High & Low Beams Simultaneous
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Elder User
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 917
Likes: 1
From: Fort Lauderdale, Fl
You don't need to do all of that... you can get used bulb side plugs (don't rememba which it is Female or Male), 2 fuses and 2 relays (High and Low Beams) and wire them up that way.
Fleet Owner
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 24,724
Likes: 74
From: Blue Hill Township
voltage and current delivery will both increase with the addition of the relays...provided you do it right..(increase the AWG of the wire accordingly)
the factory wiring is 16 or 18AWG(I have seen both)...not sufficient for the stock bulbs and certainly not enough for the aftermarkets with higher output.
The higher voltage will not kill the bulbs, the heat will,or even faster will be LOWER voltage. The bulbs are rating "X number of hours at 14-15v" depending on the maker.
Either way, the relays are a good idea even if you're still running the stock bulbs, the superduties/excursions that I have dealt with have ALWAYS dropped at least a volt between the battery and the headlight harness, often even more between the alternator and the harness.
the factory wiring is 16 or 18AWG(I have seen both)...not sufficient for the stock bulbs and certainly not enough for the aftermarkets with higher output.
The higher voltage will not kill the bulbs, the heat will,or even faster will be LOWER voltage. The bulbs are rating "X number of hours at 14-15v" depending on the maker.
Either way, the relays are a good idea even if you're still running the stock bulbs, the superduties/excursions that I have dealt with have ALWAYS dropped at least a volt between the battery and the headlight harness, often even more between the alternator and the harness.
Why are you saying that lower voltage will make a bulb die faster? When you decrease the voltage to a light bulb you are reducing the amount of light and heat which will in turn make the bulb last longer. The rated output voltage for a bulb is 12.8 volts. This means that at 12.8 volts you have 100% output. The rated life voltage is 14 volts. The voltage at the bulb is much less than the battery voltage as a result of the increased resistance of the wire, headlight switch, etc. When you add the relay harness you increase the voltage at the bulb which will in turn make the bulb shorter lived than without the relay harness.
The factory wiring is sufficient for what is there but the relay harness increases the light output at the expense of bulb life. The light output is not linear with voltage, it is exponential.
Check out this website, you may find it interesting. Daniel Stern Lighting Consultancy and Supply
More Turbo
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 609
Likes: 3
From: Central Va
Why are you saying that lower voltage will make a bulb die faster? When you decrease the voltage to a light bulb you are reducing the amount of light and heat which will in turn make the bulb last longer. The rated output voltage for a bulb is 12.8 volts. This means that at 12.8 volts you have 100% output. The rated life voltage is 14 volts. The voltage at the bulb is much less than the battery voltage as a result of the increased resistance of the wire, headlight switch, etc. When you add the relay harness you increase the voltage at the bulb which will in turn make the bulb shorter lived than without the relay harness.
The factory wiring is sufficient for what is there but the relay harness increases the light output at the expense of bulb life. The light output is not linear with voltage, it is exponential.
Check out this website, you may find it interesting. Daniel Stern Lighting Consultancy and Supply
The factory wiring is sufficient for what is there but the relay harness increases the light output at the expense of bulb life. The light output is not linear with voltage, it is exponential.
Check out this website, you may find it interesting. Daniel Stern Lighting Consultancy and Supply
you have points ...on some products, the ratings I'm going by are the boxes I have here from the bulbs and the couple I did a quick search on. They like most manuf. tend to add a little "fudge factor" for better numbers.
I challenge you to get 12.8 at your headlight harness as it's plugged into the lights as well.
Underpowering a light, is not unlike underpowering a speaker, long term it will cause damage. Myabe Ford decided that alternator voltage being 14.4 was best necked down to 12.8 so they used a wire that was too small and lousy connectors?
Either way you cut it, it's unacceptable(at least to my night vision) to lose more than a volt from the alt to the socket.
Now with the upgraded harness, you can get ful alt output where you need it...at the bulb, if you would rather neck it down, you can wire resistors or a pot.
