Installing Headlamp Relays
12-28-2010, 02:12 AM
#62
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Longer Lasting SilverStars. I like the sound of that!
I was doing some reading at Daniel Stern Lighting and learned of the other SilverStars manufactured by Osram, the parent company of Sylvania.
Mr. Stern (Daniel, not Howard
) notes that:
I found the Osram SilverStars over at good ol' Amazon.
This is just something for the fine minds here to mull over. I don't have a truck to test them (hopefully in the near future), but I do have my wife's Civic & my Ferd Ranger.
I hope all had a Merry Christmas and that the New Year is productive as well.
-Ryan
Mr. Stern (Daniel, not Howard
) notes that:
It's a name game: Osram, the well-established German lampmaker, sells a line of automotive bulbs they call "Silver Star". These are Osram's top-of-the-range headlamp bulbs, equivalent to Narva RangePower+50, GE Night Hawk, Philips VisionPlus, and Tungsram Megalight Premium. They produce the maximum legal amount of light while staying within legal power consumption limits. They have colorless clear glass.
Osram bought the well-established American lampmaker Sylvania in the early 1990s, so Osram is now Sylvania's parent company. Sylvania also sells a line of automotive bulbs they call "Silver Star", but it's not the same product. The Sylvania Silver Stars have blue glass. Light output is of legal levels, but as with all blue-filtered bulbs, you do not get more light from them. The Sylvania SilverStar bulbs have a very short lifetime, because the filament is overdriven to get a legal amount of light despite the blue glass.
Osram bought the well-established American lampmaker Sylvania in the early 1990s, so Osram is now Sylvania's parent company. Sylvania also sells a line of automotive bulbs they call "Silver Star", but it's not the same product. The Sylvania Silver Stars have blue glass. Light output is of legal levels, but as with all blue-filtered bulbs, you do not get more light from them. The Sylvania SilverStar bulbs have a very short lifetime, because the filament is overdriven to get a legal amount of light despite the blue glass.
This is just something for the fine minds here to mull over. I don't have a truck to test them (hopefully in the near future), but I do have my wife's Civic & my Ferd Ranger.
I hope all had a Merry Christmas and that the New Year is productive as well.
-Ryan
12-28-2010, 06:02 PM
#64
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Only problem I see with that link is that they do not offer OSRAM H6054 style bulbs so one would need to convert to H4 to take advantage of the better quality. I'm a relay conversion member and have had good luck with my SilverStars, so even if they only last 12 months, the light output is amazing (and worth it).
12-22-2011, 04:20 PM
#65
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Reviving an older thread
Jim Lane,
I (again) humbly thank you for all that you do here.
I just completed my upgrade to my headlights by adding relays to them, therefore not only making them brighter than they were, but more importantly, relieving the draw off of the headlight switch.
The procedure you posted was easy to follow, and the step by step process you posted, really helped me out, as I'm not completely comfortable doing electrical work. I was a little confused because of the 3rd relay in the pix, but later reading cleared that up as being used for combining the high and low headlamps
Although it took me several hours to do this project, as I removed all the plastic from the terminal ends and heat shrunk them sealed shut, which took much longer than if I had just crimped them. I also used heat shrink on all connections to prevent corrosion as you had suggested...
I used a set of "Hella H-4" bulb ends, at least temporarily until I can get a hold of a headlight socket with 14 g wire ends. I was a little disappointed that these "heavy duty" sockets came with 16 G wire. They work, but they're not the right gauge according to your instructions.
Again, I just can't say "THANK YOU" enough for giving me peace of mind when I'm driving down the road @ night. Anybody who hasn't done this upgrade already, should really invest the time into doing it. Well worth every penny spent.
T.
I (again) humbly thank you for all that you do here.
I just completed my upgrade to my headlights by adding relays to them, therefore not only making them brighter than they were, but more importantly, relieving the draw off of the headlight switch.
The procedure you posted was easy to follow, and the step by step process you posted, really helped me out, as I'm not completely comfortable doing electrical work. I was a little confused because of the 3rd relay in the pix, but later reading cleared that up as being used for combining the high and low headlamps
Although it took me several hours to do this project, as I removed all the plastic from the terminal ends and heat shrunk them sealed shut, which took much longer than if I had just crimped them. I also used heat shrink on all connections to prevent corrosion as you had suggested...
I used a set of "Hella H-4" bulb ends, at least temporarily until I can get a hold of a headlight socket with 14 g wire ends. I was a little disappointed that these "heavy duty" sockets came with 16 G wire. They work, but they're not the right gauge according to your instructions.
Again, I just can't say "THANK YOU" enough for giving me peace of mind when I'm driving down the road @ night. Anybody who hasn't done this upgrade already, should really invest the time into doing it. Well worth every penny spent.
T.
01-24-2012, 08:13 AM
#66
Registered User
When are both high and low on ? All the time or as I suspect do the low beams just stay on all the time ?
