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Rewiring headlights


adamzan
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The low beams on my pathy work awesome, the high beams, while better than my friends cars by far, still leave a lot to be desired. I noticed that if you hold the headlamp switch half way, that you can have low and high beams on at the same time. That really helped me see better. So my question is, could I wire some kind of switch, so that I could flick it into that mode? Would that cause the wiring to overheat unless I rewire with thicker wire?

Edited by redfinder
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I would NOT dot do this. Firstly the current draw will likly exceed the switch rating and could lead to a fire. Also the excess heat generated in the lamp housing by running both filaments simultaneously will likely burn out the bulb and also possibly lead to melting the lamp plug and also maybe a short or fire.If you need more light consider putting some HID driving lights. Kragen sells some for about $100 each and you can buy a relay kit for another $25 or so. Good LUck ! - glenn

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I was able to get mine "stuck" in the both on position on a road trip and drove for a couple hours in the HI+LO configuration. my switch got a little buggy after that (too much current thru a tiny li'll swich) but my bulps, fixtures and wireing up front were fine. I was gonna run a DIODE from my HIs to my lows so that the lows stay on but I havn't done it yet. I also recently got aftermarket lights and I find my want for this DIODE mod is less than it was.

Might I sugest running a direct battery relay for your head lights b4 you try something like that so you don't cook your switch. also, runnning a direct battery relay may free up the current you need to not even need both on.

I think I'll be set after I do one myself.

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Alright thanks for the suggestions. As it stands right now, my DRL's are my high beams, and someone has run a wire from the drivers side to the passenger side, as when I unhooked it, my passenger DRL went out. I guess the module is fried and someone was too cheap/lazy/dumb to fix it. Might also be why my high beams suck...

 

I will probably just put my lights on.

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I had some high-wattage headlights once, I think they were 90W low, 100W high...melted the crap out my my headlight wiring sockets just by using the low beams. Both quit working within a few months. I had to find replacement sockets. If you put 55W and 65W on at the same time, say hello to melted plastic! ;)

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I think I will just leave well enough alone. I don't have the time right now to do anything about it and I drive 95 percent in the day anyways now, if I even drive at all. But holy hell are the stock wires ever THIN.

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may I re-iterate(sp) that I am very happy with my aftermarket fixtures. I went to X-pel to get some (indestuctable) clear adeaseive over them,because they are plastic and ya!! I really really like em! I can see em in the rain too! (couldn't do that with stock)

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  • 2 weeks later...

I did the relay/rewire a while back that 88 posted. I ran 12 gauge wire off a $10 spool of wire from Autozone, from the battery to the relay, and then to the headlights. I used maybe 1/4 of the spool, plus a $5 relay and some crimp on connectors. Its really easy, didn't take long at all, maybe an hour or so to go through and figure the whole thing out, and then tie things down and clean it up. The lows are sooo much brighter and stronger after the swap. I also have PIAA driving lights too, which is another option if you want even easier, but relaying the stock headlights is cheaper and nice. Figure under $20 and an hour-ish for good results.

 

P.S. I also went with higher powered bulbs off eBay years back, I think like 80 watts low beam (as opposed to wiring the lows and highs, which I've seen diagrams online on how to do). I think you'd be much safer doing the low+high if you had quad bulbs like some vehicles have (separate lows and highs) to avoid the excess heat and draw. I'd seriously question running both low and high in the same bulb like we have. Anyways, mine melted both light sockets quickly, so I had to replace both sockets, and they weren't as bright as mine are now.

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when i was upgrading to the 94 harness one of the headlight sockets was busted and the only thing the autoparts store had were some ricer sockets that were good up to "high temperatures" they were blue instead of black but still resembled some ASB plastics and i don't know if they were legit or not but i guess if you wanted to go to more "powerful" bulbs that may be a valid option...or just add some fogs or "driving" lights

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when i was upgrading to the 94 harness one of the headlight sockets was busted and the only thing the autoparts store had were some ricer sockets that were good up to "high temperatures" they were blue instead of black but still resembled some ASB plastics and i don't know if they were legit or not but i guess if you wanted to go to more "powerful" bulbs that may be a valid option...or just add some fogs or "driving" lights

 

I've never had a problem since. I think the issue is the added power draw and heat with the tiny stock wiring to the stock plug. The nice part of relaying them is you can bypass all the stock crap wiring, and the worry of frying it when you play with more power.

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i havent played around too much with the headlights but i know for sure all of my lighting is/will be relayed and i will have plenty of light, legal or not when my truck is back running...i'll be able to light up the desert

 

Alas, then we see eye to eye, grasshoppa. ;) (just put an HID kit in the Mrs. Acura recently... holy isht!)

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  • 1 month later...

I've got a weird problem with my lights that happens randomly. Whenever it starts and the DRL's come on, only the passenger one comes on, but since someone put a wire across the 2 they both should work. If I flash the high beams it'll come back or if I turn the actual lights ON, then OFF. I checked the connections at the lights and the switch and all the contacts are good. Strange! I only noticed it because I got pulled over by the school security guard. Guess he was that bored.

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