Golf Cart blows headlamps

[Yzordderrex]

My coworker told me that halogen headlamps blow on his golf cart. He
asked me if there was something he could do to mitigate.

I did a little research and found the bulb has a filament. I told him
a NTC thermister may reduce surge at power on and help to prevent
this.

Am I on the correct track? Any other ideas?

regards,
Bob
N9NEO

[Michael A. Terrell]

What voltage is the electrical system on the golf cart? What is the
filament voltage of the lamps?

[Spehro Pefhany]

On Tue, 11 Jun 2013 13:03:43 -0400, "Michael A. Terrell"
<mike.t...@earthlink.net> wrote:

>
>Yzordderrex wrote:
>>
>> My coworker told me that halogen headlamps blow on his golf cart.

All indcandescent bulbs burn out eventually. Presumably you mean they
die faster than the rated lifetime? (Probably low triple-digit
hours).

> He
>> asked me if there was something he could do to mitigate.
>>
>> I did a little research and found the bulb has a filament. I told him
>> a NTC thermister may reduce surge at power on and help to prevent
>> this.

Power-on surge is unlikely to significantly reduce the life. It just
seems like that because they tend to fail at power-up when they were
about to go anyway.

>> Am I on the correct track? Any other ideas?
>
>
> What voltage is the electrical system on the golf cart? What is the
>filament voltage of the lamps?

Michael's idea is the #1 thing. The actual voltage on the bulbs
compared to their rated voltage. Higher than rated voltage greatly
reduces the life.

Sometimes people use a voltage reducer module so they can use cheap
12V bulbs on a 36V or 48V system. It's possible they fail with HV out
if they're a buck converter.

Vibration doesn't help either.. and lower voltage lamps tend to have
sturdier filaments.

[Martin Riddle]

Keep finger oils off the bulb, if it not in a sealed enclosure. This
shortens the life span quite a bit.
Halogens can last quite a long time even with rough handeling.

Now on the other hand, those mini Krypton maglite 2AA cell bulbs are
fragile.

Cheers

[OldGuy]

on 6/11/2013, Yzordderrex supposed :

And do not drive on bumpy roads with the lights on.
Change to LED lamps.

[mrob...@att.net]

Spehro Pefhany <spef...@interlogdotyou.knowwhat> wrote:
> On Tue, 11 Jun 2013 13:03:43 -0400, "Michael A. Terrell"
> <mike.t...@earthlink.net> wrote:
>> Yzordderrex wrote:
>>> My coworker told me that halogen headlamps blow on his golf cart.

What is the ANSI number of the headlamps? Usually this will be a
three-digit or four-digit number, maybe with an "H" on the front. This
will enable you to find the rated voltage, rated lifetime, etc. It also
allows you to see if a "long life" version of the lamp is available.

>>> He asked me if there was something he could do to mitigate.

If this isn't already happening, buy lamps from a reputable manufacturer
like General Electric, Philips, Wagner, or Sylvania. If it is a 12 V
lamp, try the local auto parts stores for a good selection.

>> What voltage is the electrical system on the golf cart? What is the
>> filament voltage of the lamps?
>
> Michael's idea is the #1 thing. The actual voltage on the bulbs
> compared to their rated voltage. Higher than rated voltage greatly
> reduces the life.

Agreed. It might be interesting to hook up a voltmeter at the lamp
terminals and check the voltage both standing still and while driving.
The golf cart may regenerate into the batteries when coasting, which
tends to raise the system voltage; depending on how the lamps are
powered, this may also raise the lamp voltage.

Also, try not to have the headlights on when the golf cart is plugged in
to the charger; this may also raise the lamp voltage.

> Sometimes people use a voltage reducer module so they can use cheap
> 12V bulbs on a 36V or 48V system.

Or, the manufacturer just wires the lamps across the "first" 12 V
battery in the string. This is OK when the battery is being
discharged, but might lose when the battery is being charged - it
depends on the charging voltage.

> Vibration doesn't help either..

It may be worth checking to see if someone has replaced a rubber or
spring mounting with a solid mount. You will probably need a parts
diagram for the golf cart or assistance from a dealer to figure this
out for sure.

Matt Roberds

[Przemek Klosowski]

On Tue, 11 Jun 2013 08:27:49 -0700, Yzordderrex wrote:

> My coworker told me that halogen headlamps blow on his golf cart. He
> asked me if there was something he could do to mitigate.

halogens run very hot and totally don't like thermal shocks. Any amount
of moisture reaching the bulb will shatter it; apparently even dirt/
fingerprints on the bulb can cause it to crack. The environment on the
golf cart simply doesn't go well with halogens---encourage your friend to
replace them with LED lights. I just bought a 12V/1A/10W module for $10
from DX.com; it's shockingly bright even at 9V (I didn't have it on a
heatsink so I didn't take it all the way to 1A).

[gregz]

Gas or electric ? My gas does some flickering. Got LEDs.

Greg

[josephkk]

On Tue, 11 Jun 2013 08:27:49 -0700 (PDT), Yzordderrex
<powersu...@netzero.net> wrote:

Maybe. Sounds like really out of specification transients are escaping
the motor control system and getting to the headlights. Automotive
headlights are generally pretty tough and can handle lots of guff, but the
kicking they are getting is well beyond specification.

?-)

[Paul Hovnanian P.E.]

Electric golf cart or gas engine with an alternator. If it has an
alternator, I'd check the voltage regulator. Too high or low a voltage
could be shortening the headlamp life. Also, make sure connections
(including grounds) between alternator and battery are sound. Opening the
battery suddenly can cause alternator voltage to go high.

If its an electric cart, none of the above is applicable. Short bulb life
could be due to low voltage (insufficient to support the bulb's halogen
cycle). The NTC thermistors will limit cold lamp inrush. But headlamps are
designed for that. They won't fix shortened bulb life.

--
Paul Hovnanian mailto:Pa...@Hovnanian.com
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