> > I'm just talking about removing the sealed beam lights and installing
> > something that looks like a sealed beam, but isn't.
> 1) Bypass the factory wiring and make yourself a big honkin' relay
> harness with 12 or 10 gauge wire to take power directly off the
> alternator to the headlights - retain the stock harness only to trigger
> the relays.
Good idea if he installs E-codes, not really necessary if he stays with
sealed beams. Remember, his H6054s have a *35 watt* low beam filament.
Basically a hot spot, a great deal of upward light for lighting up falling
snowflakes and hanging fog, and nothin' else.
> 2) If you still want more get some E-code reflector assemblies, now with
> your sexy new relay harness you can run overwattage bulbs
Naw, he can't. Remember, he's got a truck, not a car. High headlamp
mounting height + overwattage bulbs = two options:
1) Aim the lamps nominally and create massive glare for other road users,
including cops, 'cause when they sit in cars their eyes are under the
cutoff line, or
2) Tip the lamp aim so far down to avoid glare that the seeing range is
drastically shortened.
Best to use high-efficacy standard-wattage bulbs in a truck/van/SUV
application.
> light up the night. Stay away from the blue bulb fake HID crap, just
> get good quality halogen bulbs.
Good advice.
> I have done both to my Porsche 944 and also added a Transpo adjustable
> voltage regulator to kick up my system voltage to around 14.1V. I went
> from 11.5V to 14.1V at the headlights, wow, what a difference! The
> reflectors that I used were the Cibie E-code units, they're not exactly
> legal in most states due to the beam pattern,
It's not the beam pattern, per se, and they're not exactly not exactly
legal, per se. Remember, vehicle owners are not regulated under the FMVSS,
so they may modify their own vehicles however they see fit within the
bounds of state law. Most state laws do not specify DOT, SAE or ECE
compliance for headlamps; a few do, and a couple explicitly allow ECE
headlamps. The OP is in one of the states that explicitly allows ECE
headlamps.
> there's good explanations of everything at
> http://danielsternlighting.com/
More good advice ;-)
> - if you're lazy (like me, I've done enough crimping and soldering for
> one lifetime) and your vehicle has two headlights (not four) the 944
> harness might be easily adaptable to your setup
Not without some hacking. Toyotas use funky headlamp circuitry from the
factory.
> although you couldn't use the reflectors he sells unless you have the
> dual 7" round
He's got dual 200mm x 142mm rectangular.
> Beware of the APC brand relay harness that's sold at ricer shops
Beware of APC brand anything; it's all Chinese garbage.
> The harness that Dan Wray sells is
> WAY better in every respect and I consider it an excellent, if pricey
> product.
I'd agree with that assessment on both counts.
DS
Nate Nagel - 16 Dec 2004 01:31 GMT
>>I have done both to my Porsche 944 and also added a Transpo adjustable
>>voltage regulator to kick up my system voltage to around 14.1V. I went
[quoted text clipped - 9 lines]
> headlamps. The OP is in one of the states that explicitly allows ECE
> headlamps.
Well, definitions of "legal" and "not legal" notwithstanding, in
Maryland (I know it's not exactly relevant to this discussion) it is a
hassle to pass inspection with E-code low beams as they check the light
output with a light meter. I went through this with my Scirocco, the
guy performing the inspection insisted that I needed to pass his light
meter check at the height specified in his printed table for an '84
Scirocco even though I told him up front that the car was lowered about
1" from stock. I ended up putting back in a pair of sealed beams for
the lows to get through inspection and sure enough the car came back to
me with the headlights aimed way high. (sigh.) In some other states in
which I've lived, you fail if your lights don't have the aiming pips on
them. In every case I've just pulled the E-codes and then put them back
in the next weekend :)
I didn't notice what state Corky was from, lucky him if he lives in one
of the more enlightened (heh) states.
nate

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TeGGer? - 16 Dec 2004 03:02 GMT
> don't have the aiming pips on them. In every case I've just pulled
> the E-codes and then put them back in the next weekend :)
I do the same thing with catalytic converters.
> I didn't notice what state Corky was from, lucky him if he lives in
> one of the more enlightened (heh) states.
T'would appear he's in New Hampshire by his message headers.

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TeGGeR?
Corky Scott - 16 Dec 2004 14:11 GMT
>I didn't notice what state Corky was from, lucky him if he lives in one
>of the more enlightened (heh) states.
>
>nate
It's Vermont and I have no idea what the lighting regs are for the
state.
I used to be an auto mechanic back in the 70's and part of the 80's.
We were an inspection station and our headlight check was mostly to
make sure that they worked, and were aimed correctly. We used gizmo's
that clamped to the headlights after you'd set them up on a flat
surface. Units like this didn't care how high they were off the
ground, they just got the headlights aimed. Don't recall using a
light meter, but that could very well have changed by now.
At one point in my life I had a beater 75 Subaru on which I bolted a
Lucas Flamethrower to the front bumper. I forget where I got it,
might have shown up on some wreck turned in for trade. I'd use that
coming home at night when I was alone on the road. It was a pencil
beam so it wasn't much good for lighting up the sides of the road
where the deer are waiting to jump into your path, but lordy, it lit
up the center of the road a LONG way. Sitting behind that thing made
you feel like you were the god of sun.
Now, 20 years later, I need more light on the road than stock
headlights are capable of producing. Come to think of it, so does my
wife who drives a 2000 Subaru Imprezza. She HATES driving at night
because of glare and reflection so having the best lighting I can find
for her would help her too.
Corky Scott
Daniel J. Stern - 16 Dec 2004 15:58 GMT
> Maryland (I know it's not exactly relevant to this discussion) it is a
> hassle to pass inspection with E-code low beams as they check the light
[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
> Scirocco even though I told him up front that the car was lowered about
> 1" from stock.
You didn't flunk 'cause of your E-codes, you flunked 'cause of your
lowering. Lots of people have E-codes in MD.
> In some other states in which I've lived, you fail if your lights don't
> have the aiming pips on them.
Old info; aiming pips *per se* haven't been required on US headlamps since
1994.
> I didn't notice what state Corky was from
NH