Date:         Mon, 15 Nov 2010 23:31:01 -0500
Reply-To:     Jay Brown <badkarma@TTLC.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Jay Brown <badkarma@TTLC.NET>
Subject:      Re: Headlight Upgrade: New Circuit and Switch?
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

I make the headlight relay kits that Rob sent the links to below.  In the
past couple years I have sold about 200 relay kits, many to members here on
the list.  Mark's suggestion to run an auxiliary fuse block to the front of
the van to power the relays is a great idea, but one that is definitely much
more involved than the standard relay install.  I looked into the
possibility of making a kit with an inline circuit breaker and a 4 circuit
fuse block, but the cost would have been well over $75.00 before shipping.



Before deciding whether I wanted to offer a more expensive "deluxe install
kit", I wanted to quantify the actual differences between hooking the
headlights directly to the battery with a 10GA wire vs. attaching the wires
to the terminals on the fuse block.   I conducted two quick experiments to
gather real world data on my '87 Wolfsburg.  The first was to check the
voltage at the high beam wire on the drivers side headlight.  I found a
0.02V difference between the direct battery connection vs. connecting the
relays to the terminals on the back of the fuse block.  Next was to observe
the actual lumen output 24" from the high beams with my photometer.  I found
a difference of 7 lumens between the two connection strategies using the
stock bulbs.  To me, the cost/benefit ratio of wiring directly to the
battery didn't make enough sense to justify the increased cost involved.   I
should mention that there could possibly be a more profound effect from van
to van, but in my case the end simply didn't justify the means.



Cleaning or replacing the grounds on your headlights will often make a
significant difference in lumen output.  The grounding star lugs above the
fuse block can be a pain in the rump to access, but any efforts cleaning
connections or replacing damaged terminals is time well spent.  Adding a
secondary ground as close to the bulb as possible can also add more lumens
to your bulb output whether you decide to run relays or not.



When I started looking into the idea of adding headlight relays to my '85
Westy, I thought that the prices that the online vendors were charging were
extremely high, especially considering the fact that they were all using
standard hardware store type terminals that wouldn't interface well with the
stock connectors in the van.  I figured I could make myself a set of relays
with good connectors for about $10.00 and they would work perfectly.
Unfortunately, I quickly realized that without the luxury of a well stocked
electronics store local to me, it was nearly impossible to source all of the
proper parts from one supplier.  This meant that the shipping charges for a
one-off set of relays would cost at least as much or more than the actual
parts themselves.  I currently purchase my parts from four different
suppliers.  After factoring in a set of decent crimpers for the OEM style
open barrel terminals that I wanted to use, my cost was well above $50.00
for my first set.



After some more research and cost crunching I found that if I purchased
enough supplies to make at least 30 sets of relays at a time I could produce
a complete kit that I could sell for $25.00 and still turn a small profit to
help support my Vanagon habit.



The relays for the 80-85 Vanagon do not require any wires to be cut for
installation (unless you want to replace the ground terminals, which I
highly recommend and include with the kit).  All of the necessary mounting
hardware is included in the kit as well as a couple 10A GBC fuses (try
finding those locally, I had to order 5,000pcs directly from the
manufacturer) for people who want to upgrade their bulbs to higher wattage
units.



The installation in 86-91 vans requires the wires coming from the hi/low
beam selector to be cut a few inches from the fuse block.  The relays are
then installed with PermaSeal butt connectors with shrink wrap and adhesive
built in for a very secure connection.



I have been running these exact relay setups I sell in my vans for two years
now with zero problems.  I think they are a cost effective solution for
anyone looking to maximize the output of their stock headlamps and a
necessity for people looking to protect the headlight switch when upgrading
to higher wattage bulbs.  I always try to have a few sets ready to roll, the
total cost including shipping in the continental US via Priority Mail is
$30.50.  International shipping is also available, just email your address
to thatvwbusguy@comcast.net and I can get you a quote.



Jay Brown

'85 Zetec Westfalia

'87 Zetec Wolfsburg









Date:    Mon, 15 Nov 2010 12:38:37 -0800

From:    Rob <becida@COMCAST.NET>

Subject: Re: Headlight Upgrade: New Circuit and Switch?



I used this guy's kit

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=1007338 (86+)

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=1007337 (80-85) and
have nothing but good to say about it.



Rob

becida@comcast.net