Headlight Wiring Upgrade Kits

[drivesafe]

Hi folks, it about time I posted some details about the headlight wiring upgrade kits I have.

There are a number of advantages to doing a headlight wiring upgrade.

An upgrade can not only get around the problem of having dull lights but as it takes the current load off the existing headlight switch which usually means that you will never have to replace the switch again and a headlight wiring upgrade kit is usually heaps cheaper than the cost of replacing a headlight switch.

Not only does a headlight wiring upgrade usually make your existing headlights brighter than they were but in the future, if you decide you want to fit more powerful globes to brighten up your headlights even further, you already have the heavier wiring in place so you will get the most advantage out of the new globes.

You don’t need any electrical expertise to fit the upgrade but it is not a Plug-&-Play installation. You will have run all the wires and the kit has everything you need to fit it, all the wire is colour coded and the instruction will take you through the installation step by step based on the different wire colours.

We also supply a special plug that plugs into one of your existing headlight loom’s headlight sockets. This plug removes the need for you having to try and work out which wire does what, it’s all done automatically for you.

The Headlight Wiring Upgrade Kit is a generic kit designed to upgrade the headlight wiring in most vehicles and I also have a Combo Kit which up grades the headlight wiring and also provides the additional wiring to upgrade the wiring for two driving lights.

My kit’s headlight wiring is the same size wire that other driving light kits use for the driving lights, and my kit uses even heavier wire in the Combo kit for the driving lights wiring.

As I posted above, these two kits are generic and will fit most vehicles but because Defenders have their battery under the Passenger seat, I make two Supplementary kits which are added to the Headlight Wiring Upgrade Kit and the Combo Kit to accommodate the installation of these kits in a Defender.

I offer all these kits at special prices to AULRO members and the prices, which include postage, are listed below.

Headlight Wiring Upgrade Kit $130-oo + postage ( AULRO member's price $130-oo, including postage ).
The Defender Headlight Wiring Upgrade Kit kit is $150-oo + postage ( AULRO member's price $145-oo, including postage )

Combo Headlight / Driving Light Wiring Upgrade Kit $170-oo + postage ( AULRO member's price $165-oo, including postage )
The Defender Combo Headlight / Driving Light Wiring Upgrade Kit $199-oo + postage ( AULRO member's price $190-oo, including postage )

I’ll post some pictures and more details in the next few days and you can phone me on 07 5569 2557 or PM me to order the kits.

There is now info on my web site at Headlight Wiring Upgrade Kits (http://www.traxide.com.au/HL_kits.html)

Cheers, drivesafe.

[Bytemrk]

I have no business affiliation with Drivesafe or Traxide...... just a very satisfied customer. :D:D

6 months ago I fitted one of these kits - anyone considering it may want to read this thread - including before and after pics:

http://www.aulro.com/afvb/showthread.php't=33225&highlight=headlight

Money really well spent I'd say....

Thanks again Tim.

Mark

[loanrangie]

I ordered a combo kit of Tim a few days ago so look forward to fitting it and the IPF's i scored off an AULRO forumite, should make my night drive to Adelaide next week a bit brighter - i just hope it arrives in time.

[jik22]

Just out of interest, on a Defender, can you take the power feed from the alternator to save running back to the seat box with the power wires?

My thinking is while the engine is running, you'll get full alternator voltage (I'm fittign HID's as well), and when off, you should still get battery voltage over the alternator charge cable for things like dim-dip (Assuming 1994 Aus cars have that, as I've never bothered checking!)

[BMKal]

Just out of interest, on a Defender, can you take the power feed from the alternator to save running back to the seat box with the power wires?

My thinking is while the engine is running, you'll get full alternator voltage (I'm fittign HID's as well), and when off, you should still get battery voltage over the alternator charge cable for things like dim-dip (Assuming 1994 Aus cars have that, as I've never bothered checking!)

