Date: Sat, 2 Mar 2002 00:08:37 -0900
Reply-To: Mike Moery <mike.moery@ACSALASKA.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Mike Moery <mike.moery@ACSALASKA.NET>
Subject: Re: Relaying Headlights
In-Reply-To: <016801c1c1c4$47b91ff0$0100a8c0@MEDION1800>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
In my opinion, it would be a waste of time and wire running your
headlight power lead all the way to the back. Remember, that's a huge
wire connecting your battery and starter; no measurable voltage drop
there. If that last section of wire between the alternator and starter
can't carry the full output of the alternator, then it should be
replaced anyway! In short, the circuit connecting alternator and
battery should be able to carry far more current than your headlights
will use.
In my own headlight relay setup, I only went as far as the 8 gauge wire
feeding the fuse block to get power, as my battery is in the engine
compartment.
-Mike Moery
Anchorage, AK
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* * * *( o )-------( o )=
'Ol Bessie '82TD Westy
-----Original Message-----
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM] On Behalf
Of Robert Steven Fish
Sent: Friday, March 01, 2002 11:29 PM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: Re: Relaying Headlights
I also do NOT WANT to run all that wire... but I will do it if someone
can
tell me (with some good logic behing their arguement) that there is
indeed
an advantage to powering right off the alternator (sounds a bit like a
THREAT, doesn"t it?)
But it is true... the alternator feeds the starter, and then heads right
on
up to the battery positive post. So maybe the battery post is, at that
point distributing all the charge to the rest of the car, while also
sucking
juice to recharge, and cannot provide the desired voltage?.... I have no
idea.. but would love to find out what the real deal is.
Thanks also to those who have sent me tips. The fuse being near the
power
source, while this seems vary basic, is actually a HUGE help for me, as
I
was just going to throw them anywhere along the line.
<º)))>{ <º)))>{ <º)))>{ <º)))>{ <º)))>{ <º)))>{
Robert S. Fish
Salzburg, Austria
1987 Wolfsburg Vanagon 2.1 GL Weekender
1987 Golf Cabriolet
1991 Golf
----- Original Message -----
From: "Matthew Pollard" <poll7356@uidaho.edu>
To: "Robert Steven Fish" <fish@salzburg.co.at>
Sent: Saturday, March 02, 2002 2:33 AM
Subject: Re: Re: Relaying Headlights
i took the juice off the battery b/c i wasn't too keen about running
another 10' of big fat expensive copper wire!
Matthew Pollard "Racing with the wind and flirting with death
Dept. Of Chemistry So have a cup of coffee and catch your breath"
University of Idaho
www.uidaho.edu/~poll7356
On Sat, 2 Mar 2002, Robert Steven Fish wrote:
> Revisiting the headlight relay scene...
>
> I am going to attempt the infamous headlight circuit rewire this
weekend
on
> my 87 2.1 Vanagon.
>
> Before I go shopping for wire, I wanted to get something straight...
>
> When running your power to the 30 terminals of the relays, where is
the
best
> source for juice.. the alternator or the battery plus terminal??
>
> I just read something which seemed to indicate that the power should
come
> off the alternator, because then it does not have to pass through any
of
the
> car's internal wiring and will thus not have such a pronounced voltage
drop.
>
> But from what I am reading here, it seems that the battery terminal
will
be
> able to deliver the same quality juice as the alternator... is this
correct.
>
> I will save a lot of red wire if I go to the battery.
>
> Thanks for the info!
>
> RSF
>
> PS... in addition, it seems that if you take the WHITE wire, directly
from
> the steering column headlight dimmer switch, to be your relay coil,
then
you
> will end up without a blue dash LED indicating that your brights are
on...
> or am I missing something here? Looks like that WHITE wire runs
through a
> fuse and back to the wiring block, to emerge as a white/black wire, on
its
> way to the 56a at the high beam lamp. Wouldn't it be better to take
this
> wire for the relay coil??
>
> <º)))>{ <º)))>{ <º)))>{ <º)))>{ <º)))>{ <º)))>{
>
> Robert S. Fish
> Salzburg, Austria
> 1987 Wolfsburg Vanagon 2.1 GL Weekender
> 1987 Golf Cabriolet
> 1991 Golf
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Alistair Bell" <albell@UVIC.CA>
> To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
> Sent: Tuesday, February 26, 2002 5:37 PM
> Subject: Re: Relaying Headlights
>
>
> Frank,
>
> I am sure you're gonna get a few responses to your battery statement!
>
>
> When the engine is running and the battery charged, battery voltage is
> greater than 12 volts (I read 14.1-14.2 at the battery). The
alternator
> output is limited to whatever the voltage reg is set at (13.8-14.4)
not 12
> volts.
>
> If you only read 12 volts across the pos and neg of your battery when
the
> engine is running then you have alternator and/or battery problems.
>
> The battery must be charged at a voltage higher than 12, the upper
limit
> being a compromise between charge rate and over charge. Gel cell
batteries
> have a slightly different charge profile (both equalisation and
float).
>
> I get approx 14.0 at the dash voltmeter with no load. The addition of
two
8
> gauge power lines running up to the front (for aux light and relayed
head
> lights) makes a big difference in the measured voltage drop when those
> aforementioned loads are applied. Used to be (with stock wiring) when
I
> turned on all the electrical loads the voltmeter would drop below 12V
> (wipers, blower, lights, rear defrogger etc), now with the same loads
plus
a
> 250W aux light the voltage bottoms out at 12.5)
>
> Alistair
>
>
>
> on 26/2/02 3:34 AM, you wrote:
>
>
> >>
> > Never gonna get 13 volts up at the head lamps unless you run 10
guage
> > wire to them. Even then I doubt that will work. Battery is 12
volts
> that's
> > it that's all. Yes, the alternator puts out 13.? volts, but it is
> regulated
> > to the battery at 12 volts. There is always gonna be some current
drop
in
> > the line which is a factor of the diameter and length of the line.
Using
> the
> > stock wires to the headlamps with the relays bypassing the limiting
switch
> VW
> > put there will get you around 11.5 volts and the lamps. Which is
way
> better
> > than the 9.5 volts there in OEM conditions.
> >
> > Cheers
> >
> > Frank Condelli
>
>
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