Headlamp Relay - Where to find a new one?

[Mike Phillips]

Mikes, if his new relay has 5 prongs, that just means he has 2 87's. He can leave one empty if necessary. Or, he needs to hook the low beams to one and the high beams to the other. It really is easier to add another relay for the high beams.

 

I can make a diagram for what I did later, if necessary.

 

This is the relay...

 

 

Kind of giving up for the night...

[mklotz70]

At this point, he's simply trying to replace the stock relay. The normally closed contact 87a should be connected to the low beams, so that they will be on while the relay is deenergized. The normally open contact, 87 will get connected to the high beams and get turned on when the relay sees a ground from the dimmer switch.

 

Since he is still getting all his power from the light switch, that needs to be connected to 30. But, he still needs some juic on the 85 pin for the relay coil. That's the point of the jumper. In the stock relay, the main contact(equivelant to 30) is also connected to the relay winding(same as 85) inside the relay. His new relay has two separate terminals, so he has to connect them externally. The stock relay, basically has the 87, 87a, 30, and 86, but does not have 85.

 

Bee...I know you've got this....so this is for everyone elses clarity...I think it's already posted above already...........

If he adds the second relay, he will not need or use 87a on the 2nd relay. He will put the 2nd relay in line before the relay he is wiring up now. A new 10ga wire from the batt + term with an inline fuse will go to the 30 term. The red wire from the first relay will get moved to 85 on the 2nd relay. 86 of the 2nd will go to ground allowing the 2nd relay to energize as soon as the light switch is turned on. The 87 term will get a new wire connecting it to 30 on the 2nd relay. Basically, the 2nd relay will simply control the main power for the lights and allow it to come directly from the battery. The light switch will control the 2nd relay and the dimmer switch will control the first(the one he's putting in now)

[Mike Phillips]

***Update***

 

Hey while getting my wiring kit out to wire up a jumper wire for the 5 prong relay I found a brand new 4 prong relay.

 

Below are some pictures and my question is will this relay work instead of the 5 prong relay so I won't have to make a jumper wire?

 

 

 

If so, which of my 4 wires would go to which prongs? Here's what I have,

 

 

Solid Red - Power

Red with White - High Beam

Red with Yellow - Dimmer (It's a thinner wire)

Red with Black - Low Beam

 

 

Thanks again for the help...

 

:)

Edited November 11, 2008 by Mike Phillips

[Mike Phillips]

Couldn't get the 4 prong relay figured out so here's an example that will showcase my wiring skills...

 

 

Headlights work and tail lights work. The brights come on with the dimmer/blinker switch pulled toward the driver and normal lights, (dim), work with the dimmer/blinker switch pushed away from the driver. I think that's opposite than how it's supposed to be?

 

Must just need to reverse the 87 and 87A wires?

 

Thanks for everyone's help, I'm going to rig up the other "better" option as soon as I can get to it after I get the blinkers working and the seat belts legal.

 

Anyone with some blinker insights are welcome and encouraged to check out this thread...

 

Blinkers not working but blinking power coming out of the flasher

 

:)

[Mike Phillips]

Took that work of art and made it into my Avatar!

 

 

 

[mklotz70]

no...the 4 prong would not work to replace the stock relay. It is what you need to do the two relay setup. You're one fuse holder away from do it all right now.

 

I'm pretty sure that with the blinker stalk toward the driver, it's low beams and when you push the stalk forward toward the dash, it's high beams. You can find out for sure by connecting the clamp of your test light to the + term on the battery, then probe the red/yellow wire(disconnected from relay) to see if it lights up. Which ever position of the blinker stalk causes the light to light up.....that's high beam. So, if your hi beams are on when it should only be lows...reverse the wires on 87 and 87a. You don't want the relay energized while running the low beams.

[]2eDeYe]

Yep back lows, forward hi's.

 

Great pic's and tech :D