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Headlight relays
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mslibertarian
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PostPosted: Mon Feb 07, 2011 8:48 pm    Post subject: Headlight relays Reply with quote

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?
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tattooman68
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PostPosted: Mon Feb 07, 2011 9:19 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

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.
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ashman40
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PostPosted: Mon Feb 07, 2011 10:14 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Agreed. If you follow the wiring harness you can make use of the existing holes through the sheet metal.
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runamoc Premium Member
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PostPosted: Tue Feb 08, 2011 7:18 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Quote:
Any advice?


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.
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mslibertarian
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PostPosted: Tue Feb 08, 2011 4:09 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Ended up going up the B pillar and back down the A, the dome light hole was handy.
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flierbob
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PostPosted: Tue Feb 08, 2011 5:40 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

How did you get up the B pillar, is there a hole at the bottom? (my pillar is still covered)
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mslibertarian
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PostPosted: Tue Feb 08, 2011 7:25 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

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.
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mslibertarian
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PostPosted: Thu Feb 17, 2011 6:51 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

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.
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PostPosted: Thu Feb 17, 2011 7:08 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

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?

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mslibertarian
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PostPosted: Thu Feb 17, 2011 7:19 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

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.
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PostPosted: Fri Feb 18, 2011 10:46 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

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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PostPosted: Sun Feb 20, 2011 12:00 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

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.
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runamoc Premium Member
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PostPosted: Sun Feb 20, 2011 3:13 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

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.


X2 on the dimmer controller, and the headlight wires are already of sufficient guage for the 16A fuses
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Joel
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PostPosted: Sun Feb 20, 2011 3:53 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

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 Wink
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mslibertarian
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PostPosted: Sun Feb 20, 2011 7:59 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks guys. This is the most thorough explanation of this I have seen on here. Hope to finish up the wiring tomorrow.
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