Rewired my headlights
Thread Starter
Race Director
Joined: Nov 2000
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From: Waterloo ontario Canada
Rewired my headlights
Since the weather didn’t cooperate this weekend and the wife was going on a shoping trip I decided to rewire my headlights. I didn’t want the power for them to come from the headlight switch. I wanted it directly from the alternator.
I bought 2 bosch 30 amp relays for $5.95 each and two 30 amp fuses.
I mounted the relays in the left hand corner near the actuator for the left headlight.
I opened up the wire harness and the low beam is the tan/light brown wire. I cut this and used it to trigger the low beam relay. I cut the green to trigger the high beam relay.
Now my head light switch and dimmer switch instead of handling 20 amps now handle less then an amp. They should last forever and at the same time my voltage to the lights should be up about 2 volts, making for a brighter light.
The hood has to come off to do this.
This is a close up of the relays and fuses.
This is where I mounted it so it was close to the wiring harness and easy to splice into the existing harness without long extensions
I bought 2 bosch 30 amp relays for $5.95 each and two 30 amp fuses.
I mounted the relays in the left hand corner near the actuator for the left headlight.
I opened up the wire harness and the low beam is the tan/light brown wire. I cut this and used it to trigger the low beam relay. I cut the green to trigger the high beam relay.
Now my head light switch and dimmer switch instead of handling 20 amps now handle less then an amp. They should last forever and at the same time my voltage to the lights should be up about 2 volts, making for a brighter light.
The hood has to come off to do this.
This is a close up of the relays and fuses.
This is where I mounted it so it was close to the wiring harness and easy to splice into the existing harness without long extensions
Drifting
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 1,651
Likes: 13
From: Holly MI
Norval,
What great timing. I am going to do this while I have the parts out for the frame work. One question, where did you run the power from?
I just got four new sealed halogen beams, and I expect the lighting to be much improved with this new wiring. I was planning on using the central power distribution point as MAD Enterprises suggests.
Have you had a chance to turn them on and see the difference?
Ken
What great timing. I am going to do this while I have the parts out for the frame work. One question, where did you run the power from?
I just got four new sealed halogen beams, and I expect the lighting to be much improved with this new wiring. I was planning on using the central power distribution point as MAD Enterprises suggests.
Have you had a chance to turn them on and see the difference?
Ken
Thread Starter
Race Director
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 11,872
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From: Waterloo ontario Canada
Originally Posted by bb69
Norval,
What great timing. I am going to do this while I have the parts out for the frame work. One question, where did you run the power from?
I just got four new sealed halogen beams, and I expect the lighting to be much improved with this new wiring. I was planning on using the central power distribution point as MAD Enterprises suggests.
Have you had a chance to turn them on and see the difference?
Ken
What great timing. I am going to do this while I have the parts out for the frame work. One question, where did you run the power from?
I just got four new sealed halogen beams, and I expect the lighting to be much improved with this new wiring. I was planning on using the central power distribution point as MAD Enterprises suggests.
Have you had a chance to turn them on and see the difference?
Ken
Sure I turned them on alot but only in the shop in the daylight, not outside, not with the motor running and no test driving. The weather is bad, improving thou and I expect to take the car out this comming weekend.
I just like the idea that all lighting power doesn't come through the fuse block and the headlight switch. I have relays for my lights, my fuel pumps and my fans and all this power comes direclty from the battery and not through the fuse panel. All relays are fused properly. Under the dash power is very minimal.'
I also have a alternator output of about 14 volts and this is what the lightling should see.
Team Owner
Joined: Jul 1999
Posts: 65,492
Likes: 230
From: Orange Park Florida
Norv, I wish you the best of luck as allways, but be ME, I"d change those Bosch relays before you have a failure or worse yet, a fire.....serious....
get an American brand....
maybe some junkyard relays from fan controllers, GM, FORD, etc....or the replacements....if it has Lucas or Bosch on it, it's junk....
GENE
get an American brand....
maybe some junkyard relays from fan controllers, GM, FORD, etc....or the replacements....if it has Lucas or Bosch on it, it's junk....
GENE
Thread Starter
Race Director
Joined: Nov 2000
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From: Waterloo ontario Canada
Gene I have serious problems. I have a whole bank of bosch relays, Probably at least 10 and they are the only ones the auto parts sell. I don't actually buy them. My son uses them in building argo's. They buy them by the 1000's and use them exclusively in production. I do carry a few spares. I also carry a fire extingusher
Race Director
Joined: Feb 1999
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From: Lenoir City Tennessee
Ci 6, 8 & 10 Veteran
St. Jude Donor '05-'06-'07-'08-'09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15
Good job Norval. I like the idea and I have saw it brought up on here several time. If you have ever had the pleasure of changing out a headlight switch that has had a meltdown then you can surely appreciate what this is going to do for the longevity of the headlight switch. It takes the load away from the switch and puts it on set of heavy duty contacts away from the dash.