I've always been told that this is not a good idea Jeff. While you will get the voltage at the alternator (output is usually around 14V) it's the amperage that you want to power lights. I'm not really sure of the exact reasoning, but ab auto sparky told me that it is always better to power accessories directly from the battery. I'm running HID's (Hella Predators) on the Disco and about to install a Hi/Lo HID conversion kit in the headlights, and taking all power sources from the battery. Admittedly, this is easy in the Disco with the battery sitting just behind the right headlight.

[JDNSW]

I've always been told that this is not a good idea Jeff. While you will get the voltage at the alternator (output is usually around 14V) it's the amperage that you want to power lights. I'm not really sure of the exact reasoning, but ab auto sparky told me that it is always better to power accessories directly from the battery. I'm running HID's (Hella Predators) on the Disco and about to install a Hi/Lo HID conversion kit in the headlights, and taking all power sources from the battery. Admittedly, this is easy in the Disco with the battery sitting just behind the right headlight.

The alternator provides all the current you use while the engine is running anyway, so your reasoning does not make sense. Your sparky was talking about the advantage of not overloading existing wiring, but in fact for accessories that are normally run only when the engine is running, such as headlights, since the current they use comes from the alternator, it is better to have the current taking the shortest route (and hence minimum voltage drop) direct from the alternator rather than from the alternator at the front of the vehicle then back to the battery and forward again to the headlights next to the alternator.
For the Disco with the battery at the front there will be no significant difference, but for a Defender with the battery under the seat the difference in voltage will make a significant improvement to the brightness of the Q-H lights, although I doubt it will make any difference to the HID lights, as I suspect they are designed to give the same light output regardless of voltage (within reason).
In any well designed electrical system, however, the wiring size will be large enough and the connector quality good enough that the difference will be minimal, and probably undetectable - but using the term "well designed" for anything from Joseph Lucas is a bit shaky to say the least.

John

[drivesafe]

I don’t know the exact reason for not sourcing power for the headlights at the alternator but when you consider that auto makers will do just about anything to save money yet even though many in many vehicles, the distance from headlights to the alternator is shorter than the distance to the battery, I only know of one specific vehicle that has come out with the power for the headlights being sourced at the alternator.

Back in the 80s, VW golfs started coming out with the headlights being power from the alternator. This only happened for a short while and VW went back to powering them from the battery.

This is just a guess but as the battery also acts as a big spike suppressor, having everything come of the battery, allows the battery to give the alternator some protection.

Cheers.

[JDNSW]

I don’t know the exact reason for not sourcing power for the headlights at the alternator but when you consider that auto makers will do just about anything to save money yet even though many in many vehicles, the distance from headlights to the alternator is shorter than the distance to the battery, I only know of one specific vehicle that has come out with the power for the headlights being sourced at the alternator.

Back in the 80s, VW golfs started coming out with the headlights being power from the alternator. This only happened for a short while and VW went back to powering them from the battery.

This is just a guess but as the battery also acts as a big spike suppressor, having everything come of the battery, allows the battery to give the alternator some protection.

Cheers.

The battery acts as just an efficient spike suppressor via the alternator - battery wiring, which has negligible inductance. I would also point out that in the 110, and I suspect the Defender, although I have never checked, the only lead to the battery is from the starter solenoid, and all other power is taken from there - which is actually closer to the alternator than it is to the battery, although probably about the same as the wire goes.

I suspect the main reason why headlight wiring goes from a more central point such as the starter rather than the alternator is simply for ease of design and assembly.

John

I suspect that the major reason

[scrambler]

Last time you had this conversation, drivesafe and JDNSW, (about 12 months ago?) I went to the trouble of doing a circuit diagram. Everything is still in the loop - alternator, battery, lights - whether you wire from the alternator or from the battery. It's just which end of the alternator-battery wire (or in the middle?) that you attach to.

If there was an issue with what was "nearest" to the current draw, surely it would be the negative side of the circuit that should be considered, being the electron donor?

