Date: Sun, 10 Jan 2010 11:18:05 -0800
Reply-To: Jake de Villiers <crescentbeachguitar@GMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Jake de Villiers <crescentbeachguitar@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: Head lights
In-Reply-To: <4B4A25E5.1050500@cox.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
Great point.
I found that the ground path was the greatest impediment to decent voltage
at the lights.
Grounding the headlights to the body right behind the headlight buckets made
a noticeable improvement on both '84 and '86. I don't remember ever having
another vehicle that ran the light grounds all the way back across the
vehicle to some arbitrary grounding point...
Adding the relays and brighter bulbs helped too.
On Sun, Jan 10, 2010 at 11:09 AM, mark drillock <mdrillock@cox.net> wrote:
> To really get to the bottom of this you must use a voltmeter. The relays
> are primarily intended to remove the current of the headlights from the
> headlight switch and ignition switch. These switches burn out from long
> use and if brighter bulbs are fitted these switches will burn out
> sooner. The relays prevent this. At the same time the relays will boost
> the voltage to the bulbs by giving the current a shorter path, but other
> weaknesses along the wiring path can still reduce headlight output from
> what it once was and should be. A voltmeter should be used to compare
> the voltage reading at the alternator, the battery, the fuse panel, and
> the headlight connector. This measurement comparison should be done with
> the engine running, high beams on and the heater fan on speed 2.
>
> Mark
>
>
> Mark A Kippert wrote:
>
>> As far as I know, the source feeding the relays is correct. The relays are
>> plugged into the specified male blades on the back of the fuse block (as
>> directed in the instructions).
>>
>> I guess what would really help is to understand why headlights that must
>> have worked fine when the van rolled off the assembly line, now work so
>> poorly.
>>
>> Not sure what you mean by "any wiring upgrade needs to include improving
>> the current path from the alternator, not just the battery." I'm guessing
>> the lights are fed by the battery, so the relays are improving this path.
>> Here on the list, relay kits are typically recommended as the fix for poor
>> headlight output, as well as many Vanagon sites. I don't recall reading that
>> the current from the alternator should be improved as well (of course I've
>> only been on the list about a year).
>>
>> Mark K
>> 1986 GL/2WD/4SPD
>>
>>
--
Jake
1984 Vanagon GL
1986 Westy Weekender "Dixie"
Crescent Beach, BC
www.thebassspa.com
www.crescentbeachguitar.com
http://subyjake.googlepages.com/mydixiedarlin%27
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