Definate headlight improvement

[valleyman]

I finally got around to installing the electrical relays in my headlight circuit for the low beams. I haven't done the high beam yet. Because each low beam is fused independently in the fuse box by the steering column I chose to put a relay in each (left and right) lowbeam circuit. The high beams "T" off a single circuit up by the horns so a single relay will be used to do both left and right lights.

The difference is appreciable between the OEM circuit and with the circuit with the relays installed. The headlights are noticeably brighter AND the road is better illuminated: I can see more. The difference is much,much greater than when I switched from the OEM bulbs to the Sylvania Silverstars, and much greater than when I switched from the Silverstars to the PIAAs (I currently have the PIAAs installed).

I used a relay kit that I got from MAD Electrical (madelelctrical.com, sorrry, I don't know how to do the "linky" thing). They're $24.00 apiece and you'll need three of them but they are first-rate. The relays themselves are Bosch and they come with plenty of color-coded wire of different gauges for the application, terminals, connectors, shrink tubing and directions.

I'm quite happy with the increased ability to see at night and I'd do it again even though the parts were $72.00.:bandit:

[hitchhiker]

It would be nice to see some pictures or diagrams of this modification.

Thanks,

David

:D

[BK_GrandMarquis]

Is the headlight system in the Marauder different from earlier cars? I used a Painless Performance kit to upgrade the wiring in my car. It worked wonders for me. Used with Sylvania Silver Stars, they work great.

The part number is 30816.
Headlight Relay Conversion Harness (Late Style)

[valleyman]

It would be nice to see some pictures or diagrams of this modification.

Thanks,

David

:D
I'll try to do that when I get home from work tonight. Realize that I am limited by my computer ignorance:o

[Warpath]

Is this so you can run both high and low beams simultaneously?

[HookedOnCV]

This is basically a modification to minimize voltage drop to the bulbs through larger gauge wire than what the factory uses.

The new relay coil is energized with the 12vdc signal that used to power the headlights. Then you take a heavy (heavier than factory) gauge wire from the battery or alternator to a set of normally open contacts on the relay and power up the headlight. The higher your voltage feed to the headlight, the brighter its output.

This is something I have thought about doing, but I would like to see how much of a difference it makes (measured lumens/lux or whatever).

[valleyman]

I don't have a digital camera or a scanner to show pictures of what I did but I think I can describe it fairly well.

First, if you go to the madelectrical.com website and click on the "electrical tech" button and then the "brighter headlights" selection, he does a good job of describing exactly what is going on when you put in the relays and why they work. On the same website if you click on the "catalog" button and then the "relay kit" selection there is a good description and picture of the relay itself so you can see what the physical piece looks like.

With that said, I looked at our wiring diagrams and discovered that the high beam circuit goes from the battery, through the dimmer switch, then through various connectors and does not split into two wires, one for the left high beam and one for the right high beam, until the wire carrying the current reaches about where the horns are. The "T" ,if you will, is in the wire bundle that crosses in front of the radiator in the wire channel where the outside temperature sensor is in the front of the car. According to the wiring diagram, when I get access to that wire bundle (before it Ts out to left and right high beam wires) I'll be looking for the 16 gauge light green/black wire. I'll cut it and connect the relay to the two cut ends, with another wire to ground and another wire to the battery so there are a total of four wires plugging into the relay. This will allow 14.2 volts to go from the battery through about two feet of wire, then the relay, then through about another two feet of wire and into the high beam elements. No more electrical trip from the battery through several connectors through the firewall through the dimmer switch through the central junction box back through the firewall back through several connectors and then to the high beam elements.

The low beams are a little different story and that's why I did them first. The low beam circuit goes from the battery and through connectors to the dimmer switch, just like the high beam circuit, but when it goes into the central junction box, which is the fuse box around your left knee when you're in the driver's seat, it splits into a left low beam and a right low beam circuit in that fuse box. So going out from the fuse box around your knee, through the firewall and then through all the various connectors are TWO low beam circuits, one for the left and one for the right headlight. I tapped into each of these circuits where the wires enter their respective headlight assembly. I removed the headlight assembly from each side of the car and on both sides it is the 18 gauge dark blue/white wire that is the hot wire to the low beam. It is easily accessible once you remove the headlight assembly, lay it on your work bench and then pull/cut off the electrical tape that covers the four wires right where they enter the whole headlight assembly. I unwrapped the electrical tape from the split conduit that covers most of these wires for the foot or so of wiring that comes out of the car with the headlight assembly and cut the dark blue/white wire about three to four inches back from where it dissappears into the headlight assembly. Following the directions and schematics that came with the kit I then spliced a length of wire to each cut end: one now connected to the low beam and the other (eventually) to the dimmer switch. Those two new spliced wires (they come with the kit) went into the relay, again per the included instructions, along with a ground wire that I connected to the metal piece that the radiator cover attaches to and a fourth wire that was the hot wire that I ran straight from the battery. Well not exactly straight, it has a fusible link in it for protection that is included in the kit.

You can mount the relays just about anywhere but to minimize the amount of wire run I have all three relays mounted on the metal piece the radiator cover attaches to. My relays are just behind the passenger side headlight.

Hope this helps.

It really does make more light come out of those headlights.:bandit:

[valleyman]

I just realized I misspelled "definite." Doh!:stupid:

[AzMarauder]

Is the headlight system in the Marauder different from earlier cars? I used a Painless Performance kit to upgrade the wiring in my car. It worked wonders for me. Used with Sylvania Silver Stars, they work great.

The part number is 30816.
Headlight Relay Conversion Harness (Late Style)

Is this kit plug and play?

