Bigpete123

So my passenger side headlight is having issues. The 3-pin connector that connects to the main headlight bulb has melted so badly that it caused one of the wires to come unseated. It's beyond repair.

They are TYC Euro headlights (obviously not as high-end as the Bosch or Hellas), and they came with H4 bulbs. The driver's side is completely fine. No sign of melting at all.

So my questions are:

1) Why do you think this happened?

2) Where can I buy a replacement for this female 3-pin connector?

Here's what I'm talking about:

shadowgriffen

holy heck! How the hell...??? DId you use different bulbs other than recomended? Certain types of bulbs (cheapos) will fry your wires, causing something very similar to what you have pictured here...

Good luck finding that socket, try ebay for used/cracked single euro light casings, its as close to getting the socket as you'll get...or you can try the original seller.

either way, good luck

Bigpete123

yeah, thanks. This is definitely the downside of using aftermarket stuff- finding parts can be tough.

I bought these headlights from Katmac.com, which I know lots of members have also done. The same guy sells lots of Euros on ebay. I've had them for 2 years, and the drivers' side is completely fine. I used the H4 bulbs that came with the kit and was assured that they were correct. I haven't changed the bulbs since I bought them... I'm not sure what the wattage is since the katmac site doesn't list it.

I emailed the guy last night to see where I can buy a new connector, and I also asked him why this would happen. Obviously just replacing the old connector won't fix the root cause.

Can anybody please recommend bulbs to me that would be sure to work properly?? My lights are plenty bright as-is, so I just want a recommendation on something safe! I know lots of you guys have euros, so please advise!

shadowgriffen

well I have the alternatives to euros, but I'm pretty sure that your Volt + Watt combination should be similar to mine:

12v 55 watt.

and that sounds like a safe bet to me.

Lorinser880

Poor quality plastic connector. If you do find a store, ask if they have the 'ceramic' type, will not melt in any way. Even the originals will come to a point of melting after very long years of use.

Stock H4 bulb-60/55 watts

Bigpete123

Interesting. Thanks guys. But it just seems to me that this shouldn't happen if everything is set up right. Maybe I could just use ceramic connectors and forget about it. It just makes me nervous that something else isn't right.

I'm guessing that this connector, or one very similar to it, is readily available. I say this because lightbulbs are fairly standard. So I would assume that the connectors are as well.

What lightbulb models do the rest of you guys use in your euros?

Lorinser880

If you really want some peace of mind, replace both connectors with ceramic then have built-in wiring replaced, including the fog lamps, with thicker and branded automotive wires.

Stock oem H4 bulbs are the 55/60 watts specs. Choices are Bosch, Hella, Philips, Narva. Most of them have different models to suit your driving preference.

shadowgriffen

I use Sylvania Silverstars

Love em

'91 300CE

It looks like too high wattage in your bulb... I recommend the Sylvania Xtravisions... they are the same as european SilverStars... the US SilverStars have a blue coating on them that reduce useable light in rain... they look good on dry roads, but suck in the rain.

shadowgriffen

Are you speaking from a DOT headlight perspective?? My silverstars work great no matter the weather.

I have H1s.

Saijin_Naib

No, he means that the blue coating tints the light blue. Blue light is not safe for intense driving conditions because your eyes can not focus on blue light, thus the use/need for yellow fogs for bad weather.

Bigpete123

Rain is most definitely an issue here in Seattle, so that's very relevant advice. Thanks.

'91 300CE

Yep... I am in Portland... I just adjusted my headlights properly and I can see better now... I thought these DOT lights sucked worse than my 93 Civic's... but actually once aimed correctly, they are 10x better than those.

Bigpete123

Alright, I found a cheapo replacement plug after a bit of searching:

http://sports-imports.stores.yahoo.net/buhlipl90.html

I also found these even cheaper cheapos on ebay:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/H4-90...ayphotohosting

I think I'm gonna go the ebay route. It's so retarded that I'm paying twice the purchase price on shipping!

Bigpete123

well I'll be damned. I just got a chance to look at the bulbs in my car. They're 90/100watt. Looks like it was the bulbs after all.

Arnie

I think loose female connector would cause overheating also. I've been using 110/130 watts PIAA bulbs for the last 7 years and never had any issues with overheating.

AMG_Fred

high wattage bulbs will cause the thing to melt. just buy a new harness, they are cheap. I bought the cheap ones on ebay and look very similar to the tyc ones already. and I just got some bad luck, I was trying to adjust the beam pattern, and only the height adjustment works on my passenger side. Moving the other headlight knob apparently does nothing, is there a way to do it manually?

Eliot

I have Hella Ceramic sockets to avoid the melting issues. Overwattage bulbs will toast the OEM sockets..

Saijin_Naib

So you can get overwatt bulbs with ceramic connectors and no worries?

Lorinser880

Yup, on oem wires then add a relay.

Eliot

The power draw on overwattage bulbs is really too much for the wiring. You get better results with a proper relay setup.

mgw_300e

do you know a good source for those? Hella?

Eliot

I bought them from Ebennz who used to post here. He has a Euro Lighting Import shop. The ceramics are 14 USD or something of the sort. Just clip the standard wires and feed them into the hella socket.

ashman

You can get those plugs.... Just search ebay for them...

Bigpete123

Yeah, the ones I bought on ebay just arrived today. So I'll be soldering them in tomorrow. I bought new light bulbs, but I may not install them... cuz the plugs I bought claim to be super heat resistant and are apparently made for overwattage bulbs. We'll see.