Headlight relays for both low beam to stay on when high beams are chosen?

[nehuge]

1995 Ford F53 chassis, came with the old square sealed beams.

Converting it to a 9005 and 9006 setup. Did a three relay setup, one is low beam relay, other is high beam relay, and the third is a holdover relay. It is supposed to keep the low beams on at the same time the high beams are on when high beams are called for.

On the Ford wiper stalk, I push it forward until it clicks and it turns on the high beams and the low beams turn off. When I bring the stalk back to center position/neutral, the high beams go off and the low beams come back on. When I pull the stalk towards me to flash, the low beams go off, the high beams flash, and letting it flick back to neutral makes the high beams go off and the low beams go back to normal. This is cool that something is working, but still no low beams coming on with the high beams together at the same time.

Here is my setup:

The vehicle has three wires that used to go to the sealed beam types with a three port female plug and the sealed beams had the male 3 prong connector; Now with the 9005 and 9006 housings, the Low Beam wire, High Beam Wire, and Ground wire that come from the headlight switch from Ford now go to three relays. I have three five pin relays (with two pin 87's on each, not an 87 and an 87a like you'd see on others.) A Low Beam relay, High Beam relay, and Hold-Over relay.

All three relays have pigtail connectors connected to them so I have decent length wires to tie together instead of having to crimp ends and slide them on the relays pin's directly.

The colors on the pigtail wires coming from the relays' pins are:
Red from pin 30
Black from pin 85 ground
White from pin 86
Yellow from center pin 87
Blue from outer pin 87

- The low beam wire from the vehicle's headlight switch connects with the White pigtail wire from pin 86 of the Low Beam relay as well as the Blue pigtail wire from pin 87 of the Holdover Relay. (3 wires connected total)
- The high beam wire from the vehicle's headlight switch connects with the White pigtail wire from pin 86 of the High Beam relay as well as the White pigtail wire from pin 86 of the Holdover Relay. (3 wires connected total).
- The ground wire from the vehicle's headlight switch connects with the Black pigtail wire from pin 85 of the Low Beam Relay, as well as the Black pigtail wire from pin 85 of the High Beam Relay, as well as the Black pigtail wire from pin 85 of the Holdover Relay. (3 wires connected total)
- The Red pigtail wires from pin 30 on all three relays' are all connected via a fused link directly to the battery. (Three red wires going directly to post on battery). The fuses are good, (tested with multimeter) and have continuity all the way through.
- The Yellow pigtail wire from the central pin 87 on the Low Beam Relay connects to one side of the passenger 9006 low beam bulb.
- The Blue pigtail wire from the outer pin 87 on the Low Beam Relay connects to one side of the driver 9006 low beam bulb.
- The Yellow pigtail wire from the central pin 87 on the High Beam Relay connects to one side of the passenger 9005 high beam bulb.
- The Blue pigtail wire from the outer pin 87 on the High Beam Relay connects to one side of the driver 9005 high beam bulb.
- The ground wire from all four bulbs are currently tied together and all connected to the negative post on the battery.

Does this all look right? I'm at a loss as to why no low beam and high beam together when I put the brights on. Perhaps something to do with the Ford multifunction stalk that pushes, pulls, and sits neutral? Or maybe a high beam low beam relay attached to it from Ford under the dash?

I'd like us to see well and be safe on side roads where no one is out there and wanted all four bulbs on at once when I enable high beams.

Dave

[sandwip]

Sorry, could not follow all your pin outs in my pea brain, but if you use relays for high and low beams, just run from your high beam relay to your low beam power wire. Your hi relay would then keep lows on but your lows should work independently.

[code2e]

You may want to check your flash to pass function on the multifunction switch again. It should send power to the high beams in addition to keeping the low beams on. That is how Ford designed it. My 1995 F-53 is that way.

On running all low and high beam bulbs constantly. Consider that may be illegal in some states that limit the number of headlights. An easy way to do your conversion with the 9005 & 9006 bulbs would be to just wire them to the original wires from the sealed beams. Low to low, high to high and ground to all 4 bulbs. Then install a single pole single throw switch of whatever style you like in a convenient dash location. Run the 2 wires from the switch to either pair of headlights and tee splice one to the low beam and the other to the high beam. Splicing to one side will cause the other side to work the same. This will allow you to retain the flash to pass, regular low beams, regular high beams and combined beams at the flip of a switch. No relays needed. Gives the ability to not light all 4 if not allowed.

[HarryStone]

You don't need a 3rd relay. Just a jumper wire, with a diode in series, connect the "on" wire to the high beam relay to the "on" post on the low beam relay.

[Dodge Guy]

I did something similar on my 12 f53. I bypassed the wire that turns off the low beams when the high beams are on. So now when I turn in the high beams the low beams stay on. The fog lamps are wired from Forest River with a switch and are sent power any time the headlamp switch is on park lights or headlamps. They used to turn off with the high beams. But here again I snipped the wire that turns them off with the high beams. I also swapped all my lights to LED so the voltage draw is far less than the factory ever had so I don’t worry about overheating the high beam switch. It’s so much better driving at night. And I don’t blind oncoming traffic because the high beams aren’t on (and never should be) with oncoming traffic.

[nehuge]

Originally Posted by HarryStone

You don't need a 3rd relay. Just a jumper wire, with a diode in series, connect the "on" wire to the high beam relay to the "on" post on the low beam relay.

Hmm, what rating diode?

[153stars]

You could go pretty small for a trigger coil, but bigger will be more durable wire wise .
https://www.amazon.com/20-Pieces-15S...xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ==

Originally Posted by nehuge

Hmm, what rating diode?

[Dutch Star Don]

Just buy square sealed beam headlight replacements that are LED.

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

[xrated]

Having both on at the same time has been illegal since 1967 as per FMVSS.

[Rockwood27]

Originally Posted by xrated

Having both on at the same time has been illegal since 1967 as per FMVSS.

It's been my understanding, and I could be wrong, that no more than 4 "headlights" can be on at one time. This would be low beams & fog lights or low beams & high beams, but not low & high beams & fog lights (6 total lights).

[xrated]

Originally Posted by Rockwood27

It's been my understanding, and I could be wrong, that no more than 4 "headlights" can be on at one time. This would be low beams & fog lights or low beams & high beams, but not low & high beams & fog lights (6 total lights).

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In 1967, a U.S. regulation made it illegal for auto manufacturers to create headlights in which low beams and high beams operate at the same time. It’s called the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 108, and it’s administered by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

[Rockwood27]

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



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[xrated]

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

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Well, like someone stated earlier in this thread....you'd probably be OK as long as you use them and do it responsibly (turn off brights at the very first indication that oncoming traffic is approaching), or if you run into that LEO that is a strictly by the rules.....no exceptions, kind of guy.

[astrnmrtom]

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

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!