PROJECT 2, Headlight wiring up grade

[drivesafe]

Hi folks, this is but the beginning of PROJECT 2.
I have post a diagram below that can be used for both Positive and Negative switched headlights.

http://www.traxide.com.au/DATA/HLWD.gif

[drivesafe]

Hi folks, the wiring diagram above is for a generic headlight wiring loom up grade and will work for both positive and negative switched headlight systems.

If the new loom is made to the diagram’s set up and connections made to the vehicle’s existing headlight sockets, then there will be no need to cut into or alter the vehicle’s wiring in any way.

Once the new loom is installed, the vehicles headlight globes will now be positive switch no matter what polarity the vehicle’s headlight switch work by.

The reason for using 4 single pole relays instead of 2 double poled headlight relay is to increase safety. If standard double poled headlight relays are used and a fuse blows or a relay fails, you can loose either both low beam or both high beam at the same time.
By using 4 single pole relays, if a fuse blows, you will only loose 1 high beam AND 1 low beam, or if a relay fails you will only loose either 1 high beam OR 1 low beam.
This is a much safer way to operate the headlights.

The 4mm2 Automative wire is way above what is needed but by using the heavier cable, and by running an earth wire from the headlight globe all the way to the battery, the standard headlights should be brighter and slightly whiter.

With this set up, the relays are protected by the vehicle’s existing headlight fuse but the current that is required to operate the headlights via the vehicle’s headlight switch is now about 1/50th of what was needed before the new loom was installed and this should considerably extend the operating life of the vehicles headlight switch.

Once all the wiring is in place and the lights have been tested, all the new cable should be protected by housing it in split tube and securing the tube by way of wire tires.

Pictures will follow.

Once the new loom is installed, adding a driving light up grade loom will be a simple chore but this will be another project.

Cheers.

[Grimace]

I finished this upgrade on the weekend and last night i drove to the drive in theatre out yatala and home again and the increase in light from my original is absolutely un beleivable easy around 150% better lighting (i can actually see the road at night now)

Ill be doin the driving light add on very soon aswell

Thanks drivesafe it an orsum article style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif


Cheers
Anthony

[George130]

We had this diagram do the rounds at work today of their forums.

[drivesafe]

Hi George130 what was the outcome.

Cheers

[drivesafe]

Hi Grimace, glad to hear that you got some benefit from the project.

I hope to get some time in the not to distant future to add a bit more detail and pictures to both the Headlight and Driving Light Projects.

If you have any pictures or more importantly if you can add any ideas to help improve the projects please do so. :idea:

Cheers.

[George130]

It was posted in reply to toyota owner wanting to upgrade his lights. He is doing it this weekend. Others have since replied that they used the same setup but with oly two relays. Overall consensus was that this was the way to go as you should only ever lose one light when relays died.

[drivesafe]

Hi George130, yes it is a bit messy using 4 relays but for the very reason you mentioned, with the 4 relay set up, if a relay or a fuse goes west, you are still left with 1 light and not in the dark as is the case when using just 2 relays.

Cheers .

PS I will be marketing a generic kit with all wire ( heavy duty for the actual headlight wire ), relays, fuse holder and fuses, crimp terminals, standard headlight sockets ( pre wired ) and split tube for about $70.

[p38arover]

Tim, what software do you use for the drawings? Are the relay symbols, etc., already in the software library?

Ron

[drivesafe]

Hi Ron, I use a program called Canvas from Denaba, on a Mac but I think the program is also available for PCs.

Over many years of use, I have created my own library of parts and electronic components.

Cheers

[Ralf_the_RR]

Originally posted by drivesafe
Hi George130, yes it is a bit messy using 4 relays but for the very reason you mentioned, with the 4 relay set up, if a relay or a fuse goes west, you are still left with 1 light and not in the dark as is the case when using just 2 relays.


I used 2 relays with twin 87 outputs.
If one relay goes, then I still have the other powering 2 lights (Hi or Lo).
If Hi beam is the only one working, then I'll swap it for to the Lo beam.

I used relay bases, which makes swapping relays very easy(not that they fail often).

Carrying spare fuses overcomes a blown fuse problem.

Yes, 2 fuses and 4 relays is probably a good thing, but in my opinion, it's over engineered.

edit:
I posted the diagram on our work forum, and the guys thought it was great. It was in response to an 80 series problem.
Maybe George130 and I work for the same company!

