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Bad Problem with Guzzi Stelvio NTX Aux Lamps

For those of you (like me) who thought you may have worked around this problem by installing separate fuses for each lamp- think again.

I have separate fuses (5A) and my big charging fuse blew again yesterday. Thankfully, I realized the problem and was able to avoid being stranded.

I had replaced my stock lamps with new lamps of the same wattage that provide much better illumination. Having also installed additional fuses on the leads to the aux lamps, I didn't take the time to go inside the new lamps and protectively wrap the internal wiring.

The leads to the halogen bulbs in both new lamps abraded through and was grounding out to the aluminum housing of the lamp (same problem as with the old lamps). However, the short was not direct enough to pop the individual 5A fuses. Instead, the added load of two nebulous shorts combined together to add enough extra load to blow the main 30A charging fuse!

I am now convinced that adding separate fuses on the aux lamps is not the best fix. I will wire a new separate circuit with its own individual fuse to the aux lamps to be trigger through a relay connected to one of the existing aux lamps leads. This is the same thing as the popular method of routing headlamp loads out of vintage stock handlebar switches by using a direct line to the battery in conjunction with a relay triggered by the old switches.

Installing this on the Stelvio aux lamps will totally remove the load of the lamps from the alternator charging circuit and eliminate the risk of blowing the main fuse that shuts down the alternator.

On top of this, I highly recommend that all Stelvio owners wrap their aux lamps internal wires with protective coatings. Special tape is available but I used Dymo label gun tape that I heated with a heat gun and then wrapped around the halogen bulb leads. On top off this, I recommend wrapping the wires with 3M double-sided trim tape that will allow the internal wires of the lamps to stick to the inside of their housings and not vibrate around so much.

I will report back later with pics.
 
I had replaced my stock lamps with new lamps of the same wattage that provide much better illumination.

Do you think there is any value in switching to low-draw LEDs in place of the 55W Hellas? Less draw, less potential load / main fuse issues? I am definitely going to change to LEDs for better lighting - I was going to wire them directly to the stock wiring since the draw is so low, but now I may go directly to the battery / fuse block with a relay (like I do with grips, Stebel horn, headlights, etc.).

Thanks,
Tom
 
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For those of you (like me) who thought you may have worked around this problem by installing separate fuses for each lamp- think again.

I have separate fuses (5A) and my big charging fuse blew again yesterday. Thankfully, I realized the problem and was able to avoid being stranded.

I had replaced my stock lamps with new lamps of the same wattage that provide much better illumination. Having also installed additional fuses on the leads to the aux lamps, I didn't take the time to go inside the new lamps and protectively wrap the internal wiring.

The leads to the halogen bulbs in both new lamps abraded through and was grounding out to the aluminum housing of the lamp (same problem as with the old lamps). However, the short was not direct enough to pop the individual 5A fuses. Instead, the added load of two nebulous shorts combined together to add enough extra load to blow the main 30A charging fuse!

I am now convinced that adding separate fuses on the aux lamps is not the best fix. I will wire a new separate circuit with its own individual fuse to the aux lamps to be trigger through a relay connected to one of the existing aux lamps leads. This is the same thing as the popular method of routing headlamp loads out of vintage stock handlebar switches by using a direct line to the battery in conjunction with a relay triggered by the old switches.

Installing this on the Stelvio aux lamps will totally remove the load of the lamps from the alternator charging circuit and eliminate the risk of blowing the main fuse that shuts down the alternator.

On top of this, I highly recommend that all Stelvio owners wrap their aux lamps internal wires with protective coatings. Special tape is available but I used Dymo label gun tape that I heated with a heat gun and then wrapped around the halogen bulb leads. On top off this, I recommend wrapping the wires with 3M double-sided trim tape that will allow the internal wires of the lamps to stick to the inside of their housings and not vibrate around so much.

I will report back later with pics.


Or just mount leds on the forks and call it a day. IMHO, anything you do to the lights on the crash bars is just a bandaid. I agree with your statement that fuses are not the solution to the original problem which is vibrations and I don't see any easy way to fix that problem with the mounting points they have chosen. Fuses just by you time (or so we thought).

Near impossible to contain the vibrations of the twin when you are attached in 3 spots. Great for strenghth, but nowhere to transfer the vibrations. Just contains it. I had the same problem with my KLR. Only solution was I cut one of the three mounting points off. Once I cut the mount to the foot pegs off there were no more vibrations. Not sure it will be that easy with the Stelvio.

