Dimming/Flicker with 1 pair of Lights

[Antho]

Not Gen3 Specific as i had these lights and the same issue with my Gen2. I have (3) sets of Baja Designs Squadron sports. (1) pair brightens a bit when idle is higher and dims/flickers at idle down. Once the idle is setting at a constant the lights do not flicker. The other (2) pair work perfectly fine. Each pair is powered by an upfitter. I have moved connections around, Changed the lights so that the flickering pair wasnt together, Moved them to a different upfitter and the issue follows the individual lights. I can have (1) good light and (1) flickering light on the same upfitter and only the flickering light flickers. So its pointing to a pair of lights. This pair came together as a set so they should be within the same production period. Is there an issue or resolution to eliminate the issues?

 

[smurfslayer]

I had that issue when I had a loose ground wire. I also have funky plug connecter on one of my S1 Lasers. It works if I plug it in but don’t latch the 2 connectors together, but if I do latch the 2 connectors, it works briefly and shuts off. Currently wrapped in Gorilla tape and has not been an issue.

Is it always the 2nd load in the series that flickers? If so, I’d check the downstream wiring from load number 1 - does this make sense?

I also had flickering when I put a few more amps than I should have on the up fitter circuit. I had a relay, and it eventually blew the fuse and created a DOH! moment for me as I knew better.

 

[Antho]

I had that issue when I had a loose ground wire. I also have funky plug connecter on one of my S1 Lasers. It works if I plug it in but don’t latch the 2 connectors together, but if I do latch the 2 connectors, it works briefly and shuts off. Currently wrapped in Gorilla tape and has not been an issue.

Is it always the 2nd load in the series that flickers? If so, I’d check the downstream wiring from load number 1 - does this make sense?

I also had flickering when I put a few more amps than I should have on the up fitter circuit. I had a relay, and it eventually blew the fuse and created a DOH! moment for me as I knew better.

Thanks for the response. I can have just the one set on and they flicker. I can also have all 3 sets on and only that one set will flicker. Same even with swapping them around to other upfitters. So i dont think its wiring as the other lights work fine on those same circuits. So i'm thinking its the connector on the light or something within the lights themselves. Just weird that its a set that came together.

 

[wheelman55]

Did this pair flicker from day 1?

Might be a loose connection somewhere in the wires from light to light and or lights to switch or maybe a bad crimp. Check all connections.

Troubleshot as best you can. Try jiggling wires to reproduce the flicker. If you can isolate each light in the pair, test that way as well.

It is likely something simple. These gremlins can be hard to find.

Best of luck!

 

[Antho]

Did this pair flicker from day 1?

Might be a loose connection somewhere in the wires from light to light and or lights to switch or maybe a bad crimp. Check all connections.

Troubleshot as best you can. Try jiggling wires to reproduce the flicker. If you can isolate each light in the pair, test that way as well.

It is likely something simple. These gremlins can be hard to find.

Best of luck!

Thanks. I remember seeing them flicker on the gen2. The problem is that its kind of hard to see unless just that 1 set is on alone. It almost seems like a regulator or something inside the lights.

 

[wheelman55]

Do the trouble shooting. Have you called BD for their input?

 

[smurfslayer]

Thanks for the response. I can have just the one set on and they flicker. I can also have all 3 sets on and only that one set will flicker. Same even with swapping them around to other upfitters. So i dont think its wiring as the other lights work fine on those same circuits. So i'm thinking its the connector on the light or something within the lights themselves. Just weird that its a set that came together.

If you put a good light in series with a flickering light, does the “good” light also flicker?

It sounds like you may have ruled out the wiring / ground theory, if you moved the entire circuit to the good lights and got no flickering, assuming they are the same current draw, then the northward wiring should be good(enough). I’d first do a visual inspection on each light. Look for fraying of the wires, kinks, bends, ties - anything that would create abnormal resistance. Check connectors for corrosion, bad fitment- maybe redo them entirely on general principle.

What I’m getting at with the testing is, to try and isolate if it is one light only that is actually causing this OR is it truly both lights that flicker, regardless. Hence the suggestion to put one of the good lights behind the blinker, in the circuit to see if the whole circuit begins flickering - blinker and good light both OR if just the blinker flickers and the good light works normally.
Don’t put a flickering light behind a good light in the circuit, I don’t think that tells us anything, I’m suggesting:

current setup:
battery or switch power / ground to first blinking light + 2nd blinking light.
result: they flicker.

test setup:
Battery or switch power / ground to one of the 2 blinking lights + a known good light.
Result: first light flicker? y/n 2nd light flicker ? y/n

I would test this with both of the blinking lights.

 

[The Car Stereo Company]

how exactly are the lights wired? need details of where power, ground, relays, etc.

 

[Antho]

how exactly are the lights wired? need details of where power, ground, relays, etc.

Each pair is wired to its own upfitter switch. I have the connector at the light and then one connector at the upfitter wiring under the hood. I did not add any additional wiring. All is ran from the light directly to the upfitter. I can take a different squadron and put it on that circuit and it doesnt flicker. I can put the flickering squadron on a different circuit and it flickers. So the issue seems to be following the light and its pigtail. I tested resistance from the pigtail to the connections inside and looks like the pigtail is fine.

 

[The Car Stereo Company]

where are the lights grounded at? all the same ground? good connections from the ground eyelet? bare metal ground? battery ground?