wrcsixeight
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The bean counters won again.<br><br>The problem with most vehicle's headlamps that the wiring is to them is very long, and too thin, so there is a lot of resistance, and voltage drop. Low voltage= dim headlights.<br><br>When my Battery voltage was 12.2(engine off), I measured 9.98 volts at my passenger side high beam.<br><br>Yesterday, after completing my harness upgrade, and with 12.5 battery volts, I measured 12.28 at the high beam.<br><br>
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<br><br>One relay is required for the High beams, one for the Low. Each one needs to be fused. I bought some weatherproof fuses which could attach to the firewall next to the relays to keep the circuit shorter, and safe.<br>
<br><br>I bought the relays over a year ago, in anticipation of doing this project, but it turned into one of those 'ain't broke don't fix it things'. The relays I bought could be better, as well as their connectors. They only came with 18 awg wire for the power transmission circuits. The wires to activate the relay are 20 or 22 awg but they do not need to pass much current, and the ground wire I just attach to the firewall behind the relay.<br><br>But I did find the 18awg wires to be in...tolerable. Inserting a paperclip into the relay connector allows individual wires to be pulled from the connector by depressing the little tab indicated by the blue arrow and pulling the wire from the connector:<br>
<br><br>I then opened the crimps and removed the insulation:<br>
<br><br>I then crimped my Tinned marine 12 awg wire to the relay connectors, wrapped the 18 awg copper pigtail over the 12 awg, and soldered it. All connections were smoothed with a dremel, covered with liquid electrical tape, and heat shrink, or quality electrical tape, or self sealing/fusing electrical tape, or some combination of all three<br>
<br><br>So now all the wires transmitting current to the headlights are 12 awg, and for their source, I chose the nearby stock 6awg Alternator feed wire. I don't cut wires, but strip the insulation, and just tap into them whenever possible.<br>
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<br><br>Not easy to get the wire inside the other wire. I could have done it cleaner for sure.<br><br>I used a smaller section of wire to compress the bundle.<br>
<br><br>And Soldered it. These were my first attempts at soldering tinned marine wire and I am still learning the art. It really drank in the solder, and I had to curb my instincts to make it look like other projects where finer stranded copper was joined with fine strand copper.<br> <br><br>I also used a propane torch. I knew my meager low wattage iron could never get the wire hot enough to melt the solder on such a mass of wire. A cold solder joint is worse than just a twisted and taped joint. I Used tin foil in an attempt to protect the wire's insulation from the torch heat, and it was pretty effective, for the most part, but the big wire needs a lot of heat applied before the solder will get sucked into it.<br><br>Note to self, get finer torch.<br><br>
<br><br>The body of the wiring harness was my old solar wire. The Ancor 3 wire sheathed cable of 12 awg tinned marine wire. I only needed two wires, one for High beam, one for Low, but since i had three, I decided to run the headlamp ground wire back to the firewall next to the relays.<br><br>
<br><br>I re organized a bunch of wiring in the general area of the relays. but it is still difficult to make things look clean and organized with wiring, when clean and organized has no effect on performance.<br>Here is a partial view of the relays and fuses on my firewall.<br>
<br><br>My old headlamps were mismatched. One h6054 Sylvania silverstar, one Sylvania Xtravision 4 years older.<br>I read over on the candlepower forums that these sealed beam headlamps, are not well respected, both for their light output, but also how it is directed onto the road ahead.<br><br>The GE NightHawk 6054's were respected, but nowhere close to the Cibie E code 6054 Headlamps at ~80$ each, but these are not sealed beam, but do have the bulb element replaceable.<br><br>I installed 2 new Nighthawks in my lubed headlamp buckets with the new adjusting screws.<br><br>The old ones...... were no longer adjustable<br>
<br><br>My old headlamp H4 connector plugs are still fully functional. I can bypass my new headlight harness, and run it on the same wires it has run on since October of 1988. Here you can see my new H4 connector installed on the NightHawk, and the old stock one coiled up.<br>
<br><br>In fact I will do one headlight on the old, and one on the new and take photos for comparison purposes.<br><br>Because I am claiming the headlamps are now at least 30% brighter.<br><br>Please avoid the urge to install retrofit HID lighting, or blue tinted bulbs. Even the bulbs advertised for "whiter" light are compromised. The blue tint reuqired for a white Halogen light actually reduced the light output so the filaments must be overdriven to meet the minimum DOT light output standards. This shortens their lifespan.<br><br>HID bulbs must have reflectors designed around HID bulbs, otherwise all that occurs is a too blue and too bright headlamp blinding drivers on the opposite direction. We've all been subjected to these fools with their rice rockets and fart can exhausts.<br><br>Blue light also reduces visibility in wet weather conditions.<br><br>Actual HID lighting, that comes standard on some high end cars is excellent. Trying to replicate true HID lighting with a bolt on kit is a huge money/time wasting fruitless task. The result is poor visibility that is dangerous to everybody on the road. Also most on this site are trying to avoid the "look at Me!!!!!" factor that inspires those who want fake HID lighting.<br><br>For more Info on this topic, please read a bunch in the following website:<br>http://www.danielsternlighting.com/tech/lights/light_color/light_color.html<br><br>I'll gladly answer what questions I can, but he says it all, and better.<br><br><br><br><br><br><br>
</div><br>The stock headlight wiring, on my Van at least, goes from the battery, then through the bulk head connector, then through the headlight switch, then through the dimmer switch, then back through the bulkhead connector and then off to the headlights. The low beam first goes to the driver's side then back out around and over to the passenger side over 16awg cable. The High beam splits somewhere closer to the bulkhead connector, and goes to each headlamp individually over 14 awg.<br><br>The ground wires goto the nearby body/firewall over 20awg and share the wiring with other devices.<br><br>I basically used this stock (+) wiring to trigger relays.<br><br>I didn't cut the original wires, I stripped the insulation and tapped them to trigger the relays, so now the only current running through the headlamp and dimmer switches, is the small current required to trigger the relays, and that required to power the brake/ parking/ sidemarker and license plate lights, not the full additional 110/130 watts of the headlamps.<br><br>The relays are getting their power from the alternator to battery wire. They are now sending the current to the headlamps over 12awg, and a much shorter circuit path with much fewer connections.<br><br>I bought new H4 headlamp connectors through Innova. One of the few places that sell 12 awg H4 pigtails. Nicely made with crimped and soldered connectors. I recommend!<br><br>Here is the harness I built. These can be bought with most of the hard work done, but I have A DIY gene which makes this impossible.. <br><br>
