Headlight relay side effects

[blitzkraig]

So I installed some relays into my headlight system and the lights came out great! However, now my amp meter and temp guage are on the fritz! At idle everything reads as it should, but the second I hit the gas the amp meter jumps all the way to the right. The temp guage kinda does the same thing but at a delayed pace. I checked the system and the alternator is not overcharging, nor is the car overheating. I changed nothing but the wires for the headlights. Has anyone else had this problem with the relay upgrade or have ideas on this subject?

Here's the article I used for the upgrade.

http://mywebpages.comcast.net/pparaska/Headlight_Relay_pg1.htm

[Victor Laury]

I just did a relay upgrade. I did not follow pete's plan cause I didn't want to cut into the harness. Instead, I made an auxillary harness from the starter hot to the relays, then plugs into the headlight connectors near the horns. for the signal, It plugs into the connector that was hooked to the right headlight. I wanted it to 100% reversable back to stock, and it is.

I don't have any problems, well, except the problems that were there before the upgrade. My blinkers still pull too much juice for some reason. The headlights still dim at idle but not nearly as much and are brighter overall.

[Daniel]

I like Victor's workplan of being non intrusiveI also alway try to be able to put humpty dumpty back together again. A quick glance at the diagram I see danger.Now both headlights depend on one fuse to hold the relays latched.When it goes you are in the dark.You also share one fuse on the headlight side. If a headlight pops due to age or a stone thrown from the road you will be in the dark. DANGER. I see more bad than good.There is a better and safer way That I will post when I have more time.

[blitzkraig]

Yeah normally I like to keep as much of the car reworkable to stock as possible but I figure this headlight upgrade is well worth keeping for any owner. I wish I could go back and wire them another way but I already cut into the harness. As for the fuses....a couple years of driving classics cars and trucks has taught me to keep extra fuses and a flashlight in the glove box:D

[Daniel]

My concern was losing both lights at say 60mph on a dark mountain road.

[sjcurtis]

blitzkraig,

I two have the unintrusive mod like Victor and Daniel, I use the right hand head light main loom plug to supply power & switching through an extended relay loom.

I have had it on line for over ten years with only one or two minor failures, I had a problem with getting the lights to illuminate after long periods of vehicle inactivity, and high beam taking the lot out when switched up ( that wakes you up on a dark night). I found I had lazy switch gear that was at fault, once I rebuilt the light switch assembly and dipping switch assembly, I fixed everything.

If you want dual redundancy I suggest using the left hand loom plug to supply power & switching to build a second relay loom set for the left hand lights, that way you should always get power to at least one light.

cheers

Steve:classic: