Look what came in the mail today! Options

[Bleyseng]

yes Mike, Al used that drawing to make em. He has use of a machine shop which some of us don't. I think this is a solution to a longtime 914 problem, poor lighting.
So also hats off to Craig and Demick for figuring this out.
or you could buy a set of those early 911 driving lights for $500 a set.

Geoff (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)

[double-a]

Adding the Pilot driving lights should help even more. You'll need a relay for them, also, if you go with bulbs higher than about 40W, IMHO.

--DD

i'm installing the pilots sometime in the next week or two. can you explain the process for adding a relay... is this like the round black ones? i'm a bit un-initiated electronically, though i did learn a lot by frying my ignition switch and headlight relay recently!

~a

[Mueller]

I just wanted to see Demick get a little credit (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

figure out a price, if reasonable, I'm in for a set as well.....

[Dave_Darling]

i'm installing the pilots sometime in the next week or two. can you explain the process for adding a relay... is this like the round black ones? i'm a bit un-initiated electronically, though i did learn a lot by frying my ignition switch and headlight relay recently!

I think you can use the round relays, but it is probably easier to go to an electronics-supply store and get relays and relay sockets from them. They'll likely be cheaper and easier to mount.

A relay is an electrically-operated switch. In a wiring diagram, you will often see it shown as a switch and a coil. When current flows through the coil, the switch gets pulled into one position (for our purposes, that's simply "on"). When current stops flowing, a spring pulls the switch to the other position (for us, "off").

To use a relay to "protect" the ignition switch and headlight switch, you need to do a few things.

First, run a nice beefy wire from the battery to your relay. Put a fuse in that line, preferably within 18" wire run of the battery. Hook it to one of the "switch" connections on the relay. Next, run another beefy wire from the other "switch" connection to the headlights. Hook up the wire that used to go to the headlights, and hook that to one of the "coil" terminals on the relay. Hook the other one of those to ground.

Now, when you turn on the headlight switch, the switch only sends the modest amount of current required to flip the switch inside the relay. That, in turn, handles the larger current that goes to the light.

Now, this gets more complicated in that you have two separate circuits providing power to the headlights, one for high beam and one for low. You can run two relays, one for each, or you can just put the relay on the high-beam circuit. Many people feel that the low beams don't draw enough current to overload the ignition and/or headlight switches, and the simplicity of only having the one relay is worth it. Not sure how I'd do this if I were installing it... Depends in part on how powerful the "target" low beams are.

Speaking of which, you need to size the wires, fuse(s), and relay(s) so that they can handle the maximum draw of the lights. Which depends on the power rating of the lights, and (in the case of the wire size) also the length of wire you will be running.

--DD

[Demick]

Dave's explanation is good - but really aimed toward changing your headlights to 100W units.

double-a was really asking about what's involved in installing the pilot driving lights, which is much simpler. If you already have fog lights installed, then simply swap them out. The pilot's are only 55W, so upgrading the wiring/relays/etc is not necessary.

If you do not have fog lights, most cars are already wired for them. You only need to install a switch in the dash and add one of the round black relays to a socket on the fuse panel.

Mike: thanks for the credit!

Demick

[double-a]

thanks for the great info dave, i understand relays a bit better now. i *think* the headlights on my car have already been upgraded, they're very, very bright. not sure if they're 100w, or how i would check that. as far as what extra wiring may have been put in place at that time, i don't know, i've only owned the car for about six months. but every time i break something, my knowledge tends to increase proportionately. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wacko.gif)

~a

[Dave_Darling]

Dave's explanation is good - but really aimed toward changing your headlights to 100W units.

Oooh, good point!! Sometimes I get kinda carried away and talk about everything but the actual question!! D'OH!

--DD

[415PB]

Demick, thanks for the drawing. I used the drawing to make my own brackets a couple months ago and they came out great. I made a couple sets for some of the guys here and they liked them as well. Brought the Pilots right out to sit flush with the grills. Great job!!

Rod

[Mueller]

can you buy a replacment lens in case a rock or debris get's too freindly with the new Pilot light???

[double-a]

can you buy a replacment lens in case a rock or debris get's too freindly with the new Pilot light???

what about some kind of clear film that can be cut to size and stuck to the lenses? i've seen this treatment on some of the more expensive cars out there, mostly on the front, bumper, etc.

~a

[Bleyseng]

Damn you are cheap. these are at $43 a set so if one breaks I'll get more.

Geoff

[GaroldShaffer]

I'll take a set. I was just thinking about doing the pilot lights.

- Garold

[double-a]

Damn you are cheap. these are at $43 a set so if one breaks I'll get more.

Geoff

yup, i usually prefer to let things get broken so i can turn right around and buy them again, but i'm saving my clams for some nice genuine nla front turn signal lens screws from aa...

~a

[Mueller]

Damn you are cheap. these are at $43 a set so if one breaks I'll get more.

I prefer frugal over cheap (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

[Bleyseng]

Yep, I have a term for you guys down there....
Cheap!

Californian
Hotshot
Engineering
Asshole
Partrecyclers

[Gint]

I'd like a set also Al if you have enough. When I stripped my car I found all of the wiring for the fogs. I've been considering the Pilot install myself. The brackerts would cling the deal.

[Dave_Darling]

I prefer frugal over cheap (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

FSOBOSC? Doesn't sound right. CSOBOSC is mo' better. CSOBONC is more correct, but also doesn't sound right. FSOBONC? No, not even.

--DD

[ein 6er]

i would like a set also!!

doug

[anthony]

I'd like a set too. How much are they going to run?

[Bleyseng]

AL? How much??


Geoff (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)