relays to make lights brighter.

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digitaldrifter91

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well as you know it im a bored person.

i was concidering using relays to make my headlights brighter. i did it to add some lights to my system for now and it helped in power consumption.

http://www.mrbean.net.au/~rover/headlamps.htm

thats an nice arcticle...

now my question, since there is power loss through electrical lines doing this relay...would it make my lights brighter?

i have a 1991 honda accord with converted high beams to low for extra light output.
 
quote:
Originally posted by digitaldrifter91:
i have a 1991 honda accord with converted high beams to low for extra light output.
Click to expand...
You mean the high beams are on all the time? Not only is that rude but it's illegal. It's also the reason I totaled my Cherokee...
 
quote:
Originally posted by digitaldrifter91:
http://forums.audiworld.com/s4/msgs/903574.phtml

that one is better
Click to expand...
Too bad he used the wrong crimp tool for his wire terminal ends!!!! He should have used These

crushedcar.gif
grin.gif



I added relays and E-codes to my old Volvo 740, and they made a difference.
 
i have tried silverstars and they are very nice and good...very bright.

right now i have cool blue from GE...and its bright but white, no yellow or blue...

so you guys did do relays....i wonder if i should really do it...i do run 65 watt bulbs instead of 55 but the output is only minimally more than normal cause of what my system can give it.
 
Maybe just buy a car that uses relays from the factory? Did I ever mention that I like my Subarus
grin.gif


Seriously though, ever tried the Sylvania SilverStar bulbs? I've seen them (not on my car though, YET), and they look great.

Dave
 
You are not going to get an increase in brightness by useing a relay for your headlamps. There should already be a relay in the main junction block. THe headlamp switch could never take the continious current draw of the lamps! THe harness for the fwd/lamps is very expensive. If you jerry rig it and ruin it you will be out some money! They use relays to reduce the length of the wire run and to reduce the guage of wire that would be needed and the capacity of the switch.

If you want brighter headlamps then increase voltage by 30%. One note your life cycle will be reduced by 30% as well. I have done this before. I also increased volage going to fuel pump and inginiton coil! I did this on offroad only vechiles.

digitaldrifter91, This is not meant to offend so please do not take it that way. You are the reason I fear buying a used car!!! TO many people modify their cars and then sell them without undoing their handy work. When someone has to work on it or a tech has to work on it to fix the vechile it can be maddening! Usualy the people that can least afford the cost of the repairs are the ones that end up with a modified used car!

Sure hope you are haveing fun!!!
 
I have been working on Chevrolet P30 1 ton trucks
for 25 years. I know relays sure keep the headlight switch connector from getting hot and
melting. If you guys had replaced as many as I
have you would know what I mean. 1999 and newer
already has a relay. Chevrolet finally got smart.
 
Measure your headlight voltage with the engine running. It may be several volts lower than the Alternator. That is because the volts have to go all the way up to the headlight switch and back thru skinny wires.
I just did this using the daniel stern wiring. Before I could look at the lights, and now it hurts my eyes. If that ain't scientific I don't know what is!
I did this because when I was installing an alarm I also found my headlight switch plug was partially melted.

http://www.danielsternlighting.com/tech/tech.html
 
quote:
Originally posted by terryr:
Measure your headlight voltage with the engine running. It may be several volts lower than the Alternator. That is because the volts have to go all the way up to the headlight switch and back thru skinny wires.
I just did this using the daniel stern wiring. Before I could look at the lights, and now it hurts my eyes. If that ain't scientific I don't know what is!
I did this because when I was installing an alarm I also found my headlight switch plug was partially melted.

http://www.danielsternlighting.com/tech/tech.html
Click to expand...
Stern has a useful site.

A more accurate way to check voltage drop it to measure the voltage between the + on your alternator or battery and the + on the headlight terminal. That's a more accurate way to measure drop.

While your'e at it, measure the difference between the ground terminal on the bulb and the ground terminal on the battery. It's not unusual to find some fixable loss there too.

Anyone who hasn't taken a good look at Stern's site should. It's educational how much light you lose wityh just a 1 volt drop in your wiring.
 
JohnBrowning :thanks, well i dont take any of your advice in an attack towards me.

but i see now that there are harnesses that are now designed to withstand more heat than the stock ones. they are pretty cheap at 9 dollars.

i will measure the voltage drop tomorrow though.
 
The reason the output is so sensitive to power is that wattage is V squared divided by R. So a 10% increase in voltage is about 20% increase in Wattage output ( approx to light output) So any increases you get in voltage by running low gauge wiring, and or using relays with short power runs directly from the battery is going to help. If you look at the wiring harnesses on lights they are really not that heavy. With a 110 watts running thru the wires, we're looking at approx 9 amps continuous.

Drifter, use some of that power amp wiring you have left and a 30 amp relay wired off where the amp connects to the battery and see what happens.
 
cool.gif
IMO it won't make much if any difference unless you're running more wattage than stock. Friend of mine has done this.
I put Silverstars in my wife's car, definitely a good unit.
 
quote:
Originally posted by cangreylegend:
The reason the output is so sensitive to power is that wattage is V squared divided by R. So a 10% increase in voltage is about 20% increase in Wattage output ( approx to light output)
Click to expand...
It makes quite a bit more difference than that because lights are a lot less efficient when run below design power levels.
 
Silverstars IMO are overpriced and not worth the price for what they do. I saw little lighting difference, just a difference in the color of the light.

Oddly though, in my GF's car, they did give off a little more light though her car has real housings while I have poor sealed beams (H4351).

I'm running higher watt bulbs now for 1/2 price of Silverstars and are much MUCH better. And no, not enough to blind anyone.

[ February 02, 2004, 04:33 PM: Message edited by: Stealth26 ]
 
i take cool blue or something over silvania.

i am running bulbs higher than stock. stock is 51 watts and i run 65 watt high beam bulb that are converted...if u refer to the upper threads...its brighter a little but more power will work.

i bought a relay today and im going to try to hook it up to see if there is an actuall differnce. hopefully i can get some pics for you guys if there is or isnt any differnces.

ill measure before and after voltage as well.
 
i measured voltage at the battery and its 13.99...the voltage at the harness is 13.98...

now i dont think i need a relay....wut u guys think?
 
quote:
Originally posted by digitaldrifter91:
i measured voltage at the battery and its 13.99...the voltage at the harness is 13.98...

now i dont think i need a relay....wut u guys think?
Click to expand...
Was that measured with your lights turned on?
 
I wouldn't bother if I had those numbers. Mine was about 3 Volts down.

The connectors themselves were also chalky and I cleaned them with a dremel wire brush. That must have helped as well.
 
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