1990 GMC F/S Jimmy Low Beam Usage Melts Headlight Plugs

[hawkeye649]

Had a badly melted plug, and replaced it whith a new one. Cleaned up the contacts on the bulb pretty well, and cllaed it good. Now it's melting on the same one again, and the other (oem) has started as well. I have some dielectic grease I ment too throw in there, but other than that, what should I try?

 

[hawkeye649]

bump /forums/images/graemlins/ears.gif

 

[FWP]

Try replacing the headlight itself, could have a bad bulb.

 

[diesel4me]

Probably due to the wonderful gangrene that grows on copper wires here in the northeast--after about two months around here your wiring harness looks like the 100 year old copper roof on the county courthouse.The resistance caused by this corrosion heats the plug up to the melting point.I have seen headlight bulbs break the low beam filament and it touches the high beam one,causing them to both light up at the same time,causing high amp draw--also the "third"prong on the bulb is ground,if the filament touches that one it could act like a short curcuit--and since there is no fuses on most vehicles headlights,the headlight switch has a built in curcuit breaker--which sometimes fails to "break"and allows things like wires and plugs to get hot enough to melt.You might want to make sure the wires from the headlights that ground to the radiator support are in good shape,and clean and tight.Good luck!.Now that the days are getting shorter,I find myself under the hood of witchever vehicle I'm driving and wiggling the headlight plugs to get the ##YU&8 headlights to come on so I wont get pulled over--I'm about ready to cut the plugs off and solder the wires right to the headlight bulbs! /forums/images/graemlins/angryfire.gif /forums/images/graemlins/screwy.gif

 

[mosesburb]

Like Diesel said, it could just be a ground problem, inspect the ground wire/s for good contact at the headlight connector and at the ring terminal on the core support.

 

[spearchucker]

Use some dielectric grease at the contacts. It improves electrical contact and prevents corrosion.

 

[diesel4me]

I'm going to do that--it seems to be the headlight right behind the battery that does it most often.The acid and gasses from the battery seem to head right for the headlight wires--looks like snow on them--I sprayed them with ammonia to get that crud off and blasted them with WD-40(all I had handy),hope that will cure it for awhile!.It sucks when a cop comes the other way,and you dont know for sure if both headlights are on!, /forums/images/graemlins/eek.gif