Quick question for those who have relayed their headlights.
11-23-2007, 02:32 AM
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Quick question for those who have relayed their headlights.
So, I'm tired of repairing and / or replacing the headlight switch in my car, and have a few questions. Where did you mount your relays and where did you tap into the trigger wires? Did you use the existing wires to carry the power from the relays to the lights, or replace them? Does anyone happen to have the wire colors for the low beam, high beam, and parking lights? I have an 84 4KQ, btw. Thanks in advance!
11-23-2007, 05:12 AM
#2
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I just bought a harness
Some have made them, but when I got my H4's I wasnt really comfortable trying that, so per CGTBrad's suggestion I snagged a premade harness for mine, which works out well.
Unfortunately the relays are kinda just out there and exposed to some elements, thats teh downside, but if you tapped into power by the alternator you could probably seal things up nicely.
Unfortunately the relays are kinda just out there and exposed to some elements, thats teh downside, but if you tapped into power by the alternator you could probably seal things up nicely.
11-23-2007, 05:50 AM
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Seems to be a common question lately. Lots of info here.
I was just positing about that the other day..
Headlight signal pickup (modified headlight bulb), and relay enclosure with relays and circuit breaker..
<img src="http://pictureposter.audiworld.com/80066/relay_box.jpg">
Another relay enclosure and more circuit breakers..
<img src="http://pictureposter.audiworld.com/80066/urq_relays.jpg">
Headlight harness schematic (From Huw's website):
<img src="http://www.humanspeakers.com/audi/images/headlight-relays.gif">
<a href="http://www.humanspeakers.com/audi/headlight-simple.htm">Click for this for a writeup on "How to Build a Harness", to go with these pictures/diagrams</a>
4Corners 'physical installation plan' of the above circuit digaram:
<img src="http://www.b3tards.com/u/72de4fbb412fc9a9038d/harness_1.jpg">
Don't forget relaying the parking lights! They do more damage to the headlight switch then the headlight circuit proper does..! Install relay behind instument cluster.
From 4Corners (again!):
<img src="http://pictureposter.audiworld.com/80066/4kswitch.jpg">
Circuit breaker..
<img src="http://order.waytekwire.com/IMAGES/M37/items/46375FL.GIF">
Fuse holder assembly..
<img src="http://order.waytekwire.com/IMAGES/M37/items/46073FL.GIF"><ul><li><a href="https://forums.audiworld.com/4000/msgs/144348.phtml">More info in an Earlier post, with a link inside IT for yet more info..!</a></li></ul>
Headlight signal pickup (modified headlight bulb), and relay enclosure with relays and circuit breaker..
<img src="http://pictureposter.audiworld.com/80066/relay_box.jpg">
Another relay enclosure and more circuit breakers..
<img src="http://pictureposter.audiworld.com/80066/urq_relays.jpg">
Headlight harness schematic (From Huw's website):
<img src="http://www.humanspeakers.com/audi/images/headlight-relays.gif">
<a href="http://www.humanspeakers.com/audi/headlight-simple.htm">Click for this for a writeup on "How to Build a Harness", to go with these pictures/diagrams</a>
4Corners 'physical installation plan' of the above circuit digaram:
<img src="http://www.b3tards.com/u/72de4fbb412fc9a9038d/harness_1.jpg">
Don't forget relaying the parking lights! They do more damage to the headlight switch then the headlight circuit proper does..! Install relay behind instument cluster.
From 4Corners (again!):
<img src="http://pictureposter.audiworld.com/80066/4kswitch.jpg">
Circuit breaker..
<img src="http://order.waytekwire.com/IMAGES/M37/items/46375FL.GIF">
Fuse holder assembly..
<img src="http://order.waytekwire.com/IMAGES/M37/items/46073FL.GIF"><ul><li><a href="https://forums.audiworld.com/4000/msgs/144348.phtml">More info in an Earlier post, with a link inside IT for yet more info..!</a></li></ul>
11-23-2007, 07:02 AM
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Wow, that looks somewhat more involved than I expected...
I could understand fusing them near the power source, but I wouldn't have thought of using any form of a circuit breaker. Have you tripped one yet? I figured I'd tie in to the trigger wires under the hood, using the stock low/high beam wires (as they're easily found). I dunno where to locate the parking light wire under the hood, however. I guess I could also try doing so directly after the switch, but that'd be a lot of wire to run, as well as limited space to work with. FWIW, I don't have the same headlights as most on this board. The 84 and previous model had dual rectangular lights. I installed bosch headlight adapters that (I believe) accept an H4 bulb. I still have the 2nd set of stock high beam lights, but I have a feeling that they're redundant, as the converted lights have a high beam function. I guess this is looking a little more complex than I expected. Would there be a problem using the stock wiring going to the headlights after I cut them to use the other side to trigger the relays?
One more question. Would I be able to get away with using 3 relays (one for low beams, another for high beams, another for parking lights)?
One more question. Would I be able to get away with using 3 relays (one for low beams, another for high beams, another for parking lights)?
11-23-2007, 07:10 AM
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Re: Quick question for those who have relayed their headlights.
i just put a relay on my parking lights and now i don't burn any switches up. i put my relay right behind the insterment cluster.
