Vitesse Headlight relay photos

[ahebron]

Hi all.

Could someone who has fitted relays to their Vitesses headlights please post photos of the relays under the bonnet. 
Did you use 4 or 2 relays.

i have fed mine from the battery with an inline fuse to protect the circuits but have yet to fit relays. I might fit relays with in built fuses.
I fancied using SSRs but old fashioned relays are simpler.

 

Thanks
Adrian

[Peter Truman]

What’s the advantage with Solid State Relays are they more reliable ie less likely to burn out? Able to take more transient loads.

[ahebron]

Theoretically more reliable but I have seen them burn out on 230 volts in lights.
Probably a better thing to have under the front of a bonnet as they are a sealed unit apart from the cable connection.
It was just an idea.

[Clive]

No pics, but on my spitfire I have the relays up behind the LH headlight. I have used 2 std relays, though some ebay kits use a std relay and a changeover. 

I think a pair would be OK on a vitesse, the slight worry being you would loose main or dipped. You could even go for 3 relays, dipped, inner main, outer main. 

I ran a nice 50A flexible cable integrated into the main loom to the bonnet. Fused by the battery at 30A. Most will be 20A (dipped plus headlight flash) on a spit and that is only momentary. But you will need 30A for the extra main beam, or 40A if you have all lights fitted with dipped. 

I have not had any relays I bought fail. The ebay special loom with relays (fitted to my Toledo) gave up the ghost as the terminals rusted badly, despite being well protected from the weather. I tend to spray connections with grease/wax protection to prevent that happening, and have done for years, but must have forgotten on the toledo.

[Wagger]

It is easier to use one double pole change over relay correctly rated. May not be necessary to wire the Dip beam through it either. There are many ways of doing this previously posted.

Electrical Engineers and Electricians do it simply. Others carry out unnecessarily complicated mods that are harder to understand, from my experience.

[Paul H]

Here’s my relay setup on my Vitesse . All 4 come on with dipped with an inline fuse , removed for MOT

Paul 

[Mjit]

On my 2500S I just have the 2 relays.  Not sure what the/your Vitesse has but the 2500S is means to have a pair of dipped+main and a pair of just main, but I've replaced that with 4x dipped+main with all 4 either dipped or main when the lights are on.

[Iain T]

I have two relays mounted on a home made angle bracket bolted to the nearside horn bonnet bracket. I moved the horn to the drivers side (so two horns on the driver side) to give more room for the relays and cable spaghetti. One relay for mains and one for dipped. I still haven't tidied the cables but it all works. I'm not an electrician and it took me 10 times longer than a professional! 

Iain