[grumpybastard]

What forms of payment do you accept?

[dullbird]

got my'n fitted deffinatly a noticeable diference:)

[jik22]

Defender loom fitted today. Noticeable difference in lighting output.

For now, I've not bothered with the circuit breaker supplied, as I've taken the power feed off the alternator to see how it works. Hence, a 6" cable run as opposed to a couple of metres back to the battery box, so not much in the way of wiring to protect!

If I notice a problem, I'll just add a new power wire back to the battery via the supplied circuit breaker.

Very neat job made simple by the kit - took under an hour to fit. Will grab a couple of pictures, though there's really not much to see except the relay on the nearside inner wing.

[Outlaw]

So to confirm no problems fitting the normal kit directly to a P38?

[loanrangie]

So to confirm no problems fitting the normal kit directly to a P38?

It will be the best bit of wiring in it :wasntme:.

[dullbird]

It will be the best bit of wiring in it :wasntme:.

wiring???? p38's dont have electric's. p38's run on hocus pocus, bats wings and luck:wasntme:

[weeds]

in an effort to protect my new headlight switch i purchase an upgrade kit from traxide

great service Tim and the kit arrived only a day...maybe two after ordering, the bank transfer would have hardly cleared

just have to find time to fit it.....hopefully before my new switch burns out

[weeds]

Defender loom fitted today. Noticeable difference in lighting output.

For now, I've not bothered with the circuit breaker supplied, as I've taken the power feed off the alternator to see how it works. Hence, a 6" cable run as opposed to a couple of metres back to the battery box, so not much in the way of wiring to protect!

If I notice a problem, I'll just add a new power wire back to the battery via the supplied circuit breaker.

Very neat job made simple by the kit - took under an hour to fit. Will grab a couple of pictures, though there's really not much to see except the relay on the nearside inner wing.

hey jeff

hows the connection coming straight off the alternator.....has it worked out OK

megs is going to geelong in a couple of weekends......i should be able to find a spare hour to install it

[Bundalene]

Defender loom fitted today. Noticeable difference in lighting output.

For now, I've not bothered with the circuit breaker supplied, as I've taken the power feed off the alternator to see how it works. Hence, a 6" cable run as opposed to a couple of metres back to the battery box, so not much in the way of wiring to protect!

If I notice a problem, I'll just add a new power wire back to the battery via the supplied circuit breaker.

Very neat job made simple by the kit - took under an hour to fit. Will grab a couple of pictures, though there's really not much to see except the relay on the nearside inner wing.

Hi, for the sake of a few minutes, install the circuit breaker or inline fuse. It only takes a bit of rubbing on the wiring insullation and you can easily end up with an engine fire. As JD mentioned you are also likely to have a higher voltage or spikes resulting in a decrease in life of the light globes.

Erich

[Gigitt]

hey jeff

hows the connection coming straight off the alternator.....has it worked out OK

megs is going to geelong in a couple of weekends......i should be able to find a spare hour to install it


Just thought I'd mention where I sourced my power from on the Defender 130.

I hooked up my power feed not directly at the alternater, but at a Fuse block that is in the engine bay (heavy duty fuses like 60A, not all 4 blocks used)... Just follow the main alternater wiring back about 2-3ft. I pulled apart the fuse block and added 2 heavy duty power cables with inline fuses to where the alternater power wire bolts to the relay block.

I did this for 2 reasons...
1) Looks: as the wiring follows the factory wiring.
2) Safety: the more wires you add to a vibrating hot engine the more can go wrong.

Edit: Forgot to mention, 1 Cable is powering my Lightforce 170 spotlights. No issues at all so far for about 4000km night travelling.

[p38arover]

It will be the best bit of wiring in it :wasntme:.

You can mock the P38A but there's nowt wrong with the wiring. It's a damn sight better than your Lucas stuff.