[AzMarauder]

I just realized I misspelled "definite." Doh!:stupid:

Dude... don't rat yourself out......

Go back to your post and you will see an EDIT button....
Click on it... and you can then go and change your oooopppss....

:beer:

[valleyman]

Is this kit plug and play?

I'm not sure what you mean by "plug and play." This mod requires getting into the OEM wiring harness, albeit right at the end of the runs to the respective headlights, cutting wires, and adding wiring (the additional ground and hot wires to the relays), so it's not as simple as just "remove and replace" like changing over to Silverstars. But ..... if I can do it, those less ham-handed than me among us certainly can.

And after three nights of driving with this new improvement my retinas are all the "objective" measurement I need: the headlights are way brighter and provide superior illumination over the OEM circuit architecture.

(Hope I spelled everythang right.):bandit:

[BK_GrandMarquis]

Is this kit plug and play?

Not completely. If I remember correctly, you have to make at least one splice or use one of those quick connectors. I did it about two years ago. The rest of the kit is plug and play. You hook up the headlight leads to the relay and the relay plugs into the light bulbs.

[AzMarauder]

Not completely. If I remember correctly, you have to make at least one splice or use one of those quick connectors. I did it about two years ago. The rest of the kit is plug and play. You hook up the headlight leads to the relay and the relay plugs into the light bulbs.

I was looking at the website and couldn't find a place to plug in the part number and actually see the kit and its cost. Did you just call them and tell them what you had? Do you remember if a lot of it is under the dash or in the engine compartment. I'm intrigued with this and if the company/product is any good I have several cars that I would convert if they have the harnesses for them.

[BK_GrandMarquis]

I was looking at the website and couldn't find a place to plug in the part number and actually see the kit and its cost. Did you just call them and tell them what you had? Do you remember if a lot of it is under the dash or in the engine compartment. I'm intrigued with this and if the company/product is any good I have several cars that I would convert if they have the harnesses for them.

http://64.233.179.104/custom?q=cache:GFtZ1snyU9cJ:ww w.painlessperformance.com/assets/pdf_catalog/Catalog_pg29.pdf+30816&hl=en&gl=us&ct=clnk&cd=1&ie=UTF-8

I got the kit from an online seller. I still had the box so I knew the part number. I can't remember where I bought it from. I have to see if I still have the receipt.

All of the wiring is in the engine compartment I believe. I'm pretty sure that it's just one splice and the rest is wiring that is connected to a power source, ground and the OEM headlamp connections. I should be able to look at the wiring tomorrow.

Here are a couple of threads that has some info on the kit at CrownVic.net.

http://www.crownvic.net/ubbthreads/showflat.php?Cat=&Board=UBB2&Number=482385&page=40&view=collapsed&sb=5&o=&fpart=1

http://www.crownvic.net/ubbthreads/showflat.php?Cat=&Board=UBB2&Number=469157&page=42&view=collapsed&sb=5&o=&fpart=1


Update:
I checked my install today. It's all in the engine compartment. It looks like Metro's install pics. Nice, clean and simple setup.

[69mach1]

I used a plug and play kit from $ummit and then went with 80/100watt 9007 bulbs. The only hassle was cutting the round rubber boot on the back side of the headlamp assy and fishing the wires through the hole. Light output is much improved, yet I still want more. Maybe a driving light setup like the 05 Mustang GT...
69mach1

[AzMarauder]

Here are a couple of threads that has some info on the kit at CrownVic.net.

http://www.crownvic.net/ubbthreads/showflat.php?Cat=&Board=UBB2&Number=482385&page=40&view=collapsed&sb=5&o=&fpart=1

http://www.crownvic.net/ubbthreads/showflat.php?Cat=&Board=UBB2&Number=469157&page=42&view=collapsed&sb=5&o=&fpart=1


Update:
I checked my install today. It's all in the engine compartment. It looks like Metro's install pics. Nice, clean and simple setup.[/quote]

Very helpful.. Thanks...

Now, where to get the Male Connector they speak of...

[valleyman]

A little delayed follow-up .... Measuring 14.24 volts across the battery terminals at idle there was a 11.68 voltage reading at the low beam on the driver's side right where the wire harness enters the headlight assembly (connector #1021) with the OEM wire harness. With the relay in place the voltage reading is now 13.82. I knew those lights seemed brighter.:D

[BK_GrandMarquis]

Very helpful.. Thanks...

Now, where to get the Male Connector they speak of...

I'm guessing you can get them at an autoshop like PepBoys. I've seen replacement connectors before.

[fastblackmerc]

I bought 10 Bosch 30A relays and connectors on eBay for less than $30. Plan on doing the mod to the headlights and the fog lights. I'm also going to go with 9007 Silverstars. I plan on running a thicker gauge wire and 20A fuse(s) from the battery to the relay(s).

[jawz101]

hyperlink button is the sideways figure 8. just paste in the url or highlight text and click the button and type in the url.
just fyi :)

btw- AZMarauder, I'm not seeing Metro's pics on his threads
... nm I see it now http://www.redpulsar.us/~coldfusion/relay2.html

[metroplex]

If you're noticing a big difference from the OEM wiring and with the wiring + relay upgrade, then your original OEM wiring is pretty piss-poor or has aged significantly, or there is severe corrosion buildup in your headlamp connectors.

When i did the upgrade to my 2000 Vic, I didn't notice any significant difference in light output.

[Marauder2005]

I have HIDs now and It is a night and day difference. But I can still

remember my old Vic, and whatever Ford did to the Marauder; the stock

light output blew away the Vic's.