The voltage is one of the 2 factors that will be solved by adding the relays..the other being the current...
Fleet Owner
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 24,724
Likes: 74
From: Blue Hill Township
you have points ...on some products, the ratings I'm going by are the boxes I have here from the bulbs and the couple I did a quick search on. They like most manuf. tend to add a little "fudge factor" for better numbers.
I challenge you to get 12.8 at your headlight harness as it's plugged into the lights as well.
Underpowering a light, is not unlike underpowering a speaker, long term it will cause damage. Myabe Ford decided that alternator voltage being 14.4 was best necked down to 12.8 so they used a wire that was too small and lousy connectors?
Either way you cut it, it's unacceptable(at least to my night vision) to lose more than a volt from the alt to the socket.
Now with the upgraded harness, you can get ful alt output where you need it...at the bulb, if you would rather neck it down, you can wire resistors or a pot.
The voltage is one of the 2 factors that will be solved by adding the relays..the other being the current...
I challenge you to get 12.8 at your headlight harness as it's plugged into the lights as well.
Underpowering a light, is not unlike underpowering a speaker, long term it will cause damage. Myabe Ford decided that alternator voltage being 14.4 was best necked down to 12.8 so they used a wire that was too small and lousy connectors?
Either way you cut it, it's unacceptable(at least to my night vision) to lose more than a volt from the alt to the socket.
Now with the upgraded harness, you can get ful alt output where you need it...at the bulb, if you would rather neck it down, you can wire resistors or a pot.
The voltage is one of the 2 factors that will be solved by adding the relays..the other being the current...
You will not damage or shorten the life span of a light bulb by lowering the voltage. Think about it, the higher the voltage the more light and heat are given off. When you lower the voltage you decrease the amount of heat and the amount of life therefore the filament lasts longer.
When manufacturing a large number of vehicles you have to make compromises. If they were to increase the wire size the extra copper costs money. If they were to add relays for the lights you have the cost of wire and the cost of the relays, harnesses, etc. They also have to consider longevity and reliability. A bulb at 12 volts is going to last longer than a bulb at 14 volts. The factory setup provided enough light to meet whatever standards were in place and was good enough for Ford. Was the extra cost of increasing the wire size or adding relays going to make them any extra money? No.
Senior User
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 215
Likes: 3
From: Michigan
Surprised nobody has posted this yet. I did it and it works perfectly and best of all the only thing you may need to but is a terminal. It's in the SuperDuty Tech Folder.
S&S Diversified
S&S Diversified
Tuned
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 370
Likes: 3
From: SoCal
Thanks x2! Was exactly what I was looking for! Simple and to the point.
Elder User
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 514
Likes: 1
From: Tampa
Surprised nobody has posted this yet. I did it and it works perfectly and best of all the only thing you may need to but is a terminal. It's in the SuperDuty Tech Folder.
S&S Diversified
S&S Diversified
I think all this does is leave the foglights on in high and low beams, i did not see anywhere that it lets you run high and low beam with foglights. Unless I am wrong, someone please feel free to school me.
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Why are you saying that lower voltage will make a bulb die faster? When you decrease the voltage to a light bulb you are reducing the amount of light and heat which will in turn make the bulb last longer. The rated output voltage for a bulb is 12.8 volts. This means that at 12.8 volts you have 100% output. The rated life voltage is 14 volts. The voltage at the bulb is much less than the battery voltage as a result of the increased resistance of the wire, headlight switch, etc. When you add the relay harness you increase the voltage at the bulb which will in turn make the bulb shorter lived than without the relay harness.
The factory wiring is sufficient for what is there but the relay harness increases the light output at the expense of bulb life. The light output is not linear with voltage, it is exponential.
Check out this website, you may find it interesting. Daniel Stern Lighting Consultancy and Supply
The factory wiring is sufficient for what is there but the relay harness increases the light output at the expense of bulb life. The light output is not linear with voltage, it is exponential.
