Blown Headlights - Help!

[cjw916]

Hey guys.

I upgraded to H4 halogen headlights about a year ago. Then I did the World Famous Relay upgrade trick to properly power my lamps, running a hot lead right off the alternator post.
http://www.dodgecharger.com/forum/index.php/topic,168.0.html
At first I ran my power wire to the battery, but then my gauge was reading about 36Amps on bright, 22Amps on dim, and around 9Amps with the headlights off, so I thought it wiser to run the power wire direct to the alternator post.

My problem began about a month later. I started the car after not driving it for a bit. . . Not looking, I flipped the headlight switch on and both inside high-beams popped (brights were on). I looked at the Amp gauge & it was charging at 30Amps (I have a newer radio in the glovebox space that draws voltage for memory, and at the time I had a LED voltage draw that I've since fixed, so the battery recharge is not unusual) so I wrote the high-beam blowout off as due to the high charging Amperage causing the two to flicker & blow.

I replaced all 4 H4 bulbs ($60) with new Sylvania bulbs. A week later, after starting the car, I let the Amp gauge settle below 10A, when ready to roll I put the lamps on (dim, no problems), a mile down the road I clicked the high-beams & both driver's bulbs blew out. What the hell?

I replaced both bulbs (another $30). Then last week I had both inside high-beams blow a mile or two from the house (shit!) when switching to brights, then both low-beams popped as I came to an idle at a stop sign (shit! again!).

I suspect the voltage regulator & have ordered a solid state VR to replace my non-solid state '68 VR. I have yet to put my MultiMeter on the alternator to investigate, but I will soon.

Anyone have any insight or experience with headlamp blow-outs?

Thanks.

[cjw916]

I know that no one posted any suggestions, LOL, but I think I may have found the culprit. The driver's low-beam lamp lead had rubbed through the insulation & must've been shorting to ground. I had bent the wiring different than how it was, installing a ceramic insulator lead on the H4 bulb, this extra 6" of wire caused the original wiring to rub on something? it normally couldn't reach. I just happen to notice the fresh rubbing & exposed wire while investigating. New bulbs in. They flipped back & forth low to high, no problem, so far. :-)

[TexasStroker]

Yep, grounding out will do it, lol.  Good news is you got the time to investigate it and found what should be an easy fix!