redhouse53 Posted November 28, 2013 Share Posted November 28, 2013 So my GT6 headlights are dreadfull, whats the best option for upgradeing, and is there much needed to make it work?Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sam93 Posted November 28, 2013 Share Posted November 28, 2013 Go halogens, wired using relays. I've had great success with the nightbreaker H4 bulbs. The picture shows them in my herald, however it's all the same stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sam93 Posted November 28, 2013 Share Posted November 28, 2013 2nd picture, Not great, but shows the light output. Look at back of silver car in front of the herald. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uksnatcher Posted November 28, 2013 Share Posted November 28, 2013 Some reading for you....... (plenty more using the Search button above).....;)[Sorry, link no longer available] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hogie Posted November 28, 2013 Share Posted November 28, 2013 Check the volts at the bulbs with engine off. Should be exactly the same battery volts. If not your wiring is dicky.Check earth continuity to battery (via the body). Should be very low - 0.1 ohms.Any volts drop or high resistance will degrade the light output.Install a relay so that the bulbs are powered direct from the battery (or thereabouts) (using thicker cable) with the relay being activated by the light switch.Fit Halogen bulbs as stated aboveRoger Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
piman Posted November 28, 2013 Share Posted November 28, 2013 Hello Roger, I would doubt that many on here have a meter capable of measuring fractions of an ohm accurately, better to measure the voltage drop with everything switched on. I don't know practically what volt drop to expect on a good connection, but 0.1 ohm gives a volt drop of 2 volts with 20 amps flowing, which sounds far too much, I would like to see >1 volt?Certainly, by far, the best upgrade is to fit a relay with decent sized cable and ensure the earths are good.Alec Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sam93 Posted November 28, 2013 Share Posted November 28, 2013 Any standard multimeter will measure to 2 decimal places. A clean earth will give a resistance of 0.01 - 0.05 ohms.Sam. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hogie Posted November 28, 2013 Share Posted November 28, 2013 Hi Alec, my 0.1ohm was indeed hopeful. The point I was badly making was to ensure that all the earths are in good order.Going down the relay route will help greatly but the earths still need to be working.Roger Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sheepy Posted November 28, 2013 Share Posted November 28, 2013 There is also the crystal headlights! They give a nice bright beam. (various makes, but go for a good one, for example wipac) and the benefit is the lamp unit is plastic, so no rust! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redhouse53 Posted November 28, 2013 Author Share Posted November 28, 2013 Cheers guys, thats fantastic, I’ll get on it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
piman Posted November 28, 2013 Share Posted November 28, 2013 Hello Sam, "Any standard multimeter will measure to 2 decimal places"It will not be accurate at low levels of resistance, you need a ductor to measure such levels of resistance. This works with four prods, two voltage and two current and are hugely expensive.Alec Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sam93 Posted November 28, 2013 Share Posted November 28, 2013 I know I shouldn't however if you wish to be picky, you would want to use a safety ohmmeter. I'm an aerospace electrician by the way ...Note, the ductor test measures to a milli watt (x10 to the power of negative 3) The same as a fluke being operated by a competent individual. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
junkuser Posted November 29, 2013 Share Posted November 29, 2013 As a heavy wire is being run from battery to lamp via relay for the switched side of the circuit, would it not be a good idea to do the same for the un-switched side to the lamp holder/plug? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dannyb Posted November 29, 2013 Share Posted November 29, 2013 junkuser wrote:As a heavy wire is being run from battery to lamp via relay for the switched side of the circuit, would it not be a good idea to do the same for the un-switched side to the lamp holder/plug?No point as the load will only be for the relays which is small Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MK3 Posted November 29, 2013 Share Posted November 29, 2013 junkuser wrote:As a heavy wire is being run from battery to lamp via relay for the switched side of the circuit, would it not be a good idea to do the same for the un-switched side to the lamp holder/plug?No that's the whole point of using relays. The on/off switch has very low current passing through it as it only switches the relay coil on/off hence the switch doesn't burn out and lasts longer. Check your modern car fuse box, it will have loads of relays exactly for that reason. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
