Headlight Rewire How-To 98+

[beandip]

Welcome to another of Beandip's How-To's

Today we are going to be upgrading the bread tie thin factory headlight wiring to something a little more beefy to increase the light output from your headlights.

There is already a How-To for this but it is for sealed beams, the same principle applies with this How-To but this one is for the 98+ trucks and has more pics.

I decided not to do a wiring diagram since the pics explain it themselves. This is a relatively simple mod but as stated in the other thread it does require some knowledge on what you are doing. The How-To was made after i upgraded my headlights so i tried to get as many pics of the process as i could without taking everything apart.

sealed beam How-To can be found here ---->http://www.s10forum.com/forum/f199/h...rewire-195221/

The How-To below shows upgrade for LOW BEAMS only.

Difficulty: Moderate

Equipment list:
30 Amp inline fuse
3M electrical tape
10 gauge black wire
10 gauge yellow wire
10 gauge quick connectors
10 gauge ring terminals
Crimper
Wire cutter
Soldering Iron
4 SPDT 12v Bosch relays (http://www.partsexpress.com/pe/pshow...number=330-070)
Small flat screwdriver
Self tapping screws
Heat shrink tubing
DMM (Digital Multi-Meter....optional)

30 amp inline fuse not shown below



First step is to Disconnect the battery, after that remove the grille shell and headlights, then proceed to disconnect the connectors from the headlight and set the headlight aside.

Then start by getting the 10 gauge wiring and route it from the battery to the headlight area. There is a hole in the core support along with other wires that lead to the passenger side headlight (shown in following pics below). Do not connect power to it yet but loosely route it to determine how much wire you need.




OK, next lets start with the headlight plugs themselves. Shown below is the low beam plug.





To remove the connector inside, insert a paper clip here to release the clip holding the connector inside the headlight plug. Push down and you should feel it release, when it does gently pull the wire and the connector should come out.

I used an old codder pin but whatever works for you. Before you remove them mark a + and a - on the connector for future reference, blue is + yellow is -.




After you remove both connectors cut the wires as close as you can to the connector and SAVE THESE. Next you need to take both blue and yellow wires you just cut and feed them back though the wire loom to where the main harness connects. (explained later)

Now its time for soldering. Strip the end of the 10 gauge wire and insert it into the connectors you saved in the previous step.

Solder as shown here. The black wire should take place of the yellow factory negative wire and the red should be in place of the blue wire. Also the clip pointed in the pic needs to be brought out some so it can "click" back into the headlight connector after both wires have been soldered. If not then the connectors will pop out of the headlight connector when you try to plug them back in.



Re-insert the newly soldered plugs to the connector matching the + and - you wrote on the headlight plug. Give it a slight tug to ensure both connectors are seated securely inside the headlight plug.



Comparison pic of the wire thickness, low beam connector on the left, high beam on the right.



So now that you soldered both wires route them like this and cut the excess. The factory blue and yellow wires should be routed to where the relay is. Its a tight fit in the factory wire loom but just enough room to fit those 10 gauge wires.
From the general relay location route 1 red 10 gauge wire to the driver side headlight though the factory wire loom and rewire the low beam plug as you did with the passenger side one.




Wire the black 10 gauge wire from the headlight connector plug to this area here, this will be the ground for the passenger side headlight so ensure it is bare metal before you connect it (ignore 1 of the black wires, i made a mistake). Crimp and solder the wire to a ring terminal and tighten the bolt. On the driver side do the same, go from the headlight plug to the bolt on the driver side.

Also shown in the pic is where you route the constant 12 volts to the relay. MAKE SURE THE POWER WIRE IS IN WIRE LOOM TO PREVENT IT FROM SHORTING OUT!!!



OK now here is how you wire the relay, make sure before you bolt the relay to the core support that it will clear the headlight.




With the relay bolted on and wires hooked up.