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11-23-2007, 07:49 AM
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Three relays for your type of lights and one relay inside the car for the parking lights.......
Connect the headlights to the battery or alternator and connect the parking light relay to a power source just under the fuse panel. Sort of hard to reach but accessable from inside the car.
11-23-2007, 08:16 AM
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Not too involved..
>Wow, that looks somewhat more involved than I expected...
No, it's really easy! (Way easier than doing body work, or wrenching on rusty bolts!)
>I could understand fusing them near the power source, but I wouldn't have thought of using any form of a circuit breaker.
Easier to deal with than looking for fuses. And you SHOULD have some form of protection.
>Have you tripped one yet?
Once or twice, when I had a bad bulb. (I use the manually resettable breakers. You can get 'automatic' reset breakers too)
> I figured I'd tie in to the trigger wires under the hood, using the stock low/high beam wires (as they're easily found).
All the headlight stuff, I'd do under the hood. Including new wires & grounds to the headlighs. (Event with the 4 lamp rectangular). Stock wiring is no point in using.. :-)
>I dunno where to locate the parking light wire under the hood.
Don't. Install it behind the headlight switch. Single relay fits just fine behind the cluster. Everything you need to pick up is there near the headlight switch. You can pick up power for the parking lights from the red wire, where the headlight switch originally got parking light power from. Just add a fuse?
>FWIW, I don't have the same headlights as most on this board. The 84 and previous model had dual rectangular lights.
That's OK. Everything is still applicable. Huw's diagram has a note about running H4/H1 headlights at the bottom.
> I installed bosch headlight adapters that (I >believe) accept an H4 bulb.
Good upgrade. (H4 is for the outer high/low bulbs. You can also get conversions for the inner H1 'highbeam only' lamp housings)
See.. http://www.rallylights.com/hella/165mm_lo.asp
> Would there be a problem using the stock wiring going to the headlights after I cut them to use the other side to trigger the relays?
I wouldn't. The skinny stock wiring is part of the problem! I'd replace the headlight connectors with new at the same time too.
>One more question. Would I be able to get away with using 3 relays (one for low beams, another for high beams, another for parking lights)?
You could.
But: Make sure that your high beam relay and wiring can handle all 4 bulbs on at once. If you upgrade to 100W bulbs, thats ~400W, or ~40 amps. 'Standard' bulbs will still draw about 20A.
Remember that you don't want to run 39A through a 40A relay.. Even though it's ok 'in theory', reality says it will eventually fail..
Related to that, as 4 corners suggests, maybe best to do one relay for each side on the high beams? Won't overload any 30A relays then.
I'd also use circuit breakers ahead of the relays, and separate fuses for each bulb after the relays. That way, a bulb failure won't take out all of your lights (as in the stock setup)
-Frank-
No, it's really easy! (Way easier than doing body work, or wrenching on rusty bolts!)
>I could understand fusing them near the power source, but I wouldn't have thought of using any form of a circuit breaker.
Easier to deal with than looking for fuses. And you SHOULD have some form of protection.
>Have you tripped one yet?
Once or twice, when I had a bad bulb. (I use the manually resettable breakers. You can get 'automatic' reset breakers too)
> I figured I'd tie in to the trigger wires under the hood, using the stock low/high beam wires (as they're easily found).
All the headlight stuff, I'd do under the hood. Including new wires & grounds to the headlighs. (Event with the 4 lamp rectangular). Stock wiring is no point in using.. :-)
>I dunno where to locate the parking light wire under the hood.
Don't. Install it behind the headlight switch. Single relay fits just fine behind the cluster. Everything you need to pick up is there near the headlight switch. You can pick up power for the parking lights from the red wire, where the headlight switch originally got parking light power from. Just add a fuse?
>FWIW, I don't have the same headlights as most on this board. The 84 and previous model had dual rectangular lights.
That's OK. Everything is still applicable. Huw's diagram has a note about running H4/H1 headlights at the bottom.
> I installed bosch headlight adapters that (I >believe) accept an H4 bulb.
Good upgrade. (H4 is for the outer high/low bulbs. You can also get conversions for the inner H1 'highbeam only' lamp housings)
See.. http://www.rallylights.com/hella/165mm_lo.asp
> Would there be a problem using the stock wiring going to the headlights after I cut them to use the other side to trigger the relays?
I wouldn't. The skinny stock wiring is part of the problem! I'd replace the headlight connectors with new at the same time too.
>One more question. Would I be able to get away with using 3 relays (one for low beams, another for high beams, another for parking lights)?
You could.
But: Make sure that your high beam relay and wiring can handle all 4 bulbs on at once. If you upgrade to 100W bulbs, thats ~400W, or ~40 amps. 'Standard' bulbs will still draw about 20A.
Remember that you don't want to run 39A through a 40A relay.. Even though it's ok 'in theory', reality says it will eventually fail..
Related to that, as 4 corners suggests, maybe best to do one relay for each side on the high beams? Won't overload any 30A relays then.
I'd also use circuit breakers ahead of the relays, and separate fuses for each bulb after the relays. That way, a bulb failure won't take out all of your lights (as in the stock setup)
-Frank-