06 V70 Low Beam outlet failure

Matt 1998 V70 · Post by **Matt 1998 V70** » 17 Nov 2018, 08:59

I have a nagging problem with my driver side low beam outlet. The bulb gets so hot it melts the outlet. I am on my fifth replacement low beam outlet/plug! When I initially replace the driver side bulb the factory outlet disintegrated while separating it from the bulb. I ordered a replacement outlet/plug from FCP Euro but it was not the correct configuration for the Sylvania H11 bulb my car uses. I found a replacement outlet on ebay and installed it. First replacement lasted about 6 months before the failure indicator came on again. After inspection I discovered the outlet/plug was burned out. Next one lasted about 4 months and the next 3 have lasted successively less time with the latest replacement lasting less than a day. The bulb gets so hot it's actually melting the plastic/silicone components of the plug. If anyone has insight as to potential sources or cures for this issue I would be very appreciative.

EngineeringBloke · Post by **EngineeringBloke** » 17 Nov 2018, 20:35

Just wondering if your bulbs are touching the small reflector piece that surrounds the bulb. It is easy to bend it during replacement and then if it is out of position, and the bulb is in contact or close, it will conduct heat back to the bulb base.

Take a look at the low beam from the outside of the car and see if there is good spacing all around the bulb.

OK, this happened to me and I bent the reflector piece back into position using a screwdriver. Bulbs lasted longer after the fix.

Post by **jimmy57** » 17 Nov 2018, 21:18

I have dealt with this problem and it is junk electrical connectors. Many car makes have this problem and a part of it is the terminal of the bulb is not inserting into the female terminals in connector very deep. The female terminals that work have a back up spring and their grasp of the bulb male terminal is much stronger.
I have 100% success (so far) with using a terminal and covering it with heat shrink and sliding it onto bulb terminals with no plastic connector body. That way the insertion depth is maxed out.
Use a new bulb as the overheated terminal in bulb will have surface oxidation. Many times the problem is a vicious circle of bad connector over heats recent bulb. recent bulb burns new connector. another new bulb gets oxidized connections from the last bulb oxidizing the terminals in the replaced connector. etc. etc.
I am assuming you halogen lamps.
Bi-xenons are another story......

Matt 1998 V70 · Post by **Matt 1998 V70** » 21 Nov 2018, 09:43

Engineering Bloke - I'm quite sure the bulb is being inserted into the reflective housing properly. The tab structure on the H11 bulb requires that it enter in a specific orientation to allow for 'engagement' with the reflector housing. Only when the bulb is properly introduced am I able to turn and lock it into the reflector housing. Though it is quite a chore, I take the time to make sure the bulb is properly engaged in the reflector housing each time I'm in there.

Jimmy57, using a good old fashioned connector is an interesting thought. the H11 terminal connectors I've been using have been allowing me to completely seat the bulb so the side locking straps engage fully with the bulb but the 18 guage wire attached to the terminal plug does seem a little thin for the heat generated with the sylvania halogen bulbs I'm using.

Thank you both for your excellent insights. I think I'm going to buy a new bulb and splice in a new connector to see if that solves the "vicious cycle" oxidation problem. If that doesn't work, next I'll try the single connectors with shrink tape. I can see how the additional metal associated with the single connectors can create an additional heat sink to dissipate the temperatures associated with a halogen fixture.

Thanks again for your input. Sorry it took so long to respond but I'm currently away from home visiting my daughter so I don't have access to my car.

Post by **jimmy57** » 21 Nov 2018, 10:42

The plastic tabs latching is not the issue. If you measure the plastic connector depth into bulb, the distance the terminal is up inside the plastic connector, and the length of the terminal of the bulb then you see that terminal to terminal connection is shallow. This leaves a small surface area for the current flow. The problem almost never occurs until the first bulb failure, I have never seen the problem myself until after the bulb was changed. Many terminals have a coating that is applied using an electrostatic charge and vaporous metal. It is as thin as they can make it. Unplugging and plugging in the connector scrapes through the inert metal layer that keeps corrosion and resistance gain at bay. The loose terminal repair method works but it would never be an assembly line connection solution as the best way to assure something connected is to give it a physical feel and a visual confirmation. Low effort for assembly is also a consideration.

voltech1 · Post by **voltech1** » 21 Nov 2018, 18:51

The factory replacement H11 connectors latch onto the bulb from the back instead of the original which latches from the sides. That is the connector you want to use. It usually will fix this issue unless you have an internal wiring problem in the lamp itself. Check the female pins at the main connector for being open or burned.

EngineeringBloke · Post by **EngineeringBloke** » 21 Nov 2018, 19:06

Matt, yes, the headlight assembly ensures the bulb is aligned when you insert and rotate the bulb. Because of that, I was not paying attention when I inserted the bulb one time. Before the bulb was seated, I had it at an angle, and it pushed a cap that surrounds the front of the bulb. The cap appears to control light dispersal from the low beam bulb. You can see it in the image at FCPEuro:
https://www.eeuroparts.com/Parts/73455/ ... -31276831/

In this aftermarket headlamp, you can see that the cap extends forwards on arms, and it was the arms that I had bent - click on the image for a bigger picture.
https://www.eeuroparts.com/Parts/90588/ ... 209081001/

As a result of my mishandling, the cap was out of position - away on one side and closer on the other. When I had the bulb fully inserted, one side of the cap was now in contact with the bulb and the bulb did not last long as heat was conducted back to the bulb base. Also heat was not distributed evenly across the bulb.

When I replaced the bulb, I noticed it was fouling and saw what had happened. I was able to push the cap back into its correct orientation (with a screwdriver), and then replace the bulb successfully. But I was also surprised to see that the bulb connector base was damaged. It was only the driver's side I had deflected that had the issue and, since then, my bulbs have lasted.

I am just suggesting you check the headlamp from the front to be sure that the cap is evenly away from the bulb and so not a cause of the issue. It would be easy to miss, especially if the cap was close but not touching the bulb.

Matt 1998 V70 · Post by **Matt 1998 V70** » 20 Dec 2018, 07:48

I was not able to source a connector similar to the one Jimmy57 identified in a previous thread but I had several of the aftermarket outlets. I purchased a new H11 bulb and installed a new aftermarket outlet on 24 Nov. So far, so good. I have had a consistent low beam for about a month now (hopefully, I'll get through the winter months as tinkering with the headlight in the cold is a PITA) . Unfortunately, I've been here before so I plan on monitoring the situation to see how long this 'fix' lasts. Thanks everyone for your excellent suggestions.

Post by **cn90** » 23 Dec 2018, 10:52

I wonder if H11 LED type bulb (producing much less heat) will solve this issue...

Post by **jimmy57** » 23 Dec 2018, 13:51

The LED bulb would likely fix connector problem made worse by heating but I have not found any LED bulbs with good pattern that aren't in excess of $100 each. I tried $50 pair bulbs in my tractor and they were fine for a tractor and very bright but they didn't go 15 hours before segments of the LED failed on each bulb.
If you have a source of proven bulbs with patterning close to OE let me know where they are.