zerow Posted February 27, 2013 Report Share Posted February 27, 2013 So, you bought some BMW (Non-Euro) Ellipsoid Headlights. You've hacked away (or simply hammered...you 510 guys have it easy..) at the front core support. You've modified your headlight buckets. You even made sure that everything actually bolts back together. Now you have the physical part handled...you feel accomplished...you have battle wounds...but now you have to figure out the wiring...what to do? First off, you will need to go shopping... - Use (4) 9005XS bulbs...Yes, I said run 4 of them! A simple modification to the housing will allow for brighter "low beams" and "high beams when used in a quad configuration...better to be seen than not seen in the dark. The 9005XS are a straight 180 degree design versus the standard 9005 bulbs, which are 90 degree type. There is no room to replace the bulbs with the 9005 style. The 'XS' bulbs are straight, and allow for easy replacement. (Uses the same connector as the BMW 9005 bulbs, but you will need to get two more 9005 connectors, or modify the ones you have from the other bulbs...) - 3 "Bosch Style" 30 Amp SPST relays with end connectors (or go with Insulated Spades - Minimum 12 for the relays) - 5 spools of different colored wires (for this exercise, lets go with Black, White, Yellow, Red, and Blue) (12 Gauge) - Insulated Ring End connectors for 12/14 gauge wire - Butt Connectors for 12/14 gauge wire (or you can solder the connections) - 3 Inline ATC fuse holders with 30 Amp Fuses (or find one of these: http://www.ceautoelectricsupply.com/Website%20Images/ATCfusedist_med.jpg) (Optional List - HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!): Go to the junkyard. Find the European car section. Find any VW Golf or BMW 3 or 5 series (the headlights MUST be the sealed beam variety). Take the 3-Prong connectors (They look just like your stock Datsun connectors) and 6+ inches of pigtail. This will allow you to wire it directly to your existing wire harness without hacking up your old wiring. You will need 2 of these. Go to an electronics supply store. You want "Male to Male Spade" connectors. This allows you to connect two Female Spade Connectors in-line together. I installed the Male to Male Spades on the VW Golf connectors and pushed them into the stock connectors. No splicing, solid connection. Wrap with tape, and call it done. Next, you will need a wiring diagram...which I am happy to provide: I omitted the stock wiring colors...this is meant to be a generic diagram. Check your connectors to see what wires provide power to the lamp before proceeding. The gratuitous use of a voltmeter is recommended...you will enjoy the time and your voltmeter wants the attention, too... The "Low Beam" (Outer) connector triggers ONE relay for the two outer lamps. The "High Beam" (Inner) connector triggers TWO relays for all four (inner and outer) lamps. Not to worry about the double wiring...the wiring is so that each relay pulls power independantly, and since a relay is just a fancy switch, there will not be cross feed. The only function I have not finished is the "flash" function...where you can flash the beams. Soon...hopefully soon... Questions can be directed to me here in this write up. 1 Quote Link to comment
h190 Posted February 27, 2013 Report Share Posted February 27, 2013 I used two relays and wired them up directly to the battery like yours is. It made the stock headlamps alot brighter. Then I upgraded to the ellipsoids and hid's. I love them. Nice writeup. Quote Link to comment
qwik510 Posted February 27, 2013 Report Share Posted February 27, 2013 Nice write up and nice diagram too. I am not an electrical guy so this really helps. Quote Link to comment
oldskoolvws Posted February 27, 2013 Report Share Posted February 27, 2013 This looks good and will work. You could do the exact same thing with 2 relays by adding a diode between HB trigger 86 to LB trigger 86 (flow blocked to HB). Also I would indicate that the wiring should split into parallel instead of series to balance the load but these results would likely be minimal. To flash them (not sure you want 2 or 4), you just need to interrupt or energize the same triggers (86). You could do this with one more relay and your factory stalk. I'm assuming the lights would be off? Quote Link to comment
zerow Posted February 27, 2013 Author Report Share Posted February 27, 2013 [...] To flash them (not sure you want 2 or 4), you just need to interrupt or energize the same triggers (86). You could do this with one more relay and your factory stalk. I'm assuming the lights would be off? Exactly. The lights would be off. I just need to find the correct wire and make it happen. For now, I am happy to have both Low and High beams, and they work very well. I agree, a diode would be great, but I want to make this a little more foolproof. With this combination, there is a bit of a redundancy check. If you find yourself without low beams, you have high beams, and vice versa. A diode can be wired incorrectly for those who are not well versed in wiring, so this takes the gremlins out of the install. Quote Link to comment
Laecaon Posted February 27, 2013 Report Share Posted February 27, 2013 But um, ellipsoids are solely the low beams(projectors). And they use 9006 bulbs... Does the 9005 fit? The high beams are just regular reflector housings and are not ellipsoids. Quote Link to comment
zerow Posted February 27, 2013 Author Report Share Posted February 27, 2013 But um, ellipsoids are solely the low beams(projectors). And they use 9006 bulbs... Does the 9005 fit? The high beams are just regular reflector housings and are not ellipsoids. A simple mod makes it where you can run 9005 bulbs in the ellipsoid housings. I used a pair of tin snips to make them work. I did it so the brighter 9005 bulbs would fit in the "low beam" ellipsoid housing. 9005 = 65W 9006 = 55W Instead of modifying the bulb, like this guy: http://www.bmwe34.net/E34main/Upgrade/More_light.htm ...I modified the housing. Quote Link to comment
