How much wattage can stock headlight wiring support?

[Captain Obvious]

On ‎11‎/‎16‎/‎2020 at 2:10 PM, Yarb said:

@Captain Obvious In Your spare time😀.Would you be kind enough to create a rough schematic of your relay install. Also curious on where you located the relays.

Will do. I have a diagram around here somewhere. Some time ago I created a thread about it... I bet all the pics are dead because of photosucket.

In the meantime before I find the details... I had the whole engine compartment harness out of the car because I was doing other changes as well.  One of the other changes I made at the same time is I converted over to the internally regulated alternator and I put my headlight relays where the voltage regulator used to reside. Not sure what year you're working on, but on the 280's, the voltage regulator is on the back side of the relay bracket just forward of the battery. That's where I put my headlight relays.

I'll dig up my details and post them.

 

[7tooZ]

I did the relay method too. Picked up the stock headlight harness to arm the relay. Routed an 8 gauge wire from the battery to a water proof box containing 4 relays. High beam, low beam, driving lights  and  then electric fans.  Cibie glass and PIAA Superbrights H4s

 

H4

Edited November 20, 2020 by 7tooZ

[Yarb]

Much appreciated, I’m sure other’s will benefit from it as well.

[Pilgrim]

I may have to come back to this thread.  In my '83 ZXT I am fortunate to have one of the few remaining pairs of Cibie Z-beam headlights, which have a wonderful lens and reflector design. The light is quite good and the distance is excellent with standard halogen lamps.  

I do note that the lens on my Cibies look  almost identical to the lens on the PIAA headlights in post #26.  I've always noticed that on high beams, I can actually see the lines on the Cibie lenses projected onto the road ahead. Therefore, I expect that those PIAA lights work very well indeed!

It probably would be good for me to do the relay thing with the ZX, but that's future business for now. 

Edited November 20, 2020 by Pilgrim

[7tooZ]

@Pilgrim that is a cibie glass. Only the H4 is a PIAA. 

[Pilgrim]

2 hours ago, 7tooZ said:

@Pilgrim that is a cibie glass. Only the H4 is a PIAA. 

Well, that explains a lot!  Those headlights are excellent. We are very fortunate to have them - I applied 3M headlight film over mine to prevent rock chips or breakage.

Edited November 20, 2020 by Pilgrim