LED Headlights, no high beam |
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LED Headlights, no high beam |
Geezer914 |
Nov 3 2022, 01:13 PM
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#1
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Geezer914 Group: Members Posts: 1,409 Joined: 18-March 09 From: Salem, NJ Member No.: 10,179 Region Association: North East States |
Just installed a pair of LED Truck-lite headlights. I turn on the lights and only the low beams works. If I remove the left LED headlight and plug in the old H4 headlight with a tungsten bulb, and leave the LED headlight on the right side, then the high beams and low beams work on the H4 and the LED bulb??? On a side note, I installed LED turn signal and tail light bulbs and modified the flasher with a jumper wire. Turn signals and running lights work fine. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/confused24.gif)
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Cairo94507 |
Nov 3 2022, 02:28 PM
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#2
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Michael Group: Members Posts: 9,752 Joined: 1-November 08 From: Auburn, CA Member No.: 9,712 Region Association: Northern California |
Just installed a pair of LED Truck-lite headlights. I turn on the lights and only the low beams works. If I remove the left LED headlight and plug in the old H4 headlight with a tungsten bulb, and leave the LED headlight on the right side, then the high beams and low beams work on the H4 and the LED bulb??? On a side note, I installed LED turn signal and tail light bulbs and modified the flasher with a jumper wire. Turn signals and running lights work fine. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/confused24.gif) I think you need to switch to the LED flasher unit; I don't think the jumper is the best way to approach this. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif) |
FlacaProductions |
Nov 3 2022, 03:21 PM
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#3
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Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 1,584 Joined: 24-November 17 From: LA Member No.: 21,628 Region Association: Southern California |
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Geezer914 |
Nov 3 2022, 03:24 PM
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#4
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Geezer914 Group: Members Posts: 1,409 Joined: 18-March 09 From: Salem, NJ Member No.: 10,179 Region Association: North East States |
This is what was modified, isn't this what Spoke sells? My turn signals and flashers work fine. Do I need a load resistor kit? Forgot to mention my fog lights are separate from the headlights. They only turn on when I pull the fog light switch. The high and low beam work with one halogen bulb headlight and one led headlight plugged in. That would indicate a load is needed to make the high/low beam relay work?
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Geezer914 |
Nov 4 2022, 04:11 AM
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#5
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Geezer914 Group: Members Posts: 1,409 Joined: 18-March 09 From: Salem, NJ Member No.: 10,179 Region Association: North East States |
Bump.
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GregAmy |
Nov 4 2022, 06:56 AM
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#6
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Advanced Member Group: Members Posts: 2,298 Joined: 22-February 13 From: Middletown CT Member No.: 15,565 Region Association: North East States |
John, the Spokes flasher is for when you put LEDs into your turn signals, it is not related to the headlights.
I installed Amazon-sourced 7" LED headlights, and do not recall having to do anything to make them work; in fact, they work quite well. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B077P56CG8 I'm not familiar with Truck-Lite; can you post a link? Could be something in that product that is incompatible. Greg |
Cairo94507 |
Nov 4 2022, 07:38 AM
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#7
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Michael Group: Members Posts: 9,752 Joined: 1-November 08 From: Auburn, CA Member No.: 9,712 Region Association: Northern California |
@Geezer914 - Sorry I misread the post. Yeah, the LED flasher is just for the turn signals. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)
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Geezer914 |
Nov 4 2022, 11:01 AM
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#8
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Geezer914 Group: Members Posts: 1,409 Joined: 18-March 09 From: Salem, NJ Member No.: 10,179 Region Association: North East States |
John, the Spokes flasher is for when you put LEDs into your turn signals, it is not related to the headlights. I installed Amazon-sourced 7" LED headlights, and do not recall having to do anything to make them work; in fact, they work quite well. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B077P56CG8 I'm not familiar with Truck-Lite; can you post a link? Could be something in that product that is incompatible. Greg |
Steve |
Nov 4 2022, 11:20 AM
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#9
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914 Guru Group: Members Posts: 5,585 Joined: 14-June 03 From: Orange County, CA Member No.: 822 Region Association: Southern California |
I still have the GE Nighthawk LED headlights and they were plug and play.
I only ran into problems when I replaced all my other lights with spoke LED’s. I had to upgrade to a LED compatible flasher and hardwire my turn signal dash lights to the actual turn signal lights. Love the Spoke LED's and was worth the hassle with the workarounds. |
arbitrary |
Nov 6 2022, 10:47 AM
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#10
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Member Group: Members Posts: 81 Joined: 25-April 21 From: UK Member No.: 25,475 Region Association: None |
I can’t get my head around why load resistors would be needed on something like 914 headlights.
Use a voltmeter and confirm that the correct pin on the headlight connector is grounded and that the high and low beam pins are correct as well. My guess is that somewhere something has been inadvertently swapped. I would guess that LED bulbs are polarity sensitive while sealed beam/halogen bulbs are not. |
914e |
Nov 6 2022, 11:17 AM
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#11
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Member Group: Members Posts: 496 Joined: 21-February 20 From: Arizona Member No.: 23,951 Region Association: Southwest Region |
I have the same problem, my high beams don't work with LED bulbs. Since rarely even drive at night. I have not dug into it.
