Another issue I have is that my headlights are very weak. Sometimes driving I check to see if my lights are on because they are near useless.
Now I did have a problem with my main lights going off when I turn my brights on, but I fixed that by taking appart the stuff behing the steering wheel, finding all those contacts, I cleaned it out with a very small screwdriver and some tissue paper. l also sanded off all the contact points with fine 120 grid sand paper. All my lights can go on at the same time now But these very dim lights have been a problem since before that.
How or what can I test and where?
Thanks!!!
Stress: The confusion created when one's mind overrides the body's desire to choke the living $H!t out of some asshole that desperately deserves it!
Stephan, if the reflectors are stoofed or the glass of the headlights is badly pitted, you can buy brand new Hella 4H headlights from Goeiehoop for around R200 each!
OOOOMS wrote:Are your reflectors still good as in shiny on the inside. This reflects the light forward :wink2:
Mr_B wrote:Stephan, if the reflectors are stoofed or the glass of the headlights is badly pitted, you can buy brand new Hella 4H headlights from Goeiehoop for around R200 each!
The glass and the reflectors looks good (although it looks a bit dirty in this close up photo and it's very cloudy and raining outside so those reflectors also look less shiny now on the photo . . .)
CasKru wrote:What is you alternator voltage running at?
I've got one of those old school alternators where the regulator is a seperate box. But I did measure on the battery. Is that fine? With the engine off, it measures 12.49V and with the engine running I measure 15.96V
What else can I test?
Stress: The confusion created when one's mind overrides the body's desire to choke the living $H!t out of some asshole that desperately deserves it!
Those are not the correct lights for a SFA. Replace them with the correct Hella fittings, fit Osram Nightbreakers Plus, the voltage at the globes should be close enough to the battery voltage when the lights are switched on. If not, you need to check all light wiring, particularly the 3-pin sockets and Ground connection.
-F_D
White Fang: 1999 2.7i DC Raider 4x4 Bull Dog: 1987 4Y-EFI 2.2 DC 4x4 Pra Dog: 1998 Prado VX 3.4 Hound Dog: 2000 2.7i SC 4x4
One Staffie, One Jack Russell, One Ring Neck Screecher, 17 Fish of questionable heritage
Family_Dog wrote:Those are not the correct lights for a SFA. Replace them with the correct Hella fittings, fit Osram Nightbreakers Plus, the voltage at the globes should be close enough to the battery voltage when the lights are switched on. If not, you need to check all light wiring, particularly the 3-pin sockets and Ground connection.
-F_D
Stephan, doen wat die oom se. Plus, sit herleiers ( relays ) in vir elke paar ligte soos wat hulle doen met die spots. Ek het verder gegaan, vir elke lig sy eie herleier EN sekering met dik drade . Dit maak dat die lig sy krag direk van die battery kry ( of amper direk )en nie eers 'n draai deur die harnas maak nie. Sorg dat die spul ook droog bly. Niemand kan die silikon agter die ligte sien nie, maar as 'n lig dood is sien almal dit. Ons blinde ouens sukkel maar soms om te sien.
dont mess around with the wireing just buy a plug an play hid kit. comes with all the wirering . best solution
HAPPILY BUILD 3L V6 1987 TOYOTA HILUX viewtopic.php?f=136&t=18393" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; FORD> Full Off Road Damnation FORD>Its not oil leaks,, its swearing power Sponser:MY DAD Builder: ME: FRANCO DU PLESSIS
Agree with OOOOMS and Kobus, run thicker wire direct from batteries and let the normal wiring just switch the relay on and off. The draadjies they put in when manufacturing are way too thin. Problem on most old vehicles.
Only Dead Fish Go With The Flow!
