Community Forums

nehuge · 01-26-2023, 01:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dutch Star Don

Just buy square sealed beam headlight replacements that are LED.

https://www.amazon.com/square-led-he...led+headlights

That's not in the cards, as the housing for them is gone, etc

nehuge · 01-26-2023, 01:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by astrnmrtom

I did exactly what Don suggested, and they are MUCH better than the original sealed beam headlights. Another bonus is they work at a much wider voltage range so no need to upgrade your wires sizes like it's often suggested.

I will add, do not, and I repeat, do not buy the LED headlights that look like they have a rows of little reflective cones. These are floodlights, and along with blinding oncoming drivers, they throw half the lumens away lighting up treetops.

Beware. These are floodlights, not headlights!

Hence why I don't want to do these either.

nehuge · 01-26-2023, 01:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rockwood27

I guess I was wrong about low & high beams on at the same time. A review of the FMVSS shows:

Attachment 385056

Sent from my SM-A515U using iRV2 - RV Forum mobile app

Interesting that Daniel Stern himself recommended the third relay as a holdover relay......

HarryStone · 01-26-2023, 06:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nehuge

Interesting that Daniel Stern himself recommended the third relay as a holdover relay......

I got my kit from Dan back in the mid 2000's and it was 2 relays and diodes for the low beam on while high beams were on.

HarryStone · 01-26-2023, 06:54 PM

https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/...sec571-108.xml

You can read thru this. And read s5.5.8. It further muddies the waters. And there are many vehicles on the road that light both the high and low beams at the same time.

nehuge · 01-29-2023, 03:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryStone

I got my kit from Dan back in the mid 2000's and it was 2 relays and diodes for the low beam on while high beams were on.

Harry, you say in series. So if I have the low beam wire from the car going to the low beam relay "on", and I had the high beam wire from the car going to the high beam relay "on", you're saying tie both the wires (low beam and high beam) wires together? Where does the diode go then? I don't really know the whole parallel or in series thing. Electronic diagrams are beyond me, I'm more about something saying in the literal sense "put this end on this end, put this color on this wire" baby steps... ?

Dodge Guy · 01-29-2023, 05:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nehuge

Hence why I don't want to do these either.

Exactly. Too many people think these are headlamps. Even just installing an LED bulb in a reflector housing blinds oncoming drivers as well. They have to be the projector housings.

Parafango · 01-29-2023, 05:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryStone

I got my kit from Dan back in the mid 2000's and it was 2 relays and diodes for the low beam on while high beams were on.

A buddie of mine, showed me melted wires on the back side of his headlamps on his early 2000 F-150. Standard wattage bulbs but both high and low beams would come on when highs were selected.
The point is that some vehicles don't have the wire size to handle both being on at the same time for long periods.

Alpine36 · 01-29-2023, 05:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dodge Guy

Exactly. Too many people think these are headlamps. Even just installing an LED bulb in a reflector housing blinds oncoming drivers as well. They have to be the projector housings.

Those LED flood lamps should not be made to fit into any standard headlamp housings. At least you’ll have a nice view of the blind oncoming schlep about to greet you head on.

Instead of wiring modifications and possibly flirting with FMVSS laws why not just add a high quality pair of properly aimed auxiliary driving lights and be done with it?

HarryStone · 01-29-2023, 06:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nehuge

Harry, you say in series. So if I have the low beam wire from the car going to the low beam relay "on", and I had the high beam wire from the car going to the high beam relay "on", you're saying tie both the wires (low beam and high beam) wires together? Where does the diode go then? I don't really know the whole parallel or in series thing. Electronic diagrams are beyond me, I'm more about something saying in the literal sense "put this end on this end, put this color on this wire" baby steps... ?

The diode goes between the high beam relay activation signal and the low beam relay activation signal, so, that when the high beam is turned on, the low beam relay also gets the activation signal and turns the low beams on. The diode prevents the voltage from traveling both ways, keeping the high beams off when the low beams are turned on.

nehuge · 01-31-2023, 02:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryStone

The diode goes between the high beam relay activation signal and the low beam relay activation signal, so, that when the high beam is turned on, the low beam relay also gets the activation signal and turns the low beams on. The diode prevents the voltage from traveling both ways, keeping the high beams off when the low beams are turned on.

Harry,
You mean like this?
https://youtu.be/VhTPWu6swM8

HarryStone · 02-01-2023, 09:03 PM

Yes. I don't know why it was blowing the diode, because it's just switching the relay, very low current.

LargeMarge · 02-03-2023, 05:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by xrated

...responsibly (turn off brights at...traffic...), or if you run into that LEO...no exceptions...

.
a)
Both.
Not 'or'.
.
b)
This was me.
I frequently towed vehicles for illegal light operation.
The driver received a citation, the passengers walked or called a taxi.
No warnings, no second chance.
If you were a hazard -- behind me, approaching me -- I enforced.