Headlight relay question
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Junior User
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Headlight relay question
i cant seem to find the thread of installing headlight relays for my truck
does anyone know where i can find the article for a 95 f150?
i did a search but couldn't find the right one after looking through 9 pages
does anyone know where i can find the article for a 95 f150?
i did a search but couldn't find the right one after looking through 9 pages
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Junior User
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k thanks a lot
could you tell a big difference after doing it? like is it worth the time?
i have the silverstar bulbs in mine and sometime im gonna get clear headlights but until then id still kinda like them to be brighter
could you tell a big difference after doing it? like is it worth the time?
i have the silverstar bulbs in mine and sometime im gonna get clear headlights but until then id still kinda like them to be brighter
Senior User
Joined: Jun 2005
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Here is a simple schematic for doing it. Its not a hard job at all. All you need are two automotive relays, avaliable at any parts store, and some wire\connectors.
http://s78.photobucket.com/albums/j8...ight_Relay.jpg
The numbers on the schematic relays will also appear on the relays you buy, so you can be sure to connect to the correct pins. It is a standard numbering system.
Good luck with it.
http://s78.photobucket.com/albums/j8...ight_Relay.jpg
The numbers on the schematic relays will also appear on the relays you buy, so you can be sure to connect to the correct pins. It is a standard numbering system.
Good luck with it.
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Joined: Apr 2005
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From: Indiana
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is that drawing all the info. i will need to put this together?
i have no clue what any of this stuff means but i am going to take it to a friend because his dad will know how to do it
and what gauge of wiring did you find to work the best and do i just need a basic relay?
thanks
i have no clue what any of this stuff means but i am going to take it to a friend because his dad will know how to do it
and what gauge of wiring did you find to work the best and do i just need a basic relay?
thanks
Senior User
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Yup, thats all you need. Anyone familiar with automotive electronics will be able to put that together for you from that drawing. Just two basic relays from the autoparts store will do the trick. 12 guage wire will work fine for ya, but you can go with 10 guage if you like to do overkill on things.
Basically, you are just using the existing headlight wiring and switch to trigger the relays, which then will draw power straight off the battery (use a fuse of course) and then straight to the headlights. So you have one relay that will power the high beam for both sides (drivers and passengers high beam) and the other relay will power both low beams.
Just ask if you have any other questions, glad to help!
Basically, you are just using the existing headlight wiring and switch to trigger the relays, which then will draw power straight off the battery (use a fuse of course) and then straight to the headlights. So you have one relay that will power the high beam for both sides (drivers and passengers high beam) and the other relay will power both low beams.
Just ask if you have any other questions, glad to help!
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yea i saw that in the articles but i thought it was for like a 77 ford f100 or somethin like that so i wasnt sure if it would be the same concept for both
thanks everyone for the help... im gonna take them to him today
thanks everyone for the help... im gonna take them to him today
Fleet Owner
Joined: Sep 2005
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From: Lake Tahoe, Nevada
The basic concept is that there is a voltage drop in the wiring so that the headlights are not getting full battery (or alternator output,) voltage. So you use the existing wiring to trigger the relays. The relays are to be wired up with slightly larger wire than the stock wires, and the new wires come straight from a source near the battery. End result, you get the maximum voltage available to the headlight filiments, thus brighter lighting.
Go to the top of this page and open "articles/specs" and you will find an article with step by step instructions. (Including how much beer is required for the job.)
Go to the top of this page and open "articles/specs" and you will find an article with step by step instructions. (Including how much beer is required for the job.)
Fleet Owner
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From: Lake Tahoe, Nevada
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take the power from the soleniod on the right fender it will have power all tthe time hook it to post 87.find which wire is live on your low beam light when it is on ,when you find it cut it and hook it topost85. hook post 86 to the ground on the fender right beside your battery.take and run a wire from post 30 of the relay to the low beam wire ro the bulb on both sides. do the same for your highbeam lights using another relay. put a inline fuse in between the constaant power and the relay. thi will give the lights full battery voltage. you will find quite a difference. hope this will help you. good luck
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Here is a step by step instruction sheet for doing this conversion. It is pretty straight forward, so following each of these steps to a 'T' should result in a working system. Take your time and make sure you do each step, and that you get the desired results at the the CHECK steps:
Adding relays for brighter headlights, step by step
Step 1
There should be three (3) wires going to each of your headlights. By each of your headlights I mean the passenger side and the drivers side. Cut all three of these wires off of each headlight, BUT LEAVE ENOUGH LEFT ON THE HEADLIGHT SIDE TO SPLICE INTO LATER!!!!
Step 2
Turn on your low beams. They will not actually turn on, because you just cut the wires! Take a meter or a test light, and hook one end to ground, and then test each of the three wires you cut in step one. When you find the wire that has 12 volts positive power on it, mark that wire as LOW BEAM and save for later.<O:p</O:p
Step 3
Repeat step two, except this time turn on your high beams, and find the other wire that has 12 volts positive on it. Mark this wire has HIGH BEAM.
The remaining wire of the three is the ground. Mark it as GROUND. <O:p</O:p
Step 4
Check: At this point, you should have no wires running to the headlights, just a few inches of wire cut off at the plug for later use. You should also have three wires, one labeled GROUND, one labeled LOW BEAM and one labeled HIGH BEAM. If you do not meet these requirements at this point, STOP and repeat steps 1 – 3 until you get these results.
