73-87chevytrucks.com
73-87 Chevy _ GMC Trucks => 73-87 Chevy & GMC Trucks => Topic started by: bigblue09 on December 27, 2008, 10:13:20 pm
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ok so for christmas i got a set of dimond cut headlights for my truck with the xenon bulbs and all. they are really good looking and really bright. we put them on on christmas day and that night the dimmer switch went out. i couldnt change it from low to high it wouldnt click. so i changed that out this morning and it all works good. then i drove it tonight and when i put my high beams on and about 15 seconds later the lights started cutting on and off like fast. they were flickering. all 4 of them were doing it. it will keep doing it when the highs are on. the lows work great. idk what it is or what to do about it. ??? please give any advice! thanks!
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Are you running relays to them?
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relays? there were little connectors for each headlight that came with the lights.
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Yea relays, check this out
http://www.rowand.net/Shop/Tech/WiringHeadlightRelays.htm
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ok thanks guys. that explains everything.
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And that mod should make them even brighter.... 8)
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good! but will the stock wiring hold up to the mods??
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Shouldn't be a problem. In the stock configuration, all the power the lights get runs through the headlight switch and the dimmer switch (the bottleneck). With the relays the switch and dimmer will only have to give the signal for the relays to send direct battery power to the lights.
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oh ok. that makes sense. thanks a lot guys.
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so i can really figure out exactly what relay i need. any help?
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Sorry for not answering. I have sparatic on the site since Mommy and Elizabeth is home.
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so i can really figure out exactly what relay i need. any help?
Any 30A Bosch-style relay ought to do it. Like the article says just ignore the "normally closed" contact (the one in the center) if you end up with a SPDT relay like these. A SPST relay would not have the center contact.
BTW here's a 73-87 specific headlight relay article (http://www.73-87.com/7387garage/exterior/headlight_relay.htm).
(http://www.skycraftsurplus.com/productimages3/sk1949.jpg)
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ok. thanks. thats exactly what i bought but its 4 prong.
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Be sure to take some pics of before and after for future reference.
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well i finally got it all wired up and everything works great now. thanks for all the help! :D
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Cool. Glad to hear it.
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There are numerous write ups on this mod. did you see how many volts are at your headlight plug before you installed the relay? It would have been something like 10.8 with the relay install you get 12 or better. I have done this mod on most of my trucks. The 98 I had I installed a relay to make all 4 lights come on W/high beams and on my 04 you can place a diode the under hood fuse box and all 4 come on also.
I can't rember where I bought mine from, but they sell real nice plug in pigtails for the STD relay. Maybe NAPA
Steve
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it would be cool to have all 4 come on at the same time for the highs, but im done messing with it. lol.
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Don't all four come on when you have the high beams on in your truck?
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They're supposed to all come on with the high beams.
Unwanted voltage drops are due to resistance. Voltage drop testing is done in series using your meter and is THE best method of finding resistance.
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nope. the bottoms come on and the top dims. these new lights are really bright.