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How To Fix ATV Lights Flicker
8 November 2022
Riding out in the dark requires a reliable set of headlights so you can get home safely no matter the time of day. Headlights flickering on your ATV can be a sign of poor connections or failing systems that you want to fix as soon as possible so you aren’t stranded out in the dark. This fix is an easier one, so you shouldn’t put it off and wait for the wires to rattle their way back to the right places.
There are multiple reasons for flickering headlights on your ATV. Figuring out how to fix flickering lights on your ATV will require figuring out what the source of the problem is. There are only a few different reasons that your headlights are flickering on your ATV, so let’s get to it and find out what you need to fix to ride safely in the dark again.
Faulty Connections
Often, flickering headlights mean that you have connection issues somewhere in your wiring. The wires are going in and out of touch, only allowing the headlights to receive power when the circuit is complete. If you’re letting wires come in and out of connection, the headlights will naturally flicker.
To fix this issue, you need to examine all of the connections involved with your headlights. If you need to, replace any bad wires or reconnect the wires so they stay more securely in place.
Faulty Battery
The connection to your battery can also be bad, or the battery itself may be failing. You can use a voltmeter to measure the power of your battery. If the power is low, it may not be providing enough power for the headlights to work at full blast, making them appear to flicker.
Light Circuit Poorly Grounded
Anywhere along the way to your headlights, the circuit can be poorly grounded. This might not appear when you’re looking at faulty connections, but it’s just as important as having everything else connected securely.
An electrical circuit will only work when it’s grounded out, completing the circuit. If your circuit is poorly grounded, the headlights will flicker and only work when it’s fully grounded.
Wiring Issues
A wire short is another possible cause for your flickering headlights on the ATV. These shorts will act as a faulty connection inside of the wire, sometimes completing the circuit, and sometimes not. Figuring this out will require a multimeter to see where power is moving efficiently, and then you can determine what wires may need to be replaced.
Remember that when you start replacing wires, you should completely disconnect the battery. If you don’t you can end up with some unfortunate shock hazards that make working on your ATV far less fun than it started out as.
Bad Relay
The light relays can start to fail as they get older, meaning you need to go in and examine all of the components. If you have anything that needs to be replaced, make sure you get the whole system up to date. These systems work hard over time and the wear and tear will quickly lead to flickering headlights.
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