[Mudnut]

G'day Drivesafe,

Sent a pm or e-mail yesterday to you about the upgrade kit. I would like to pruchase one please.

Thanks,

Ken

[Mudnut]

Hey Tim,

The headlight wiring kit arrived promptly, and have installed it in my Defender.
Top piece of kit, and very good instructions. I can now see the road in front of me at night :D. Still waiting on the HID lights coming from China to install the spotties, but they should be here this week.

Thanks again,

Ken

[justinc]

AGAIN!, Tim has promptly got me out of trouble, I had forgotten to order a Def upgrade kit, after a phone call I received the kit next day, vehicle out the door 1.5 hours later, fitted with 100/90 globes and a very happy customer. Good stuff Tim:):)

Easy to fit and very necessary to all you Defender and County owners. Just do it!

JC

[Radz]

Installed one of those Traxide kits into my Defender. Excellent piece of work and good instructions.
The improvement in the light output was noticeable at the first test run.

Hopefully now my headlight switch will last a bit longer.

[justinc]

Sorry forgot to mention before, this time I did some voltage measurements. Vehicle was a 2000 Td5 Defender.

At the headlamp plug, 10.2V standard, but with Tims Traxide upgrade, 12.2V.

Engine not running, at low beam socket.

Massive improvement in light output, even before I fitted the 100/90 globes. :twisted:

JC

[Phoenix]

Tim, Query for you, looking at doing the headlight upgrade kit with the extra relay etc for driving lights. Can the kit be installed and wired up with a loop until I get the driving lights, or would I just install part of the kit, and change the wiring layout when I get the driving lights?

[drivesafe]

Hi Phoenix, you can set up which ever way suits you at the time you do the headlight upgrade.

The driving light wiring upgrade is an extension of the headlight kit and can be done at anytime.

Cheers, Tim.

[Hugh42732]

Ok not sure as it has been a while, but why not fit a hid headlight replacement as they draw the power direct from the battery and the current (pun intended:D) wiring is just there to provide the switching for the hid kit not to provide power for the lights.

[slug_burner]

Ok not sure as it has been a while, but why not fit a hid headlight replacement as they draw the power direct from the battery and the current (pun intended:D) wiring is just there to provide the switching for the hid kit not to provide power for the lights.

Mostly because HID bulbs cannot be used legally in cars that did not come fitted with them unless you perform some mods to your car to make it ADR compliant.

[JBM770]

Would this upgrade by worthwhile for a Disco II?

I just got some cheap foggies to put on it.

Also how can I get the switch on the dash to work, what goes behind the button?

James

[justinc]

Would this upgrade by worthwhile for a Disco II?

I just got some cheap foggies to put on it.

Also how can I get the switch on the dash to work, what goes behind the button?

James

Definately worthwhile, if you have the factory D2 button it will not work as it is originally used to 'trigger' the output to the factory foglamps through the BCM. The switch is not a push on push off kind.

There are plenty of good quality switches on the market.

JC

[Hugh42732]

Mostly because HID bulbs cannot be used legally in cars that did not come fitted with them unless you perform some mods to your car to make it ADR compliant.

I didn't realise we were discussing legal options as spot lights and most home done vehicle accessories/modifications cannot :no2: be done legally:rulez: either:wacko:

[Hugh42732]

Furthermore been following a similar discussion on another forum and they are suggesting that the new ADR's frown heavily on any modification that increases the luminious output of your lights so was wondering has anyone actually been booked for headlights being to bright or for using spotlights on road??

[clubagreenie]

In regards to the disco factory switch, I used to mod the D1 switches by cutting the back surround off (where the factory plug would normally go) and hard wire a short loom and plug to it. Then run this to a a/m or made up harness for the fog/driving lights. But that was a push on/push off switch. If someone can draw up how the switching on a D2 fog switch is (or I could go test mine) I'm sure we could make it still work.

After all, I've just about worked out using the stereo controls on the steering wheel to act as a hard wired winch in/out switch.

