Headlights go dim while driving

[tagmscpe]

I noticed in a post from 2008 where someone had a similar problem.
His solution was a loose wire, but one of the replies asked if it was a factory wiring job, or a do-it-yourself job. Well, mine is a do-it-yourself job, and I'm trying to figure out what I did wrong. I have a 36V 80's DS (not sure of the exact year, since the serial # tag is missing, but it does have one brake pedal, and it's not a V-glide). Thanks for your help.

[Tony M]

Welcome to BGW.

[langstonjones]

Originally Posted by tagmscpe

I noticed in a post from 2008 where someone had a similar problem.
His solution was a loose wire, but one of the replies asked if it was a factory wiring job, or a do-it-yourself job. Well, mine is a do-it-yourself job, and I'm trying to figure out what I did wrong. I have a 36V 80's DS (not sure of the exact year, since the serial # tag is missing, but it does have one brake pedal, and it's not a V-glide). Thanks for your help.

How do you have it wired? Off of 2 batteries or a voltage reducer? Are you grounding to the frame by chance?

[tagmscpe]

I have it wired to two batteries (no frame grounding).
For what it's worth, I also installed a horn onto two other batteries.
The horn acts similarly. You can hear it rise & fall in volume as you slow
down & speed up.

[shadowman]

do you swap it every few months to other 2 batteries......try see if its any better your lights are dragging those 2 batteries down more than the rest of the pack and that may be why, alse check with a meter and make sure the 2 batteries read 12 volts you can,t just use any 2 batteries................

[langstonjones]

Originally Posted by shadowman

you can,t just use any 2 batteries................

Good one shadow!! I didn't think about that.

[tagmscpe]

I've had the lights hooked up for one day. See my other post about the horn acting the same way on batteries 5 & 6 (the lights are on batteries 1 and 2). I get 12 volts when I measure across the two batteries. I'm wondering if it's just weak batteries. They all read over 6 volts, but they're at least 3 years old, and the cells were bone dry after I bought the cart and popped the lids. Maybe they have sufficient voltage, but not much amperage?????

[dougmcp]

It's just weak batteries and normal for lights to dim a little while cruising and especially while accelerating.
The cart draws close to 300 amps under full acceleration.

[OLD MEC]

With dry cells your batterys are most likely TOAST-RUINED and wont be able to carry the load of operation and lights? What batterys are showing you is how low in power they are by dimming lights down when under power ( some dimming is normal but very little ). You need to test batterys to confirm condition and most likely repace whole pack with new batterys? It would help to add a voltage reducer after changing battery pack to keep batterys even in load, but this WILL NOT SOLVE YOUR CURRENT PROBLEM.

[gsf35099]

Originally Posted by OLD MEC

It would help to add a voltage reducer after changing battery pack to keep batterys even in load, but this WILL NOT SOLVE YOUR CURRENT PROBLEM.

OLD MEC, I agree with this solution the best as I use to run the same as tagmscpe did when I first hooked up my lights.

I did upgrade my cart to 48v and then hooked up a voltage reducer for the 12v and have run for several hours driving around at rallies with no difference in light power from start to finish. WORKS GREAT!!!