Headlight Relay
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Former ******
Joined: Nov 2004
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From: Salt Lake City, Utah
Headlight Relay
Can someone post pictures and wiring diagrams for the headlights? I want to install relays for the headlights and brights, but would like to see how you guys did it and what works well. I understand that you want to install a new fuse to protect the circuit, and you want the system to be as direct as possible. That way the lights are brighter, and you can use higher wattage bulbs. Just want to see your solutions. Also references to part numbers and stuff would be great.
Lead Driver
Joined: May 2003
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From: Lyndonville, Vermont
There are kits for this that are really the way to go. I could draw up a diagram but a kit is the way to go..
This might workhttp://www.gosracing.com/fd_acc
Dick
This might workhttp://www.gosracing.com/fd_acc
Dick
Last edited by 99f350sd; Feb 8, 2007 at 08:27 PM.
Thread Starter
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Former ******
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From: Salt Lake City, Utah
Posting Guru
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From: central TX
Yeas, that kit should work. Your van should use 9007 bulbs. I can't say I'd recommend running high watt bulbs. The harness will improve even standard watt bulbs, but works really well with hi-po Xtravision or Nighthawks (standard watt but w/ xenon gas, no blue coating). The Nighthawks are a bit brighter out of the 2, I did have one go out fairly quickly just this week though. I'm leaving the other one in to get a better idea if it was just a fluke or not. Either way, expect to replace bulbs once a year or so with "avg." use. The extra voltage eats them up faster.
Make sure your lenses are in good shape to get best results. Either refinish or replace them if they have dulled at all.
You can build your own harness but, depending on what you already have on hand, don't expect to save much $$ over the above kit.
Make sure your lenses are in good shape to get best results. Either refinish or replace them if they have dulled at all.
You can build your own harness but, depending on what you already have on hand, don't expect to save much $$ over the above kit.
Post Fiend
Joined: Oct 2005
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From: Kiev, Ukraine
Khanty! I isntalled relays under the hood, added 2 fuses and 1 diode to switch hight and low beam together.
I installed relays near the fuel pump relay and sypply them from the "+" terminal of the battery. WOrk well....
I installed relays near the fuel pump relay and sypply them from the "+" terminal of the battery. WOrk well....
Lead Driver
Joined: Sep 2003
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From: SoCal
Most pre-fabbed harnesses have the same problems: Too small of wires and not enough weather protection. That's why I built my own.
You will need 2 relays; Radio Shack has them for about $6 each. They also have in-line fuse holders that you can weather seal with heat-shrink tubing. I would get 12 or 10 guage wires for the high current connections.
You start by cutting the power lines going to the light sockets. The ends that come from the switches go to one side of the coils on each relay. Ground the other end of each relay coil. Then run power through the thick wires from the battery to one of the relay contacts, and then run thick wires from the other side of each contact to the respective low and high beam connections on the sockets. Use heat shrink tubing to cover all solder joints. For added weather protection, squeeze a dab of RTV into the tubings before heat shrinking them.
It's hard to diagram it, since it's more about actual physical layout. I can take a picture of my setup, but will need to figure out how to post it.
If you have the plastic light housings, I would not use higher wattage bulbs. Those housings get burned by the stock light bulbs.
You will need 2 relays; Radio Shack has them for about $6 each. They also have in-line fuse holders that you can weather seal with heat-shrink tubing. I would get 12 or 10 guage wires for the high current connections.
You start by cutting the power lines going to the light sockets. The ends that come from the switches go to one side of the coils on each relay. Ground the other end of each relay coil. Then run power through the thick wires from the battery to one of the relay contacts, and then run thick wires from the other side of each contact to the respective low and high beam connections on the sockets. Use heat shrink tubing to cover all solder joints. For added weather protection, squeeze a dab of RTV into the tubings before heat shrinking them.
It's hard to diagram it, since it's more about actual physical layout. I can take a picture of my setup, but will need to figure out how to post it.
