Thread: Headlight upgrade for 90s 4wd

Originally Posted by svt40

Something often overlooked is voltage drop to the headlights - if youve got access to a multi meter see if you can measure the voltage across the bulb itself. Did a Narva training session about 25 years ago when i worked in auto electrical, and they said the difference between 13.8v (charging voltage) down to 12.5v reduced light output 30% - 40%. Putting thirstier bulbs in just made the voltage drop worse, and often they throw the light wrong as well with the filament in the wrong place. As someone else said above a couple of relays wired in can make a decent improvement just solving this issue with 80s/90s jap cars and their super thin wires.

That's why I suggested a relay system.
Power straight from that battery.
There is also another added bonus especially on a lot of models like most hiluxs. The switch on the headlight stalk on the steering wheel can't handle lots of voltage/amps. To much of an upgrade and they burn out. Using them to a switch a relay stops them burning out

Originally Posted by csmiffy

That's why I suggested a relay system.
Power straight from that battery.
There is also another added bonus especially on a lot of models like most hiluxs. The switch on the headlight stalk on the steering wheel can't handle lots of voltage/amps. To much of an upgrade and they burn out. Using them to a switch a relay stops them burning out

Most of the modern vehicles do actually run some form of relay for that reason - with the current model stuff the switches are computer devices not switches as we know them. They only send a signal to the damn computer modules that then tell everything what to do...

Relay would be easiest thing to try first. Pretty simple to wire up as well. Not on this vehicle but be careful if putting relays into computer controlled circuits as well make sure your Earth's are good as well

The cost is up there, but if you do a round head light conversion, take a look at the stedi homage led headlights . I got sick on the factory cadles in my safari and but a set of them in. Easy install, legal and a massive upgrade.

The theory I have for those, is that being LED based the power consumption should be similar to the standard dinosaur incandescent bulbs for a massive increase in light output. Some of the LED's are boosted to a ridiculous level of light output, damn near portable xray machines that can take a photo of the inside of a skull. This is where the NZTA gets the crapper with some of them, safety risk for blinding oncoming drivers.

I've heard of one crash where the driver of the vehicle with the LED's in gave the other driver a flash on high beam as he thought the other driver hadn't dipped. Problem was, it was a SUV towing a horse float and the back of the SUV was squatting under a couple of tons of future glue. Next issue, it was a gentle left hand curve - and the flash of LED's momentarily stuffed up the other driver's night vision and they ran wide bloody near ending up in a head on. As it was the other vehicle ended up getting squashed between the barrier rail and the horse float, they were all bloody lucky (including nags). I'm not aware of the outcome, but it's not within the road code to flash another driver when they are actually already driving with their headlights dipped!

I believe it's also the case that you must adjust your lights if you have a load on that makes the low bean level higher. Of course no one does it

A lot of vehicles it's bloody hard to do it. Some nowadays have adjustable lights from inside at the drivers station - although it makes me laugh come wof time. I was sitting in the car at one place for the reason of a trailer brake setup that they didn't know how to operate. So I was doing the trailer brakes while oldmate was checking the lights, me being a humorous type (total laugh a minute, me - in my own head anyway) starts going up and down on the light adjustment while oldmate is looking in the alignment doohickey. Apparently that isn't funny. Who knew?

VTNZ cracks me up for light adjustment too, the last few times I've been through on the ute the lights up been adjusted up, 12 months later down, 12 months back up - and I've made sure to have the same in the back and a full tank of diesel each time. Farked if I know why they need to be adjusted - two in a row has been the same guy too!