36v/12v converter

laserbudd

Got a question.
Just installed a "Chinese" 10 amp 36v to 12v converter on my 2007 TXT to run my street legal lights from.
When I had it hooked up to 2 6v batteries, it worked fine, but thru the controller, everything (flashers, turn signals, brake, horn) works, but I have no headlights or tail lights.
Too smal output or bad controller?
How can I check amperage output of controller?
Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Budd

BGW

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sms-shop

First of all you put 36 volt to the in put not 12 volt ...36 volt in 12 volt out ..You connect it to the battery pack ..not to the controller.. Make sure you put a fuse in line with it

laserbudd

Sorry....when I said "When I had it hooked up to 2 6v batteries", I meant the light harness, not the converter.

I installed the converter with 36v coming into it and it has 12v coming out.
Hooked light harness to the 12v output (instead of the 2 batteries) WITH in-line fuse on the + lead.

Sorry for the mis-understanding/confusion......my mistake !!

sms-shop

Ok does the flasher work when you turn on the head lights... Or do they go out .. Do they get dim ... If they do this would be a sign of over draw on the converter... If not the problem lie's else where..

JohnnieB

I suspect you mean converter instead of controller.

I think you are on the right track, the converter might be too small for the job.

Just a pair of headlights will come pretty close to maxing out a 10A converter. (55W x 2 / 12 = 9.1A)

You can measure the amp being drawn by the lights by putting an ammeter in series with the output of the converter. (IE: replace fuse with ammeter for testing)
Most inexpensive DMM only measure up to 10A DC, so be careful.
Or you might try something like this:

redfro

Read my post. I put cheap led bulbs in the headlights to cut down on the draw.

http://www.buggiesgonewild.com/elect...-complete.html

laserbudd

First off.....let me thank you guys for the informative comments on my question.

THANKS--sms-shop--JohnnieB--redfro

I checked the headlight bulbs in my kit and they were "889 12V37W".
Haven't checked the wattage of the tailights (they are LED----shouldn't be TOO much draw, I'd think).

Guess I had better start looking for a larger output converter. Maybe, 25-30 amp.

Might also start looking for LED replacement for the headlight bulbs.

laserbudd

When the light kit is hooked up to the converter, I have Brake, Turn, Flasher and Horn with/without light switch pulled on. NO head/tail lights.
When the light kit is hooked to the 1st 2 batteries (12v), everything works.

JohnnieB

Your 10A converter ought to at least run everything individually even if it won't run them all at the same time, and considering the headlights only draw 6A, it probably should run everything.

A bigger converter probably won't work either.

I suspect you're Head/Tail lights are using the frame as the return path back to the battery and when you transfer the wire from negative post on the right-rear battery to the converter, you no longer have a complete circuit for Head/Tail lights.

For electrical safety reasons, the frame should not be grounded, so each accessory has to be a two wire system.

I might be wrong, but that is the only thing the few brain cells I have left can come up with.

laserbudd

I understand that it's not good to use the frame for ground.

The wiring harness has no wires attached to the frame (even the fuse block is not ground to the frame), and I believe that this is a 2-wire system.

What I can't understand is: there was only 2 wires (red positive/ black negative) in the harness that needed hooked up.
When those wires were hooked to the 1st 2 batteries of the pack (- to neg of first battery / +(w/in-line fuse) to pos of second battery)) everything worked.

After installing the converter (36v - to neg of first battery / 36v + to pos of last battery), I then hooked up the lighting harness (harness - to converter 12v - output / harness +(w/in-line fuse) to converter 12v + output)) everything works except headlights/taillights.
BTW-when I hook the 2nd wire (+ or -) of the converter input to the battery pack --- it sparks. Should that happen?

Also, is the battery pack grounded to frame?