Halogen conversion kits

[Carboy0]

Very interesting thread guys, as I am about to do the H4/H1 conversion on my Mk2. I previously onverted my Stag headlights from 4 x H1s, to H4/H1s and added relays. My 73 Stag had its existing wiring running from the fuse box on the nearside of the bulkhead, with four individual wires, two inside the nearside wing and two down the offside wing.

As has been stated, you can improve the standard lights by adding relays. The relays themselves don’t improve the light output, it’s the shorter run from the battery resulting less voltage losses. The existing Stag power runs from the battery, up to the light switch, into the dip/main/flash stalk, down to the fuse box and then onto the individual headlight bulbs. By my reckoning about 4 metres of wiring and two switch contacts, all of which “eat” voltage. On the Stag the alternator was pumping out 13.8 volts and the headlights were seeing 11.8 volts.

Keeping the power run as short as possible, from the battery to the relay, to the bulb, results in less power loss. After conversion, the bulbs were seeing 13.7 volts and even the old headlights were loads brighter, using as much of the existing wiring as possible, I only added a 50 amp (total overkill) wire from the battery to the relays, everything else was either original wiring or new 17 amp to each bulb.

Having trouble posting pics again - down to 198 - 128 pixels and still rejected.

[torque2me]

Keeping the power run as short as possible, from the battery to the relay, to the bulb, results in less power loss. After conversion, the bulbs were seeing 13.7 volts and even the old headlights were loads brighter, using as much of the existing wiring as possible, I only added a 50 amp (total overkill) wire from the battery to the relays, everything else was either original wiring or new 17 amp to each bulb.

Having trouble posting pics again - down to 198 - 128 pixels and still rejected.

Did you ever get pic/size posting sorted?

Kev

[Carboy0]

Here you go Kev

Sorry, I forgot to post previously.

[Mike Stevens]

Remember that the Mk2 saloon wiring is different in that there are not separate relays for each side as in the Stag. Also the wiring runs down the RH wing rather than the LH on the Stag. The Halogen conversion I've done on the PI has a relay/fuse plate mounted off the RH front suspension turret so it is easy to get to the relevant wires in the RH front wing. The power feed comes from the starter motor just below (as suggested by Jonathan Lewis)! The wiring from the relays to the headlamps themselves is still standard but of course the headlamp current is no longer going through the dip switch.

A calculation of light output based on the voltage increase at the headlamps suggests an increase of up to 30%! This was reinforced by light output measurements by Colin (CAR) which agreed with the calculated figure.

So, on a saloon halogens and relays give an appreciable and worthwhile improvement. On a Stag, it's still worthwhile but theory would suggest that the improvement is not quite so marked.

Cheers,
Mike.

[torque2me]

Thanks for the photo's carboy and thanks to all who posted on the subject!

Kev

[tony]

On my Mk2 I rewired everything, including heavier earths from the headlights. My car now has the best headlights of anything I've owned including my BMW's.
Tony.