1999 Hilux 2.7i 4x4 Raider DC with 3.4 Prado V6. Rear diff-lock, Bull Bar and rock sliders, 31" Cooper ST Maxx, Snorkel, Alu-Canopy, VHF Motorolla radio, West Coast Rust, Mikem Suspension, Ball Joint Spacers in front and Mikem extended shackles at the rear, 25watt LED Spots
OOOOMS wrote:First sort out the 15.96volt it will cause other problems with you 12v lamps :!:
Also try a diffrent multimeter. The other day I tested mine and was giving the same reading 15-16 volts
I had another meter and that gave a reading of 14volts.
But if that reading is true you need to sort that out.You going to fry your battery
"The World is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page.-Saint Augustine"
If all else fails try putting a candle in the headlight......
Do as 000OMS said and sort out the voltage first and then rewire the lights.....
Live Life in the FAST lane.... Forget the past, Embrace the FUTURE!!!! To 4x4 or not to 4x4 thats the question.... IT'S A JEEP ..... You wouldn't understand.... [rimg=206x128]
Keep in mind that due to the floating earth on the stalk unit it's not that easy just using the existing wiring to power up the relays. The stalk unit needs a certain feedback or resistance from the headlights.
I wanted to do the same thing and ran into this snag. I've stop trying to figure it out but have found something in between that will solve that problem but have not tried it out. It is some circuitry with diodes and resisters and the two relays for low beam and high beam.
I unplugged the back of the headlight unit and measured it there. 11.3V. Is that within acceptable margins? Or is that why lights are so extremely weak?
Stress: The confusion created when one's mind overrides the body's desire to choke the living $H!t out of some asshole that desperately deserves it!
I unplugged the back of the headlight unit and measured it there. 11.3V. Is that within acceptable margins? Or is that why lights are so extremely weak?
Family_Dog wrote:Those are not the correct lights for a SFA. Replace them with the correct Hella fittings, fit Osram Nightbreakers Plus, the voltage at the globes should be close enough to the battery voltage when the lights are switched on. If not, you need to check all light wiring, particularly the 3-pin sockets and Ground connection.
-F_D
Trace the earth, always earth to body, you can take it to Battery negative. The volts can be faulty Multimeter, mine packet up a month ago, were giving also about +2Volts more than it should.
I unplugged the back of the headlight unit and measured it there. 11.3V. Is that within acceptable margins?Or is that why lights are so extremely weak? Yes
Definitely not :!: You have then a voltage drop of 1.2 volt between your battery and your lights. Huge problem
OOOOMS wrote:You say you measure 12.5 Volt at the battery, is that with the vehicle idling or off ?
Hi
That is with the engine off. With the engine on, it's about 13.5V.
4x4megaworldpta wrote:Trace the earth, always earth to body, you can take it to Battery negative. The volts can be faulty Multimeter, mine packet up a month ago, were giving also about +2Volts more than it should.
This one is brand new. But I will get a friend to double check my readings with his. Eiter way, with my multimeter I measure a 1.25V drop. If it's out, then it's out on both and doens't change the difference between the two.
Stress: The confusion created when one's mind overrides the body's desire to choke the living $H!t out of some asshole that desperately deserves it!
This one is brand new. But I will get a friend to double check my readings with his. Eiter way, with my multimeter I measure a 1.25V drop. If it's out, then it's out on both and doens't change the difference between the two.
Now you have to find where to drop is ...... probably in the switching .... stalk switch or relays.
When your road comes to an end ...... you need a HILUX!.
Life is like a jar of Jalapeño peppers ... what you do today, might burn your ass tomorrow. Don't take life too seriously ..... no-one gets out alive. It's not about waiting for storms to pass. It's about learning to dance in the rain. And be yourself ..... everyone else is taken!
just buy an hid kit and stop cuting wire inpronimg wires adding wire and i bet you now it wont be half the brightness of hids. i just istaled mine and its great
HAPPILY BUILD 3L V6 1987 TOYOTA HILUX viewtopic.php?f=136&t=18393" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; FORD> Full Off Road Damnation FORD>Its not oil leaks,, its swearing power Sponser:MY DAD Builder: ME: FRANCO DU PLESSIS
HID's are designed for certain reflectors (newer generation vehicles). The light pattern is not correct & not as effective as it should be.