When I bought my car there was a white dust inside the speedo and tach. Well when I tore into it I found out this was from a fire extiguisher. The headlight switch had melted down at sometime in the past. It must have also ruined the plug to the headlight switch, as bubba had used lamp cord to repair the missing plug. Now tell me how safe was that. It was put together using ceiling fan wire nuts on a few and and just twisted together with duct tape insulating the other part. I for one am for this type of mod. Look at the point where the headlight switch should be. The outside of the pad is fine.
By the way anyone want to buy a drivers side dash pad, cheap?
When I bought my car there was a white dust inside the speedo and tach. Well when I tore into it I found out this was from a fire extiguisher. The headlight switch had melted down at sometime in the past. It must have also ruined the plug to the headlight switch, as bubba had used lamp cord to repair the missing plug. Now tell me how safe was that. It was put together using ceiling fan wire nuts on a few and and just twisted together with duct tape insulating the other part. I for one am for this type of mod. Look at the point where the headlight switch should be. The outside of the pad is fine.
By the way anyone want to buy a drivers side dash pad, cheap?
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Melting Slicks
Joined: Feb 2003
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St. Jude Donor '03,'11
I was thinking of connecting the high and low beam wires together so the bright element would be on all the time.
I'm being out lumened by every car on the road. I can barely see 60 foot ahead with the low beams on.
The other idea is use high beams in the low beam position. I would just rewire a high beam plug on.
I need to get more light.
And no George i don't want to use airplane landing lights. I want something i can pick up at any parts store or gas station. You have to be carefull about those powerfull lights overloading the circuit. I used to have some high intensity lights that caused the circuit to trip every time i hit the brights and left them on for more than 10 seconds.
I'm being out lumened by every car on the road. I can barely see 60 foot ahead with the low beams on.
The other idea is use high beams in the low beam position. I would just rewire a high beam plug on.
I need to get more light.
And no George i don't want to use airplane landing lights. I want something i can pick up at any parts store or gas station. You have to be carefull about those powerfull lights overloading the circuit. I used to have some high intensity lights that caused the circuit to trip every time i hit the brights and left them on for more than 10 seconds.
Last edited by turtlevette; Apr 24, 2005 at 08:01 PM.
Thread Starter
Race Director
Joined: Nov 2000
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From: Waterloo ontario Canada
Thanks Eddie for the picture. That is one of the big reasons I wanted to do this mod. I would hate to think of a fire under my dash. My light switch should never have a problem with just acting as a triggering mechanism for relays. Nor the dimmer switch either.
I have faith in relays and if they ever cause a problem it is easy to change one out for another. I always always run relays instead of switches. The switches are only used as triggers for the relays.
I really tried to find a wiring harness for the relays but had no luck so I made my own with spade connectors, soldered everything and used heat shrink tubing over the entire connection.
I have faith in relays and if they ever cause a problem it is easy to change one out for another. I always always run relays instead of switches. The switches are only used as triggers for the relays.
I really tried to find a wiring harness for the relays but had no luck so I made my own with spade connectors, soldered everything and used heat shrink tubing over the entire connection.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Aug 2003
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From: Chattanooga TN
Originally Posted by mrvette
... but be ME, I"d change those Bosch relays before you have a failure or worse yet, a fire.....
Race Director
Joined: Sep 1999
Posts: 11,360
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From: Plano TX
There are many manufacturers of Bosch-style relays. they all look the same but quality varies. I have never had a failure of a made by Bosch relay. The genuine bosch relays are excellent quality.
Norval: You can get the real bosch relays for $1.99 as well as the sockets from partsexpress.
Norval: You can get the real bosch relays for $1.99 as well as the sockets from partsexpress.
