Headlight Relay Installation

D

Dan Sarandrea (Phila)

Waitin' On Parts...
Here's how I installed my Bob Brown© No-Cut Headlight Relays™:)

Got two Radio Shack project boxes, and started on the passenger side.
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Upgraded the power lead wiring to the relays and drilled holes to pass the wiring thru.
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Spliced the power leads.
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Velcroed the project box to the fender/pod bulkhead.
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Power lead follows original wiring harness. There was an extra hole in the rubber plug that was perfect for passing thru the #10 wire. Relays ground to the existing ground bloom.
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Here's a close-up of the 2-into-1 butt splice, hard to find in small quantities (I ordered from www.sherco-auto.com).
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Driver's side same as passenger side.
(Photo omitted to stay within 10 pic limit per post).


Grommets to protect wiring.
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Power feeds have inline fuses located in the frunk.
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Power feed originates at thru-the-bulkhead power post (has since been revised---see http://xwebforums.com/forum/index.php?threads/21450/)
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Wow, nice work.

With 10g wire you should be able to run 200W bulbs. :brow:

No seriously nice work. I'll have to get some of those project boxes. The Radio Shack stores around here are mostly cell phone crap stores now. If you go in there looking for connectors or resistors they just point to the back and have no idea what's back there. Used to be a good chain. My Vanagon has a Radio Shack CD deck with lots of power, and weather band for my inner nerd.
 
budgetzagato said:
With 10g wire you should be able to run 200W bulbs. :brow:

No seriously nice work. I'll have to get some of those project boxes. The Radio Shack stores around here are mostly cell phone crap stores now. If you go in there looking for connectors or resistors they just point to the back and have no idea what's back there. Used to be a good chain. My Vanagon has a Radio Shack CD deck with lots of power, and weather band for my inner nerd.
Click to expand...

Next time you come up to Renton for a FEN meet stop by Fry's Electronics. If you haven't ever been in there:eek:mg: Puts Radio Shack to shame.
 
Another clean install - nice work!

Did you replace the original headlight socket contacts as well to ensure excellent connections?
 
Bob's kit includes a ceramic socket that connects to the headlights.

The white socket inside the project box in the pix is the original socket. I cleaned/brightened each female push on connector inside the OEM socket as best I could with superfine sandpaper (800) and a .177 caliber brass bore brush. And as I have been going along, I have been brushing all of the contacts and connectors with Caig's DeOxIt 100% cleaner.
 
Nice work Dan,

Heaviest duty install I've seen to date. Your headlights otta work great.

When I installed mine, I hung my relays high up inside my headlight pod with the leads hanging downward. (not that they'll ever get wet) :whistle:
Looks like you've taken care of that possibility.
I used a 12Ga line from the fuse box to both lamps because the length is less than 10 feet long (total) and 12Ga is good for 20 amps continuous with relatively low current loss.

With a 10Ga wire feeding your headlights, you now have the same gauge as what feeds your whole car from the battery and the same gauge wire that charges the battery from the alternator.
I really don't think your headlights will suffer from a power loss anymore. :p

Nice install Dan! :headbang:
 
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