Now with your new situation, I believe it happened, but something else must be at play. If you had a 5 amp fuses in there, the bulbs alone at 55 watts each should have drawn 4 amps (and that is at a conservative 13.5 vDC). The fuse that should have been in there to start was 7.5 (55 watts at 12V with 20% margin). The fact that you had a 5 amp fuse and it still blew the 30 is a little strange. Make sure you don't have a short somewhere else or before the 5 amp fuse and the lamps are just a red hering. That would mean the short caused at best an additional 2 amps (1 amp/side). I don't think even Guzzi would have designed the 30 amp circuit that close.....but who knows.

What could have happened is the 30amp was a faster acting fuse than the 5. Seen it happen in large industrial switch gears (but they sometimes purposely install fast active breakers by design) , but can't say ever seeing it on a vehicle. Perhaps the 30amp was already stressed??? Weird....
 
Do you think there is any value in switching to low-draw LEDs in place of the 55W Hellas? Less draw, less potential load / main fuse issues? I am definitely going to change to LEDs for better lighting - I was going to wire them directly to the stock wiring since the draw is so low, but now I may go directly to the battery / fuse block with a relay (like I do with grips, Stebel horn, headlights, etc.).

I added large LED lights to mine. I used the factory wiring, and I installed a dimmer so that I can use them during the day without blinding people. The dimmer goes to 100% on high beam. They provide a LOT of light at night, and running them during the day gets me noticed. When the occasional moron starts to pull in front of me they get a blast of bright. :cool:
 
I added large LED lights to mine. I used the factory wiring, and I installed a dimmer so that I can use them during the day without blinding people. The dimmer goes to 100% on high beam. They provide a LOT of light at night, and running them during the day gets me noticed. When the occasional moron starts to pull in front of me they get a blast of bright. :cool:

Wayne, what dimmer did you use. Would not mind making that addition to my LED's. I have pretty much pointing to the ground so they don't blind people during the night. Daytime use is fine.
 
I added large LED lights to mine. I used the factory wiring, and I installed a dimmer so that I can use them during the day without blinding people. The dimmer goes to 100% on high beam. They provide a LOT of light at night, and running them during the day gets me noticed. When the occasional moron starts to pull in front of me they get a blast of bright. :cool:
HI Wayne.
I know this is an old post, but do you have any information on the dimmer system you used and the lights you used for LED fog lights?
 
HI Wayne.
I know this is an old post, but do you have any information on the dimmer system you used and the lights you used for LED fog lights?
I got the Skene Design IQ-175. Uses the high beam to provide full power to the LEDs and the power level on low beam is programmable.
 
I just added products on the Store here for one of the best in LED Lighting, Cyclops - USA. I've put the LED bulbs online for now, and I'll be adding a selection of their driving lights here soon. I can get the Skene Design Dimmer as well. See below for their water-test.

 
I use aux lights on bike to be seen, not necessarily to see. The headlights on the Stelvio are stellar and don't really need additional lights to light up the road, however, the addition of aux lighting, especially in a triangular pattern, make you stand out on the road. To me, it is more defense than offense and would not ride without them.


The points about conspicuity are valid but I use my auxiliaries splayed outward few degrees to give me fill-in lighting along the sides of the road for such things as ambling deer or winos.
 
I fused my stock lamps ~6,000 miles ago (10k on bike), and the stock Hella bulb just burned/death-by-vibration-ed out. I had some Denali micros, so I replaced the whole assembly with the Denali (fuse still in place). I'm interested to see if these are any more durable! And to hear any experience with the DM micros.
 
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Anyone had any issued with the bulb failure warning light coming on when replacing the aux lamps with LEDs? Just put ADVMonster Model 21s on mine and, although the new lights are great, the bulb failure warning light is now showing on the dash.
 
No. I have led aux lamps. The indicator failure error will not come on with the aux lights. Only comes on with a signal failure. Not even connected to the same circuit.

Are u sure you don't have a signal light out. It points to the side with the failure. Did you disconnect the signals?
 
Anyone had any issued with the bulb failure warning light coming on when replacing the aux lamps with LEDs? Just put ADVMonster Model 21s on mine and, although the new lights are great, the bulb failure warning light is now showing on the dash.


There is no sensor to detect aux lamp failure. Pretty sure that can only be a turn signal failure.
 
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