9 replies to this topic

[M11MHJ]

I have a Clubman 1972, and I have put halogen head lights in.

I was told i need to put a relay into the orginal wiring loom as the wires are getting hot. Also when i try to flash with out the headlights on nothing happens. I have the ignition on, and i pull the stalk back for a flash but nothing happens.

Would anyone please help me...

What relay I need and how to wire it in?

Many thanks Matt

[Bobby9779]

Sorry, off topic, but just made me think...Do halogens not annoy you when people blind you at night?

Debating whether I would be joining the blinding people club if I had halogens....anyone thought of this side of it?

Sorry again, just thinking.

Russ

[andydclements]

This is for either high beam or low beam, simply do it twice for both high and low.
Disconnect/ cut the existing power wires (+12v) that go to the head lamps.

For the relay you need to run a decent (rate at 20 amps or more) positive supply to it (from alternator or similar) and put an in-line fuse in it (fuse lower than the current rating of the wire but at least 15 amps to cope with the surge as the headlights warm up). Pin 30 on relay
You need a good (but not heavy current) earth from the body to the relay. pin 86 on relay
The activation for the relay comes from your existing wiring loom, take a feed that would have gone to your headlights, a low current wire will do (3 amps is more than enough). Pin 86 on relay
Run a wire from the output of the relay to each headlight, wire needs to cope with at least 10 amps. Pin 87 on relay.

Mount the relay securely to the car.
use pre-insulated terminals of the size that fit the wire you use.

As you'll need to do both high and low beam, ideally get a couple of connectors for the pins of the headlamp and wire in all new, else you'll have to cut the existing wires off the two positive cables and solder on the new cables.

Hope that makes sense.




Oh and for Russ's question, do you mean halogen or HID. halogen are a lot brighter than sealed beams but HIDs are a lot brighter than halogen and shouldn't be used in a normal (halogen) type headlamp reflector?

Andy

Edited by andydclements, 08 February 2011 - 08:56 PM.

[dklawson]

To supplement the instructions given above, please see the web site in the link below:
http://www.advanceautowire.com/

Click on the "Headlight Relay Kit" link on the left side of the screen. In addition to information on the kit they include a schematic for the relay circuit. The schematic includes normal Lucas wire color codes and it includes pin numbers for the standard Bosch/ISO 30Amp relays used in such circuits.

[bcjames]

Sorry, off topic, but just made me think...Do halogens not annoy you when people blind you at night?

Debating whether I would be joining the blinding people club if I had halogens....anyone thought of this side of it?

Sorry again, just thinking.

Russ

X-reg MPi as per your little photo there by your name?

Then you already have halogens

Edited by bcjames, 09 February 2011 - 01:19 PM.

[M11MHJ]

This is for either high beam or low beam, simply do it twice for both high and low.
Disconnect/ cut the existing power wires (+12v) that go to the head lamps.

For the relay you need to run a decent (rate at 20 amps or more) positive supply to it (from alternator or similar) and put an in-line fuse in it (fuse lower than the current rating of the wire but at least 15 amps to cope with the surge as the headlights warm up). Pin 30 on relay
You need a good (but not heavy current) earth from the body to the relay. pin 86 on relay
The activation for the relay comes from your existing wiring loom, take a feed that would have gone to your headlights, a low current wire will do (3 amps is more than enough). Pin 86 on relay
Run a wire from the output of the relay to each headlight, wire needs to cope with at least 10 amps. Pin 87 on relay.

Mount the relay securely to the car.
use pre-insulated terminals of the size that fit the wire you use.

As you'll need to do both high and low beam, ideally get a couple of connectors for the pins of the headlamp and wire in all new, else you'll have to cut the existing wires off the two positive cables and solder on the new cables.

Hope that makes sense.




Oh and for Russ's question, do you mean halogen or HID. halogen are a lot brighter than sealed beams but HIDs are a lot brighter than halogen and shouldn't be used in a normal (halogen) type headlamp reflector?

Andy

Thanks very much...

Is this the peachy colored relay that is on the later wiring looms? As i brought a later loom as a donor for mine to add things onto when needed.

13 DA
12 volt
TWC 10050

Thats whats on the front of the relay.... This is 7 pin

Thanks Matt

[bmcecosse]

Halogen lights (assuming the legal 55 watt bulbs) don't take any more amps than the original headlights - so you don't really need relays - but of course you can fit them if you want to. The headlight flash gets it's power from the non-ignition circuit along with the horn and interior light - are they working ok ? Check the fuse!

Edited by bmcecosse, 09 February 2011 - 10:31 PM.

[M11MHJ]

Halogen lights (assuming the legal 55 watt bulbs) don't take any more amps than the original headlights - so you don't really need relays - but of course you can fit them if you want to. The headlight flash gets it's power from the non-ignition circuit along with the horn and interior light - are they working ok ? Check the fuse!

Well still wiring the car up, need to wire the horn and interior light in on saturday so will tell you then...

But I think I have mad a mistake in the wiring for the lights and interior light so need to go back and find it so might find the problem Saturday

I hope hahaa

Regards Matt

[lawnmowercrap]

Halogen headlights (H4 bulbs to be precise) do not require any additional relays so long as a 55w bulb is used. Even HID kits do not need any relays.

The only wiring you need to change is for your sidelights to a 501 type bulb. But you have a manly Mini, meaning your sidelights are seperate to the bowl so you dont have to touch the sidelight wiring.

Wipac ones are the best ones.

[dklawson]

Strictly speaking you are correct that you do not need the relays for 55W headlamps. However, there are at least two beneficial reasons to add relays.

1) The use of relays will significantly reduce the current flowing through the original wiring and switch inside the passenger compartment. Relays will help the original switches last longer and switch life is an issue on early cars.
2) The use of relays allows the use of larger gauge wiring between a fused battery connection and the lamps themselves. The use of the heavier gauge wire with shorter runs AND not passing that current through the original dash switch typically results in brighter headlights.
No, you don't have to have the relays but they are not a bad addition to a car, particularly an older car.

Also strictly speaking, the posts above are correct that 55W is 55W (and therefore the current should be the same) regardless of whether the bulbs are older incandescents or newer Halogens. However, something must be different about the Halogens as there is more than a handful of anecdotal evidence that simply switching to Halogens has caused problems for the wiring and/or charging systems in some people's cars.