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Date:         Sun, 17 Nov 2013 20:35:16 -0500
Reply-To:     Dennis Haynes <d23haynes57@HOTMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Dennis Haynes <d23haynes57@HOTMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Re: High beams not working-lighting upgrades!
Comments: To: Rocket J Squirrel <camping.elliott@gmail.com>
In-Reply-To:  <52896BBD.5060309@gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"

Most auto equipment will work over a large voltage range but performance does suffer. However it is not by accident or even cost savings that the wiring is "undersized". As the system gets loaded down thee resistances help to control the load on the alternator. Also, as so much wiring is not over current protected the smaller sizes also help to limit or control fault currents. Yes those wires can act as fuses hopefully burning up enough to open before the van is gone.

For lighting getting as little as a 1 volt improvement can make a significant difference in performance. Halogen bulbs also need full voltage get full output and life.

Motors are interesting. When they can't get sufficient voltage to do the job the current will actually increase causing even further drop etc.

Dennis

-----Original Message----- From: Rocket J Squirrel [mailto:camping.elliott@gmail.com] Sent: Sunday, November 17, 2013 8:22 PM To: Dennis Haynes; vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM Subject: Re: High beams not working-lighting upgrades!

"The ultimate would also be to upgrade the wiring all the way to the lights."

I have an analog voltmeter on the dash, with a switch so I can monitor the voltage on the house battery and the engine battery. Well, to be accurate, the "engine" position actually connects the meter to the dash, not the battery. The voltage drop on the battery > dash wire is pretty significant when the headlights are turned on.

One measly 8-gauge wire feed the dash, headlights, radiator fan. Been meaning to upsize that wire for a while now. But then . . . there's nothing up front that really cares whether the voltage is a bit low, is there? Headlights are bright enough for me.

This on an '84.

-- Jack "Rocket j Squirrel" Elliott 1984 Westfalia, auto trans, Bend, Ore.

On 11/17/2013 08:25 AM, Dennis Haynes wrote: > Actually it is not that difficult to improve the wiring to more of the > alternator output available for lighting. Start with the harness from > the alternator to the battery cable at the starter. If you were wiring > a house or building a 100 amp circuit would probably be #2 or larger. > As a test turn on everything for .5 hour so and then check that wire to see how hot it is. > The insulation will actually soften. Rev the engine and measure the > voltage drop. You will be surprised. So upgrade this with a #4. Now up > front for all the 87+ Vanagons with AC there are two wires going from > the battery terminal to the fuse box area. One goes to the box and the > other is the feed for the super high speed radiator fan. Since this > fan speed is rarely used this can be a tap or better yet parallel the > two together. Now you have a good feed source for your headlight > relays or eve the stock headlight switch. The ultimate would also be to upgrade the wiring all the way to the lights. > You could also just run another wire from the alternator to the front. > I ran 2. One goes to the fuse box and the other to charge the auxiliary battery. > > Dennis > > -----Original Message----- > From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On > Behalf Of Frank Condelli > Sent: Sunday, November 17, 2013 5:46 AM > To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM > Subject: Re: High beams not working-lighting upgrades! > > The relays are not installed to make it possible to add high > watt bulbs, that's just a side attraction. The main reason for adding > the relays is that the headlamp circuit has too many resistance > gouging devices in the path to the headlights. Just go measure the > voltage at your headlights without the relays, you will find it's about 9.5v not 12 as it should be. > AND, since some of these resistance gouging items are switches with > small contact points surrounded by plastic which melts when the > contact points are overheated the switch fails. Headlamp switch and > ignition switch are the ones that normally fail. So..the real reason > for installing the headlight relays is to save those two switches from > melting and to get more voltage to the headlights. With my relay kit > you will get 11.5v at the headlights. To get the full 12v you need to > redo all the OEM wiring with larger gauge wire, not really worth the > trouble unless you like doing that sort of thing for the extra 1/2v. > > > On Nov 16, 2013, at 8:32 PM, Automatic digest processor > <LISTSERV@GERRY.VANAGON.COM> wrote: > >> With all above said, I think relays are a good idea though, >> especially if you're constantly running high wattage units on a sustained basis. >> I've just never had the need for it. > > > > Cheers, > > Frank Condelli > Almonte, Ontario, Canada > '87 VW Westy, '00 Kawasaki 250 Sherpa, "98 Ducati 750 Monster & Lionel > Trains (Collection for sale) Frank Condelli & Associates - > Vanagon/Vanagon Westfalia Service in the Ottawa Valley BusFusion a VW > Camper camping event, Almonte, ON, June 05 ~ 08, 2014 >


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