240Z LED Headlight Wiring

[w3wilkes]

I've gone with LED headlights which I talked about here. All was well until last night. Just went to drive around the block just after dark and flipped the switch and nothing, just running lights and no headlights. Pulled into the garage and for grins hit the brights and boom, headlights, hit low beams and they were on. Apparently one of the jobs of the anti flicker device corrects the current flow (most of the time) to the bulb. Because LED's are diodes they will only fire when current is applied in the allowed direction. Here's what a typical 6024 bulb expects so I'm pretty sure a LED bulb is built expecting this configuration.

The 240Z is wired with power on 3 with 1 & 2 being ground. This is fine for a standard filament bulb, but not for diodes. Most of the time the anti-flicker piece takes care of this. It was a really tight fit to get the anti-flicker device in the stock buckets, but it can be done.

I thought that having LED's on all lights but the dash I really didn't need the harness mod because I'd reduced the amp draw plenty so not to stress the fuse block or multi-function switch. Well after the issue last night I think I'll go with Dave's relay mod anyway because it not only takes the load off the multi-function switch, but also looks like it will allow me to get rid of the anti-flicker device, if this diagram is really of Dave's headlight relay mod. I think the other function of the anti-flicker device is to put info on the circuit so a smart car won't think the bulbs out to trigger some dash light or something to let the driver know they've got a burned out bulb. Our Zed's aren't that smart so I'll bet I won't need the anti-flicker. Here's what I see the before and after of Dave's harness on the headlights as

I really don't think it makes a difference if you're north or south of the equator.

Edited June 14, 2018 by w3wilkes

[SteveJ]

I've played around with three different types of LED headlights. I've never needed the anti flicker. I also have LEDs for parking lights, turn signals, and almost all of the dash lights. I had converted the headlight circuit to relays with switched positives before I ever played with the LED headlights. I know there are several threads on this board where I have advised people about using relays (and switched positive) with LED headlights.

[w3wilkes]

The only lights that aren't LED on my car are the dash lights. I think you've not needed the anti-flicker because you'd already done the relay conversion.

[Zs-ondabrain]

LED headlights will occasionally flicker with a lower than needed power supply.

Yes, the Headlight upgrade harness I make (and MSA sells) will give true battery voltage to the headlight pigtails (and headlights)

 

[anthony_c]

On 6/14/2018 at 6:30 AM, SteveJ said:

I've played around with three different types of LED headlights. I've never needed the anti flicker. I also have LEDs for parking lights, turn signals, and almost all of the dash lights. I had converted the headlight circuit to relays with switched positives before I ever played with the LED headlights. I know there are several threads on this board where I have advised people about using relays (and switched positive) with LED headlights.

@SteveJ , which of the LED headlamps did you finally settle on?

 

Thanks,

Anthony

Edited July 9, 2019 by anthony_c

[w3wilkes]

Like @SteveJ I've gone all LED except for the dash lights. The headlights I went with were these from Eagle Lights and they work fine and the price was the best I could find for the pair. I've also now gone with the headlight wiring harness upgrade from @Zs-ondabrain to get rid of the full power draw through the steering column switch pod and also corrects the power flow through the headlight plug as documented in the first post in this thread.

https://www.eaglelights.com/collections/jeep-led-kits/products/eagle-lights-7-round-led-headlights-jeep-wrangler-cj-jk-tj-97-2015

 

[anthony_c]

21 minutes ago, w3wilkes said:

Like @SteveJ I've gone all LED except for the dash lights. The headlights I went with were these from Eagle Lights and they work fine and the price was the best I could find for the pair. I've also now gone with the headlight wiring harness upgrade from @Zs-ondabrain to get rid of the full power draw through the steering column switch pod and also corrects the power flow through the headlight plug as documented in the first post in this thread.

https://www.eaglelights.com/collections/jeep-led-kits/products/eagle-lights-7-round-led-headlights-jeep-wrangler-cj-jk-tj-97-2015

 

Looks like a decent price, but with a 6K color temp i hope we don't cross paths with those things on.

[w3wilkes]

1 hour ago, anthony_c said:

Looks like a decent price, but with a 6K color temp i hope we don't cross paths with those things on.

I've not had anyone flash their brights at me at night, but they do light up your path! Here's a shot of them on my white garage door so you can see the cutoff. I have the headlight covers from MSA so you notice the reflection on the driveway right in front of my car.

Edited July 9, 2019 by w3wilkes

[AK260]

On that note, I didn’t get the time to relay mine so I went for the led option. Absolutely TRANSFORMED my night driving and no being flashed by oncoming traffic either!

 

Here is the LED v halogen candles comparison in day light!!

 

 

I wanted to experiment so I bought mine for £30ish from AliExpress and they have been superb. Try to avoid going over 3000-4000 lumens as they get silly bright and cause issues.

 

Mine are NLA but here is the newer version ...

 

 

￡30 26％ Off | VANSSI H4 LED Car Headlight HB2 9003 Hi/Lo 40W 4000lm 6000K White High Performance Auto Headlight Fog Bulb Conversion Kit

https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/crVunp44

 

[anthony_c]

1 hour ago, AK260 said:

On that note, I didn’t get the time to relay mine so I went for the led option. Absolutely TRANSFORMED my night driving and no being flashed by oncoming traffic either!

 

Here is the LED v halogen candles comparison in day light!!

 

 

I wanted to experiment so I bought mine for £30ish from AliExpress and they have been superb. Try to avoid going over 3000-4000 lumens as they get silly bright and cause issues.

 

Mine are NLA but here is the newer version ...

 

 

￡30 26％ Off | VANSSI H4 LED Car Headlight HB2 9003 Hi/Lo 40W 4000lm 6000K White High Performance Auto Headlight Fog Bulb Conversion Kit

https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/crVunp44

 

I'm sort of in the place. The headlight relay kit isn't available for the 260, so I'm thinking LED's are good interim fix until builld my own (working on specs for that now). And I agree, 3000 is a more comfortable color. I use 2700 in my home.

Is that an LED bulb in a generic H4 housing, or something similar to the eagle lights that w3wilkes is using?

[SteveJ]

Keep this in mind. The stock lighting circuit has 1 positive and 2 paths to ground. Most cars have 2 positives and 1 ground. The "D" in LED is for diode. It will only allow current to flow one way. Unless the LED headlight is specially wired for the 1 positive and two paths to ground, it will not work properly.

Even more than with the LEDs, the halogen bulbs need full battery voltage to achieve designed brightness.

[anthony_c]

12 minutes ago, SteveJ said:

Keep this in mind. The stock lighting circuit has 1 positive and 2 paths to ground. Most cars have 2 positives and 1 ground. The "D" in LED is for diode. It will only allow current to flow one way. Unless the LED headlight is specially wired for the 1 positive and two paths to ground, it will not work properly.

Even more than with the LEDs, the halogen bulbs need full battery voltage to achieve designed brightness.

Yes, I first encountered the directional issue with led's when I installed a dome lamp. Had to scratch my head for few moments. Reading the packaging proved even more helpful.

I spent some amount of my life going through the wiring diagrams before I fully understood the 'what' and 'how' of their 1 positive/2 grounds wiring of the headlamps. Yes it works, but the "why did they do it that way?" still eludes me. The only reason I can think of is that it splits the load across two fuses without adding an extra set of contacts in the dimmer switch. Oh well.