Date: Thu, 8 Sep 2011 15:12:32 -0700
Reply-To: Scott Daniel - Turbovans <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Scott Daniel - Turbovans <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM>
Subject: Re: Headlight Upgrade Eilemma
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reply-type=response
curious if you understand the basic principle of a regular relay.
- that a small current is used to energize it ..
whether by supplying power or ground.
so a larger load and current can flow through the load contacts of the relay
.
given that ..
and the diagram that's often right on the side of the relay itself..
and identifying what's what with a test light on the van ....
one could/should be able to wire in headlight relay/s without too much
trouble.
personally...........I have a very hard time with
'connect-red-wire-to-blue-wire' type instructions.
I want to *understand* what I am connecting ..
and what each wire does ..
plus that makes it far easier to trouble shoot and repair in the future , if
ever needed.
'pull power to get the relay to work' ..
is an odd question to me.
what you want, is to take the original headlight voltage that used to come
out of the light switch.....
and use that signal to energize your headlight relay or relays.
that's the 'control' side of it.
( that will also only be available with key on, just like stock lights )
the 'load side' ..
find a fat wire with power on it ..
battery on at all time power..
that will be your source for the current that will flow through the load
contacts..
the original wires going to the head lights will be connected to the output
side of the load contacts.
make sure the load side is fuse protected ..
even if you have to add your own inline fuses.
Re-do the ground side extra well too ...
very important. The stock headlight ground to the 'crown' above the fuse box
is just weak.
Bypass that connection or re-do those ground wires entirely.
keep a fire extinguisher handy.
and ....just to be safe ..
on 'new electrical' work..
and particularly when someone did who knows what..
I don't trust it completely for a while..
I might leave the battery disconnected while the van is just sitting
.......at first anyway ..
until I learn things are really right.
and ..
all vanagons 'should' really have a way to get the battery disconnected in
a real hurry.
they 'should' but few do.
Perhaps this will help.
Scott
www.turbovans.com
----- Original Message -----
From: "John Rodgers" <inua@CHARTER.NET>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Thursday, September 08, 2011 1:56 PM
Subject: Headlight Upgrade Eilemma
>I was going to upgrade my headlight circuits with headlight relays to
> handle new higher wattage lights. Part of this requires cutting some
> wires and these wires are clearly identified in the instructions. When I
> went to do this, and removed the steering column cover to better see
> what I was doing, I discovered a rat's net of wires where the PO had
> done a whole lot of upgrading for himself. There is no way for me to
> identify all those wires making the install non-compatible. So, what to
> do?
>
> I decided to use the TJ Hannick approach, using 30 amp relay mounted on
> the dash fascia on the left side of the insturment pod and under the
> instrument pod cover. Four wires, no cutting, plug and play - Right?
> Wrong!!!
>
> The first three wires to the relay were a snap. But the fourth - the one
> that powers the control circuit inside the relay - the fourth one is to
> be plugged into the "P" panel on the back side of the fuse block. Once
> that last wire is connected - the light would/should work. Well, no
> joy!! I dropped the fuse block, only to discover that the "P" panel
> looked like a Christmas tree loaded with ornaments. The PO in his
> rewiring, had used all 6 output pins and had put extenders on them,
> increasing their ability to carry more connectors with wires. But to the
> detriment of adding anything else at all!!!
>
> My question here is - where else can I connect to pull power for getting
> the relay to work.
>
> Thanks,
>
> John
>
> -- John Rodgers Clayartist and Moldmaker 88'GL VW Bus Driver Chelsea, AL
> Http://www.moldhaus.com
