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
What voltage is the electrical system on the golf cart? What is the filament voltage of the lamps?
All indcandescent bulbs burn out eventually. Presumably you mean they die faster than the rated lifetime? (Probably low triple-digit hours).
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.
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.
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
on 6/11/2013, Yzordderrex supposed :
And do not drive on bumpy roads with the lights on. Change to LED lamps.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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).
Gas or electric ? My gas does some flickering. Got LEDs.
Greg
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.
?-)
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.
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