3020 headlight problem

Anonymous-0 · Nov 22, 2013

I am working on an old JD 3020 gas tractor. I recently converted it from a positive ground generator system to a negative ground alternator system. The headlights were really dim before the conversion and still are afterwards. I had the lights on one day while trying to find the culprit and I noticed smoke coming from the dash. I shut everything off and removed the panel that holds the light switch and it looked like wires on the switch were melting/smoking. Any ideas as to the problem? How difficult is it to just rewire the lights? Was thinking about just adding new xenon lights. Thanks for the help!

David G · Nov 22, 2013

Switch was probably bad. Replace switch and harness, but fuse first.

Owen Aaland · Nov 22, 2013

Most likely poor connections of the wires to the switch. Poor connections cause high resistance. High resistance is what electric heaters use to produce heat.

Any resistance in the lighting system other than in the bulbs themselves will cause a drop in voltage to the lights. The more the voltage drops the dimmer the lights will be.

Bob Bancroft · Nov 22, 2013

I rewired my 4020 several years ago because it was time. I ordered what I thought was the wire harness. Turned out it was only from the dash forward. Then I kept at it, and ordering and doing what I needed to do. I ended up with new harness everywhere. The biggest job was moving the wheels out, so I could handily remove the fenders, so I could run the new wires out along the top of the axles, under the fender standards.

Tx Jim · Nov 23, 2013

Ditto what Owen Aaland stated. Loose wire connections on switch terminals. Another thing to check is be sure the light fixture grounds good to fender and fender grounds good to axle housing.

3020 headlight problem

Anonymous-0

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David G

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Owen Aaland

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Bob Bancroft

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Tx Jim

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