[drivesafe]

Hi Ralf_the_RR, from my experience, most vehicles use only two relays but I look at it this was, if someone is going to the expence of upgrading their wiring, why not go whole hog and use the safest set up in the first place. :idea:

If you happen to be going around a corner or through some rough tracks and you relay spits the dummy, it may take only a second or two to realise what has happened and change your dip switch but you could have any number of situations occur during that second or two of darkness and as I am going to be supplying a kit, the chances of this situation, from my point of view, is just not worth the risk. :twisted:

Cheers :wink:

[Andrewpv01]

A couple of questions about this - incase you can't tell I'm not very electrically minded :oops: .
Why not just use 4mm wire from the battery to each fuse individually? What size fuses do you use? Will this be big enough to handle 90/130 globes or will the wiring have to be bigger again?

Thanks
Andrew

[drivesafe]

Hi Andrewpv01, the two fuses are 15 amp and these would be suitable for the 90/130 watt globes.

The only reason for using a single supply wire between the battery and fuse holder is to simplify the installation if the fuse holder is mounted some distance from the battery.

In the case of using 90/1330 globes then 5 mm to each fuse and the used instead of the 4 mm for the rest of the install would be much better to reduce the voltage drop that will inevitably occur when the 130 watt high beams are on.

Alternatively and in my opinion, the use of the new low wattage, high lux ( high light output ) globes from companies like Philips is a better way to go.

I have the Philips Crystal Vision globes in all of my lights and the light is much better that standard 130 globes can put out and use far less power, and so far the globes are lasting much longer than the standard globes ever lasted.

I am operating up to ten lights at a time and have been for over two and a half years now and I have not replaced one single globe and I would probably do at least three times as much night driving as the average person.

Cheers.

[Andrewpv01]

Thanks for the info. I will look into those new globes. On my girlfriends car we seem to be replacing 120W high beams every couple of months. She usually uses them for about an hour a day.

Andrew

[MartinMonkey]

Hi drivesafe,

Thanks for posting this diagram, it's fantasitc, I found a link to it on the outerlimits forum.

I've been planning to make my own wiring loom upgrade and you've made it easy for me now style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif

Will be onto it this weekend style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif

Cheers,

Martin

[drivesafe]

Hi MartinMonkey, glad to be of some assistance and don’t forget to let us know how it goes and if you can, take some pics and post them so we can all see.

Cheers

[MartinMonkey]

yeah will do that, prob be a couple of weeks before I get around to it, but I'll post some pics then style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif

I plan to use the relays with built in fuses cos I'm lazy and it saves wiring up fuses style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/tongue.gif .......like this one:

http://db.hella.com.au/cgi-bin/catalogue.p...iew&flmaint=191 (http://db.hella.com.au/cgi-bin/catalogue.pl?flcmd=preview&flmaint=191)

.......24v cos my truck has 24v electrics......

[welshman]

Just started the upgrade on my 2000Disco
12M of 4mm needed
2M of 2mm
Solder (but starting to think I should of went push on clips)
Fuse box
4 relays
I put these in with the jack seems like a good place almost ready for the big test but ran out of the 4mm will need to buy the 3rd roll of 4mm tommorow.
Pics so far
http://www.aulro.com/albums/TeamSlowRacing-com/Picture_383.jpg
http://www.aulro.com/albums/TeamSlowRacing-com/Picture_384.jpg

http://www.aulro.com/albums/TeamSlowRacing-com/Picture_391.jpg
Sliped the wires in behind the grill after undoing the 3 lug screws ontop
http://www.aulro.com/albums/TeamSlowRacing-com/Picture_394.jpghttps://www.aulro.com/afvb/

[welshman]

http://www.aulro.com/albums/TeamSlowRacing-com/Picture_385.jpg

[welshman]

http://www.aulro.com/albums/TeamSlowRacing-com/Picture_391.jpg

[welshman]

http://www.aulro.com/albums/TeamSlowRacing-com/Picture_394.jpg
Slip the wires behind the grill after taken out the 3 lug screws on top

[welshman]

http://www.aulro.com/albums/TeamSlowRacing-com/Picture_384.jpg
The Fuse box https://www.aulro.com/afvb/

[drivesafe]

Hi welshman, I take it, that roll of wire is going to be used for your control wire, it’s much to small for power supply use.

Cheers

[welshman]

yep the 2mm is for the control wire. Bought all the same color wire as i am a tight ass. Should be making the final cut tonight and linking the control wires in. Fingers crossed.

Also be carfull of the relays as the numbers are in different places on the ones that i bought to those on the diagram. :oops: only noticed when i was doing the final check.

[drivesafe]

Good one welshman and let us know how it all goes.

