haggis Posted July 18, 2015 Report Share Posted July 18, 2015 HI everyone, as recommended, I'am fitting some relays to my headlight circuits, now its a vitesse with twin headlights, do I need to fit 3 no relays? I have bought 30amp fused relays and have assumed they will all need a separate live battery feed (i.e x3) and also assume they can share a earth? Obviously the way I see it (I don't do electrics very well) there are only two sets of direct feeds for the headlights in the loom, Blue/White & Blue/Red, in the existing loom the blue/white & earths are 'Piggy Backed' across the headlights (main beam, both headlights on) and the Blue/Red is on its own (assuming dipped headlight) but all sharing the same earth(black). It might just be simpler to ask if anyone has a wiring diagram with relays for twin headlights? and also if anyone has fitted the relays on the vertical bit of bonnet between wheel arch & bonnet top, where the horn is mounted, with success? Thanks Hag Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dougbgt6 Posted July 18, 2015 Report Share Posted July 18, 2015 Here is a very thorough article about how to do it. Discusses wire thickness, cable runs and lengths. They only use 2 relays even for the double headlight version. When you say share an earth I presume you mean a wire from each to the earthing point? That would be OK, but not daisy chained. http://www.danielsternlighting.com/tech/relays/relays.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
haggis Posted July 18, 2015 Author Report Share Posted July 18, 2015 Ok great thanks, I'll take a look. Hag Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomL Posted July 19, 2015 Report Share Posted July 19, 2015 Hi Hag and Clive, Hag, you should only need two relays. Their location is a tricky one as the length of cable that comes before any fuse will vulnerable in the under-bonnnet area on our cars, and therefore a fire risk. If you do fit your relays somewhere near the horns, the location of the fuses will be important to limit unfused length. Clive, interesting article. I always knew that loss of voltage to the lights leads to a far greater loss of output but hadn't realised it was as much as the article suggests. Good stuff. Tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dougbgt6 Posted July 19, 2015 Report Share Posted July 19, 2015 Just one question, who's Clive? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clive Posted July 19, 2015 Report Share Posted July 19, 2015 Me! The alternative to building your own loom is to fit one of these: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/H4-H4-Headlight-Headlamp-Black-Booster-Wire-Harness-Cable-SAYG-STGG-/111466280732?pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item19f3e8771c I have a couple, one fitted. Arrived in a week or so, all looks to be OK. Probably need to extend the feed wire in our cars (not on the classic mini though!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomL Posted July 19, 2015 Report Share Posted July 19, 2015 Doug (sorry!); Doug, meet Clive! Clive, this is Doug. (By masking my mistake with introductions, I think I've got away with it). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dougbgt6 Posted July 19, 2015 Report Share Posted July 19, 2015 Clive, Tom, I bought one of those a couple of months ago! How can they do it for the price? You couldn't buy one relay for that! It's not fitted yet due to other work on servo and suspension. It looks pretty robust, but as you say the battery wire needs extending. Also, I have cowls over the back of my head lights, so the connectors will have to come off to get the wires through. Looking at them I think I can pop them off and reconnect without cutting or soldering. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin Lindsay Posted August 25, 2021 Report Share Posted August 25, 2021 https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/203532589432?hash=item2f637cd978:g:~s0AAOSwg0ZhGf13 Just to revive an old thread due to a car I'm working on at present; is this the same product? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Badwolf Posted August 25, 2021 Report Share Posted August 25, 2021 Looks very similar to the one that I bought last year. Doug posted the original link. Edit..this was the one I bought in 2019, considerably cheaper than it is at the moment... https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/192284936495 Watch out for the rating of the fuse that comes fitted in them Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Badwolf Posted August 26, 2021 Report Share Posted August 26, 2021 Colin - If you are thinking of buying any of those headlight relay conversions, the 20% off discount code shown expires on 28th August 2021. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clive Posted August 26, 2021 Report Share Posted August 26, 2021 On 25/08/2021 at 22:37, Colin Lindsay said: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/203532589432?hash=item2f637cd978:g:~s0AAOSwg0ZhGf13 Just to revive an old thread due to a car I'm working on at present; is this the same product? Yes, I fitted one, but the connectors rusted badly, and I couldn't get the relays off. Took a few years. I popped a replacement one (identical) but sprayed all the connections with bike chain lube (or waxoil/spray grease or whatever) which has stopped a repeat. But I got mine when they were a fiver. Relays are not expensive, and it may be better to wire your own? I have done that on my spitfire. