| Author |
Message |
carlk3
Samba Member
Joined: March 10, 2009
Posts: 201
Location: Longmont, CO
|
 Posted: Thu Jul 25, 2019 8:11 am Post subject: 6v LED Headlights |
 |
|
I like to use my headlights a lot, even in daytime. The car is low and dark and other drivers just don't seem to see it. Kinda like a motorcycle in that respect.
My 6v charging system doesn't seem to actually charge when the headlights are on. In fact, I think the battery actually goes down, even on the highway. I just put in a "new" rebuilt Bosch generator, but it doesn't seem any more powerful than the old one. I put in a new wiring harness not long ago. When the car is idling, switching on the headlights drops the voltage at the dash to around 5v. I don't know if that is normal. I'm running an Optima Red Top AGM battery:
Also, the headlights are not all that bright for night driving. Sometimes it's hard to tell if they are even on!
With all the great innovations in LED lighting, I've been toying with the idea of putting in something like this:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B016H43O0U/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_QqCoDbCSPKVB0 (Damn pricey!)
Has anyone tried fitting something like these to a 6v Ghia? |
|
| Back to top |
|
 |
Karly
Samba Member
Joined: August 01, 2002
Posts: 641
Location: Australia
|
| Posted: Fri Jul 26, 2019 2:16 am Post subject: Re: 6v LED Headlights |
|
|
Interesting you have posted this - I finally got sick of my 6v headlights daily driving in my 60 beetle.
I've just installed these -
http://www.dynamoregulatorconversions.com/led-headlamp-bulbs-shop.php
VERY impressed with how much brighter they are and the whiter light makes it much easier to see street signs etc. I wouldn't have thought of using my lights as daytime running lights before but now it definitely could manage.
As for the charging issue- my gen light routinely comes on if I'm using headlights PLUS anything else (will even flash with the indicators). Doesn't seem to be an issue as it seems to charge enough despite this. Even with the LEDs installed the gen light still flickers on when using other electrical stuff.
_________________
1960 Beetle ''Heidi" daily driver
1964 Karmann Ghia project |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Rad Randy
Samba Member
Joined: June 21, 2014
Posts: 1
Location: NE Kansas
|
| Posted: Tue Aug 06, 2019 7:55 am Post subject: Re: 6v LED Headlights |
|
|
| Karly wrote: |
Interesting you have posted this - I finally got sick of my 6v headlights daily driving in my 60 beetle.
I've just installed these -
http://www.dynamoregulatorconversions.com/led-headlamp-bulbs-shop.php
VERY impressed with how much brighter they are and the whiter light makes it much easier to see street signs etc. I wouldn't have thought of using my lights as daytime running lights before but now it definitely could manage.
As for the charging issue- my gen light routinely comes on if I'm using headlights PLUS anything else (will even flash with the indicators). Doesn't seem to be an issue as it seems to charge enough despite this. Even with the LEDs installed the gen light still flickers on when using other electrical stuff. |
Karly, thanks for the link. It appears these LED's are only the bulbs. How did you install these with the sealed beam factory units? |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
carlk3
Samba Member
Joined: March 10, 2009
Posts: 201
Location: Longmont, CO
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
bhartwell59
Samba Member
Joined: December 28, 2014
Posts: 792
Location: dallas, tx
|
| Posted: Wed Aug 07, 2019 6:36 am Post subject: Re: 6v LED Headlights |
|
|
I bought these (altho the 12v versions):
https://vintagecarleds.com
No complaints.
_________________
'74 Zambezi green Ghia vert, autostick, 101k
'87 Jeep Wrangler, 4.2, 330k |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
vintagecarleds
Samba Member
Joined: April 28, 2015
Posts: 178
Location: Houston, TX
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Porschedave
Samba Member
Joined: July 01, 2004
Posts: 454
Location: Vancouver, Canada
|
| Posted: Sun Dec 15, 2019 11:40 am Post subject: Re: 6v LED Headlights |
|
|
Hi Guys
Jumping into this old thread, A question for you. I've hooked up the parking lights and they are dim. These 6-volt system do not have much poop it seems. Has anyone swapped out the parking, brake and turn signal lights for LED? I found a site in the US that appears to sell LED equivalents - www.ledlight.com. The 6 volt single filament bulb is a 1129 and the dual filament is an 1154. Has anyone any experience with the LED equivalents of these?
