Sealed beam lighting question

[Agnem]

Took today off to get the Moose Truck inspected this morning (passed, no issues), and now have the rest of the day to play hookie and mess around with stuff. I'm finally going to do that relay mod for the headlights (article coming soon thanks to PaFixItMan) and am wondering if I should bother with turning the low beams off when the high beams come on. Is there any problem with running both filiments in a sealed beam headlight?

 

[Max Power]

I am not familiar with how the truck is wired. Do they use the same ground wire for both filiments? If they do, you would probably have an issue with burning up the ground wire.

 

[argve]

Took today off to get the Moose Truck inspected this morning (passed, no issues), and now have the rest of the day to play hookie and mess around with stuff. I'm finally going to do that relay mod for the headlights (article coming soon thanks to PaFixItMan) and am wondering if I should bother with turning the low beams off when the high beams come on. Is there any problem with running both filiments in a sealed beam headlight?

Shouldn't be a problem. It's a pretty common mod to do on many different brands of trucks.

 

[Agnem]

Shouldn't be a problem. It's a pretty common mod to do on many different brands of trucks.

Well, it might be OK for the lamps themselves (and yes Max, they do use the same terminal), but it sure isn't OK for that crappy Calterm 08521 Universal Headlight Socket, otherwise known as the Casquillo Universal para Faros Delanteros. The punny 16 or 18 guage wire they use on those won't handle the current. I did a test, and the ground wire was getting warm, so I backed off on doing it. I even tried to get the dinglesnitz pong out of the plastic housing, so I could upgrade the wire, and couldn't seem to do it without butchering the socket, so I let it go. Oh well, it should still be better than it was, and my headlight switch will last forever.

 

[The Warden]

I asked about this once on the M-B board, and was told that you'd wind up burning out light filaments faster than normal due to the extra heat generated.

Never actually tried it, but that's what I've heard...

FWIW, I did an E-code H4 conversion much like Zigg was talking about a while back. Even with stock-wattage bulbs, it was a night-and-day difference...and I can put in overwattage bulbs after installing a relay setup...

Just a thought...good luck!

 

[JPR]

Here is the modification for using two relays to power the head lights vs the switch. http://photos.thedieselstop.com/showphoto.php?photo=21840&papass=&sort=1&thecat=998

 

[ericboutin]

Here is the modification for using two relays to power the head lights vs the switch. http://photos.thedieselstop.com/showphoto.php?photo=21840&papass=&sort=1&thecat=998

Hey that's me!!!

 

[DIESEL_COP]

Here is the modification for using two relays to power the head lights vs the switch. http://photos.thedieselstop.com/showphoto.php?photo=21840&papass=&sort=1&thecat=998

I did that mod, bought myself two new silver star lights $40 and used the relays. I drive around in daylight 24 hours a day now. I did pull the terminals out of the sockets and soldered 12 ga wires onto them and reinserted them. They were tight and actually when the terminals were still hot from solder I pushed them in and kind of melted them in. I will post some pics of the install if I can figure this computer thing out. P.S. I saw in Oreiily's auto parts they have the whole plug in portion prewired with 14 ga. wire probably could get it at OReillyautoparts.com or something close to that.

 

[Agnem]

I would have thought a better grade socket would be available. After I did mine, I realized I could have just hacked the sockets off the parts truck I have outside.

 

[Dsl_Dog_Treat]

I would have thought a better grade socket would be available. After I did mine, I realized I could have just hacked the sockets off the parts truck I have outside.

Just a thought also, might consider a new indicator light for the dash while yer at it.....

"Your headlights are on"


HEE HEE

Ron

 

[Agnem]

hey! That icon is reserved for Tanya. ;p

 

[Alcan]

Took today off to get the Moose Truck inspected this morning (passed, no issues), and now have the rest of the day to play hookie and mess around with stuff. I'm finally going to do that relay mod for the headlights (article coming soon thanks to PaFixItMan) and am wondering if I should bother with turning the low beams off when the high beams come on. Is there any problem with running both filiments in a sealed beam headlight?

Mel,

I've been running both my low & high beams on together for over 10 years with no problems whatsoever. I did create my own wiring harness with relays and a diode. The wiring harness also saved me from Ford's "better idea" (headlight switch burn-up). Also no problems with the plastic headlight lens.

Paul

 

[yARIC008]

Took today off to get the Moose Truck inspected this morning (passed, no issues), and now have the rest of the day to play hookie and mess around with stuff. I'm finally going to do that relay mod for the headlights (article coming soon thanks to PaFixItMan) and am wondering if I should bother with turning the low beams off when the high beams come on. Is there any problem with running both filiments in a sealed beam headlight?

I'd say as long as you don't burn the high beams and low beams at the same time for hours, you'll be fine. As said, the extra heat will burn them out faster, plus it'll be doubling up the halogen cycle in the bulb making for the filaments to last even shorter.