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Making my headlights brighter

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Hello guys need some help, I have made a wiring loom for my headlights so my low beam driving lights are ok but when I do my highbeam the lights go dim also the highbeam are connected with my centre grill lights, I have tried to use the same relay to power my highbeams (piggy back of the same connecting pins which are with the low beams) but my high beams stay on constant now my question is how can I get my highbeams to be bright and can I use the same relay or would I need to take new connections for the highbeams on a separate relays at the moment I have 2 x 30a relays one for each head light, the way I have connected my relay and  wiring  harness is one wire with a 20amp fuse from positive that  splices in to 2 wires which go in to port 30 of the relay, I then use the original earth to the relay at port 85 and take out another earth from the battery to the headlight connectors this is also one wire spliced in to 2, then I cut the low bean wire in half and the old connection goes to port 86 and new one from 87 to the headlight connector, the high beam was normal wiring with the positive wire from the spot lights connected to it and the negative of the spot light was connected to the headlight connector aswell, lol hope you can get what I'm saying but hopefully I want to make my highbeams bright to all help appriciated in advance thank you

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You have to use 2 or 3 relays.
You don't use one relay for  each bulb, you use the relay to power the lows, and one for the highs.


You use the power connector that normally lights one of the head lights to power or pick the relays.

Now here is the diagram that I used to make mine.



Here is the 3 relay one that allows both low and high beam on the 7inch to shine when you go
HIGH, as well as the center high.


What do Divorces, Great Coffee, and Car Electrics all have in common?

They all start with GOOD Grounds.

Where are my DIY Links?

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Thanks briano so the way basically as I understand is

For low beams

Pin 30 - positive from battery with 20amp inline fuse
Pin 85 - earth ( could I connect this to the battery negitive or does it have to be from the light harness)
Pin 86 - the input for the low bean
Pin 87 - the out put to the lamps low beam ( so this will have 2 wires coming from it one going to drivers lamp the other to passenger

For high beams

Pin 30 - positive from battery with 20amp inline fuse
Pin 85 - earth ( could I connect this to the battery negitive or does it have to be from the light harness)
Pin 86 - the input for the high beam
Pin 87 - the out put to the lamps high beam ( so this will have 2 wires coming from it one going to drivers lamp the other to passenger)

I won't be running my inner spot lights

Hope I got this correct please do correct me if I haven't lol

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Basically, you can also buy a standard headlight relay loom from epay that is plug and play.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/H4-Headlight-Relay-Wire-Wiring-Harness-2-Headlamp-Light-Bulb-Socket-Plug-Kit-12V/272458512251?epid=2076012739&hash=item3f6fcaf77b:g:pzEAAOSwB09YM746&vxp=mtr

use the uk site, you can't make it cheaper.  I just did this to my van that used 9004 bulbs, and had to find replacement sockets….. But it don't get much simplier than this kind of kit.

What do Divorces, Great Coffee, and Car Electrics all have in common?

They all start with GOOD Grounds.

Where are my DIY Links?

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Briano1234 said

Basically, you can also buy a standard headlight relay loom from epay that is plug and play.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/H4-Headlight-Relay-Wire-Wiring-Harness-2-Headlamp-Light-Bulb-Socket-Plug-Kit-12V/272458512251?epid=2076012739&hash=item3f6fcaf77b:g:pzEAAOSwB09YM746&vxp=mtr

use the uk site, you can't make it cheaper.  I just did this to my van that used 9004 bulbs, and had to find replacement sockets….. But it don't get much simplier than this kind of kit.

Briano1234

I bought some of the link type looms direct from China and have used 2 of them know on the cabby.

Problem I've found with them is that when you put the side lights on the headlights come on and there is no way to light only the side lights.

For Mynx I ended up making my own loom as I wanted it inside the car and followed one of your useful guides and ended up with everything working the way it should.

I wonder if it's something to do with the earths being separate from original lighting loom or something.
Just wondered if with your vast knowledge you might have an idea?

Ian

Cornish Host.
1980 VW Derby
Clive the Cabby
Ujum the Invisible
Mynx the  Tintop

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Well, on the one I installed on my Van, it all works as it should, the separate grounds did make it easier and one less wire to connect to the loom.

My big issue was the wire color changes on the 9004 sockets.  

My marker lights work fine.

On my design of the loom I just figured it was easier to run one extra wire and control everything from the left or right original headlight plug….

The relay are grounded to the same point as the headlights so there wasn't a small differential.

Of course there is the 2 or 3 relay version.
The 3 relay version allows the high/lows on the 7 inch bulbs to both be on and there is a heck of a lot more light.

I think they just made the "chinese" ones that way for cost reduction… as there is less wire to run.

my two versions are:




I have been tinkering with the idea of doing the alternating side marker to front flasher blink…
Found here:
https://www.danielsternlighting.com/tech/markerflash/markerflash.html

What do Divorces, Great Coffee, and Car Electrics all have in common?

They all start with GOOD Grounds.

Where are my DIY Links?

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I would recommend at least 3 relays & fuses, or 4 to go all the way. If you use just the 1 fuse/relay for dipped beam and one fails, you will loose all of your lights. So I run at a separate fuse and relay per side for safety, just like VW do. for main beam 1 is ok since you dont often need it and you can still go back to dipped beam if it does fail, but you could run a fuse and relay per side for that as well if you want

Hello my name is John and I'm a dub addict.



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Making my headlights brighter

Thanks John so would 4 x 30 amp relays and each with a 20amp fuse be ok, so that is one each for both sides, dipped and main beam ?