***NOTE: Since you have two headlights, you will have two sets of three wires. One set was cut off the passenger side, and one set was cut off the drivers side. You only need one set. Properly terminate and tie the other set up so it will not get in the way, or short out. Make sure it will not short out!***<O:p</O:p
Step 5
Take one of your new relays, it should have the following pins labeled on it, either on the bottom or on the top drawing. If it does not have these numbers, go get a relay that does!
It should have: (85, 86, 87a, 87, 30)
Connect the wire labeled LOW BEAM to pin # 85. Connect the ground to pin 86.
Step 6
Take a piece of 12guage wire directly off the hot side of the starter solenoid (So it has power all the time, not just when cranking) or directly off the positive battery post, your choice. Run the other end of this wire to pin number 87! ****NOT PIN 87A****
Place an inline fuse as close to the battery side as possible on this wire, or you run the risk of FIRE.
<O:p
Step 7
Run a wire to each of the headlights LOW BEAM wire that is dangling off the back of the headlight. This wire will be the same color as the wire you labeled LOW BEAM in step 2. Connect the other end of both of these wires to pin # 30 on the relay.
Step 8
Connect a wire to both of the GROUND wires on each of the headlights. This wire will be the same color as the wire you labeled GROUND in step 3. Connect the other end of this wire to a good ground on the truck. I prefer to connect this one directly to the ground post on the battery.
<O:p
Step 9
CHECK: At this point, you should be able to turn on your low beam switch in the cab, and both low beam headlights should turn on. When you turn the switch off, they should both go off. If this is not the case, you have done something wrong. Go back and fix it until low beam works correctly before going on any further! <O:p</O:p
Step 10
With low beam working perfectly, repeat steps 5, 6, 7, and 9. for the HIGH BEAMS this time. They are the exact same steps, except you are working with the HIGH BEAM wires this time around. YOU DO NOT NEED TO REPEAT STEP 8, as both high beam and low beam share the same ground wire.<O:p</O:p
This is all there is to it!
Adding relays for brighter headlights, step by step
Step 1
There should be three (3) wires going to each of your headlights. By each of your headlights I mean the passenger side and the drivers side. Cut all three of these wires off of each headlight, BUT LEAVE ENOUGH LEFT ON THE HEADLIGHT SIDE TO SPLICE INTO LATER!!!!
Step 2
Turn on your low beams. They will not actually turn on, because you just cut the wires! Take a meter or a test light, and hook one end to ground, and then test each of the three wires you cut in step one. When you find the wire that has 12 volts positive power on it, mark that wire as LOW BEAM and save for later.<O:p</O:p
Step 3
Repeat step two, except this time turn on your high beams, and find the other wire that has 12 volts positive on it. Mark this wire has HIGH BEAM.
The remaining wire of the three is the ground. Mark it as GROUND. <O:p</O:p
Step 4
Check: At this point, you should have no wires running to the headlights, just a few inches of wire cut off at the plug for later use. You should also have three wires, one labeled GROUND, one labeled LOW BEAM and one labeled HIGH BEAM. If you do not meet these requirements at this point, STOP and repeat steps 1 – 3 until you get these results.
***NOTE: Since you have two headlights, you will have two sets of three wires. One set was cut off the passenger side, and one set was cut off the drivers side. You only need one set. Properly terminate and tie the other set up so it will not get in the way, or short out. Make sure it will not short out!***<O:p</O:p
Step 5
Take one of your new relays, it should have the following pins labeled on it, either on the bottom or on the top drawing. If it does not have these numbers, go get a relay that does!
It should have: (85, 86, 87a, 87, 30)
Connect the wire labeled LOW BEAM to pin # 85. Connect the ground to pin 86.
Step 6
Take a piece of 12guage wire directly off the hot side of the starter solenoid (So it has power all the time, not just when cranking) or directly off the positive battery post, your choice. Run the other end of this wire to pin number 87! ****NOT PIN 87A****
Place an inline fuse as close to the battery side as possible on this wire, or you run the risk of FIRE.
<O:p
Step 7
Run a wire to each of the headlights LOW BEAM wire that is dangling off the back of the headlight. This wire will be the same color as the wire you labeled LOW BEAM in step 2. Connect the other end of both of these wires to pin # 30 on the relay.
Step 8
Connect a wire to both of the GROUND wires on each of the headlights. This wire will be the same color as the wire you labeled GROUND in step 3. Connect the other end of this wire to a good ground on the truck. I prefer to connect this one directly to the ground post on the battery.
<O:p
Step 9
CHECK: At this point, you should be able to turn on your low beam switch in the cab, and both low beam headlights should turn on. When you turn the switch off, they should both go off. If this is not the case, you have done something wrong. Go back and fix it until low beam works correctly before going on any further! <O:p</O:p
Step 10
With low beam working perfectly, repeat steps 5, 6, 7, and 9. for the HIGH BEAMS this time. They are the exact same steps, except you are working with the HIGH BEAM wires this time around. YOU DO NOT NEED TO REPEAT STEP 8, as both high beam and low beam share the same ground wire.<O:p</O:p
This is all there is to it!