Thanks.
Dave
_________________
1977 911S
1958 Karmann Ghia build thread here: http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=571683
1965 Sunroof Notch build thread here: http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=5600139&highlight=#5600139 |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
carlk3
Samba Member
Joined: March 10, 2009
Posts: 201
Location: Longmont, CO
|
| Posted: Mon Dec 16, 2019 10:41 am Post subject: Re: 6v LED Headlights |
|
|
| Porschedave wrote: |
Hi Guys
Jumping into this old thread, A question for you. I've hooked up the parking lights and they are dim. These 6-volt system do not have much poop it seems. Has anyone swapped out the parking, brake and turn signal lights for LED? I found a site in the US that appears to sell LED equivalents - www.ledlight.com. The 6 volt single filament bulb is a 1129 and the dual filament is an 1154. Has anyone any experience with the LED equivalents of these?
Thanks.
Dave |
I have experimented with them and wasn't happy; I went back to incandescents. The LED turn signal lights turn on and off instantly, and spend too much time off, compared to the incandescents, which slowly ramp up and down in brightness, and are easier to see at a glance, I think. LEDs are OK (but not noticeably brighter) for brake lights, but I added a separate LED third brake light for safety.
If the electrical system is in good shape, the original lights really shouldn't be dim. It took me a long time to get mine sorted, and the key fix turned out to be in an unexpected place:
Finally solved my starter problems. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Eric&Barb
Samba Member
Joined: September 19, 2004
Posts: 24764
Location: Olympia Wash Rinse & Repeat
|
| Posted: Mon Dec 16, 2019 11:17 am Post subject: Re: 6v LED Headlights |
|
|
| Porschedave wrote: |
| These 6-volt system do not have much poop it seems. Has anyone swapped out the parking, brake and turn signal lights for LED? |
They have plenty of poop, but as in any electrical system if one does not clean ALL the electrical connections, including the grounds, one will have voltage drops.
Additionally the fuse boxes and headlight switches are a mess now due to how they were designed and built.
The below info covers both the screw and slip on terminal fuse boxes and headlight switches.
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=483901&highlight=fuse+box
Unfortunately the repro fuse boxes are made of a plastic that does not hold up to heat as well as the OG ones will. You need a good HOT soldering iron for this, and a soak in vinegar for a few hours to clean all corrosion on the clips inside the box.
A small slot tip screw driver works well to unlock the clips, so they can be rearranged. This is how so much corrosion gets into the post-1961 fuse boxes. After 1967 VW spot welded all of those metal parts in the fuse boxes to get rid of that problem!
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=685467&highlight=fuse+box
_________________
In Stereo, Where Available! |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
John Moxon 
Samba Moderator
Joined: March 07, 2004
Posts: 13957
Location: Southampton U.K.
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Eric&Barb
Samba Member
Joined: September 19, 2004
Posts: 24764
Location: Olympia Wash Rinse & Repeat
|
| Posted: Mon Dec 16, 2019 12:04 pm Post subject: Re: 6v LED Headlights |
|
|
| carlk3 wrote: |
My 6v charging system doesn't seem to actually charge when the headlights are on. In fact, I think the battery actually goes down, even on the highway. I just put in a "new" rebuilt Bosch generator, but it doesn't seem any more powerful than the old one. |
Install a voltage gauge temporarily that you can monitor from the driver seat, to see what voltage is produced when driving around for at least a few days.
Helped a fellow in the mid 1990s with his 1958 Westphalia camper Bus that had about 85,000 miles on it from the factory and the year before it had been completely restored. Found:
1. Stock NOS Bosch regulator was only putting out 6.2 volts at most. Should have been getting as high as 7.2 volts. The old school regulators can have points cleaned and adjusted.
2. Headlights were getting 2 volts to the filaments that were supposed to be off, while the other filaments that were on got 4 volts. So he never drove at night on roads that did not have street lights. Replaced the original dimmer switch to fix that.