After ensuring all the connections are secure and correct, install the connectors to the bulbs connect the main power wire and turn on the headlights. If you made a mistake somewhere the inline fuse will blow.

pic of the upgraded headlight wire


If the test is successful ensure the wires are in the wire loom and electrical tape the factory harness back to the way it was. Now install the headlights and grille shell, refer to this to make sure you installed your headlights correctly.http://www.s10forum.com/forum/f199/9...how-to-171732/



Now my headlights are really shining and getting 14 volts to the bulb making my low beams brighter than my high beams. i rarely use the high beams so thats why i kept the factory wiring but i may upgrade them as well.




Quote from the sealed beam headlight rewire How-To

Quote: Originally Posted by nismo

Some of you have been contacting me to ask why I did this, and if it will do anything for you. Well, the reason I made the HOW-TO, was because of how poor the lighting on our trucks is. There are 2 problems with the headlights on our trucks. The pattern is so terrible, it would need to improve to be piss poor, and the wiring that feeds them power is so thin I wouldn't suggest using it for anything but a twist tie.

Now the HOW-TO only fixes half the problems. It improves output greatly by upping the voltage at the bulb. For every 10% drop in voltage, you lose nearly 45% of your lighting iirc. I don't know what your headlights are getting, but mine were sitting @ 12.5v with the truck voltage at 14.2v. That is roughly a 12% drop in voltage, and roughly 50% of your light bulbs output.

Now, you CAN put in a brighter bulb...that draws more amperage. Unfortunately, you compound the problem by doing that. The more amperage you pull though a given wire, the MORE voltage drop you get. You need to take the restriction off the piss poor factory wiring, and feed the bulbs with a more solid current flow.

By doing this wiring, my low beams are better now than my high beams were. Soon, I hope to replace the headlamp housing with an E-code (European code) headlamp. That will allow me to have a better pattern, plus I can use an H4 bulb instead of having to replace the entire housing every time, and I can use better bulbs too.

I think I've probably said too much, but if you have any other questions, LMK.

Eric

If any of my pics do not work or have been deleted give me a PM and i will send them to you.

-Jonathan

[tt85_GM]

Nice write-up Bean, I may do this in the near future!
The upgrade should help other bulbs like HIR's or other non-HID aftermerket bulbs.

Make this a Sticky.

[greencactus3]

nicely written

[The Griff]

Nice write up man!

[ThorRacing01]

How do you know how many volts your headlights are getting?? Just wondering how you know they were getting 12.5 volts

[tt85_GM]

voltmeter at the plugs im guessing.

[beandip]

Quote: Originally Posted by ThorRacing01

How do you know how many volts your headlights are getting?? Just wondering how you know they were getting 12.5 volts

You get your DMM and insert it into the connector while its plugged up into the headlight. The only problem with that is the factory headlight connectors have a little purple water shield that fits in the connector so you may not be able to get to the connector inside the headlight plug. You will see what im talking about, just remove the wire from the connector as shown in the how-to and remove that rubber peice to test the voltage.

[raven2510]

ok...i guess it hasn't rained by you yet. i mean that relay is gonna get toasted when it gets wet. but a good mod....but you can buy a relay harness on ebay and do the same thing just for a thought

[Avgas]

The voltage at the headlight will always be the same as the battery voltage, only the amperage will vary with the wire size.

Is that the factory relay?

[David12460]

Nice write-up.

Even if your housings are aimed properly will other drivers flash their brights at you?

[beandip]

Quote: Originally Posted by raven2510

ok...i guess it hasn't rained by you yet. i mean that relay is gonna get toasted when it gets wet. but a good mod....but you can buy a relay harness on ebay and do the same thing just for a thought

water....yes i did think of this after i installed it but i did have an extra relay and i thoroughly tested it. i put it in a glass of water overnight and tested it and it works so it seems to be water proof. if not i can always go crazy with silicone. either way you cannot see the relay when the hood is shut so water should not even touch it. but if it does happen to go out i always still have my high beams. in the other how-to for sealed beams the relay was mounted in a similar location so i thought why not.

i did consider the relay harness at ebay but didnt see one and thought making my own would be cheaper.

