Ashton Crusher wrote:
> On Wed, 20 Jun 2007 13:29:04 -0400, Mike Romain <romainm@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>
> wrote:
>
>> Ashton Crusher wrote:
>>> On Wed, 20 Jun 2007 10:10:46 -0400, Mike Romain <romainm@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>
>>> wrote:
>>>
>>>> Doc wrote:
>>>>> Have a '66 Fairlane wagon, the headlights will blank out after maybe
>>>>> 15 - 20 minutes on low beam. Turning the switch off for a few secs
and
>>>>> then turning on will typically get them back on tem****arily but
>>>>> they'll continue to go out. Further, hitting the hi beams is almost
>>>>> guaranteed to kill the lights. Replaced the switch and the floor
>>>>> dimmer, neither cures the problem.
>>>>>
>>>>> Any suggestions as to where to begin looking?
>>>>>
>>>>> Thanks.
>>>>>
>>>> I see that happen to old vehicle when folks try to run halogen bulbs
in
>>>> them without adding a power relay.
>>>>
>>>> The bimetal circuit breakers in the old switches cannot take the amp
>>>> draw the modern halogen bulbs draw.
>>>>
>>>> The old time conversion kits that were sold when halogens first came
out
>>>> are a simple Bosch relay that is fused to the battery and wired so
the
>>>> switch is just the trigger for the relay.
>>>>
>>> There is almost no difference in the current draw between the old
>>> bulbs and halogen.
>> There is enough difference to blow the bimetal circuit breaker,
>> especially when the high beams kick in. There is a 'reason' we needed
>> the conversion kits, every one I have seen without it has sooner than
>> later cooked the switch.
>>
>> Some kits (one for my 1970 Pontiac Safari Wagon) even wired the relay
in
>> parallel with the light switch circuit so the headlights got two power
>> sources which was enough to keep that bimetal switch cool.
>>
>
> There was a long discussion of this in a T-bird group. With the
> headlights from 66 bird what was measured...
>
> with a battery charge of 12.6 static volts...
> "Old" style headlamp.... low beam: 2.2A. @[EMAIL PROTECTED]
high
> beam:4.2A.
> @[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> "Halogen" headlamp.... low beam:3.0A.@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
high
> beam:4.1A.@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>
> So the maximum draw with the halogens was actually LESS then with the
> old style bulbs. Not really surprising since one of the benefits of
> the halogen bulbs was that they are more efficient so for the same
> legal max output they actually draw LESS current. The newer bulbs had
> brighter low beams, that's why the low beam current was higher, but
> still less then on high beams which is the max current draw when all
> four bulbs are lit up.
Real life says someone is playing fast and loose with the numbers!
Got any 'real' numbers for the watts of the bulbs, not something someone
made up with who know what kind of skill or meter?
Once again I will say 'every' old vehicle I have seen with halogens that
were not included stock burns up the headlight switch unless the
conversion kit or a relay is used!
I see this 'lots' due to being a wiring tech for a owner owned fleet of
old vans on one 9 year contract and all the old Jeeps I play with and
repair.
On the fleet I would have to hot wire one or two headlights a year so
they could deliver that night when their switches smoked out. It was
the Ford switches that went the most, followed close by the GM switches.
>
>
>>>> Here is a site on how to wire one in.
>>>>
http://www.classictruckshop.com/clubs/earlyburbs/projects/bosch/relay.htm
>>>>
>>>> The other reason I see the breaker cook is a bad connection in the
plug
>>>> for the headlight switch. The main power wire's spade connector can
get
>>>> ratty which will cause arcs and heat and breaker failure.
>>>>
>>>> I see this same bad connection on the floor dimmer switch plugs.
>>>>
>>>> And last, a bad ground can cause heat issues. I would verify the
>>>> headlight ground tags and the body's main ground from the battery.
>>>>
>>>> Mike
>>>> 86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00
>>>> 88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's - Gone to the rust pile...
>>>> Canadian Off Road Trips Photos: Non members can still view!
>>>> Jan/06 http://www.imagestation.com/album/pictures.html?id=2115147590
>>>> (More Off Road album links at bottom of the view page)
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