3. Installed ground wires to each taillight. Suddenly both running lights go MUCH BRIGHTER, and when the turn signal was on the other light did not flicker.
Also good to check ALL wiring connections even if you think you have them installed correctly.
Have a 1961 Beetle that has been in the family since the early 1970s. Headlights were always dim, even after cleaning up the wiring from corrosion. Turned out one of the headlight sockets had the wires changed around in the wrong sequence. So all four headlight filaments were running anytime they were turned on!
_________________
In Stereo, Where Available! |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Eric&Barb
Samba Member
Joined: September 19, 2004
Posts: 24764
Location: Olympia Wash Rinse & Repeat
|
| Posted: Mon Dec 16, 2019 12:07 pm Post subject: Re: 6v LED Headlights |
|
|
For anyone with post-1960 VWs, do use correct factory style slip on connectors with real crimper tool and not the junk ones you get at the FLAPS:
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=338938
_________________
In Stereo, Where Available! |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
rcooled
Samba Member
Joined: September 20, 2008
Posts: 2507
Location: Santa Cruz, CA
|
| Posted: Mon Dec 16, 2019 12:55 pm Post subject: Re: 6v LED Headlights |
|
|
| Eric&Barb wrote: |
| For anyone with post-1960 VWs, do use correct factory style slip on connectors with real crimper tool and not the junk ones you get at the FLAPS |
Or you can solder the connector on after crimping tightly with regular pliers, then cover the joint with shrink tubing.
About LED headlight bulb conversions: Headlights are designed so that the bulb and reflector work together for maximum effieiency. Just sticking an LED bulb into a housing designed for a halogen bulb will not necessarily give you better vision at night. The light will be higher on the Kelvin scale (whiter) but the beam won't be properly focused, which can result in blinding glare to oncoming drivers. Take notice of the LED headlights in modern cars...they all incorporate a lens in front of the light source to focus the beam and project it down the road.
_________________
'63 Ragtop (current)
'65 Ghia coupe (totaled)
'67 Ghia convertible (current)
'69.5 Ghia convertible and
'62, '63, '65, '69 Bugs (all long gone)
Last edited by rcooled on Mon Dec 16, 2019 1:30 pm; edited 1 time in total |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Eric&Barb
Samba Member
Joined: September 19, 2004
Posts: 24764
Location: Olympia Wash Rinse & Repeat
|
| Posted: Mon Dec 16, 2019 1:12 pm Post subject: Re: 6v LED Headlights |
|
|
| rcooled wrote: |
| Eric&Barb wrote: |
| For anyone with post-1960 VWs, do use correct factory style slip on connectors with real crimper tool and not the junk ones you get at the FLAPS |
Or you can solder the connector on after crimping tightly with regular pliers, then cover the joint with shrink tubing. |
Certainly, but do beware of the aluminum connectors being sold. Those will not solder up, and do not hold up as well as brass, copper, or those two coated with zinc.
_________________
In Stereo, Where Available! |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
jeffrey8164
Samba Member
Joined: January 06, 2018
Posts: 3818
Location: Georgia
|
| Posted: Wed Dec 18, 2019 4:32 pm Post subject: Re: 6v LED Headlights |
|
|
I have to ask...
Who is the real genius? Eric or Barb?
_________________
Volkswagen!
Turning owners into mechanics since 1938.
“Let he that is without oil throw the first rod”
(Compression 8.7:1) |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Eric&Barb
Samba Member
Joined: September 19, 2004
Posts: 24764
Location: Olympia Wash Rinse & Repeat
|
| Posted: Wed Dec 18, 2019 4:46 pm Post subject: Re: 6v LED Headlights |
|
|
| jeffrey8164 wrote: |
I have to ask...
Who is the real genius? Eric or Barb? |
Takes both of us to make anywhere near genius!
Much more it is lots of years of experience.
_________________
In Stereo, Where Available! |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Porschedave
Samba Member
Joined: July 01, 2004
Posts: 454
Location: Vancouver, Canada
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