Quote: Originally Posted by Avgas

The voltage at the headlight will always be the same as the battery voltage, only the amperage will vary with the wire size.

Is that the factory relay?

The more amperage you pull though a given wire, the MORE voltage drop you get.

but no its not the factory relay.

Quote: Originally Posted by David12460

Nice write-up.

Even if your housings are aimed properly will other drivers flash their brights at you?

i have yet to have that happen to me, surely with the way these headlight housings are designed im sure it increased glare somewhat but not enough to cause any problems with other drivers.

[David12460]

Quote: Originally Posted by beandip

i have yet to have that happen to me, surely with the way these headlight housings are designed im sure it increased glare somewhat but not enough to cause any problems with other drivers.

Cool. Im always up for a little extra light output. I'll have to do this sometime seeing that its relatively cheep and cheep projects are the only ones I can afford right now...

[beandip]

OK, just a note on the water and relays dont mix issue, raven2510 you are correct, i opened one of the extra relays i had so they are not sealed as i thought they were. so i took the relay off my truck (1 minute job) and i sealed the perimeter with silicone just to aid with water prevention.

so if your doing this mod, SEAL YOUR RELAYS OR MOUNT THEM WHERE WATER CANNOT GET TO THEM!!!

come to think of it i could have just used a hot knife and melted the edges to keep water out instead of silicone....but silicone works

[tt85_GM]

or you could get a weatherproof cover for your relay...


we make these at my work

[cpolaris502]

Great how to. It looks a lot easier than what i would have thought. Did it really give you a noticeable higher output?

[beandip]

Quote: Originally Posted by cpolaris502

Great how to. It looks a lot easier than what i would have thought. Did it really give you a noticeable higher output?

It sure did, here is what you can do.

start your truck and turn your headlights on manually, if they are already on just turn the switch to keep them on after you turn off the truck.


next turn off the truck and watch the headlights dim, its like that but in my case they get that much brighter.

[beandip]

Just to add to the How-To
If you can use a 40 amp relay. If you use a 30 amp relay and a 30 amp fuse you may run the risk of blowing both the relay and the fuse. Im not sure how possible that is but its up to you.

Quote: Originally Posted by orangesonoma

thread added to how-to section

nice!

its in the misc section

thanks Brian.

[Onimun]

/me votes for more beandip how to's.

Awesome job dude

[Wicked Mayhem]

i want to do this.

sometime soon!

[tt85_GM]

well between this, the LED's from orangesonoma's thread and an overhead console, I think I got enough work to keep me busy all winter, I'll be hybernating in the garage

[Rhotpursuit]

Subscribed...so I can find it again... I'm guessing this will work with my Blazer conversion??

[01cherryreds10]

How will this upgrade affect HID kits? I'm curious if it will have any effect on it at all.

[beandip]

Quote: Originally Posted by 01cherryreds10

How will this upgrade affect HID kits? I'm curious if it will have any effect on it at all.

not quite sure about the HID. I know that you need to get bigger gauge wire for the ballasts so you could do that. on HID wiring i believe its more high voltage than amperage.

[beandip]

alright sorry to bump a month old thread but its better late then never.

I finally got some before/after pics to show the increase in brightness from doing the mod.

Camera exposure 1/3 sec. for both pics and using silverstar bulbs (low beams).

[supasoulja]

Quote: Originally Posted by 01cherryreds10

How will this upgrade affect HID kits? I'm curious if it will have any effect on it at all.

I did this on my HIDs, I have to say they warm up alot faster now, but as for brightness, i really didn't note a difference

[FxsX24]

does anyone see it better (in terms of redundancy) to wire each light individually. atleast if a relay goes you loose one light, not two.

the factory setup has each light on its own fuse (yes i know it does not matter in this setup). if each light were isolated you would get the same or more output per light using the same wiring as the OPs setup

for highbeams, do we use the same setup, or bigger wires, fuses and relays?


and just for peace of mind.
factory headlight pos goes to relay "on",
relay out goes to headlight pos
headlight gnd goes to core with bigger wire
batt goes to batt (DUH)
is that correct?