Check out this website, you may find it interesting. Daniel Stern Lighting Consultancy and Supply
thanks,
Ron
Hotshot
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 12,782
Likes: 2,142
From: N.GA Mountains
I bought a relay harness and HELLA 80/100 watt bulbs from rallylights.com for both of our PSD's. No need for high+low and EASY install. Since the fill pattern and cut-off remains the same, these higher power bulbs do not annoy other drivers. In 80k miles and LOTS of nite driving, no one has ever 'flashed' me thinking my high-beams were on. If you buy/build a relay harness all ya have to do is install a diode between the hi/lo pins on the unused factory pigtail. Building one is not hard, you can get male and female HD 9007 pigtails at most auto parts.
The only improvement over relays/bulbs was going to the '02-'04 (???) 'clear'-style headlight lenses. ($100 used with clear corners from some sucker who went with the '05-'07 headlights)
A little off-topic, but -------- I have the '05-'07 headlights, etc in my F350 and so far I can't stand the H13/9008 bulbs. STOCK bulbs are melting the pigtails. Might have to remove the relay harness to drop the voltage back down. Stupid pins on he 9008 bulbs look like sewing needles - not big enough for the draw...
The only improvement over relays/bulbs was going to the '02-'04 (???) 'clear'-style headlight lenses. ($100 used with clear corners from some sucker who went with the '05-'07 headlights)
A little off-topic, but -------- I have the '05-'07 headlights, etc in my F350 and so far I can't stand the H13/9008 bulbs. STOCK bulbs are melting the pigtails. Might have to remove the relay harness to drop the voltage back down. Stupid pins on he 9008 bulbs look like sewing needles - not big enough for the draw...
New User
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 3
Likes: 0
I bought a relay harness and HELLA 80/100 watt bulbs from rallylights.com for both of our PSD's. No need for high+low and EASY install. Since the fill pattern and cut-off remains the same, these higher power bulbs do not annoy other drivers. In 80k miles and LOTS of nite driving, no one has ever 'flashed' me thinking my high-beams were on. If you buy/build a relay harness all ya have to do is install a diode between the hi/lo pins on the unused factory pigtail. Building one is not hard, you can get male and female HD 9007 pigtails at most auto parts.
The only improvement over relays/bulbs was going to the '02-'04 (???) 'clear'-style headlight lenses. ($100 used with clear corners from some sucker who went with the '05-'07 headlights)
A little off-topic, but -------- I have the '05-'07 headlights, etc in my F350 and so far I can't stand the H13/9008 bulbs. STOCK bulbs are melting the pigtails. Might have to remove the relay harness to drop the voltage back down. Stupid pins on he 9008 bulbs look like sewing needles - not big enough for the draw...
The only improvement over relays/bulbs was going to the '02-'04 (???) 'clear'-style headlight lenses. ($100 used with clear corners from some sucker who went with the '05-'07 headlights)
A little off-topic, but -------- I have the '05-'07 headlights, etc in my F350 and so far I can't stand the H13/9008 bulbs. STOCK bulbs are melting the pigtails. Might have to remove the relay harness to drop the voltage back down. Stupid pins on he 9008 bulbs look like sewing needles - not big enough for the draw...
More Turbo
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 609
Likes: 3
From: Central Va
I bought a relay harness and HELLA 80/100 watt bulbs from rallylights.com for both of our PSD's. No need for high+low and EASY install. Since the fill pattern and cut-off remains the same, these higher power bulbs do not annoy other drivers. In 80k miles and LOTS of nite driving, no one has ever 'flashed' me thinking my high-beams were on. If you buy/build a relay harness all ya have to do is install a diode between the hi/lo pins on the unused factory pigtail. Building one is not hard, you can get male and female HD 9007 pigtails at most auto parts.
thats exactly what I just did in the wifes '02....I have been using rallylights as well but I found a store on amazon you could get the bulbs for $6something each, a pair of $4@ relays and it's in business, we did an 6K HID in a superduty last week and I think the light off the hellas is better, plus you retain the high beams for a fraction(small fraction) of the cost...
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