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dougbgt6 Posted August 26, 2021 Report Share Posted August 26, 2021 1 hour ago, clive said: Yes, I fitted one, but the connectors rusted badly, and I couldn't get the relays off. Took a few years. Wow! That must have been some struggle! I bought a headlight conversion loom 6 years ago, no problems since, but I don't take my car out in the rain, not as adventurous as Clive. Doug Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clive Posted August 27, 2021 Report Share Posted August 27, 2021 7 hours ago, dougbgt6 said: Wow! That must have been some struggle! I bought a headlight conversion loom 6 years ago, no problems since, but I don't take my car out in the rain, not as adventurous as Clive. Doug Yes, the car lived outside, and I discovered teh issue when doing checks before its 2nd RBRR (lights would be on for about 24hrs over the weekend) But spraying some form of protection on connections has become the norm for me. However, this is the first time I had seen connections go so rusty, I don't think there was any protective plating at all on the terminals. And they were not in an exposed area, tucked up in the engine bay. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeffds1360 Posted September 1, 2021 Report Share Posted September 1, 2021 Hi guys, excuse me asking but I got one of those for about £7 last month but not fitted yet. I am confused about the Male connection provided with it. I understand the two females need to be somehow inserted into my headlight bowl and the sealed beam unit gets plugged into them, I guess the bowl has a large rubber grommet that I remove but what's that Male connection all about? I have not studied the wiring yet but I do need a longer live from battery. Am I missing something obvious? Is it for the main and dip feeds from the column switch? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NonMember Posted September 2, 2021 Report Share Posted September 2, 2021 10 hours ago, Jeffds1360 said: I am confused about the Male connection provided with it. The male 3-pin headlight connector? That plugs into the bit of harness you've unplugged the sealed beam unit from. The whole cheap Chinese mess of wires is supposed to just fit between the headlight bulb and the existing wiring, with an extra supply feed off the side. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeteH Posted September 2, 2021 Report Share Posted September 2, 2021 Hi When I put Driving lights On Stage Rally Cars, I used Fused relays and ran heavy Cable to the Lights. The relays where back up by the Battery Feed/Kill Switch, on the scuttle (battery was in the boot). The theory was IF it shorted under the bonnet during "tree hugging", all the wiring under the hood was dead?. Pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Badwolf Posted September 2, 2021 Report Share Posted September 2, 2021 Jeff - Check the value of the fuse that came with your relay kit. I have banged on about this before. Mine was supplied with a 40amp but Doug's kit was 10amp I think. Will try to find the post. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeteH Posted September 2, 2021 Report Share Posted September 2, 2021 A 10A fuse should cope with up to 100W. IIRC, most Mains are 60/55`s? So a 5A draw?. I guess 15A would almost be overkill?. Evan allowing for a bit of Surge?. Pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeffds1360 Posted September 2, 2021 Report Share Posted September 2, 2021 (edited) Mine is 40A in the kit. My gro⁰mmets in the bowls are too small! ⁰ Looking at de-wiring the female plugs but they are not simple. something to keep me busy today. ahrgggg....just seen nonmembers post....... ... so it is a mess!!! Maybe bin it and do my own Edited September 2, 2021 by Jeffds1360 Extra info Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Badwolf Posted September 2, 2021 Report Share Posted September 2, 2021 Jeff - I think I have something on my restoration thread. I will have a look before you bin it. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NonMember Posted September 2, 2021 Report Share Posted September 2, 2021 1 hour ago, PeteH said: IIRC, most Mains are 60/55`s? So a 5A draw? Beware!!! That's the working power rating, at 12V. The current draw is a little higher in reality BUT it's much, much higher when the lights are first turned on. Resistance of a filament gets higher when it's hot, so a cold bulb has much lower resistance. The fuse needs to be slow-blow, minimum 15A steady (more on a Vitesse) and at least 30A surge. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dougbgt6 Posted September 2, 2021 Report Share Posted September 2, 2021 3 hours ago, NonMember said: The whole cheap Chinese mess of wires is supposed to just fit between the headlight bulb and the existing wiring, with an extra supply feed off the side. I don't think NM likes it! I did cut mine about, but as a starting point the original Chinese wiring was adequate. I think Clive had a problem with rusty connectors, but he leaves his car out in the rain. Have a look at BWs thread for an unbiased assessment! Doug Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NonMember Posted September 2, 2021 Report Share Posted September 2, 2021 8 minutes ago, dougbgt6 said: I don't think NM likes it! Let's just say I wouldn't fit one myself. It's in the wrong place. To do it right you need different connectors - bullets would be OK for our cars as there's a set of them at least somewhat closer to where you want it. But if you're cutting it about, as you did, then I'd prefer to buy the good quality raw parts and build it neatly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dougbgt6 Posted September 2, 2021 Report Share Posted September 2, 2021 1 minute ago, NonMember said: I'd prefer to buy the good quality raw parts and build it neatly. Yeh, I don't care about quality, or neat. Doug Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now