[IGL002]

Achtung all Puma owners. If you have fitted the Traxide kit, I assume you gained access to mount relays and plugs/sockets by removing the upper and lower fan shrouds?

I'm in the process of fitting one to my 2011 Defender and any tips would be appreciated.

Cheers,

Igloo2

"I started out with nothing and still have most of it left"

[one_iota]

This is what I did:

http://www.aulro.com/afvb/90-110-130-defender-county/62729-fitting-traxide-lighting-upgrade-driving-light-kit-2007-a.html

You will need to remove the headlight surrounds to get to the light plugs and probably also the front grille to get the wiring over to the passenger side light if you install the relays where I did.

[TasD90]

Hi All, have just installed upgrade wiring kit on my Defender 90. Very easy to do with a little wiring expertise. I decided to mount relay on drivers side of engine bay and took power off the starter motor post. Very easy to do and much more room to mount relay. Thanks to JustinC (Hobart's Land Rover guru) for the advice.
Peter Thompson

[tuesdayfox]

hey jeff
hows the connection coming straight off the alternator??

could you give us an update???

cheers!

[tuesdayfox]

Defender loom fitted today. Noticeable difference in lighting output.

For now, I've not bothered with the circuit breaker supplied, as I've taken the power feed off the alternator to see how it works. Hence, a 6" cable run as opposed to a couple of metres back to the battery box, so not much in the way of wiring to protect!

If I notice a problem, I'll just add a new power wire back to the battery via the supplied circuit breaker.

Very neat job made simple by the kit - took under an hour to fit. Will grab a couple of pictures, though there's really not much to see except the relay on the nearside inner wing.

hey jeff
hows the connection coming straight off the alternator??

could you give us an update???

cheers!

[tuesdayfox]

Hi all,

sorry to hijack the topic.

but since all alternators are equipped with a voltage regulator, what is wrong with connecting the headlights to the alternative???
the capacity of the one on my puma is 60 amps so theoretically, without any other accessories on, it should be able to power 720w headlights....

Am i wrong???:wasntme::wasntme:

[justinc]

Should be a 150A unit on the Puma.... Defender2 - View topic - Alternator Amps? 85/150 (http://www.defender2.net/forum/topic10232.html?view=next)


JC

[tuesdayfox]

Should be a 150A unit on the Puma.... Defender2 - View topic - Alternator Amps? 85/150 (http://www.defender2.net/forum/topic10232.html?view=next)


JC

Thanks
Even more than 720 w then.

I am not an electrician but I think the alternator connects to the battery and Tapping the battery is equivalent to connecting to the alternative?

My kit just arrived and about to install...

[Milton477]

Upgrading the wiring has turned night into day for me - well almost. Well worth the effort. Made my own system though.

[specwarop]

These look like a great item to get, but to help a dumby like me out - if I have a standard 2014 Defender, all I need is the Headlight Wiring Kit...BUT, if I plan to install 2 new lights, I then need the Combo Wiring Kit?
Is this right?

[drivesafe]

Hi specwarop and if you are planning to fit driving lights, even if it’s something you are going to do later, the COMBO kit will both simplify the whole wiring setup and the COMBO kit’s wiring is thicker than the standard driving light kit wiring, so you end up with better light as well as a simple install.

The COMBO kit is set up so you can have everything in place and just plug the driving lights into the wiring when you get around to fitting the driving lights.

[specwarop]

Can you confirm whether the combo kit, could void any Land Rover new car warranty?

[drivesafe]

Hi again specwarop, and good question.

My COMBO Kit is an add-on, not an alteration.

You do not have to cut a single existing wire to fit it, and if for some reason, you have to remove it, it will come out of the Defender and your original wiring is still in place.

[Expatdisco3]

Fitted my upgrade kit to the disco 2, made such a difference with the standard bulbs/globes in the headlights. Going to put some better ones in and try. Great set up and swift shipping to Perth.