installed my pilots today; got 'em with the fancy bracket from Craig at CAMP 914. so i am now a happy camper!
needed to call my tech support ("dino, are you sure the electrons are in there? i don't see any... you're saying if i hook these wires together the electrons will get into the lights?" ), and all is well. eventually the wiring will be changed so that i can run drivers only, just like the kewl kids!
let's see, SS brackets from Craig (along with other stuff last year), pedal board from Engman, wheel from Brad Meyeur, brake kits from Perry Kiehl, carbs from Andyrew (all teenagers should have a V8 914), calipers from Dan Root, too much stuff to mention from Kevin Powers and Dino Davis. heck, i have even gotten help from the good guys at Triad NW! for those of you who have not done business with any of the above mentioned men, you should co it if you need stuff. Thanks, dudes!
btw, Aaron; i didn't put a relay on mine, and they seem to work fine. nothing odd happened when i kicked 'em on. if i find out anything more or notice anything strange, i'll pass it on.
QUOTE (red914 @ Feb 6 2005, 11:11 PM) |
btw, Aaron; i didn't put a relay on mine, and they seem to work fine. nothing odd happened when i kicked 'em on. if i find out anything more or notice anything strange, i'll pass it on. |
ok, Aaron, explain to me, please, what a relay is and what it does, and why i need one. history degree; can't see electrons, so they frighten me. long live king ludd!!!!
here is my understanding.
The switch deals with minimal current, just enuff to switch the relay.
a relay is like an "electronic switch". opens and closes the circuit.....
power to your headlights isnt done JUST by your healight switch. It is switched by the relays.....
so, what does one look like? where does it go? where do i get one?
yes, i am an electronically disinclined moron, in case you were wondering.
fog lights are switched by a relay too, but the stock wiring should not be used on high wattage bulds, basicly the stock fog lights were 55 watts, so if you go much higher say 75 watts or more you could burn some wires. what you can do is run a 10 gauge wire to the battery and use a 30 amp relay connected to the lights and new wire to feed power to the fog lights, then the stock wiring turns on the relay, simple huh?
stock fogs were 35W
QUOTE (red914 @ Feb 6 2005, 11:25 PM) |
so, what does one look like? where does it go? where do i get one? yes, i am an electronically disinclined moron, in case you were wondering. |
QUOTE (Aaron Cox @ Feb 6 2005, 10:29 PM) |
stock fogs were 35W |
Late model ('75 & 76) rectangular fogs were 55w H3. So you were both right.
Relays can also help head/foglights burn brighter. You can run bigger wires to the relays to make sure you are getting maximum current and hence full brightness.
Trying to run lots of current through too-small wires creates heat. Bad. Even if you don't smell anything burning, the heat could cause the insulation to crack eventually. Scott may be right about anything up to 55w being ok, but the wiring in these cars is at least thirty years old and was only just sufficient when new. I would run relays period.
QUOTE (scott thacher @ Feb 7 2005, 01:33 AM) |
so i change my statement anything 55 watts or less "should" be ok, anything more should get a relay |
Running 100w driving lights with separate relay and 10 ga power wire. Slow traffic usually gets the message real quick "Move over" . This after they ignore the 55/65w Euro high beams.
i put in the pilots, too. used the original switch and relay. works great
QUOTE (scott thacher @ Feb 6 2005, 10:27 PM) |
what you can do is run a 10 gauge wire to the battery and use a 30 amp relay connected to the lights and new wire to feed power to the fog lights, then the stock wiring turns on the relay, simple huh? |
QUOTE (bd1308 @ Feb 7 2005, 09:21 AM) | ||
10 GUAGE WIRE???????? Are you kidding. That is huge overkill for 100 watts. |
well thats a point. I didn't think about the run from the mid...i spaced. Sorry
QUOTE (bd1308 @ Feb 7 2005, 09:21 AM) |
10 GUAGE WIRE???????? Are you kidding. That is huge overkill for 100 watts. |
wow! i drove my kids to various activities this afternoon and evening (at different time, as only one will fit )
the driving lights work with only the marker (?) lights (first stop on the headlight switch) on, so the headlights are down. tried the headlights at the same time, and you can barely tell the headlights are on! which tells me that it is time to upgrade to h-4s!
the wires on the car to which the lights hooked up is the same gauge as the wire included in the kit. aruond 14 or so. so far, so good with the stock switch and relay.
dude, the lights are bright!
QUOTE (scott thacher @ Feb 7 2005, 10:10 AM) |
100 watts/12 volts = 8.3 amps not bad if they are 50 watts each but they are a lot of 100 bulbs out there, so we will say its 200 total, or 16.6 amps. which if we go by house wiring standards a 12 gauge gets breakered at 20 amps but is not allowed to carry more than 16 ( 80 % rule) now in a house you are working with 120 volts and a 3 % voltage drop is allowed. |
so if i want to run the pilot lights... the STOCK wiring and relay is good eniff - correct?
also- if i want to upgrade to hella H4's....the stock wiring is sufficent - yes?
alternator can handle pilot's and h4's at the same time correct?
QUOTE (Demick @ Feb 7 2005, 08:15 PM) |
House wiring is not comparable to car wiring. House wiring is AC, and cars are DC. Completely different as far as current capacity for wire gauge. Also, house wiring is solid core wire and car wiring is stranded. Demick |
Scott - In the Subie the fuse is probably rated for instantaneous peak current while the wire gauge is sized for the average current flow. With lighting it's a little different because when your lights are on they draw peak current all the time, so the wire has to be thicker.
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