Pro
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 641
Likes: 2
From: Storm lake Iowa
relays
Originally Posted by norvalwilhelm
I really tried to find a wiring harness for the relays but had no luck so I made my own with spade connectors, soldered everything and used heat shrink tubing over the entire connection.
http://www.madelectrical.com/catalog/rly-1.shtml
When I recently wired my fans, I took your approach and did my own connectors. I have the headlight relay upgrade on my (long!) to-do list...I don't want to pull the hood though! I'll find a place to mount the relays that's a bit more accessible
Edit: I just looked at partsexpress as suggested above, and you can get the same goodies MUCH cheaper! :
http://www.partsexpress.com/webpage....7&WebPage_ID=3
Last edited by Grinchia; Apr 24, 2005 at 10:54 PM. Reason: found more info
Team Owner
Joined: Jul 1999
Posts: 65,492
Likes: 230
From: Orange Park Florida
Originally Posted by zwede
There are many manufacturers of Bosch-style relays. they all look the same but quality varies. I have never had a failure of a made by Bosch relay. The genuine bosch relays are excellent quality.
Norval: You can get the real bosch relays for $1.99 as well as the sockets from partsexpress.
Norval: You can get the real bosch relays for $1.99 as well as the sockets from partsexpress.
a friend's Jeep 4.0 DPFI had a fire in it's past, full of Bosch type relays, the wiring is a nitemare as a result, and I noted the stock Jeeps of the era were full of the same, and that is the area of the fire....
Wife's Escort lost the a/c compressor clutch engage function....went through it, engine controll module...full of relays on a PC board, inside a metal can rivited together....250 bux Ford only....made by Bosch, stamped on the can.....pulled it apart, smoked relay, burnt board, so I hardwired in a 4x rated relay, and a/c now works fine....
Sorry, but over the decades, I have learned that european electricals are most allways sub-standard, the Japanese learned quickly though, and eliminated most of their sub standard electrical problems....
As for GM using Bosch, I"m unaware, maybe, and certainly there are bad fan relays there, I use the black rectangular things, seem fine, the more modern oval/rounded case relays seem to burn up a LOT and take the plug in with them....figgers....
GENE
GENE
Race Director
Joined: Dec 1999
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European cars have sub standard electricals?? Are you serious? The only sub standard stuff to come from here was the lucas stuff and that's british. What kind of experience do you have to come to this conclusion? It's the other way around if you ask me (don't count the british lucas stuff but that's from days long gone, not today). I'm not trying to efend european cars because I like them or something, they don't do anything for me but from a quality standpoint I can't argue see that the wiring on those is below US standards. Bosch stuff is excellent quality, nothing wrong with it. Maybe it's the application that lead to the problems?
Thread Starter
Race Director
Joined: Nov 2000
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From: Waterloo ontario Canada
[QUOTE=Grinchia]
http://www.madelectrical.com/catalog/rly-1.shtml
Grinchia that is a great informative link. Thanks.
http://www.madelectrical.com/catalog/rly-1.shtml
Grinchia that is a great informative link. Thanks.
Thread Starter
Race Director
Joined: Nov 2000
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From: Waterloo ontario Canada
Originally Posted by Twin_Turbo
I call bullsheet on the sub standard comment. Maybe in years gone by (the infamous lucas) but bosch is top notch stuff.
If it's american it's not necissarily better
If it's american it's not necissarily better
Thread Starter
Race Director
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 11,872
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From: Waterloo ontario Canada
Originally Posted by turtlevette
I was thinking of connecting the high and low beam wires together so the bright element would be on all the time.
I'm being out lumened by every car on the road. I can barely see 60 foot ahead with the low beams on.
The other idea is use high beams in the low beam position. I would just rewire a high beam plug on.
I need to get more light.
And no George i don't want to use airplane landing lights. I want something i can pick up at any parts store or gas station. You have to be carefull about those powerfull lights overloading the circuit. I used to have some high intensity lights that caused the circuit to trip every time i hit the brights and left them on for more than 10 seconds.
I'm being out lumened by every car on the road. I can barely see 60 foot ahead with the low beams on.
The other idea is use high beams in the low beam position. I would just rewire a high beam plug on.
I need to get more light.
And no George i don't want to use airplane landing lights. I want something i can pick up at any parts store or gas station. You have to be carefull about those powerfull lights overloading the circuit. I used to have some high intensity lights that caused the circuit to trip every time i hit the brights and left them on for more than 10 seconds.
As for tripping relays that is the good thing about this conversion. You can not possible overload the circuit. I have the potential for 60 amps output before the relays/fuses are overloaded.
Again the big thing is the increased voltage and the headlight switch/dimmer switch never see more then an amp or two, just the triggering current for the relays.
Drifting
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 1,651
Likes: 13
From: Holly MI
Thanks for the link to partsexpress. I just put in my order for 10 relays and 10 sockets. I am going to do the lights on the Vette and Camaro, and I also have some electric fans for the Vette. I'm sure I will find a use for the remaining ones.
Ken
Ken