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more than plenty, the OEM fuses for dip and main beams on both sides are only 10a :)

when I built them back in the day I had used 3 relays and fuses as I used to buy a handy relay holder with 3 fuses built in and 2 single relay holders which would clip to the side of it. 2x 10a fuses for the dip and a single 20a for both mains

Hello my name is John and I'm a dub addict.



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Making my headlights brighter

Lol I see but would I be ok using the 30amp relays and 20amp fuses, I won't blow nothing up or cause any issue will I? Lol

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Making my headlights brighter

Or could I still use 10amp fuses on the 30amp relays

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relays are fine, dont worry about those. for fuses as long as they are lower amp than the wire you are running then all is well, this is the main thing ;)

A 10a rated wire with 20a fuse on it would not work as intended :lol:

but yeah no need to go larger than OEM on the fuses, 10a will do you fine if you're running 1 per side for dip and for main. I went for 20a on the main because I had both sides thru the a single fuse & 30a relay :)

Hello my name is John and I'm a dub addict.



My wiring diagrams and other documents have moved here:

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Making my headlights brighter

Lol I see so i think I best keep them 10amp the wire I'm using is 14awg so that's rated at 15amp so I best keep it 10amp fuse on it  this time , like your self I was running both side on one fuse so had it at 20amp lol

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Hi all,
I installed one of those kits from ebay. Simple enough. Worked fine …but now not so much. I have one light at I'd say 50% of power and the other barely on, maybe 20% of power.
Haven't changed anything but could it be a bad earth?
Dodgy dash switch?
Any ideas welcome…

‘81 Golf GTi Mk1 TSR1600 tintop
'90s Chesil Speedster on '70 VW Beetle Chassis
‘14 Golf GTi Mk7

 

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Use a DVOM, to Measure the voltage at your light sockets.  

Bad grounds or connections can be a problem on either Positive Sides or Ground sides of circuits.  But then again on my Original Golfs (Westy Rabbits) my Passenger light bulb always burned out first about every 12 months.

If your Voltage is 12+ to frame, then check it to the Bulb ground… If the voltage is different, then you got your answer.

Yes I know that the Normal Voltage on my ride was +13.75 DC. (Car Running), Good grounds only insures that you can have maximum current flow in the circuit.

If you haven't checked for Voltage drop on your major grounds, Do so as it only helps eliminates weird things.

My Quick test for Main ground issues is easy.

Take a set of Battery Jumper Cables.
Attach One of the Black leads to the Battery Ground post, the other end to a Strut mounting bolt.

Attach the one of the Red leads from the Battery negative Post  to the Engine Lifting EYE.  

If every thing Brightens up, bad grounds.  If you go from 11.5V to 13, bad grounds.


What do Divorces, Great Coffee, and Car Electrics all have in common?

They all start with GOOD Grounds.

Where are my DIY Links?

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Some of the cheaper kits use the original headlight earth or expect you to make your own ground to the chassis, both of which are not ideal. Extend the new H4 plug earths to the battery to get the best out of it. It's ok to keep the relays earthed to chassis or old h4 plug as they don't need much to switch, but when I made these kits I always put them to the battery as well

Hello my name is John and I'm a dub addict.



My wiring diagrams and other documents have moved here:

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Making my headlights brighter

Sorry I should have been clearer. My sidelights are the ones that are very poor.
And the one running at 20% - the bulb gets very hot, very quick.
Have checked voltage to both and with no ignition, 11.6v


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‘81 Golf GTi Mk1 TSR1600 tintop
'90s Chesil Speedster on '70 VW Beetle Chassis
‘14 Golf GTi Mk7

 

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If you swpa the bulbs over does the problem move or stay?

Maybe the bulb holders are corroded and need a buff up

Hello my name is John and I'm a dub addict.



My wiring diagrams and other documents have moved here:

VAG Documents & Downloads

You'll need to sign into google/gmail for the link to work! (its free!)

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Making my headlights brighter

As I posted on thought to try that, did - and ones faulty.
So came back to delete my OP - but you’d already got there!!!
New bulb holders next on the list…


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‘81 Golf GTi Mk1 TSR1600 tintop
'90s Chesil Speedster on '70 VW Beetle Chassis
‘14 Golf GTi Mk7

 

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Briano1234 said

Use a DVOM, to Measure the voltage at your light sockets.  

Bad grounds or connections can be a problem on either Positive Sides or Ground sides of circuits.  But then again on my Original Golfs (Westy Rabbits) my Passenger light bulb always burned out first about every 12 months.

If your Voltage is 12+ to frame, then check it to the Bulb ground… If the voltage is different, then you got your answer.

Yes I know that the Normal Voltage on my ride was +13.75 DC. (Car Running), Good grounds only insures that you can have maximum current flow in the circuit.

If you haven't checked for Voltage drop on your major grounds, Do so as it only helps eliminates weird things.

My Quick test for Main ground issues is easy.

Take a set of Battery Jumper Cables.
Attach One of the Black leads to the Battery Ground post, the other end to a Strut mounting bolt.

Attach the one of the Red leads from the Battery negative Post  to the Engine Lifting EYE.  

If every thing Brightens up, bad grounds.  If you go from 11.5V to 13, bad grounds.




Me again.
So to check grounds on my very dim sidelight, i ran an earth staight from the bulb holder to the battery. No improvement . The bulb was still dim and heating up quickly. Also fiited a brand new holder. Same.

I also tried the Quick test for Main Ground issues. But i'm not sure i got it right.
Isnt the "Battery ground post" and the "Battery negative post" the same thing? Have i lost something in translation?

‘81 Golf GTi Mk1 TSR1600 tintop
'90s Chesil Speedster on '70 VW Beetle Chassis
‘14 Golf GTi Mk7

 
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