driving lights overheating?

[Gore]

I ride a 03 standard with driving lights installed when I bought it.
They're wired to the headlight line just before it goes into the socket.
There is no fuse or voltage regulator (for lack of unknown term) on them.

That wiring gets HOT. Wasn't a problem for 4-5 yrs. until last summer and again this summer riding through hot Kansas (nothing personal to KS) in late June.

So hot, both times the solder or solder joints on the hi/low beam switch melts or lead comes off.

My question is, is this the way these lights typically connect?
Should there be some type of fuse or voltage regulator on this? Not an electrical genius but with the headlight and drivings all running through the 10amp fuse, is that right?

Hope this question makes sense?

Respectfully - Kevin D K  aka Gore   

[Michvalk]

Should be wired on a separate circuit with a relay. You can trigger the relay from the headlight, but, the main lead should come from your battery with a fuze. If you keep running them with the current setup, it can and will burn the switches and wiring. Search the tech board from the search at the top of the page for driving light wiring and you will find many schematics for the proper hookup.

[YoungPUP]

DISCONNECT THEM NOW!  Use this  setup to connect them http://rattlebars.com/mtz/foglites.html

[Former BMW Guy]

You have a bad ground.

Joe P

[salty1]

+1 on the install of a relay circuit. As part of the install make sure your grounds are good.

[Old Geezer Richard]

  Hey Kevin , I assume your Hwy. lites are H-3 Halogen 55 W bulbs to get that hot ???   I was just replacing my Hwy. lite bulbs with Blue Extra - Brite 35 W bulbs from Drag Specialty they are bright and don't draw that much current or get that hot  ... you need a relay NOW , without a relay there is a lot of current being drawn thru those wires and they are getting cooked ....  On my head lite I'm using a 100 w Hi / 80 W low Zenon bulb , it runs lot cooler , its bright and I don't need a relay like you do with the Halogen bulbs ...  just my .02 cents and experience ....  Thanks the Geezer  

[Alien]

I recommend using a power source other than the headlight.  I ran a seperate wire from the battery to an inline fuse to a relay and used the accessory wire under the right side cover to trigger the relay.  This way if there's a problem with either the headlight circut or the driving light circut, they won't affect each other and I'll never be left in the dark.  I used 8 gauge wire for everything and all connectors were cripmed, soldered and shrink wrapped along with a dab of dielectric grease.

[MacDragon]

I recommend using a power source other than the headlight.  I ran a seperate wire from the battery to an inline fuse to a relay and used the accessory wire under the right side cover to trigger the relay.  This way if there's a problem with either the headlight circut or the driving light circut, they won't affect each other and I'll never be left in the dark.  I used 8 gauge wire for everything and all connectors were cripmed, soldered and shrink wrapped along with a dab of dielectric grease.

Not quite sure of the laws in Cali or Colorado where Gore is...
Here in Mass... I had mine set up like you are suggesting.  Direct power from the battery with a fuse and a Relay to an independent switch to turn them off and on at will. 
I could not get an inspection sticker because the law here is that the running lights have to runn off the low beam switch and automatically shut off when the high beam is on.  Pain in the arse if you ask me... i was shocked when they wouldn't give me the inspection sticker until it was fixed.

[Ricky-D]

Easy enough to use the low beam circuit to power the relay for the driving lights.

***

[Gore]

Hooking up with a relay today.

Thanks for all the input. You guys are awesome.

Kevin K   aka Gore