Yes, a bit more light and a whiter light and a lot of unpleasantness for oncoming drivers.
OOOOMS wrote:HID's are designed for certain reflectors (newer generation vehicles). The light pattern is not correct & not as effective as it should be.
Yes, a bit more light and a whiter light and a lot of unpleasantness for oncoming drivers.
This has been my take on HID's all along. If these kits were available with a corrective lamp unit (reflector AND lens), then I would say it's a worthwhile exercise, otherwise not IMO. Co-incidentally, I drove at night with a guy that had done a HID conversion just 2 months ago (new Corsa bakkie). The first thing that I noticed was the poor depth, both on dip and bright .... the light colour was nice and bright, but you could see that it wasn't focused .... there wasn't much penetration from the dispersed beam, even my old Osram Cool Blue's were better in this regard.
When your road comes to an end ...... you need a HILUX!.
Life is like a jar of Jalapeño peppers ... what you do today, might burn your ass tomorrow. Don't take life too seriously ..... no-one gets out alive. It's not about waiting for storms to pass. It's about learning to dance in the rain. And be yourself ..... everyone else is taken!
OOOOMS wrote:Relay only, ain't gonna solve your problem
I think not. Please correct me if I'm wrong.
If I take the "old" wires going into the light, I take them out, plug them into the "switching" side of the relay, run new cables from the battery to the "power" side of the relay, to the lights, then it should work 100% if my logic is correct I just need to get some resistance between the switch and the relay . . .
Am I correct?
Stress: The confusion created when one's mind overrides the body's desire to choke the living $H!t out of some asshole that desperately deserves it!
Or WAS I right and you actually wire it like this:
Drawing3.jpg (21.37 KiB) Viewed 4398 times
I take the "old" wires going into the light, I take them out, plug them into the "switching" side of the relay, run new cables from the battery to the "power" side of the relay, to the lights, then it should work 100% if my logic is correct I just need to get some resistance between the switch and the relay . . .
Am I correct?
Stress: The confusion created when one's mind overrides the body's desire to choke the living $H!t out of some asshole that desperately deserves it!
Stephan in theory it should work but in practise it doesn't. The problem is that we have floating earths on our stalk switches. If you remove the plug from the one headlight and do your circuitry it will work like a charm but as soon as you unplug the second headlight everything changes and you will not get it to work like that
Only Dead Fish Go With The Flow!
1999 Hilux 2.7i 4x4 Raider DC with 3.4 Prado V6. Rear diff-lock, Bull Bar and rock sliders, 31" Cooper ST Maxx, Snorkel, Alu-Canopy, VHF Motorolla radio, West Coast Rust, Mikem Suspension, Ball Joint Spacers in front and Mikem extended shackles at the rear, 25watt LED Spots
a floating ground is a ground, that is a reference node serving as a common return path for current from other components, which is not electrically connected to the Earth.
OK. So I went to AutoZone. The electrician there wasn't really in a helpful mood, but the one thing he did tell me is that you don't need any resistor for the relay. You connect it up as is.
Coincidentally I confirmed this when I stripped down some more wiring and saw that my spots is connected up exactly that way with a 5 pin relay. I haven't disected it completely, but here is how I figure it so far. And how I'm thinking of connecting up my lights. (Black is the old existing wiring and red is new wires)
Drawing5.jpg (22.71 KiB) Viewed 4383 times
Again please feel free to give feedback as I'm just trying to figure this out as I go along . . .
Stress: The confusion created when one's mind overrides the body's desire to choke the living $H!t out of some asshole that desperately deserves it!
Like I said, I would start by cleaning up those connections on that relay .... they look very dirty and possibly even corroded. Run the lights for a few minutes and see if any of those wires, or even the relay itself, gets hot.
When your road comes to an end ...... you need a HILUX!.
