Headlight Wiring Upgrade

[patrickt]

Originally Posted by ACHiPo

Patrick,
Nice mod. That's a pretty big current draw. I'm leaning toward LED headlamps and tail/brake lights (I know not DOT rated yada yada) and tail lights. I'm guessing the lower current of the LEDs would eliminate the risk of too much current on the switch?
Evan

Yes, LEDs draw less current. For instance this nice headlight Complex Reflector, 7" Round LED, 2 Diodes Headlight, Polycarbonate Lens, E-Coat Aluminum, 12-24V | Truck-Lite only draws 3 amps, which is roughly half of what we're used to seeing. Now I have the LED brake/tail lights, and the brake lights run on a different circuit than the Lucas toggle switch anyway. But my two LED tail lights in the back, and the two running lights in the front, all pull down 2.8 amps including whatever resistance happens to be on the circuit as well. So if you went with LED headlights, which will eat up about six amps, plus two and a half for the LED running/tail lights, you're still crowding ten amps for the circuit, but it's certainly less than normal headlights and tail lights. A decent switch can handle that current pretty easily, but anything that even looks like an authentic Lucas piece of equipment is suspect.

[Gaz64]

Originally Posted by patrickt

Yes, LEDs draw less current. For instance this nice headlight Complex Reflector, 7" Round LED, 2 Diodes Headlight, Polycarbonate Lens, E-Coat Aluminum, 12-24V | Truck-Lite only draws 3 amps, which is roughly half of what we're used to seeing. Now I have the LED brake/tail lights, and the brake lights run on a different circuit than the Lucas toggle switch anyway. But my two LED tail lights in the back, and the two running lights in the front, all pull down 2.8 amps including whatever resistance happens to be on the circuit as well. So if you went with LED headlights, which will eat up about six amps, plus two and a half for the LED running/tail lights, you're still crowding ten amps for the circuit, but it's certainly less than normal headlights and tail lights. A decent switch can handle that current pretty easily, but anything that even looks like an authentic Lucas piece of equipment is suspect.

Yes, that's it.

Any vehicle that hard wires headlight current from the battery to the cabin switch WITHOUT relays is asking for trouble.

One of mine eventually burnt the headlight switch, 30 mph at night, gave me time, thank god it was not a 60mph on an unlit road.

Gary

[patrickt]

I had an Olds 442 back in the 70's that if you jiggled the light switch, because it pulled out towards you to turn on the lights, you could get the lights brighter or dimmer. I remember that at the time I thought that was kind of cool.

[strictlypersonl]

Originally Posted by Gaz64

Yes, that's it.

Any vehicle that hard wires headlight current from the battery to the cabin switch WITHOUT relays is asking for trouble.
Gary

That would include most British cars built before 1970. Even VW didn't use a relay until about 1968.

[Gaz64]

Originally Posted by strictlypersonl

That would include most British cars built before 1970. Even VW didn't use a relay until about 1968.

Yes, exactly.

How there weren't even more fires in the early days.

Gary

[patrickt]

Electricity wasn't as hot in the 60's as it is today.