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mslibertarian Samba Member
Joined: January 19, 2008 Posts: 191 Location: Mississippi
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Posted: Mon Feb 07, 2011 8:48 pm Post subject: Headlight relays |
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Going to run relays for better headlights and found multiple threads on how to wire them. I have not found anything on the best way to route a wire from the battery to the front of the car. I ran stereo wires before I carpeted my car, all my other stereo wires were a complete afterthought and are just under my floor mats. Any advice? _________________ "Veedubers is some strange folk." Bob Hoover
Haikus are easy
But sometimes they don't make sense
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tattooman68 Samba Member
Joined: October 10, 2009 Posts: 51 Location: Idaho
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Posted: Mon Feb 07, 2011 9:19 pm Post subject: |
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I run all factory wires / add-on wires as close to the factory wiring as I can so I can cut down on the amount of routing and rerouting. I have found if you can use the same locations it is better and less room for error. _________________ 69 bug for $350 can't beat it. |
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ashman40 Samba Member
Joined: February 16, 2007 Posts: 15966 Location: North Florida, USA
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Posted: Mon Feb 07, 2011 10:14 pm Post subject: |
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Agreed. If you follow the wiring harness you can make use of the existing holes through the sheet metal. _________________ AshMan40
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'67 Beetle #1 {project car that never made it to the road }
'75 Beetle 1200LS (RHD Japan model) {junked due to frame rot}
'67 Beetle #2 {2019 project car - Wish me luck!} |
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runamoc Samba Member
Joined: June 19, 2006 Posts: 5588 Location: 37.5N 77.1W
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Posted: Tue Feb 08, 2011 7:18 am Post subject: |
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I've run extra wires from under the rear seat up to the interior light 'hole' then down thru the A pillar to the trunk. Another trick to keep the size of wires down is to run a 18ga. wire from the truck to under the seat, cut the red/black 10ga wire from the key switch. hook the head light feed to this 10ga wire. Crimp the 18ga wire to the key switch where the red/black one was. Under the seat cut the wire going to the starter solenoid, hook the end coming from the harness to the battery. Take the 18ga wire and hook it up a 'hard start' relay to complete the start circuit. _________________ Daily driver: '69 Baja owned 44 yrs - Plan B: '81 Rabbit Diesel LS Deluxe - Plan C: '72 Ghia
Yard Art: 2 Sandrails
Outback: '69 Ghia - '68,'69,'70,'72 Beetle - '84 Scirocco, GTI - Pair of '02 Golfs-
VW Wiring = It's just wires |
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mslibertarian Samba Member
Joined: January 19, 2008 Posts: 191 Location: Mississippi
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Posted: Tue Feb 08, 2011 4:09 pm Post subject: |
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Ended up going up the B pillar and back down the A, the dome light hole was handy. _________________ "Veedubers is some strange folk." Bob Hoover
Haikus are easy
But sometimes they don't make sense
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flierbob Samba Member
Joined: August 21, 2008 Posts: 538 Location: Silverdale WA
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Posted: Tue Feb 08, 2011 5:40 pm Post subject: |
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How did you get up the B pillar, is there a hole at the bottom? (my pillar is still covered)
Bob |
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mslibertarian Samba Member
Joined: January 19, 2008 Posts: 191 Location: Mississippi
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Posted: Tue Feb 08, 2011 7:25 pm Post subject: |
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I tied some 550 cord to the dome light wires and pulled them out through the hood. Tied and taped my new wires to the whole assembly and pulled them up the A pillar and through the dome light hole. Then I tied a loop in the cord and stuck it up the B pillar with a 3' welding rod. Took another rod and bent a small hook in the end to fish out the cord, then pulled the wires. I would have taken pics, but I left my camera at the house. Took a couple of minutes to fish out the cord, just had to keep twisting on the rod until the hook caught. _________________ "Veedubers is some strange folk." Bob Hoover
Haikus are easy
But sometimes they don't make sense
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mslibertarian Samba Member
Joined: January 19, 2008 Posts: 191 Location: Mississippi
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Posted: Thu Feb 17, 2011 6:51 pm Post subject: |
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I'm am confused on how to wire these relays. Do I wire these relays to the 10 gauge wire coming off the dimmer relay? Something about this doesn't look right to me. _________________ "Veedubers is some strange folk." Bob Hoover
Haikus are easy
But sometimes they don't make sense
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owdlvr Samba Member
Joined: June 23, 2008 Posts: 684 Location: Squampton BC
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Posted: Thu Feb 17, 2011 7:08 pm Post subject: |
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I'm happy to help with your wiring, but if you wouldn't mind answering a few questions first...
1) Are you trying to relay low beams and high beams, or just one?
