Installed new headlights, now hibeams problem

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Worship79

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Apr 23, 2008
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The Netherlands
I installed new H4 clear glass headlights this weekend. Not with relays, but with the stock wiring. When I turn on the low beams all is fine, nice and bright. But when I turn on the hi beams for a little while all seems well (wow! I can actually see where I'm going now), but then all four lights blink a few times and then turn off.

Video: [ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p7itiIHa3oM[/ame]

The voltmetre on the dash stays at a steady 14 volts, the hibeam indicator blinks with the lights and then goes out too.

What I noticed was that the lowbeams had already been replaced by H4 lamps and bulbs. But the hibeams were still the stock sealed beam type. However on the driver side there was a 2-pin type lamp and on the driver side a 3-pin type lamp, but with a 2-pin connector attached. Bubba?

For the 3-wire H4 hibeams to work I connected the third wire to the black ground wire (a test with the plus wire gave some funky sparks ;))

I soldered everything in, just doing a short 'does it burn?' test before final installation. So I don't think it's loose wires.

Any ideas what this could be?
 
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3 pin is a hi & lo beam, dual fillament.

So, you have 4 H4 dual fillaments now, so you have 4 low and 4 hi beams. I had that too on my car but I used relays. I suspect that your thermal circuit breaker which is part of the HL switch kicks in, I would change it immediately, you wouldn't be the first to have one catch on fire.

Do it with relays and a 12V feed off the alternator and use an inline fuse! You absolutely do not want the additional load of extra hi beams on the system which alraedy gets pretty hot at the switch (there's a significant voltage drop over the switch, all that loss = heat!)

Also, I asume you hooked up "daytime running lights"? (daglicht?) if so, do you have 2 of them or 4? It's also hard to see from the vid, but when you switch on the high beams, do the low beams stay on (I had mine switched to have both of them on, so with hi beams i had 4 lows and 4 highs illuminating the streets)?
 
You are correct TT: I have 4 H4 lights installed. The "dimlichten" (lowbeam) are the two outer ones and only burn one fillament. The inner ones are "groot licht" (hibeam) and burn with both fillaments. When I turn on the hibeams, the lowbeams stay on, but I haven't checked if they burn 2 fillaments as well (act like hibeams). So I at least have 6 and perhaps 8 fillaments burning when the hibeams are on. Then there are the daytime running lights, which are two lights behind the nose grills, two sidemarkers in the front quarterpanels, two sidemarkers in the rear quarterpanels and then there are the regular rear lights.

I found a schema for running relays, but also heard there are 'plug-and-play' harnesses for sale. Any good? I attached the schema too.thum_16948a88f8bd975f.jpg
 
The plug and play harnesses are like $120. I built one for CaScotty for $20. in parts. Your choice, but I defenitely agree with Marck on this one. The blinking is (most likely) the circuit breaker tripping and auto reseting. (They are similar to a flasher in construction)
 
Halim,

The schematic you found is plug and play, you don't need to alter your existing wiring, just take off all the headlight connectors and tape em up and use 1 (most will use the outer drivers side one) dual beam connector and connect the tan low beam wire and green hi beam wire to it with those crimp on blade type connectors. All you need to do is mount the relays somewhere, make the loom (hella makes H4 headlight sockets, should be available from brezan or any other auto store) connect the and hook up the power wire straight to the alternator with an inline circuit breaker, hook up ground and you're good to go.

If you want I can make you one, shouldn't be too expensive and I owe you for the DVD
 
big2bird said:
The plug and play harnesses are like $120. I built one for CaScotty for $20. in parts. Your choice, but I defenitely agree with Marck on this one. The blinking is (most likely) the circuit breaker tripping and auto reseting. (They are similar to a flasher in construction)
Click to expand...
Jeff, could I impose on you to send the $20 worth of parts? I can't find anywhere out here that sells the parts and I definitely want to upgrade the lights in the near future. I can PayPal or Western Union the cash to you for the parts and shipping.

Hell, make up the harness and I'll spot you a carton of beer too :thumbs:






And yes, I am serious :wink:
 
Installed the harness TT made me this sunday and it works great. That is: it works as supposed to, but I can't make you all yealous with picture of my blinding searchlights equipped 'vette... yet. I'll make some shots soon though :cool:
 
i was thinking of swapping the 2 prongs on the dual filament lights so the high beam is on normally then the low beam kicks on when you hit the brights.
 
Interesting, but I like this better :) Besides: here, it's illegal to have hibeams on if not neccessary. Now to find out how to set align the lights properly myself... I could read the signs above the highway very, very well, but I doubt the motorists in front of me were very happy with that :D
 
Worship79 said:
Interesting, but I like this better :) Besides: here, it's illegal to have hibeams on if not neccessary. Now to find out how to set align the lights properly myself... I could read the signs above the highway very, very well, but I doubt the motorists in front of me were very happy with that :D
Click to expand...

i had a set of those and the circuit bkr tripped after 10 sec when the brights were on. Those bulbs shit the bed quick.
 
Worship79 said:
Interesting, but I like this better :) Besides: here, it's illegal to have hibeams on if not neccessary. Now to find out how to set align the lights properly myself... I could read the signs above the highway very, very well, but I doubt the motorists in front of me were very happy with that :D
Click to expand...

I used to do that as a kid. We used a suction cup /level tool. Just park it on a level surface at night. Aim at a wall/door. Snap a line at 3', and be 10' back or so. Drivers side should be straight ahead, slightly down. Pass side, down to the right slightly. High beams straight ahead.
 
How did this turn out? Is it working properly? Did you get the larger terminals crimped on?
 
The wiring is great, the headlights were not. The light image turned out not to be according to the rules and regulations, so I tossed 'm and bought two new headlights to match the two old, but useable Hella's I still had lying around.

I think they were a brand called Saturn. The Philips Blue something H4's were transferred to the new lights and I have to say: this light is actually brighter and better than the clear glass headlights I installed. Well for 50 bucks, what did I expect? :rolleyes:

As for the alternator, that still needs to be replaced: if I have my lowbeams (all four of them :cool:) on, I can't stop for very long or the voltage drops rapidly. It takes about 10 to 20 seconds of idle to decrease from 14 to 8 volts. I never stopped long enough to find out what happens below that.

Anyway, I bought a used CS130 alt out of an '87 C4. I know the later models are better, but I can't afford one right now. I also got the conversion plug for $17,- and that's about where I'm at right now. When (or, in my country's case: if) the weather gets better and the plug is in, I'll get back and post some photo's.
 
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