Cheers :wink:

[LandyAndy]

Hi Drivesafe
Ive been following this for a while know.Any chance of you marketing DIY kits in the future???
Is there "relay holders" available,so replacement relays can be plugged/un-plugged as per car fuse blocks???
Andrew

[welshman]

http://www.aulro.com/albums/Welshmans/IMG_1215.jpg
Just about to clip in to the main head light popped the back off the old plug.

[welshman]

http://www.aulro.com/albums/Welshmans/IMG_1213.jpg
Cable tie to the front grill

[welshman]

http://www.aulro.com/albums/Welshmans/IMG_1217.jpg

Be very carfull not to touch any of the relays the the bare bit of earth wire as you will end up with a firework show as i did. Lucky i just blew a fuse in the new fuse box. :oops: :oops:

[welshman]

http://www.aulro.com/albums/Welshmans/IMG_1223.sized.jpg

Two disco parked next to each other, main beam on both. Pic speaks for itself. Will take another pic once I get the new philips globes in for another comparison https://www.aulro.com/afvb/ https://www.aulro.com/afvb/

[welshman]

cheap site for philips diamondvison globes :
http://cgi.ebay.com.au/New-PHILIPS-HALOGEN...oQQcmdZViewItem (http://cgi.ebay.com.au/New-PHILIPS-HALOGEN-Car-HeadLight-Bulb-DiamondVision_W0QQitemZ4598317403QQcategoryZ102560 QQtcZphotoQQcmdZViewItem)

just bought some will post the photo results when they arive :wink:

[VladTepes]

Not sure if this thread is the best place for a divergent discussion like the one developing here but:

I think the Diamond Vision bulbs are NOT ADR approved.
I also think there's NO CHANCE of getting caught out on it.

I bought te Crystal Vision ones for the Rangie - very happy. And I paid the same price thorugh my local auto-elec (he ordered them in for me) as this guy's "special" ebay price. And no P&H ! So do ask around.

Next job is the wiring upgrade....

[drivesafe]

I’m not sure of the price you have to pay for your globes but my RR uses H7 globes and I only paid $57 for a pair of Crystal Vision globes and that was the over the counter price, not a special price.

Before you buy any more, let me know what type of globes you use and I’ll try and see if I can get some better pricing.

[welshman]

went to 4different car places in perth, then finally found them at Coventrys, but was quoted $189 so when ahead and bought those on ebay it looked like the price of diamondvision were philips most expensive. What price can you buy them for over East ?? Might be a business on the side selling them to WA 8)

[Utemad]

I'm in the process of making this headlight loom. So I am currently running the drivers side headlight off the loom and the passenger side headlight off the standard wiring. I haven't checked voltage differences but there sure is a light difference!

I'll hook the passenger side in later when I find the other two relays I bought and subsequently lost.

I'll post pics when I am 100% finished. Especially of the cool relay holder/sockets.

[jasper110]

i keep pushing this upgrade in the u.k. on the landrover forums when people complain about the poor light output. nobody is interested, the FOOLS!!! i can't rate it highly enough!

change the bulbs (globes) or more commonly, put on a heap of spots are the usual responses over hear.

news bulbs won't cure the problem, i say, and extra lights are only good when using full beam. but they still don't listen!

[DirtyDawg]

love the diagram drivesafe even I can follow it..cheers;)

[drover81]

Thanks for the effort in this drivesafe:
The upgrade is the one of the prime "to-do" list items (I'm gathering parts to do it at the moment) - cheap and V. effective by all accounts.

Haven't thought about this too much, but why do you use just one of the old headlights to control the switching? I'm planning on using both - are there any cons to this?

I just thought that using one would be a single point of failure that could stuff the whole system...

[drivesafe]

Thanks all for the interest in this project and when I get the chance to sort out how to post some pics that LanyAndy sent me, Ill put them up on the site to help you.

As for why I only use one headlight point to operate the system is because there is no need for all the additional wire.

I have a special plug made that makes my headlight kit quick and easy to fit to the existing headlight loom and the relays, via this plug, put no more than .12 amps per relay. When you consider that the headlight globes were pulling as much as 7 amps per plug, my kit’s plug pulls only a fraction of this amount.

Also, one of the main reasons for fitting the headlight upgraded wiring loom is to remove the heavy current loads that the original headlight operation put on the vehicles headlight switch.

So if you reduce the current from 14 amps through the switch to .12 amps, it’s highly unlikely you are going to have any problems just using one point to operate the new loom’s relays.

Cheers