BTW this is a great place to buy wire, loom, terminals, breakers, and what ever. As far as I know they blow everyone else away price wise.
http://www.elecdirect.com/catalog/a3...Fcfe4Aod_Wwbmw
PS
OK I just noticed page 2,3,4,and 5 on this thread. Also I found the TYCO relays on Amazon for $2.99 each. Got all 3 in 2 days all the way from California for $15.00 I think the cheapo China ones are $7 each at Advanve Auto.
Someone tell more about the optional diode please.
BTW this is a great place to buy wire, loom, terminals, breakers, and what ever. As far as I know they blow everyone else away price wise.
http://www.elecdirect.com/catalog/a3...Fcfe4Aod_Wwbmw
PS
OK
I just noticed page 2,3,4,and 5 on this thread. Also I found the TYCO relays on Amazon for $2.99 each. Got all 3 in 2 days all the way from California for $15.00 I think the cheapo China ones are $7 each at Advanve Auto.Someone tell more about the optional diode please.
01-24-2012, 09:20 AM
#67
Registered User
A relay coil is inductive, and thus stores energy. The way it does that is it builds a magnetic field which is used to pull down the steel tab and close the contacts. When the current is suddenly stopped, that magnetic field collapses, and cuts through the coil, generating a quick spike of relatively high voltage and current opposite in polarity to the original voltage and current. That spike can damage electronics that energize the relay. A diode can be wired across the coil such that it limits that voltage to the diode forward conduction voltage, typically about a volt, thus protecting the electronics.
There are some trade offs.
1. With the diode, the coil terminals can only be wired in one polarity. Without the diode it don't matter.
2. The diode current will support the magnetic field, making it collapse slower, and thus making the contact opening slower. On power relays this can shorten the life of the relay, or even cause a fatal arc-over.
When you're energizing the relay with mechanical switches, the diode has more drawbacks than benefits. In this application, it's not a big deal either way.
If you want to do the best for the design, get a relay with a resistor instead, or just wire a 750 ohm to 1K ohm resistor across the coil. It'll limit the back voltage to a few volts, and not seriously lengthen the opening time of the relay.
Well, you asked.
There are some trade offs.
1. With the diode, the coil terminals can only be wired in one polarity. Without the diode it don't matter.
2. The diode current will support the magnetic field, making it collapse slower, and thus making the contact opening slower. On power relays this can shorten the life of the relay, or even cause a fatal arc-over.
When you're energizing the relay with mechanical switches, the diode has more drawbacks than benefits. In this application, it's not a big deal either way.
If you want to do the best for the design, get a relay with a resistor instead, or just wire a 750 ohm to 1K ohm resistor across the coil. It'll limit the back voltage to a few volts, and not seriously lengthen the opening time of the relay.
Well, you asked.
01-24-2012, 09:39 AM
#68
Registered User
There are some trade offs.
1. With the diode, the coil terminals can only be wired in one polarity. Without the diode it don't matter.
2. The diode current will support the magnetic field, making it collapse slower, and thus making the contact opening slower. On power relays this can shorten the life of the relay, or even cause a fatal arc-over.
When you're energizing the relay with mechanical switches, the diode has more drawbacks than benefits. In this application, it's not a big deal either way.
If you want to do the best for the design, get a relay with a resistor instead, or just wire a 750 ohm to 1K ohm resistor across the coil. It'll limit the back voltage to a few volts, and not seriously lengthen the opening time of the relay.
Well, you asked.
02-07-2012, 04:59 PM
#69
Registered User
12-21-2012, 08:15 AM
#70
Hey, Jim - I just did this yesterday, and I have to say the difference in light quality is amazing! It was nearly impossible for me to see at night before, but now everything is so much better. Thanks for a great writeup.
I do have one question for you - where do you find to be the best spot for mounting all the hardware? The relays are behind the hood hinge when it is lowered, and I'd like to cover up that breaker somehow.
I do have one question for you - where do you find to be the best spot for mounting all the hardware? The relays are behind the hood hinge when it is lowered, and I'd like to cover up that breaker somehow.
12-21-2012, 11:21 AM
#71
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Heres where I bought my parts from. I went a lil bit overkill and spend $50 or so tho...
http://headlightplugs.com/H4.ht.html
http://headlightplugs.com/H4.ht.html
12-21-2012, 10:52 PM
#72
Heres where I bought my parts from. I went a lil bit overkill and spend $50 or so tho...
http://headlightplugs.com/H4.ht.html
http://headlightplugs.com/H4.ht.html
12-31-2012, 06:14 AM
#73
Registered User
I just created the wire whip and how do I connect it into the existing whip? Anyone have pictures of what they did? Is the wire whip just for one bulb? Or do I just run that into the existing driver side headlight.. ?
If so then I'll just remove that headlight socket and splice into the wire whip.
If so then I'll just remove that headlight socket and splice into the wire whip.
12-31-2012, 10:40 AM
#74
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http://headlightplugs.com/graphics/h4.9008.jpg the plug with the prongs on it?
12-31-2012, 10:45 AM
#75
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http://headlightplugs.com/graphics/h4.9008.jpg the plug with the prongs on it?