[Gibson]

Quote: Originally Posted by FxsX24

does anyone see it better (in terms of redundancy) to wire each light individually. atleast if a relay goes you loose one light, not two.

the factory setup has each light on its own fuse (yes i know it does not matter in this setup). if each light were isolated you would get the same or more output per light using the same wiring as the OPs setup

for highbeams, do we use the same setup, or bigger wires, fuses and relays?


and just for peace of mind.
factory headlight pos goes to relay "on",
relay out goes to headlight pos
headlight gnd goes to core with bigger wire
batt goes to batt (DUH)
is that correct?

just a bump, im with this dude on the high beams question.

[beandip]

I know this thread is 2 months or so old but it seems i missed a post or two that needs answering.

If you were to wire the high beams you wire them the same way you see it in the how-to (just wire it to the high beam pigtails).

if you want you can wire them separately (one relay per bulb) but to me this seemed unnecessary and too much wiring to achieve the same purpose though technically it would be a little bit "brighter" but i was only seeing a .2 volt drop with the setup shown above. and if a relay fails well you still have the high beams anyways.

as to what wire goes to what, refer to post #1, pics 10 and 11, i dont think i can get any simpler than that.

and 8 months later the mod is still going strong (knock on wood), though i did burn though 4 bulbs, given i used to drive every night to work and back home (only in the mornings now, new job ) round trip 50 minutes for 5/6 days for 8 months, the decrease in bulb life was worth the extra visibility and safety, besides the "average joe" doesnt exactly drive that much at night, unless you work at night of course. the decrease in bulb life the mod was well worth it and i have done this to 2 other vehicles with very happy customers in the end.

sorry for the book/bump

[trucky]

Well at $50 for a set of Silverstar bulbs is it REALLY worth it? How often did you replace your bulbs before the mod? Cause 2 sets a year seems a bit much.

[beandip]

Quote: Originally Posted by trucky

Well at $50 for a set of Silverstar bulbs is it REALLY worth it? How often did you replace your bulbs before the mod? Cause 2 sets a year seems a bit much.

actually that is driving EXCLUSIVELY at night for 50 minutes a day, 5 days a week and that is not including when i go out at night either. IMO its worth it. like i said the average person will not drive as much as i do at night so the bulbs will last you a year or so. OR you can use just stock bulbs with the relay mod and get better shitty lighting that will last longer than the silverstars, its up to you but personally i think its worth the extra $$ for added safety.

also the first set blew out shortly after i did the mod (about a month or so) but they were over a year old, this second set i have is still going strong so 2 sets a year is not actually a very accurate statement since this second set is the real test on how long they will last since they are brand new. when these bulbs go i may just get the siverstar ultras but i don't think i will notice a difference. i cant say that unless i try it though!


also not only does it make it safer driving on the road it also puts less electrical strain on the alternator and the electrical system.

The before/after pic i posted below doesn't do justice on how much of a difference it makes, the only way to truly find out is to do the mod yourself, i guarantee you wont regret it...unless you like using those stock candlelight bulbs powered by bread tie thin wires to "see" the road at night.

[Rhotpursuit]

That does seem a little excessive..I've had mine for several years (4+) and haven't replaced them yet, and I do a lot of night driving. Now on the other hand...the wifes Blazer goes thru silverstars about once every 18/20 months. I think it's because the drl's are left on.

