let there be light

[thatvwbusguy]

No need to cut any wires for 80-85 Vanagon's. The back of the fuse block is all standard 1/4" male terminals.

https://sites.google.com/site/vanagonheadlightrelays/headlight-relays/80to85/80-85-fuse-block

Terminal #30 - 12V constant - 1/4" female fully insulated disconnect
Terminal #85 - Ground - 1/4" female disconnect
Terminal #86 - Trigger - 1/4" male fully insulated disconnect (must be big enough to accept stock female connector).
Terminal #87 - Output - 1/4" female fully insulated disconnect

I make kits specifically for 80-85 Vanagon's:

https://sites.google.com/site/vanagonheadlightrelays/headlight-relays/80to85

Bus Depot has them as well.
_________________
Jay Brown
'85 Zetec Westfalia
Newmarket, NH


If you want others to be happy, practice compassion.
If you want to be happy, practice compassion.

[olivelawn]

Does anyone know if fuzzymath's relay making and install instructions work on an '85 and below?

[RBEmerson]

Good move on the fuse! If possible, support the new fuse holder so the vibration from driving doesn't shake things loose.

I installed a new "smart" voltage regulator (three charging stages [bulk, absorb, trickle] among other tricks) on the boat and had a wake-up call about the fuse holder.

Balmar, the regulator maker, didn't leave much wire between the holder and terminal on the end of the wire. Unfortunately, the terminal was the wrong size for the stud I was connecting to, so I had to replace it with the right size. Which left almost no slack between the terminal and the holder. The terminal failed from the holder vibrating back and forth. I had to replace the holder altogether. Needless to say, it's now strapped down so it won't cause the same problem again.
_________________
Lord, give me coffee to change the things I can change, and wine to accept the things I can't change.

[rubbachicken]

[climberjohn]

[RBEmerson]

Da nada.

Although I don't do a lot of automotive wiring, I do enough of it on boats. A fuse 5' from the connection to the power source is a mistake I find too often. Also, where possible, go with the ATO fuses (plastic case, two blades sticking out of the bottom of the case). Radio Shack sells a good in-line case with a cover (oddly, most car places sell a socket with no cover - fine inside a closed space, but useless if water can get into the the space).

Glass Buss fuses, IMHO, should be banned. Here's why: Bringing our boat back from the Abacos (NW Bahama), we stopped on the Little Bahama Bank (big sandy wet area north of Grand Bahama) to check the engine before pushing on across the Gulf Stream to Florida. Belts, fluids, etc. all checked out. "OK, dear, turn on the ignition" "It is on." SILENCE Long story short, the fuse protecting the engine panel (and the overheat and oil pressure screamers) failed. It didn't pop. It looked 100% OK. But one end cap had worked loose just enough to break the connection with the fusible link. Of course we had spares but imagine the fuse doing this to your headlights... [/rant]
_________________
Lord, give me coffee to change the things I can change, and wine to accept the things I can't change.

[rubbachicken]

[thatvwbusguy]

Wow, that is some nice looking wiring you have in there.

The heat from 130W bulbs in the small inner lens would definitely concern me for a couple reasons.

The rated lifespan of any filament bulb suffers with excess heat, so be sure to carry a couple spares with you until you know what to expect for longevity.

The second concern would be the plastic connectors at the rear of the lens housings. I have seen this plastic distort from too much heat after running 100W bulbs in the inner lens. An additional 30W should only make matters worse. I usually recommend using ceramic sockets for anything over stock wattage, but in this instance I don't think there is anything available.

To be safe, keep an eye on the condition of the connectors and let us know how you fare with bulb life.
_________________
Jay Brown
'85 Zetec Westfalia
Newmarket, NH


If you want others to be happy, practice compassion.
If you want to be happy, practice compassion.

[RBEmerson]

FWIW, good wiring practice calls for the fuse to be close to the source (e.g., battery) and not to the load. Develop a short (e.g. wear through the insulation) between the source and the fuse, and your day won't be quite as good as you'd like.
_________________
Lord, give me coffee to change the things I can change, and wine to accept the things I can't change.

[rubbachicken]

i took a 10 gauge cable directly from the battery through under the floor up under the dash, and connected through an inline fuse directly to the relays
_________________
lucy our westy

lucy's BIG adventure

meet 'burni'

[vanagonjr]

Nice clean work. In my van, that stuff would all get trashed with all the camping gear I stuff in the jump seat and I'd find myself without any lights .
_________________
John - 86 Wolfsburg Westfalia "Weekender"
Flint reversed 1.8T W/Passat 5-Speed
LiMBO (late model bus club) www.limbobus.org
LiMBO is on Facebook too! https://www.facebook.com/groups/
FAQ thread: http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=525798

[phlogiston]

i got a little carried away and redid the entirety of the headlight wiring. i already had some hefty 2 gauge from my alternator to the jump seat, so i put the relays there, ran new circuits to the headlights, put in new grounds and new connectors.

that's one 12 gauge circuit for each bulb (well ok, the 2 high beam bulbs on each side share a circuit). one relay each for low beams, left high, right high, and and driving lights.

has anyone tried running 130W H3 bulbs in the stock high beam enclosures? i've got some in there now, but i'm a little concerned about how hot they are getting.

the driving lights just showed up last night... i think once i put them in i will look at this all and think i went a little overboard!

[thatvwbusguy]

Easy to do the relay addition without cutting any wires in a 80-85 van. Just be careful to make sure the connectors are insulated if they might bump into anything that could cause them to ground.

For the 86-91 fuse block it is common practice to use butt connectors and install the relays inline unless you have a molex removal tool and access to the proper sized pins.
_________________
Jay Brown
'85 Zetec Westfalia
Newmarket, NH


If you want others to be happy, practice compassion.
If you want to be happy, practice compassion.

[rubbachicken]

[Santana]

[thatvwbusguy]

The correct fuse depends on the wattage of the bulbs you are running. Just divide the total watts of your bulbs by 12 and you have the correct fuse amperage. (A=W/V)

Remember that each headlight has its own fuse, so you would only need the 20A fuse in the high beam locations if you are running 80/100W mains and 100W highs with the 4 light stock rectangular setup (or SA Grill). The low beams can use a 15A fuse.

Always be sure to run the lowest rated fuse possible so it can do its job and save your wiring in the event of a short circuit.
_________________
Jay Brown
'85 Zetec Westfalia
Newmarket, NH


If you want others to be happy, practice compassion.
If you want to be happy, practice compassion.

[K58]

[jacob.]

[EL31415]

What AMP fuse do you use on the upgraded headlight ?

Thank you

[noganav]