Warm Wires!?

oilheat87

oilheat87

New member
I'm working on restoring my '28 model A roadster. I replaced all the wiring in it, along with a new paint job. Now the headlights come on very dim! The wire coming off the generator also starts to get warm, any ideas how to fix this? :confused:

Thanks!
 
If the wires are the correct size then you are probably having a ground problem.. How much is the generator charging ?? They don't like more than 12 amps for any length of time..
 
The new paint is probably the culprit blocking the ground path for the headlights, causing them to dim. You can scrape a little paint off in the headlight bar socket, where the headlight attaches, and under the carriage bolt head where the bar bolts to the fender, and on the fender brace where the nut for the carriage bolt goes so that you have an unbroke metal to metal ground path. Is the wire coming off the generator only getting warm when you turn your headlights on?
 
You probably used wires that are too small. This would cause your dim headlights and the wires getting hot. Just a bad ground would reduce the flow of current through the headlights (they would be dim) but not cause the wires to get hot. Did you use a reproduction wire harness or make one yourself. If you made one yourself, what size wire did you use?

Charlie Stephens
 
I'm thinking you have a short to make the wires get hot. Sometimes the repro headlamp sockets contacts can touch each other and cause both headlamps filaments to come on at the same time, or they can touch the side of the socket and short to ground. That's the first place I'd look.
 
It might be worth considering to also install a fuse in the system to prevent toasting the wires.

I agree with Tom, the headlight sockets are a weak link. I have been able to find original sockets in swap meets and rewire them. Tom most likely has already addressed his issue. Gar Williams
 
Thanks everyone for the help!! I found it to be back feeding through the other wires on the harness I had. Now everything seems to be working good! Wires also don't feel warm anymore. Thanks.
 
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