Life is like a jar of Jalapeño peppers ... what you do today, might burn your ass tomorrow. Don't take life too seriously ..... no-one gets out alive. It's not about waiting for storms to pass. It's about learning to dance in the rain. And be yourself ..... everyone else is taken!
SideKick wrote:Somewhere we are missing each other . . .
These last pics are of my spotlights that is running off of that relay and is wired like in that diagram. They are working 100%.
It's my normal low and high beam head lights that is useless and that I want to get onto relays . . .
Why not try replacing the relay with a new one (bosh or better) see if that makes any difference....
If that does not get you the lights you want try replacing as much as the old lighting wires as possible from the relay to the lights, it could be that the weir is onl and its loosing its current through to much corosion........
Live Life in the FAST lane.... Forget the past, Embrace the FUTURE!!!! To 4x4 or not to 4x4 thats the question.... IT'S A JEEP ..... You wouldn't understand.... [rimg=206x128]
SideKick wrote:Somewhere we are missing each other . . .
These last pics are of my spotlights that is running off of that relay and is wired like in that diagram. They are working 100%.
It's my normal low and high beam head lights that is useless and that I want to get onto relays . . .
Why not try replacing the relay with a new one (bosh or better) see if that makes any difference....
If that does not get you the lights you want try replacing as much as the old lighting wires as possible from the relay to the lights, it could be that the weir is onl and its loosing its current through to much corosion........
There is no relays on my lights. That is why I'm trying to get the lights onto it . . .
Stress: The confusion created when one's mind overrides the body's desire to choke the living $H!t out of some asshole that desperately deserves it!
Yes. That is exactly what I'm trying to do, but I'm told my setup won't work and I'm trying to find out why it wont work . . .
CasKru wrote:Stephan in theory it should work but in practise it doesn't. The problem is that we have floating earths on our stalk switches. If you remove the plug from the one headlight and do your circuitry it will work like a charm but as soon as you unplug the second headlight everything changes and you will not get it to work like that
Stress: The confusion created when one's mind overrides the body's desire to choke the living $H!t out of some asshole that desperately deserves it!
Vehicle: Hilux KZTE with ARB front locker/Safari Snorkel / 33x12.5x15 tyres / Long range tank / Battery system / Thomas compressor/ 2Engel fridge freezers/Cruise Control.
Mud Dog wrote:Now you have to find where to drop is ...... probably in the switching .... stalk switch or relays.
Stalk switch.
Want to put in relays but need to find out how
That is very easy,You will need two relays one for dims and one for brights.
At the bottom of the relay all the terminals have numbers.
(30) mains in +
(87) output to lights
(85) earth-
(86) trigger or switch.
CasKru wrote:Keep in mind that due to the floating earth on the stalk unit it's not that easy just using the existing wiring to power up the relays. The stalk unit needs a certain feedback or resistance from the headlights.
Hi
How much resistance is needed?
Is 85 Ohm enough?
Capture.JPG (28.52 KiB) Viewed 4361 times
Stress: The confusion created when one's mind overrides the body's desire to choke the living $H!t out of some asshole that desperately deserves it!
CasKru wrote:Keep in mind that due to the floating earth on the stalk unit it's not that easy just using the existing wiring to power up the relays. The stalk unit needs a certain feedback or resistance from the headlights.
Hi
How much resistance is needed?
Is 85 Ohm enough?
Capture.JPG
If I remember my grade 7 electrical right, then:
55W / 13.75 V = 4 Amps that each bulb pulls.
13.75 V / 4 Amps = 3.44 Ohms resistance each bulb gives.
you said you only need one bulb for it to work, which means you only need 4 Ohms resistance for it to work, which means a relay giving 85 Ohms should be more than enough!.
Unless it is too much . . . I still don't understand this floating earth . . .
Stress: The confusion created when one's mind overrides the body's desire to choke the living $H!t out of some asshole that desperately deserves it!