Automotive light bulb polarity?

[Se7en]

when i turn the power supply on and connect either wire to either side of the 9005 bulb it doesn't light up and the thermal led lights up and beeps on the power supply... there is a metal ring just below the glass is that another connection?....what am i doing wrong?

pics:

 

[Watergate]

It's a single filament bulb, so you should only have the two electrical connections. And the bulb should draw less than 5 amps. They are a 65 watt bulb. It should work as you have described it.

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[Se7en]

It's a single filament bulb, so you should only have the two electrical connections. And the bulb should draw less than 5 amps. They are a 65 watt bulb. It should work as you have described it.

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it doesnt ICS kicks on on the power supply shown in photo and when i connect wire it sparks then ICS. ....they work cause i just removed them form the truck...

 

[hookedon6]

why do you have a red/black wire on the PS negative,....

. and another red/black wire on the positive?

 

[Watergate]

Bulbs is bulbs is bulbs. Positive in negative out. The only thing I can think may be a problem here is your power supply doesn't like what it's getting back from the bulb for some reason.

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[High Voltage Mobile NJ]

just switch the wires around thats all . it is very possible the surge is more than 14 amps when the power supply sees a load from those kinds of bulbs . try it on ya car battery first to narrow down ya possibilities .

 

[QROdx]

^^ someone didn't read the entire OP lol

I'm inclined to agree with watergate, maybe the pyramid doesn't like the load it sees.

according to Ohm's law. 65W draws 4.6A @ 14V so that gives you 3Ω

Probably looks like a dead short to the 14A pyramid supply

 

[Se7en]

why do you have a red/black wire on the PS negative,....

. and another red/black wire on the positive?

LMFAO!

The top wire going up is a QUICK disconnect for one of my VHF UHF radios.

The other wires i have are a quick jumper to light up the bulbs.




I have my astron 50amp but i am scared to even play "engineer" with it because its heavy and scares me due to the massive bang and hum it makes when it kicks on.

i just tried a STOCK Sylvanie junk bulb it will not light either. ICS kicks on.

So..... i may just put on rubber gloves and use the astron.

 

[Watergate]

^^ someone didn't read the entire OP lol

I'm inclined to agree with watergate, maybe the pyramid doesn't like the load it sees.

according to Ohm's law. 65W draws 4.6A @ 14V so that gives you 3Ω

Probably looks like a dead short to the 14A pyramid supply

That puts things into a more electronic perspective. I hold an ASE cert in automotive electrical, but its a different world than electronics.

I know that changing bulbs to a different style, halogen to xenon for example, plays hell with the computers in modern cars. Your headlight out message always pops up.

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[Se7en]

That puts things into a more electronic perspective. I hold an ASE cert in automotive electrical, but its a different world than electronics.

I know that changing bulbs to a different style, halogen to xenon for example, plays hell with the computers in modern cars. Your headlight out message always pops up.

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i am running 100w yellow hi beams, 65w Low beams "hella", and 27w yellow nokya fogs. modified under the dash hi 4 mod so all 4 headlights kick on when needed.


all i am trying to do is see what the bulbs look like w/o being inside the headlight case. I could do it at the truck but i want to be able to sit and switch between my huge collection of halogen lightsop:

 

[High Voltage Mobile NJ]

check your polarity again . be careful of them quick disconnects . so many people i no blow up there radios hooking them up backwards . :bdh:

 

[Captain Kilowatt]

3 ohms is nothing to a 14 amp supply. It should be happy down to around 1 ohm. Automotive light bulbs do not present that much of a current surge to trip the power supply. They are pretty much instant heat. A bulb should work regardless of the polarity. I have tested 9004 and 9005 bulbs the same way you have and it worked fine. Does it work if the leads are reversed? Other than having made a mistake by shorting the leads I can't see why it would not work. The only lights I could see being polarity sensitive would be the LED types and the 9005 is a tungsten filament type not an LED.

 

[QROdx]

all i am trying to do is see what the bulbs look like w/o being inside the headlight case.

use a spare 12V battery if you have one OR pop the hood on your car and "test" the lights there.

I doubt the astron would like the low impedance load either

All of those halogen bulbs are so close to being a dead short that most power supply protection circuits will treat them as such

 

[Se7en]

use a spare 12V battery if you have one OR pop the hood on your car and "test" the lights there.

I doubt the astron would like the low impedance load either

All of those halogen bulbs are so close to being a dead short that most power supply protection circuits will treat them as such

I did check it ill make a video in a minute and post up.
Of the power supply and bulb.


I have never in 5 years burned any radio using the quick disconnects. I keep track of what I do when it comes to electronics. Ty tho

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[Se7en]

3 ohms is nothing to a 14 amp supply. It should be happy down to around 1 ohm. Automotive light bulbs do not present that much of a current surge to trip the power supply. They are pretty much instant heat. A bulb should work regardless of the polarity. I have tested 9004 and 9005 bulbs the same way you have and it worked fine. Does it work if the leads are reversed? Other than having made a mistake by shorting the leads I can't see why it would not work. The only lights I could see being polarity sensitive would be the LED types and the 9005 is a tungsten filament type not an LED.

Here you guys go:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jXYJru-Dfps


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