Licence Plate light problem

[subaron]

My licence plate blubs keep burning out.
I am assuming there must be a short happening somewhere. How do I find out where. None of my other lighting is affected.

Also, for my last bulb I was installing an LED blub instead of an incandescent and noticed that that the connector is a little finicky. In that the blub needs to be set a certain way to light up.

So could the bulb holder be faulty, which is why it keeps burning my incandescent bulbs out?

 

[oaks]

How often were they burning out? Seems to happen to some for no apparent reason. There are a few old threads on this subject with no clear cause. Vibration, moisture, electrical surges? Don't know.

I'm on my third bulb. I got ~2 years out of the original (Yamaha 4SV-84347-00-00), a month from a Sylvania 2825 from AutoZone, and I'm about 6 months into another Sylvania from the same bubble pack.

Some people posted that they use a 194 bulb replacement, which is a 3 Watt, not a 5 Watt bulb like the original, if that matters.

I don't recall any problems with the connector/light bulb socket. LEDs have a polarity, like a battery, and will only work in one orientation where an incandescent bulb doesn't care, if that is what are saying about it being finicky. If there was a short somewhere, it would be probably be blowing fuses, not bulbs.

Hope the LED works for you. What are you using? I may go the same route, or go back to OEM bulbs, if it continues to be a problem.

 

[cmantis]

When I installed my led it was a bit too long and wouldnt light so I had to get the angle right. Just upgraded brake bulb to led also after having to ride after dark w it out.