Headlights

[hotram03]

Well I finally put in the GE super blues and turned around and installed 2-30 amp relays on them and all I can say is WOW my lights are 70% brighter than they were, the lights themselves were brighter than the old ones, and then the relays made them even brighter, I still have one relay to install on the parking lamp sides, but going to do it soon, thanks for the heads-up on the weak headlight switch guys, TDR ya just can't beat this group of people.

 

[tugboatphil]

hotram03,



I have been wanting to do something like that, but don't know anything about what a relay looks like or how to actually wire it in. Did you, or can you take pictures of what you did?



Thanks.

 

[hotram03]

Tugboat, I ordered 3 30 amp ralays from napa about 24. 00 apiece for some good ones with a built in mounting bracket and exposed plug-in terminals, as far as the rest no pics but can describe, I used test light grounded at battery to find low beam side and high beam wires mine were: low beam purple/white stripe 16-18 ga, red/orange stripe 14 ga high beam, mount relay and scratch off paint behind mount for good ground, to be continued:

 

[hotram03]

then I ran #16 gauge heat shrink from battery to #30 terminal on relay, then will use low beam for example, find and cut low beam wire in two, run low beam from switch to the #86 terminal on relay(this activates relay) then run low beam wire going to the headlight to the #87 or #87a as they are on the same circuit, now ground the relay to the #85 relay terminal to the relay mounting bolt(thats why clean off mounting hole bolt area for good ground) and thats it for the low beam side, repeat same precedure for the high beam side, I found these wires in the main harness right on the driver inner fender and cut there, I also made sure in my service manual before I cut that I had the right wires, just double check, mines a '92 yours maybe different wire colors, any questions pm me for phone # and we will talk intstead of typing LOL, hope this helps

 

[hotram03]

I will post the Napa part #'s on the relay's I bought, you may want something different, this just worked for me, I mounted mine close to the ASD relays and the other 2 already on the drivers fender and installed everything in convolution tubing, 3m black taped, and small zip tie's for neatness, it looks factory.

 

[Sri Ram]

Yeah, some pics would be great for those of us who haven't done this before…but want to! From what I've read here, anyone who's really using their truck ought to know about wiring relays. Anyone want to do some kind of 1,2,3 tutorial?

 

[hotram03]

the Napa part# I used was a AR274 relay 16. 49 apiece(I have a shop account set up with them, so I get a price break) like I said I looked at there book and decided on these, they were what I was looking for, someone else might like something different.

 

[tugboatphil]

Thanks for all the work, hotram. I will print this out and look at my wiring and see if I can figure it out, before I make you work on a sunday again.



So if I have read it correctly, you did all this wiring under the hood? Nothing under the dash?

 

[hotram03]

Thats right, all under the hood, mounted relays alittle bit forward and up from the other 3 already there, I bought some good quality 3m black tape, cut open that factory fiber tape on the driver inner fender convolution tubing main harness, found the wires, spliced, reinstalled convolution tubing, retaped and some zip ties, looks factory. Right now in the process of doing the parking lamps side, now this ones FUN :{ as I am keeping this relay under the dash. Good luck, PM me if you have some questions.

 

[dpuckett]

Ok, if i got this right, you installed the realys before the wiring split into the right and left sides?



Daniel

 

[Philip]

Here is a pic of a 5 pin relay showing the pinout.



Hook the signal wire to pin 86. This would be the circuit wire your interrupting to use the relay to power the rest of the circuit. In this case the headlight wire from the switch.



Ground wire 85 to a good body ground.



Pin 30 gets battery feed or wherever your pulling power from.



Pin 87 is a normaly open contact in the at rest state. (As soon as you apply power to pin 86 this circuit goes hot). This one is used for the item your repowering. This is wire going to the head light itself.



Pin 87A is hot with the relay is not innergized. (When pin 86 is powered this terminal is cold). This would give you day time running lights. When the headlight switch is on this terminal is dead.



I am not good enough with paintshop to draw out a diagram. :-laf





Something to remember. The 5 pin relay is the best for a lighting appilication. If the relay contacts go bad. Unhook the wire on terminal 86 and move the wire on 87 to 87a and your lights are back on and working with very little hassle and down time along the side of a road on the darkest night of the year. :-laf :-laf

 

[flathead6]

Thats right, all under the hood, mounted relays alittle bit forward and up from the other 3 already there, I bought some good quality 3m black tape, cut open that factory fiber tape on the driver inner fender convolution tubing main harness, found the wires, spliced, reinstalled convolution tubing, retaped and some zip ties, looks factory. Right now in the process of doing the parking lamps side, now this ones FUN :{ as I am keeping this relay under the dash. Good luck, PM me if you have some questions.

Great info, thanks all! This will decrease the chance of a switch meltdown in the dash, but the trailer lights are probably connected to the harness in the rear right? That why you are doing the parking lights too hotram? Will you keep us updated on that too please?

 

[BSchindler]

Check out Modulite by Draw-Tite. Sells for about $70 online, but got it locally for half that. For trailer lights.

 

[Moab4x4]

Don't forget the circuit breaker

I recommend using a weather resistant fuse holder to supply power to your relays. Plug in a 30A circuit breaker. That will give you some protection if something rubs wrong and shorts near the headlights. Remember, not using the HL switch for your power also removes the factory protection as well.

I am going to install the relays and fuses for the rear trailer lights behind the glove box where the ABS controller used to be. The slick thing about that is that I am pretty sure I can use the factory ABS solenoid wires to take my trailer signals to the back of the truck. I cut the pigtail off my old ABS unit and will plug my ABS/now trailer light plug into the factory harness at the rear axle area.

I think that should be slick. I will document this if it works like I think it should.



I got my relays cheap online through an electronics supply house. Car alarm places have them too. Relays < $5 with harness. Dual relay harnesses available.



Fuses and or circuit breakers for everything! I have no desire to toast the truck while trying to keep from toasting a light switch.

Ken

 

[ARhine]

www.partsexpress.com has genuine bosch relays for much cheaper than that, sockets to.

I just goto the salvage yard and grab and handfull every year. GM cars have some nice ones with weatherpack style sockets to keep them sealed.



What I need are some good headlight sockets to do the mod with. Are the ones with 16g wire at the local parts store good enough? They don't sell them without pigtails.



Andy