...thats where I start. then you know if its electrical or lens, bulbs, etc...

Your charging system should be able to charge the battery with the lights on, if they're wired from batt direct or thru the dash either way. It simply works by replacing lost battery power. If it wont keep up then I would have your batt ck'd first (amp draw test is free at auto parts store)...battery can get a bad cell that wont take a charge resulting lower voltage and non-rechargability...sm01

then if needed we can help you trblshoot the charging system

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Like BLT stated check the charging system. I like 13.5 to 14.1 volts while the engine is running. You should get that at anything over 1/2 to 3/4 throttle. Somebody correct me here if I'm wrong. Resting voltage on the battery should be 12.6 volts. Nothing less. If less, charge the battery and have it tested at the parts store.

Most places now use an inductive tester. Much more accurate than the old load test. At the Polaris dealer I used to work at we were required by Polaris to have one of the new inductive testers. The shop foreman didn't believe in them until a couple of batteries that tested bad, but still started the engine fine, came back after failing within a couple of weeks of being tested.

Ken

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  • 4 months later...

You're right, Ken. At 1/2 throttle you should see around 13 1/2 volts with the lights on. If you're dropping to twelve volts or below, the lights will be dimmer.

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