Here's a question / survey Are you running four headlights? Hella projectors or otherwise? My question is: Are you set up that your low beams stay on after you bright up? I am now referring to this as a FTL (full time low) configuration. What do you prefer?
Here is why I am asking. There are different schools of thought on this issue. Here, where I live in Oregon, I am convinced that this set-up is vastly superior. Because of the combination of wet, windy, forested roads populated with wildlife. I used to live in Nevada and rode a big sport touring motorcycle. I could never cast enough light downrange. For straight, dry, arid, desert driving' I think you would NOT to run FTL. With less foreground light, your irises will open more and you should be able to see farther.
Synthesis made my harness for the quad Hella lamps. He has a number of options and I selected the one that uses new power wiring and has all four lights on in high beam mode. I love it and enjoy the ample lighting on rural roads.
Nolan
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02:41 PM
hairballrm Member
Posts: 768 From: Philomath Oregon USA Registered: Nov 2009
I have the wiring and relays there I just have not mounted the switch yet. Looking for the right kind of switch to use that will look somewhat stock. The grand AM has a fog light switch that may look right, I need to go to the junkyards and take a look
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06:09 PM
02greens10 Member
Posts: 813 From: Ashland, Ohio Registered: Feb 2008
I run all 4 lights on bright, and it maybe took $60 worth of parts, most of that was the headlight connectors.
I have no reason but just a learning experience using relays, wiring circuits, and wire layout to look hidden. It is awesome when someone forgets their high beams I flash mine and it gets noticed.
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07:31 PM
Apr 15th, 2011
Marvin McInnis Member
Posts: 11599 From: ~ Kansas City, USA Registered: Apr 2002
The circuit with the relay is highly preferred. Simply replace the jumper in the first circuit with an SPST switch and you will be able to switch easily between 2-headlight and 4-headlight mode. An SPDT switch in the relay coil path would be required to modify the second circuit.
[This message has been edited by Marvin McInnis (edited 04-15-2011).]
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11:19 AM
Blacktree Member
Posts: 20770 From: Central Florida Registered: Dec 2001
I do not use "FTL" headlights, because my car has full-time driving lights. The driving lights have a similar beam pattern to the Hella low-beams (the driving lights are made by Hella, too). And I wired them to come on with the running lights. So they augment both the high and low beams.
The circuit with the relay is highly preferred. Simply replace the jumper in the first circuit with an SPST switch and you will be able to switch easily between 2-headlight and 4-headlight mode. An SPDT switch in the relay coil path would be required to modify the second circuit.
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That is exactly what I did. switch will be on the relay, that way I can choose if I want all 4 on or only 2.
Thank you Marvin, I want to raise another point you made there
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Originally posted by Marvin McInnis: Please remember that all the discussion concerning the adequacy of the stock Fiero headlight circuitry still applies. Neither Oreif nor I think that the stock headlight switch will survive the current demands of four 65 watt H9 bulbs ... at least not for very long. Adding a relay would still be a better solution, IMHO:
I'll say it as well. Jumping power past your dimmer switch will double your amperage. Something in your dash will go POOF.
Blacktree, Everything about your car is WICKED !! Which Hella lights are you using for driving lamps?
Jumping power past your dimmer switch will double your amperage. Something in your dash will go POOF
Maybe, maybe not ... but do you want to be a test pilot when the circuit breaker built into the headlight switch pops at 65 mph on a rural road in total darkness? I had a friend who had that happen to him one night in a '67 Chevrolet, except that he was doing perhaps 80 mph with two aircraft landing lights (type 4509) and two standard low beam headlights illuminated at the same time.
FWIW, I have not yet seen anything posted on PFF from someone who has had problems using just the simple jumper circuit. The OEM wire size should be adequate, and the breaker in the headlight switch seems to be the biggest question. Besides the breaker, the higher current through the headlight switch when the high beams are on might ... or might not ... reduce switch life.