If you have the plastic light housings, I would not use higher wattage bulbs. Those housings get burned by the stock light bulbs.
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Post Fiend
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Lead Driver
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From: SoCal
Image inclusion didn't work...
What's the procedure?
Using Mozilla Firefox, clicking the "Insert Image" button gets a query for "text to be formatted". I put the path to my image in there, and all that shows up is the path surrounded by [IMG/].
Is there something else I need to do to insert an image?
What's the procedure?
Using Mozilla Firefox, clicking the "Insert Image" button gets a query for "text to be formatted". I put the path to my image in there, and all that shows up is the path surrounded by [IMG/].
Is there something else I need to do to insert an image?
Last edited by xlt4wd90; Feb 9, 2007 at 02:25 AM. Reason: picture didn't insert
Senior User
Joined: Feb 2004
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From: Rochester, NY
Here's a link to a page that's useful for DIY conversions:
http://www.rallylights.com/useful_in...amp_wiring.htm
More good info:
www.danielsternlighting.com/tech/relays/relays.html
Keep in mind that not only are the plastic lamp housings more suseptible to melting with the heat from high wattage bulbs, but also that the reflector/lens design is pretty poor. There isn't much point to upgrading to high output bulbs if the lamp itself isn't particularly useful to start. You wind up with scattering a lot more light, and well as causing more glare, without much improvement in forward lighting. Consequently, I'd highly recommend that anyone interested in upgrading the lighting and running higher wattage bulbs start by converting to the sealed beam lamp set up, but using E-code H4 bulb holders instead of the actual sealed beam bulbs. With an excellent lamp as your base, then further upgrades will actually provide better lighting performance.
http://www.rallylights.com/useful_in...amp_wiring.htm
More good info:
www.danielsternlighting.com/tech/relays/relays.html
Keep in mind that not only are the plastic lamp housings more suseptible to melting with the heat from high wattage bulbs, but also that the reflector/lens design is pretty poor. There isn't much point to upgrading to high output bulbs if the lamp itself isn't particularly useful to start. You wind up with scattering a lot more light, and well as causing more glare, without much improvement in forward lighting. Consequently, I'd highly recommend that anyone interested in upgrading the lighting and running higher wattage bulbs start by converting to the sealed beam lamp set up, but using E-code H4 bulb holders instead of the actual sealed beam bulbs. With an excellent lamp as your base, then further upgrades will actually provide better lighting performance.
Posting Guru
Joined: Apr 2004
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From: central TX
Originally Posted by xlt4wd90
Image inclusion didn't work...
What's the procedure?
Using Mozilla Firefox, clicking the "Insert Image" button gets a query for "text to be formatted". I put the path to my image in there, and all that shows up is the path surrounded by [IMG/].
Is there something else I need to do to insert an image?
What's the procedure?
Using Mozilla Firefox, clicking the "Insert Image" button gets a query for "text to be formatted". I put the path to my image in there, and all that shows up is the path surrounded by [IMG/].
Is there something else I need to do to insert an image?
Post Fiend
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 5,242
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From: Kiev, Ukraine
Yeah! Rick! You are right! I've foggoten to tell, that I replaced lamps to European with made of metall reflectors and they are made of real glass, not the plastic.
I use headlight of Oka, but headlight of VW T2-T3 (old eurovan) fits aero too.
I use headlight of Oka, but headlight of VW T2-T3 (old eurovan) fits aero too.
Lead Driver
Joined: Sep 2003
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From: SoCal
Rick, I agree 100%. Most US DOT spec flush mount head lamp assemblies have pretty poor light distribution, and very poor output for all the power they consume. And don't get me started on how the plastic housing get hazy after a couple of years.
I'm using Bosch H4 housings on one of my vans, and their output pattern is vastly superior to the Sylvania Xtravision sealed beams on the other van, though both use the same power for their low beams.
I'm using Bosch H4 housings on one of my vans, and their output pattern is vastly superior to the Sylvania Xtravision sealed beams on the other van, though both use the same power for their low beams.