Headlight Burning

[JPVortex]

Hello, I'm having this issue with my 05 tahoe. I've had LED headlights in for months now and decided to throw halogens back in for now to get rid of the fast turn signal relay click because I'm too lazy to put resistors or an LED relay.

Every bulb I put in the drivers side gets hot and burns within minutes. Passenger is fine. It starts smoking and smells like electrical. I'm guessing theres a break in the wire somewhere. How difficult is it to replace the harness for the wiring of the headlight?

 

[Sam Harris]

It sounds to me like you’re referring to the DRL, or turn signals, rather than a headlight. The NBS are commonly known to melt the DRL sockets with standard incandescent / halogen bulbs. But you mentioned hyper flash, which would only apply to turn signals. I’m confused.
I replaced all exterior bulbs with 100% LEDs and couldn’t be happier. I did use the correct LED flasher relay to provide the needed voltage, avoiding hyper flash. It’s a few bucks, but more than worth it. I’d have paid double if necessary.
Novita LM487 Flasher https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001KS6GIG?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

With that said, if you are indeed referring to a headlight, I agree there seems to be something fishy happening with the wiring. Is the harness stock? Anything added / tapped into the harness? Do you have additional lights, or accessories up front? Id expect it to be a fairly straightforward process to track down a wiring issue from the headlight harness, though I haven’t done it myself. I’d just unplug it, and start moving backwards to check everything on the way to the main harness.

Also, what wattage are you using for the light? Some of the currently marketed bulbs may sound appealing, due to more wattage / output, but the housing / wiring may not be designed for it.

 

[JPVortex]

It sounds to me like you’re referring to the DRL, or turn signals, rather than a headlight. The NBS are commonly known to melt the DRL sockets with standard incandescent / halogen bulbs. But you mentioned hyper flash, which would only apply to turn signals. I’m confused.
I replaced all exterior bulbs with 100% LEDs and couldn’t be happier. I did use the correct LED flasher relay to provide the needed voltage, avoiding hyper flash. It’s a few bucks, but more than worth it. I’d have paid double if necessary.
Novita LM487 Flasher https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001KS6GIG?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

With that said, if you are indeed referring to a headlight, I agree there seems to be something fishy happening with the wiring. Is the harness stock? Anything added / tapped into the harness? Do you have additional lights, or accessories up front? Id expect it to be a fairly straightforward process to track down a wiring issue from the headlight harness, though I haven’t done it myself. I’d just unplug it, and start moving backwards to check everything on the way to the main harness.

Definitely the main headlight, not the DRL. There was some electrical tape right by the connector for the light on the harness. I may start trying to track stuff down and I'll also try using a brand new bulb instead of the old ones.

 

[Joseph Garcia]

You did remove the transformer module that comes with the LED headlight, correct?

 

[Fless]

I'm trying to figure out what the headlights have to do with fast flashing turn signals.

 

[Doubeleive]

I'm trying to figure out what the headlights have to do with fast flashing turn signals.

they have nothing to do with it

 

[JPVortex]

You did remove the transformer module that comes with the LED headlight, correct?

They didnt come with a transformer, it's just light

 

[JPVortex]

I believe that the LED lights have less resistance than a halogen, I think they would cause a fast turn signal

 

[Fless]

I believe that the LED lights have less resistance than a halogen, I think they would cause a fast turn signal

Yes, if you use them in the turn signals.

But you specifically said you were changing the HEADLIGHTS, which have NOTHING to do with how the turn signals flash. Or learn me sumpin new.

 

[JPVortex]

I believe that the LED lights have less resistance than a halogen, I think the

Yes, if you use them in the turn signals.

But you specifically said you were changing the HEADLIGHTS, which have NOTHING to do with how the turn signals flash. Or learn me sumpin new.

That's true, it's weird. It was flashing normally until the headlights were installed though.

 

[Sam Harris]

I believe that the LED lights have less resistance than a halogen, I think the

That's true, it's weird. It was flashing normally until the headlights were installed though.

Which leads
Me to believe you have some interesting wiring going on up there..

 

[JPVortex]

Which leads
Me to believe you have some interesting wiring going on up there..

Probably tbh. I also just remembered the light right next to the turn signal bulb is also led, and I wonder if that would have anything to do with it?

 

[Sam Harris]

Probably tbh. I also just remembered the light right next to the turn signal bulb is also led, and I wonder if that would have anything to do with it?

That would be either the DRL, or the little 194 IIRC, marker light. The marker could affect hyper flash, as on most, if not all GMT800’s, the turns alternate between the marker and turn bulbs. But I’m not positive. And, again, this SHOULD have zero to do with your headlights.

 

[JPVortex]

That would be either the DRL, or the little 194 IIRC, marker light. The marker could affect hyper flash, as on most, if not all GMT800’s, the turns alternate between the marker and turn bulbs. But I’m not positive. And, again, this SHOULD have zero to do with your headlights.

Yeah I'll try putting halogen marker bulbs in. Its not my DRL because I have the fuse for those disconnected because I dont like the way they look.

 

[MassHoe04]

Headlight bulb socket connectors on the ends of the harness have been know to get fried due to age and bulbs with wattage ratings higher than designed. Replacement sockets are available and pretty cheap.

Do yours look browned or cooked?

I have a mish-mash on my 04. PO installed LED corner lights. I have regular turn signal bulbs and halogen headlamp bulbs on Hi/Lo beams.

I put LED into the DRL, because the sockets were toasted a little and the bulbs would not last more than a few weeks.

I have no hyper-flash or flickering with this 50/50 combo of LED and regular bulbs in different places. The PO may have added resistors to make the corner lights work. But everything is playing nice with each other.

My turn signals do alternate flashes between the regular turn signal bulbs and the LED amber corner marker lights. I like that feature. It makes for good visibility at all angles when I signal to turn.

 

[Doubeleive]

this is why I always tell people that go to HID to use relays, if you use thicker gauge wire and relays direct to the battery and ground to the frame then there is basically zero load on the factory headlight harness because all it is used for is a trigger signal. I started running HID's way back like 20 years ago, it didn't take long to figure out that it will burn stuff up. The HID stuff out there now can range from complete garbage to high quality. As time has gone on they started making them cheaper and with very low quality parts so much that you would be lucky if they even turn on out of the box. Ballast matter lol

 

[Joseph Garcia]

They didnt come with a transformer, it's just light

Interesting... I don't believe that I've ever seen an LED headlight that did not come with a transformer between the LED light itself and the truck's headlight harness (of course, I have not seen them all).

 

[andyd]

Yes, if you use them in the turn signals.

But you specifically said you were changing the HEADLIGHTS, which have NOTHING to do with how the turn signals flash. Or learn me sumpin new.

I also did the confused puppy dog look. lol Until I looked up the harness. It looks as if multiple items take the power and ground on the same circuit. So it maybe possible ? I attached the harness photo.

 

[Doubeleive]

I also did the confused puppy dog look. lol Until I looked up the harness. It looks as if multiple items take the power and ground on the same circuit. So it maybe possible ? I attached the harness photo. View attachment 393240

pretty sure that pictured harness is for a 07-14

 

[Sam Harris]

pretty sure that pictured harness is for a 07-14

As well, the harness would not have crossed wires between headlight + / ground, and turn + / ground.. unless of course, there’s some creative wiring in that harness, as mentioned earlier.