junkuser Posted November 29, 2013 Share Posted November 29, 2013 Interesting responses!I did not refer to the relay wiring, the heavier wire suggested was for the side of the circuit to the lamp originally supplied via the bodywork and various intermediate connections.I avoid referring to this side of the circuit as either +ve or -ve as this depends on which way the car is wired and "earth" is somewhat inappropriate. Frame side is accurate but some misunderstand what this means. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
piman Posted November 29, 2013 Share Posted November 29, 2013 Hello Junk user, yes you have a point but generally the return wire to the body is very short so the gain would be much less.Sam, I don't know if we are at cross purposes as to what a Ductor is but the ones I've used are specifically for low value resistance. There is a voltage prod to provide a current and current probes to measure the actual current and hence the meter computes the value of resistance, nothing to do with power.Alec Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spitfire2500 Posted November 29, 2013 Share Posted November 29, 2013 4058 wrote:There is also the crystal headlights! They give a nice bright beam. (various makes, but go for a good one, for example wipac)Anyone in the UK with these fitted had any issues at MOT time?I fitted a pair of Crystals (Wipac 6072) and Chic Doig reported that the MOT man was having problems measuring a beam pattern on his equipment. They did get it to register something on his tester eventually by randomly fitting different bulbs - but it all seemed a bit odd and I didn't have a lot of time to chat about it when I collected the car. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
junkuser Posted November 29, 2013 Share Posted November 29, 2013 Thank you Piman, but the point is that wherever there is a join there is a possibility of resistance, particularly in aged cars as these are.Battery conductor to body and connection(s) of body to the lamp socket.Many posts on here saying "clean the earth connections". This also applies to headlamps.Just felt that if a heavy conductor is being run for the switched side (via a relay) it would not be much more work to run an equivalent conductor with it to bypass any original connections in the unswitched side and take it right to the headlamp sockets, or as close as practicable.Personally I find standard sealed beams on original wiring and switch are adequate on my 1962 vintage Spitfire4.I certainly prefer them to the lamps in my "modern" which have the flat topped low beam.Everything within the illuminated area brightly lit but you can see very little beyond as pupil size is adjusted to the brightly lit area. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
junkuser Posted November 29, 2013 Share Posted November 29, 2013 Further savings in cost and conductor resistance could be achieved by simply attaching the heavier conductors directly to the alternator instead of the battery.Assume an alternator would be fitted by anyone chasing higher light output as it would decrease the likelihood of dimming and battery drain at low engine speeds such as idling or in traffic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
piman Posted November 30, 2013 Share Posted November 30, 2013 Hello Junkuser, I think you are going beyond what is really practical and chasing the law of diminishing returns? E.g., why would you want that fraction extra output when the car is idling, indeed there is probably a good argument for reducing the output in slow moving traffic?Alec Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
junkuser Posted November 30, 2013 Share Posted November 30, 2013 I'm just playing with the ideas of possibilities Pieman.Seems a few people have posted that they want brighter headlamps and turn to higher wattage ones.I'm happy with the standard setup.The alternator suggestion was for those who spend time in traffic using their lights.If they fit higher wattage lamps a dynamo may well not keep up with the power consumption at the prolonged lower engine speeds whereas the output of an alternator comes to higher levels at lower engine speeds than a dynamo, so less likelihood of lowering battery charge level.If people are going to the effort of running a heavy conductor and switching by relay for the switched side and have an alternator, may as well simplify things by running from that instead of all the way to the battery. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redhouse53 Posted February 3, 2014 Author Share Posted February 3, 2014 Been driving the GT6 again recently and I need to get these lights sorted, does this wiring diagram look rightAside from the fact it shows four headlights :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WIMPUS Posted February 3, 2014 Share Posted February 3, 2014 Seems right to me :)Where are you going to put the relays ? Maybe put some fuses between each headlight ? (I've done this)On my 1500 i've got Halogens with relays mounted in the bonnet ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nang Posted February 4, 2014 Share Posted February 4, 2014 On my 2500, I ran heavy cable from battery to fuse to relay, then rewired from relay to individual lights and same gauge wire from lights to earth. With halogen bulbs got great lights that even the testers comment on.With the Spitfire again heavy cable to relays but left the original wires from relays to lights and earth, still good lights but probably not quite as good as the 2500.Tony. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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