Did I screw up this simple LED headlight install?

[CP241]

Originally Posted by kgsc

Says in the description for 12 volts only..

Yep.

Like you said. Poof.

[Bradnerboy]

Originally Posted by CP241

They went poof, sorry.

This is from the ad you linked on Amazon. They need a reducer, or only hook them to 2 batteries.

That's hilarious that it's in a product description on Amazon but nowhere in the instructions or any other paperwork that came with it.

Thanks.

[rowlands57]

That listing is very misleading. The 'Headline' states 48V but the small print shows only use 12v. Add to that the completely unacceptable installation diagram and you have the recipe for disaster.

I would send it back and either get the same kit, with a reducer, or a different one that does a better job of providing installation instructions.

[augiedoggy]

Originally Posted by Bradnerboy

There is no reducer. Just + and - leads to attach to the battery and the diagram is clear: Battery 1 and 6. There's no guessing.

yet the reviews state they need about 12v and a reducer may be needed... strange. My guess is misleading description so it comes up in a search for those looking. that wiring diagram is clearly wrong so you can likely get your money back.

[Fairtax4me]

Amazon listings are quite often misleading.
There are a FEW light kits now that are made to run on 48v, but the large majority of kits are only designed for 12v and will let the magic smoke out if you connect them to anything higher than that.
Unfortunately, you need a new set.

You should still use a reducer for powering lights because drawing power from one or two batteries creates an uneven draw on the pack and leaves those two batteries at a lower charge level than the rest, and eventually those two will fail due to being out of balance with the rest of the batteries in the pack.

[Jmuoio81213]

Not to hijack the thread, but I had intended to ask separately and this thread is directly related. I know a reducer is optimal, but as I replaced my head/taillights with LEDs I wondered if the lowered power draw meant I could just run it as they are across 1 and 6. That's how the original halogens were wired, and while I could see them brighten and dim nominally with load/regen, it was never a problem outside those almost imperceptible fluctuations. The LEDs stay dead level for brightness.

I have 0 intention of adding any accessories now or in the future, but if I did I'd put a reducer in then.

[Jmuoio81213]

Forgot to add...I rarely drive at night and never further than a mile or so.

[Tom47]

Originally Posted by Jmuoio81213

Not to hijack the thread, but I had intended to ask separately and this thread is directly related. I know a reducer is optimal, but as I replaced my head/taillights with LEDs I wondered if the lowered power draw meant I could just run it as they are across 1 and 6. That's how the original halogens were wired, and while I could see them brighten and dim nominally with load/regen, it was never a problem outside those almost imperceptible fluctuations. The LEDs stay dead level for brightness.

I have 0 intention of adding any accessories now or in the future, but if I did I'd put a reducer in then.

If they are 12 volt lights, you must install a voltage reducer. I don't know how the halogens worked connected to the pack unless they were 48 volt.
Are you sure you don't have a factory reducer on your cart? If you do, you're good to go. But do not connect the lights directly to the pack.

Hook it up however you want, but reducers are cheap...light kits are expensive!

[CP241]

You can buy a voltage reducer on Amazon for 15-20 bucks that will run a set of lights just fine and it will draw off all the batteries equally. It’s the right way to do it and given the price I’d say it’s worth a few bucks.

[Jmuoio81213]

I've not pulled apart the pieces necessary to see whether there's a reducer under the dash. I can tell you, however, that the replacement LEDs work fine. Factory harness replacement and all...couldn't have been easier. The halogen was occassionally tripping the breaker when the regen came on, and obviously there was the attenuation of the brightness which just bothered me. All of that is off the board now...I want to know if I'm underthinking it.