High Beam / Low Beam Mod

By Christopher Richard

Have you ever been driving down the highway at nigh with you high beams on, yet you have no low beams. So how do you have both be on at the same time? You can hold the selector in the flash to pass position, but this gets annoying and is bad for the lighting harness. I sat around on this question for a week trying to come up with a working solution. Here is the answer to the problem.

First, unscrew the hood release and the anti‑theft chip if you have it. Next, unscrew the two screws holding plastic panel and the four screws metal panel in place directly below the steering column. Then unscrew the two screws holding the lower steering column cover in place and slide toward the front of the car to remove it. Now remove the lighting harness, it is the rectangular connector with four wires going in to it. This is the point of no return if you continue past this make sure you know what you are doing. With that said, install the relay. Be sure to draw a diagram of the post numbers on the relay. The best place to mount it is on the black plastic panel on the left side of the knee panel with a self taping screw.

Find a place to run a ground wire. Attach a wire from that point to post number 86 on the relay. Next your going to need to find a 12V. I ran a wire from the hot post on the starter relay, along the firewall, and through the firewall. You will want to put a fuse some where along this wire. Connect this wire to the number 30 post on the relay. Use the tap in on the red/black wire, about three or four inches from the lighting harness. Connect this wire the number 85 post on the relay. Next cut the lt green/black wire coming from the lighting harness. Now use two of the three hole on the three way connector on the wire you just cut. Run a wire from the third connection on the three way to post number 87 on the relay. Now reconnect the lighting harness. Next, turn on your head lights and give it test. Reinstall the lower steering column cover, the medal panel, and the plastic panel. Reinstall the hood release and the anti‑theft chip. It takes around two hours, and only cost me around seventeen dollars.

Then you select the high beams the relay switch is energized this allows the electricity to flow from the battery to the low beams.

Tools

torqux screwdriver

Philips screwdriver

crimping tool

wire cutter

voltage meter

Parts

(most parts can be bought at radio shack)

1- 30A automotive relay

1- 16 gauge wire roll

1- Tap-ins

4- insulated crimp on disconnects

1- 3 way connector (I found one at an ace hardware store)

1- self taping screw

1- ring connector

1- 20A automotive fuse

1- inline blade fuse holder