qwik510 Posted February 28, 2013 Report Share Posted February 28, 2013 The Dime quarterly did several articles on the BMW headlights and flash to pass, etc. All available online for free. Link to all of the DQ back issues https://docs.google.com/folder/d/0ByCvxnHNk90SYzc4N2E1MWEtMzg0MC00YTE4LTkxZGQtM2RjODA5ODA1YjU1/edit Here is the install article https://docs.google.com/file/d/0ByCvxnHNk90SYTUzZDI0YzEtZTk4My00YzNiLTgzY2ItNWQ4ODk3MjY4ZTM1/edit Here is the relay/ flash to pass article https://docs.google.com/file/d/0ByCvxnHNk90SYWExMmM2YjMtMDNkMS00MDM0LTljZDQtNDU4ZGFlYjc5YjI2/edit 1 Quote Link to comment
zerow Posted February 28, 2013 Author Report Share Posted February 28, 2013 The Dime quarterly did several articles on the BMW headlights and flash to pass, etc. All available online for free. Link to all of the DQ back issues https://docs.google.com/folder/d/0ByCvxnHNk90SYzc4N2E1MWEtMzg0MC00YTE4LTkxZGQtM2RjODA5ODA1YjU1/edit Here is the install article https://docs.google.com/file/d/0ByCvxnHNk90SYTUzZDI0YzEtZTk4My00YzNiLTgzY2ItNWQ4ODk3MjY4ZTM1/edit Here is the relay/ flash to pass article https://docs.google.com/file/d/0ByCvxnHNk90SYWExMmM2YjMtMDNkMS00MDM0LTljZDQtNDU4ZGFlYjc5YjI2/edit Awesome. Thank You! Quote Link to comment
Laecaon Posted February 28, 2013 Report Share Posted February 28, 2013 You can drop to 2 relays also if you connect 2 wires in your harness at the stock headlight relay. On positive switching cars, which seems to be most Datsuns, simply connect the low beam power wire and the all time power wire together at the relay. This will result in the low beam wire having power at all times with the light switch, even when you hit your high beams. On Negative switching cars (like the 510) You can do something similar, you connect the low beam wire (which is ground) with the ground from the relay. This will result in permanent grounding of the low beam no matter the highbeam switch. So with this modification done, you can then just wire the low beam and high beam separately, and get the same result. This is not for everyone, as some dont like to modify stock wiring that much. Quote Link to comment
DanielC Posted February 28, 2013 Report Share Posted February 28, 2013 This relay, has two pin 87 connections on it. Handy for powering two headlights from one relay, without having to make a "Y" splice. summitracing.com has them. Go to their website, and put "KC3300" in the search box. Quote Link to comment
Zeusimo Posted February 28, 2013 Report Share Posted February 28, 2013 I Would Like To Reccomend You Don't Buy Ebay Relays They Don't Work Right And Just Flicker All Night Long Ended Up Buying BOSCH Relays Worked Great!! Or Go To The JY And Pull Some Factory Ones Out (They Won't Have Any Mounting Tabs Though) I Tried A Single Relay With 2 87s And I Couldn't Figure Out How To Make The Flash Function Work And High (Yellow), Low (HID Projector) Or Both On So I Made A Dual Relay Harness That Keeps These Functions Quote Link to comment
oldskoolvws Posted February 28, 2013 Report Share Posted February 28, 2013 What's the factory setup when you pull on the stalk? i.e. low only, high only, high and low Quote Link to comment
Laecaon Posted February 28, 2013 Report Share Posted February 28, 2013 What's the factory setup when you pull on the stalk? i.e. low only, high only, high and low All high, but the outers are a dual filament sealed beam. SO with high you get 4 lights on. Quote Link to comment
oldskoolvws Posted March 1, 2013 Report Share Posted March 1, 2013 And what's wanted to flash when pulling on the stalk? everything, middle, etc? Quote Link to comment
Laecaon Posted March 1, 2013 Report Share Posted March 1, 2013 Yes everything. I see no reason why the lows cant remain on with the highs. If you left it stock, just the inners would light up. My car doesnt have flash, just highbeams. Shortcut on the 70+ 510s is just ground the negative of the low beam permanently. Headlight switch cuts power. On the 68/69 headlight switch cuts ground, and the headlights have power even with car off. Quote Link to comment
zerow Posted March 1, 2013 Author Report Share Posted March 1, 2013 Yes, either the outer flash or all 4. I have not sat to look for a wire, I was just content with two lamp low/ four lamp high function without blowing fuses. Quote Link to comment
oldskoolvws Posted March 2, 2013 Report Share Posted March 2, 2013 Wait a minute, based on the information you guys gave, the diagram above should work for you if your car has only the high beam when you pull the stalk. Now if it's just a headlight switch, that's another story. For that, I might source a three pull switch which is actually four positions:off/low/high/flash Hook everything up as stated above, but on a pull all the way out (or wherever you choose), wire in a flasher relay to the high beam 86 terminal (no diode required). So when you want to flash, pull all the way out. It will flash as long as you want it to...automatically. http://www.americanautowire.com/shop/headlight-switch-4-position-push-pull ^^^I would verify before buying^^^ Quote Link to comment
zerow Posted August 4, 2013 Author Report Share Posted August 4, 2013 I Would Like To Reccomend You Don't Buy Ebay Relays They Don't Work Right And Just Flicker All Night Long Ended Up Buying BOSCH Relays Worked Great!! Or Go To The JY And Pull Some Factory Ones Out (They Won't Have Any Mounting Tabs Though) I Tried A Single Relay With 2 87s And I Couldn't Figure Out How To Make The Flash Function Work And High (Yellow), Low (HID Projector) Or Both On So I Made A Dual Relay Harness That Keeps These Functions I used Nissan Blue relays. They are commonly found in later ('96 and newer) Nissans near the battery. The relays are 30 Amp and handle my lighting needs just fine. Quote Link to comment
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