2) What type of relay are you using and/or how many terminals does it have?
3) Do you understand how to wire the relay, and just need to know what wires to tap in off the factory harness, or do you need full instructions?
-Dave _________________ ---
Instagram: @DaveHord
1971 1302s - Salzburg Tribute the #RallyBug
1958 Beetle
1975 Beetle
1973 Super Beetle
1993 C3500 with Cummins swap
1967 MGB
1963 MG Midget |
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mslibertarian Samba Member
Joined: January 19, 2008 Posts: 191 Location: Mississippi
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Posted: Thu Feb 17, 2011 7:19 pm Post subject: |
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I'm using two 4 pin relays, wiring high and low beams. I used this diagram http://www.rowand.net/shop/tech/images/HeadlightRelayWiringDiagram.jpg I just need to know what wires to tap into. _________________ "Veedubers is some strange folk." Bob Hoover
Haikus are easy
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torsionbar Samba Member
Joined: December 11, 2010 Posts: 2215 Location: earf
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Posted: Fri Feb 18, 2011 10:46 am Post subject: |
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mslibertarian wrote: |
I'm using two 4 pin relays, |
you want 5 pin relays. not 4.
5 pin relays have -two- outputs, one to each bulb. the type you want is called a "dual 87" spst relay.
you can do it with the 4 pin relays you have, but you'll need four of them in total.
mslibertarian wrote: |
I just need to know what wires to tap into. |
you don't "tap in" to any. run new wires. you'll run a new heavy gauge wire, 8 or 10 gauge, from your battery to the relay inputs. your existing headlamp leads are the relay triggers (and trigger ground, if you like). Then you'll run new 12 gauge wire (nothing smaller than 14 please) from the relay outputs to the headlamp bulb sockets. you can ground the headlamp bulb sockets anywhere convenient in the trunk. |
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ashman40 Samba Member
Joined: February 16, 2007 Posts: 15966 Location: North Florida, USA
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Posted: Sun Feb 20, 2011 12:00 pm Post subject: |
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Look at this thread. Joel has a good diagram w/ two 4-terminal relays.
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=445727
If I were doing this, I would place the relays in-line between the dimmer relay and the fuse box. The two dimmer relay outputs are the triggers, one for each relay. Each relay output running to the current fuse box input connection. Thus reusing the four fuses already dedicated for the headlight circuits.
If you were going to run headlights rated above 90W/ea, you may want to upgrade your headlight fuses to 16A. 8A fuses are only good to around 95W. _________________ AshMan40
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'67 Beetle #1 {project car that never made it to the road }
'75 Beetle 1200LS (RHD Japan model) {junked due to frame rot}
'67 Beetle #2 {2019 project car - Wish me luck!} |
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runamoc Samba Member
Joined: June 19, 2006 Posts: 5588 Location: 37.5N 77.1W
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Posted: Sun Feb 20, 2011 3:13 pm Post subject: |
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Quote: |
If I were doing this, I would place the relays in-line between the dimmer relay and the fuse box. The two dimmer relay outputs are the triggers, one for each relay. Each relay output running to the current fuse box input connection. Thus reusing the four fuses already dedicated for the headlight circuits.
If you were going to run headlights rated above 90W/ea, you may want to upgrade your headlight fuses to 16A. 8A fuses are only good to around 95W.
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X2 on the dimmer controller, and the headlight wires are already of sufficient guage for the 16A fuses _________________ Daily driver: '69 Baja owned 44 yrs - Plan B: '81 Rabbit Diesel LS Deluxe - Plan C: '72 Ghia
Yard Art: 2 Sandrails
Outback: '69 Ghia - '68,'69,'70,'72 Beetle - '84 Scirocco, GTI - Pair of '02 Golfs-
VW Wiring = It's just wires |
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Joel Samba Member
Joined: September 04, 2006 Posts: 11099 Location: NSW Australia
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Posted: Sun Feb 20, 2011 3:53 pm Post subject: |
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Thats how I've wired mine, the 2 new relays fit in the spare slots next to the turn signal and dimmer relay and I just run the out puts to the original fuses
I'm running 130/90w bulbs on the original wiring with 16 amp fuses for years, never had a problem only nice bright headlights _________________ Quick little bug, you got a Porsche motor in that?
1974 Germanlook 1303 2.5 Suba-Beetle |
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mslibertarian Samba Member
Joined: January 19, 2008 Posts: 191 Location: Mississippi
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Posted: Sun Feb 20, 2011 7:59 pm Post subject: |
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Thanks guys. This is the most thorough explanation of this I have seen on here. Hope to finish up the wiring tomorrow. _________________ "Veedubers is some strange folk." Bob Hoover
Haikus are easy
But sometimes they don't make sense
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