[old_skool_noma]

Quote: Originally Posted by beandip

actually that is driving EXCLUSIVELY at night for 50 minutes a day, 5 days a week and that is not including when i go out at night either. IMO its worth it. like i said the average person will not drive as much as i do at night so the bulbs will last you a year or so. OR you can use just stock bulbs with the relay mod and get better shitty lighting that will last longer than the silverstars, its up to you but personally i think its worth the extra $$ for added safety.

also the first set blew out shortly after i did the mod (about a month or so) but they were over a year old, this second set i have is still going strong so 2 sets a year is not actually a very accurate statement since this second set is the real test on how long they will last since they are brand new. when these bulbs go i may just get the siverstar ultras but i don't think i will notice a difference. i cant say that unless i try it though!


also not only does it make it safer driving on the road it also puts less electrical strain on the alternator and the electrical system.

The before/after pic i posted below doesn't do justice on how much of a difference it makes, the only way to truly find out is to do the mod yourself, i guarantee you wont regret it...unless you like using those stock candlelight bulbs powered by bread tie thin wires to "see" the road at night.

QFT, i just did this last night, the difference is unbelieveable, best money ive spent in a LONG time

[old_skool_noma]

Quote: Originally Posted by beandip

actually that is driving EXCLUSIVELY at night for 50 minutes a day, 5 days a week and that is not including when i go out at night either. IMO its worth it. like i said the average person will not drive as much as i do at night so the bulbs will last you a year or so. OR you can use just stock bulbs with the relay mod and get better shitty lighting that will last longer than the silverstars, its up to you but personally i think its worth the extra $$ for added safety.

also the first set blew out shortly after i did the mod (about a month or so) but they were over a year old, this second set i have is still going strong so 2 sets a year is not actually a very accurate statement since this second set is the real test on how long they will last since they are brand new. when these bulbs go i may just get the siverstar ultras but i don't think i will notice a difference. i cant say that unless i try it though!


also not only does it make it safer driving on the road it also puts less electrical strain on the alternator and the electrical system.

The before/after pic i posted below doesn't do justice on how much of a difference it makes, the only way to truly find out is to do the mod yourself, i guarantee you wont regret it...unless you like using those stock candlelight bulbs powered by bread tie thin wires to "see" the road at night.

QFT, i just did this last night, the difference is unbelieveable, best money ive spent in a LONG time

[beandip]

Quote: Originally Posted by old_skool_noma

QFT, i just did this last night, the difference is unbelievable, best money ive spent in a LONG time

Glad you liked it! told you guys it was worth it

get some pics up if you want.

[NTL1991]

Quick question...

Will this mod also apply to 1997 Bravada Composite lights?

And, Will the wiring affect my Quad-beam mod?

[S10Northwest]

well bean I am going to do the ENVOY conversion I have the whole setup to do it but since its a real PITA to hybrid it into the the Sonoma ex cab in just gonna get a Jimmy headlamp harness w/fogs and OHC and just use the envoy buckets and Silverstars (which I currently use) and go this route

[old_skool_noma]

Quote: Originally Posted by S10Northwest

well bean I am going to do the ENVOY conversion I have the whole setup to do it but since its a real PITA to hybrid it into the the Sonoma ex cab in just gonna get a Jimmy headlamp harness w/fogs and OHC and just use the envoy buckets and Silverstars (which I currently use) and go this route

IIRC the s10 and jimmy harness are the same, the envoy uses the bi xenon lights so its a completely different harness, although with a diagram and some time it shouldnt be hard to convert it

[old_skool_noma]

Quote: Originally Posted by NTL1991

Quick question...

Will this mod also apply to 1997 Bravada Composite lights?

And, Will the wiring affect my Quad-beam mod?

yes it will work, the bravada lights are the same as the the sonoma lights,

i dont know how the quad beam is set up on yours, but i just added the quad beam mod to mine tonight

here is how i have mine

[beandip]

I need to do the quad beam mod to mine and relay the high beams. though i do have the low beams on a relay so i dont really have to relay the highs since the only load on the stock electrical is the high beams but im curious how bright the highs will be.