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GregAmy |
Nov 6 2022, 11:31 AM
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#12
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Advanced Member Group: Members Posts: 2,298 Joined: 22-February 13 From: Middletown CT Member No.: 15,565 Region Association: North East States |
I don't understand it either. I looked over the wiring diagrams and the power source is the same, the only difference is the relay switching circuits from low filaments to high filaments.
But I also don't understand why the turn signal relay needs more amps to simply switch those circuits back and forth. But it certainly does not work with LED bulbs. Best I can figure, the relay needs more load than an LED provides to be able to function. A parallel resistor will provide that load. I spoke to John on the phone Friday and he's ordering the resistors. He'll report back when he gets that installed. |
windforfun |
Nov 6 2022, 03:22 PM
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#13
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Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 1,783 Joined: 17-December 07 From: Blackhawk, CA Member No.: 8,476 Region Association: None |
The lower the resistance, the higher the load. A large load draws a large current.
V = IR (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beer3.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beer3.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beer3.gif) |
Steve |
Nov 6 2022, 04:54 PM
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#14
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914 Guru Group: Members Posts: 5,585 Joined: 14-June 03 From: Orange County, CA Member No.: 822 Region Association: Southern California |
The lower the resistance, the higher the load. A large load draws a large current. V = IR (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beer3.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beer3.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beer3.gif) Better be right or your great big venture goes west Bad boys rape our young girls but violet goes willingly The above is used to read the resistor color codes (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/blink.gif) |
GregAmy |
Nov 6 2022, 07:28 PM
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#15
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Advanced Member Group: Members Posts: 2,298 Joined: 22-February 13 From: Middletown CT Member No.: 15,565 Region Association: North East States |
Adding parallel resistors reduces overall circuit resistance and thus increases overall circuit amperage because there's multiple paths.
Add an infinite number of parallel resistors and you asymptotically approach system resistance of zero, thus approach infinite amperage draw (and crispy wiring). Calculating parallel resistance: 1/R=1/Ra+1/Rb+...+1/Rn Since V=IR, given reduced R with the same V potential, I increases. If what this relay wants is more amps, then it will get it with a parallel resistor. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif) |
Geezer914 |
Nov 6 2022, 10:15 PM
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#16
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Geezer914 Group: Members Posts: 1,409 Joined: 18-March 09 From: Salem, NJ Member No.: 10,179 Region Association: North East States |
As I mentioned, if I plug in a halogen headlight on one side and an LED headlight on the other, the high and low beams work. You guys are getting into some dark shit with that V=IR stuff!
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Jett |
Nov 6 2022, 10:42 PM
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#17
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Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 1,638 Joined: 27-July 14 From: Seattle Member No.: 17,686 Region Association: Pacific Northwest |
Love this thread… wife and I had a good laugh…
Carry on… |
arbitrary |
Nov 7 2022, 04:36 AM
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#18
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Member Group: Members Posts: 81 Joined: 25-April 21 From: UK Member No.: 25,475 Region Association: None |
But I also don't understand why the turn signal relay needs more amps to simply switch those circuits back and forth. But it certainly does not work with the stock incandescent bulbs. The turn signal relay also has a function built in to detect a failed or missing bulb and flashes the turn signals faster as a way of letting you know. It does this by (crudely) measuring the current being drawn. LED bulbs draw so little current that the relay thinks the bulbs are out and either rapid flashes or doesn’t flash at all. Hence the need for an LED compatible turn signal relay. Pretty certain the headlamp relay is “dumb”. My money is still on the terminals having been mixed up at the headlight connectors. Or perhaps a bad ground on one of the lights and some funky reverse current flow that works fine on an incandescent bulb not on a light emitting DIODE. Load resistors partially defeat the purpose of LED bulbs. I put LED headlamp bulbs into my 914 and they work without issue. |
Geezer914 |
Nov 7 2022, 11:12 AM
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#19
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Geezer914 Group: Members Posts: 1,409 Joined: 18-March 09 From: Salem, NJ Member No.: 10,179 Region Association: North East States |
Just for the hell of it while waiting for the mail to come, L found an old VW SWF 4 pin relay. I switched out the relay and when I switch the stalk on the turn signal switch, the high beams come on but as soon as I let go of the stalk, the lights shut off. Turn off the head lights, pull the switch, low beams come on click on the high beams, they come on, let go of the stalk, lights go out????
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mikey63 |
Nov 7 2022, 11:12 AM
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#20
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Member Group: Members Posts: 121 Joined: 30-March 10 From: Windsor,Ca Member No.: 11,529 Region Association: Northern California |
I had the same issue with my led headlights. My fix was to bypass the headlight relay and wire the high beams to a separate switch I mounted in the dash. Works great now.
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