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73-87 Chevy _ GMC Trucks => Electrical => Topic started by: wheelnandealn on June 16, 2015, 11:34:04 pm

Title: High/low beams on
Post by: wheelnandealn on June 16, 2015, 11:34:04 pm
Hey guys I was wondering if there is any way to make the low beams stay on when I turn the high beams on in my 85 Silverado. It has the 4 headlight setup. And input will be appreciated
Title: Re: High/low beams on
Post by: Irish_Alley on June 17, 2015, 07:24:14 am
i know its possible my 86 was setup that way. idk remember how but i know we talked about it before on here. use the search button, im going to search myself but kind of busy right now
Title: Re: High/low beams on
Post by: LTZ C20 on June 17, 2015, 11:37:36 am
My I ask why you want to do this?
Title: Re: High/low beams on
Post by: Irish_Alley on June 17, 2015, 11:51:55 am
cause it illuminates more
Title: Re: High/low beams on
Post by: Irish_Alley on June 17, 2015, 12:06:57 pm

(http://www.73-87.com/7387garage/exterior/HL_relay/HeadLampRelay81-87Quad.jpg)
number 11 is the hot wire for the high beams and number 12 is the power for the low
Title: Re: High/low beams on
Post by: LTZ C20 on June 17, 2015, 01:51:50 pm
cause it illuminates more
Besides that obviously.
Title: Re: High/low beams on
Post by: wheelnandealn on June 17, 2015, 01:53:13 pm
Thanx  for the quick reply. However, that diagram is like reading the blue prints to the empire state building to me. :o I'm not much of a wiring guy. Are they just wiring the low beams into the high beams? I'm confused. I'm almost to the point of wiring in two toggle switches hidden under the dash to turn the hi and lows on individually. Then when I want both.....just switch them both on. We're all about redneck ingenuity here in Tennessee! I would prefer to do it right though. So if u or anyone else can explain I would be grateful. Thanks again
Title: Re: High/low beams on
Post by: Irish_Alley on June 17, 2015, 01:55:16 pm
no thats done everything black is stock the blue is what they added in for relays for headlights. dont worry about that. if your low beams have 3 wires in the plug they are wired for the quad high beams
Title: Re: High/low beams on
Post by: wheelnandealn on June 17, 2015, 02:02:50 pm
It is for more illumination, but I also just like the looks of more light. I'm also blind as a bat so it will help a lot. Thinking on cab lights and fogs next
Title: Re: High/low beams on
Post by: wheelnandealn on June 17, 2015, 02:07:31 pm
OK thanx I'm gonna tinker with it a little more. Just curious though.....are u saying that it should do this already? With no modification? I checked it but it doesn't. All the lights work but when I turn the highs on the lows turn off. Sorry for all the questions.
Title: Re: High/low beams on
Post by: Irish_Alley on June 17, 2015, 02:10:26 pm
from what i remember on here we talked about it and someone did say it should be that way stock
Title: Re: High/low beams on
Post by: Irish_Alley on June 17, 2015, 02:12:26 pm
http://forum.73-87chevytrucks.com/smforum/index.php?topic=236.msg1064#msg1064
Title: Re: High/low beams on
Post by: wheelnandealn on June 17, 2015, 02:22:54 pm
I definitely need to investigate a little more because mine dont stay on together. Thanx alot for the help. I'll keep u posted on it.
Title: Re: High/low beams on
Post by: timthescarrd on June 17, 2015, 02:28:21 pm
Stock configuration should do what you want, but technically the low beams don't stay on.  The top bulbs (low beams) should actually have a low and a high element in them, the bottom lights (high beams ) should only have one element.

So in low beam mode, the top lights have their low beam filament turned on.  Then in High mode, all four lamps will be on, but the High beam element/filament will be on in the top set. 

Do you lamps have both filaments?

Top should be H4656 (3 pins on back) bottom H4651 (2 pins on back)
Title: Re: High/low beams on
Post by: Irish_Alley on June 17, 2015, 02:29:18 pm
like i said before the plug should have 3 wires (if not more) and and the low beams bulbs should 3 terminals
Title: Re: High/low beams on
Post by: bd on June 17, 2015, 03:35:04 pm
Stock configuration should do what you want, but technically the low beams don't stay on.  The top bulbs (low beams) should actually have a low and a high element in them, the bottom lights (high beams ) should only have one element.

So in low beam mode, the top lights have their low beam filament turned on.  Then in High mode, all four lamps will be on, but the High beam element/filament will be on in the top set. 

Do you lamps have both filaments?

Top should be H4656 (3 pins on back) bottom H4651 (2 pins on back)

X2 on this  ^^^^^  for the OE quad headlamp configuration.
Title: Re: High/low beams on
Post by: wheelnandealn on June 20, 2015, 04:00:44 pm
I'm kinda confused again. Maybe I'm just misunderstanding you guys but I don't get what u guys mean by top lights and bottom lights. My truck has four separate headlights. Two on each side and they are side by side. The ones closest to the center are low beams and the outer ones closest to the fenders are high beams....I think. Maybe I have it reversed. But u get what I mean when I say there are four separate head lamps? I'm sorry for all the questions but thanx for the help. I have tried posting pix but it keeps saying the image is too large...I'm doing all this from my Android phone.
Title: Re: High/low beams on
Post by: bd on June 20, 2015, 05:39:38 pm
I'm kinda confused again. Maybe I'm just misunderstanding you guys but I don't get what u guys mean by top lights and bottom lights. My truck has four separate headlights. Two on each side and they are side by side. The ones closest to the center are low beams and the outer ones closest to the fenders are high beams....I think. Maybe I have it reversed. But u get what I mean when I say there are four separate head lamps? I'm sorry for all the questions but thanx for the help. I have tried posting pix but it keeps saying the image is too large...I'm doing all this from my Android phone.

Well, that explains it.  We're comparing apples to oranges.  No wonder we don't make any sense to you.  The standard quad headlamp configuration for 85 trucks is imaged below.  They are high/low beams on top, high beams only on bottom.

The front clip on your truck has been replaced with a later model.  The configuration should be low beams - outside pair, high beams - inside pair.  Your wiring can be reconfigured using a relay so that all four headlamps illuminate on high beam.  The relay will need to be controlled by the high beam circuit, so that it supplies alternate power to the low beams when the high beams are selected.  Assuming the front clip upgrade was sanely performed, it should not be difficult to modify.
Title: Re: High/low beams on
Post by: wheelnandealn on June 20, 2015, 05:44:41 pm
Lol and if all makes sense now! It think the upgrade has been done right. Whoever built the truck seemed to do a great job with the lift, paint etc. I will check it out this week and keep u  posted. Thanks so much. So what year truck would my front end be off of?
Title: Re: High/low beams on
Post by: bd on June 20, 2015, 05:51:51 pm
WAG is an 89 crew cab(?).
Title: Re: High/low beams on
Post by: wheelnandealn on June 20, 2015, 06:40:36 pm
That's cool. So that front end I assume only came on the later model heavy duty trucks?
Title: Re: High/low beams on
Post by: timthescarrd on June 21, 2015, 10:01:07 pm
In 88 they switched all regular cab truck to a new body style but the Blazers, Suburbans and Crew-Cabs stayed the old body style but got a facelift.  So yours would be from a 88-91 R/V 2500/3500 crew-cab or 88-91 Suburban or Blazer R/V1500,2500.3500 

They changed the designation from C/K to R/V
Title: Re: High/low beams on
Post by: wheelnandealn on June 21, 2015, 10:26:05 pm
Yeah I talked to the guy I bought it from today and he said it's from a blazer. He said he liked it better. I actually do too.  8)