[old_skool_noma]

Quote: Originally Posted by beandip

I need to do the quad beam mod to mine and relay the high beams. though i do have the low beams on a relay so i dont really have to relay the highs since the only load on the stock electrical is the high beams but im curious how bright the highs will be.

definitely put the highs on a relay, its well worth the time and little bit of money, if you thought your lows were bright, youre in for a treat with the high beams they are about 1.5 times brighter than the lows, I even have my fog lights on a relay and wired with 10 ga, its the brightest Ive ever seen the road at night, almost like day time

[old_skool_noma]

also something to add, i added the quad beam mod to the upgraded high and low wiring by installing 2 diodes in parallel from the high switch pin to the low switch pin (i used 2 for extra current carrying capacity insurance, i doubt ill need the extra, but it never hurts to be on the safe side) i would recommend the quad beam along with the upgraded wiring, the visibility is incredible to say the least, best money ive spent in a long time


EDIT: oops i guess i posted it above

[hds1o]

Yeah, old post...but plan on doing this over the weekend. I wanted to ask the OP how the bulbs were holding up, and if there were any problems since the rewire?

[old_skool_noma]

i cant speak for the OP but mine have been holding up fine, the only problem ive had is that i hit a bump VERY hard and my positive wires to the headlights came unpluged from the relay, i would say find some sort od way to lock the wires onto the relay (like an actual relay plug insted of spade clips) and that should never be a problem

[hds1o]

So I took my truck to work yesterday and did this mod, and wow...this was well worth it. It was really easy too, i think the hardest part was routing the wires to be safe and hidden ( put my relay by the horn so it would stay dry and theres already a hole there). Total cost was about 20 bucks... I got 2 relays, one to keep in the truck as a back up...a lot of the supplies i had at work. When i finished, I parked it next to a coworkers blazer and we both turned the lights on.....im doing his next week.

[beandip]

haha told you guys this was worth it.

sorry for the delay but i just moved to a new house and finally got internet, 6 mbps ftw!


but anyways bulb reliability is good, really it depends on the user and flicking from high beams to low beams back and forward doesnt help the bulbs last but since my new job i dont drive at night as much as i used to. i still drive at night in the mornings but that is about a 30 minute drive every day as opposed to close to an hour at my old job working the graveyard shift.

[old_skool_noma]

so has anyone tried nokya arctic white bulbs with this? i was thinking about getting some here pretty soon

[beandip]

never heard of them...*googling*

ohh shit! i want to try these , i like the "not DOT" label on them. at around $17 that makes it really cheap just to try them. i am going to google around a little more about them but i wouldnt mind trying them out. also does it say they are 80 watts? if so i wonder how many amps that will draw on the 40 amp relay i have on there...

:edit: nvm it says output watts as 70 and it consumes 55 watts. but its 12 bucks on ebay, really makes me wonder how they will last.

[crash @ PnRH]

I sell Nokia bulbs in my store, there great. They have two 9006 bulbs in arctic white, one standard watt and one high watt, part # 7210 is 80w. I think there the best of the cheap bulbs. By my math (divide volts by total watts) a pair will draw 11.43 amps.

[old_skool_noma]

Quote: Originally Posted by crash @ PnRH

I sell Nokia bulbs in my store, there great. They have two 9006 bulbs in arctic white, one standard watt and one high watt, part # 7210 is 80w. I think there the best of the cheap bulbs. By my math (divide volts by total watts) a pair will draw 11.43 amps.

ever compared the 80 watt version against silverstars?

[crash @ PnRH]

Funny you should ask. When I bought my truck it had one stock and silverstar, the silverstar was notably brighter and made my stock bulb look dull. Then I found one Nokia 80w in my garage so I replaced the stock one, the nokia was WAY brighter and had just a little bit more blueish color then the silverstar. A short time later it blew the fuse for the Nokia, tried to find something ells wrong but it was just too much bulb for the 10amp fuse. So I will be doing this upgrade (thanks to beandip's write up) and buying a pair of 80w Nokia bulbs.