Headlight headache

htfx19

htfx19

Herzel Frenkel
My headlight switch failed and the connector at the back developed a brown zone, at the middle wire, at the brown wire.
The switch was getting hot and hotter until it failed. I tried to fix the switch but finally had to replace it.
I could never take the wires out of the connector. I used a jeweler's screwdriver and whatever not, from the front or the rear. Nothing.
Now the new switch is getting hot again and I can't drive the car.
I cleaned the connector's contact and squeezed them to assure good contact. Nothing helps.
So I measured the current through that point to find it at 6.5 Amps. It sounds reasonable to me, is it?
I guess I need a sorcerer...​
 
It would be best to figure out how to get the suspect wire out of the connector, so you can clean, tighten, even solder it.

Do you run w/aftermarket headlights? Anything over the 35w stock bulbs will eventually cause problems unless a relay is installed.

The best way to test the connection is to test the resistance of that connector between the connector and the wire a few inches upstream. If enough heat damage has occurred, the connector may be loose on the wire causing more resistance and overheating.
 
Herzel, you need one of these....

Just let me know and I'll get one made up for ya.
-Bob

finishedheadlightmodhr4.jpg
 
My headlight mod will solve your problem.

6.5 amps is for the stock headlight system. I'm surprised it's only 6.5 amps, but I guess there are some line losses there. Headlights generally average 4 to 5 amps each, usually.

I will take this off-line with you Herzel.
 
It's my opinion it's required for ANY X1/9...

Your headlights are responsible for the highest drain on your entire
electrical system. Removing this load from the equation solves a lot of
issues that inevitably rear their ugly heads over time, like the burning
headlight switch and weakening (or some cases burning) of the brown
wire connection at the steering console switch assembly. (where the
brown wire mod connects) The rest of the circuits (with the heavier loads) are more intermittent, so load problems show up less.
 
On the 87...(chiming in)

Only a low-beam relay is needed. The '87's have a high-beam relay that bypasses the headlight switch as stock.

I hope you don't mind my chiming in Bob! :)
 
Don't mind at all -

Late model X's do indeed have the high beam relay. While so, the rest
of the harness still suffers with the load of the headlights. The insertable
headlight mod takes the high current drain out of the factory harness
completely, to which all models would benefit. The mod gives the entire
electrical system a major break.
 
Last edited:
Thermal Runaway

Or positive feedback, if you prefer.

The female connectors are springy so as to make a good electrical connection to the male tabs. Even a good connection will have some electrical resistance, and will therefore dissipate some power at the junction. Heating and cooling cycles will remove the temper from the springy connector. This will increase the contact resistance, resulting in yet more heating.... Everything "seems" OK until the final few power cycles when the connector -- and its plastic shell -- catastrophically fail. A good reason for designers to de-rate connectors and not save a few pennies using a connector that "just" meets the expected current of the circuit.
 
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