Can lights be wired this way?

towsey956 · Jul 26, 2018

Hi all

I've seen some threads about an improved method of wiring the headlights, but I've always thought while driving my disco that the headlights would be better if the dip element stayed on when you put main beam on like when you hold flash on. I'm just wondering if it has been done or can be done or if h4 bulbs can/should be wired like that???

Thanks in advance

Towsey

brian47 · Jul 26, 2018

I'm not sure about the legal considerations, but on the practical problems the first you'll encounter is that of temperature.

The bulb and fittings are designed for the heat created by a 12 volt 55 watt filament, irrespective of whether it's main or dipped. By turning both filaments on you're now burning 110 watts in a 55 watt fitting and trouble will arise.

If you feel that you need more light on the main beams then after you've made sure that you don't have any faults in the existing circuit and the bulbs are in good condition you should consider additional driving lights, but try @The Mad Hat Man's headlight modification as well to see if that helps.

https://www.landyzone.co.uk/land-rover/headlight-wiring-upgrade.72348/

Either that or your eyes are getting dim.

Paul D · Jul 26, 2018

It'd work, for a while. I reckon it'd either burn out the Landy wiring (Not a good thing to start with) or just burn ... the heat from a pair of filaments can be quite hot!

I think it's illegal too. I believe you need two separate driving light systems, which is what High and Low beam are for ..

towsey956 · Jul 26, 2018

Thanks for that

My lights are fine as they are really, lamps, bulbs, driving lights all fine...I just thought if they could be made better, well...

Il prob be doing the other mod anyway, for reliability if nothing else

Towsey

gstuart · Jul 26, 2018

Have u tried some osram nightbreakers , think many of us have fitted them

Magicgrotto · Jul 26, 2018

your spell jeck not working @gstuart ?? I always thought it was spelt ORGASM

gstuart · Jul 26, 2018

Magicgrotto said:
your spell jeck not working @gstuart ?? I always thought it was spelt ORGASM

Let me answer in emojis for u

discool · Jul 26, 2018

Yes it’s a great idea, but it’s been done before, Marchal and Cibie have produced head lamps with two bulbs, dipp and main and which switched to main both bulbs were illuminated, I had the Marchal units fitted to my car at the time, my Ford Zepher MK3 new of course as I always buy new.
More upto date I’ve never had an issue in my local country lanes when holding the head lamp ‘flash’ on which is accompanied with both my 100w driving lamps.
The 300 series head lamp wiring is quite acceptable for use, so no modifications are required, the link posted may have been useful back in the early days of the Land Rover series.

towsey956 · Jul 26, 2018

Cheers for replies

Yeah it's already got orgasm allnighters in, like I say the lights are ok as they are but I thought if it was easy to make them better then why not

Discool do Ya mean you think they are ok to run dip/main together? I remember when I had a Sierra cosworth it was common to fit 80/100 bulbs but if you went up to 110/130 bulbs they melted the back of the lamp

so has this been done then, and IF I was to do it how do you think would be best

Cheers

Towsey

gstuart · Jul 26, 2018

Magicgrotto said:
your spell jeck not working @gstuart ?? I always thought it was spelt ORGASM

Or better still, plus where u been hiding , well, foot tapping on floor

discool · Jul 26, 2018

towsey956 said:
Cheers for replies

Yeah it's already got orgasm allnighters in, like I say the lights are ok as they are but I thought if it was easy to make them better then why not

Discool do Ya mean you think they are ok to run dip/main together? I remember when I had a Sierra cosworth it was common to fit 80/100 bulbs but if you went up to 110/130 bulbs they melted the back of the lamp

so has this been done then, and IF I was to do it how do you think would be best

Cheers

Towsey

I mean exactly what I said

The Mad Hat Man · Jul 26, 2018

discool said:
The 300 series head lamp wiring is quite acceptable for use, so no modifications are required, the link posted may have been useful back in the early days of the Land Rover series.

Its a well documented problem on 200TDIs and early 300TDIs

towsey956 · Jul 26, 2018

Thanks for all that

So how would anyone suggest wiring in said modification, could it be tied in with the other mod people can do, or is the original mod even going to gain me anything on a '98MY if poor circuitry was mainly on early 300's?

Cheers

Towsey

The Mad Hat Man · Jul 26, 2018

it reduces wiring losses (brighter lights) and reduces the current going thru the switchgear, reducing the risk of arcing and premature failure.

towsey956 · Jul 26, 2018

Cheers, same gains to be had wotever the age then basically. Do you think it's possible to incorporate the dip/main mod I was talking about into the other mod?

Towsey

The Mad Hat Man · Jul 26, 2018

anything is possible, but will it be worth it?

Paul D · Jul 26, 2018

towsey956 said:
Cheers, same gains to be had wotever the age then basically. Do you think it's possible to incorporate the dip/main mod I was talking about into the other mod?

Towsey

Why not just do it and show others how to ... it's not something that I've really given much thought to. It's possibly only a matter of wiring stuff together and hoping it don't set alight ...

The Mad Hat Man · Jul 26, 2018

yu only need a couple of 12V 100W diodes

towsey956 · Jul 26, 2018

The 'alight' bit is wot concerns me and is why I was asking instead of guessing, maybe very wrongly ha.

Il prob have a look into it as and when I get round to doing the other mod, there's a couple of other bits I want to get done while nights are workable

Thanks muchly to all

Towsey

discool · Jul 26, 2018

towsey956 said:
Thanks for all that

So how would anyone suggest wiring in said modification, could it be tied in with the other mod people can do, or is the original mod even going to gain me anything on a '98MY if poor circuitry was mainly on early 300's?

Cheers

Towsey

If the voltage at the head lamp bulb connector matches the voltage at the battery terminals you don’t have any issues.
I’ve never known a vehicle to leave the production line with so many relays fitting to the lighting circuit.

Can lights be wired this way?

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Old, nackered 'n broke, but the Landy is fine . :)

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D3 Grandad

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D3 Grandad

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D3 Grandad

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Old, nackered 'n broke, but the Landy is fine . :)

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