[This message has been edited by Marvin McInnis (edited 04-17-2011).]
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04:58 PM
Aug 2nd, 2011
hairballrm Member
Posts: 768 From: Philomath Oregon USA Registered: Nov 2009
I added a relay kit similar to this to my 90 dually... my mothers 85 6000 LE and my 87 firebird when I deleted the pop ups... I did not add a switch though, but it would have been easy enough...
Fiero is in the works...
Here was the post I made on another thread detailing the birds modification... gives details about the actual relay hook ups EDIT: though it is completed using the light hook ups versus at the dimmer switch, but it will give you another idea. Plus it details what the terminals on a relay are...
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Originally posted by redraif:
You need a relay for this conversion! I did this conversion on my firebird and added a relay... I have to do the same to my fiero here shortly...
"EDIT: This will NOT add a dedicated power source for the whole headlight system, but only for the low beams, when the high beam choise is selected. It uses the high beam as a signal (input) and flows current to the low beam lamp when the high beam is turned on. This allows both to come on at the same time with your high beam factory selection. You need one relay per side for this conversion. In the future, I plan to add a relay to the whole system to make the entire headlamp system independant of the factory wiring... make the factory wiring simply a signal source... that will allow for brighter more powerful headlamps! But I'm still in teh process, so i don's have a workable relay system as of yet. I would come up with it, but I'm at work right now! "
I tested the car with a test light to see which wire was high beam and which was low, by turning on the lights with the weather pack unplugged from the factory headlamp. I simply grounded the clip and of my test light and used the probe on the other end to stick in the female connector to see which lit my test light on high and then low. Then I picked which driving light, inner or outer, I wanted to be high or low.
Then I simply slid the male driving light connectors directly into the factory female weather pack slots. The ground wires, joined together into a single male blade terminal on the driving lights, I slid in the (black) factory ground female slot.
**************************************** REWIRING FOR TWO BEAM BRIGHTS ****************************************
With a bird's stock wiring system; one driving light would turn on for the brights, the other for the dims. I did not like this, so I got a kit from Summit that uses a relay to make both light for your brights.
Summit: SUM-G6219 HI-4 Light kit. The kit at the time was only $15, plus shipping.
Note that in the kit wiring, taps, tie raps, fuses, and wire loom is provided in the kit. I'm trying to break the instructions down so you don't have to buy the kit, but it is worth it so you don't have to run to the store and buy everything separate. But if you have a relay, wiring, and experience wiring, you can do it yourself...
Here is how! Relays wiring... Standard relays have 4 prongs and are numbered as follows: 87: output to light 86: input (signal wire) 85: ground (new) 30: power (new)
Directions: 1: Mount the relay w/in 24 inches of both the battery and the rear of you headlights. (with fiero this will be longer.. LOL) 2: Attach a wire to the relay terminal 85 and ground to a grounded metal surface 3: Unplug the high beam wires from rear of headlight (in our case the 3 wire plug.) A: Turn on headlights high beam and use a test light to determine which wire has power supplied to it... B: Turn off headlights C: Use a wiretap and attach a wire and connect it to the number 86 on the relay. 4: Unplug low beam... (In our case already unplugged) A: Turn on headlights low beam and use a test light to determine which wire has power supplied to it... B: turn off headlights C: Use a wiretap and attach a wire and connect it to the number 87 on the relay. 5: Now attach a wire to number 30 on the relay. Run wire with a fuse (20 amp) to the battery or a suitable power source. 6: Use tie raps and electrical tape to secure the wiring and seal out moisture from connections. (or better yet solder and heat shrink)
For this application on a 87 firebird like mine: Low beam (light brown on our cars) goes to 87... High beam (green on our cars) goes to 86... Ground (connect wire to chasis) goes to 85... Power: (from battery or suitable power source). You must have a 20-amp fuse on this power line.
[This message has been edited by redraif (edited 11-04-2011).]
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