Help needed with headlight conversion

[apstguy]

Here is the deal:

I got headlight conversion units from Inpro carware for Christmas. I just got Silverstar bulbs today and put them in. I had e-mailed Sylvania about the difference between 9003 bulbs and H4. I had seen no physical difference in the bulbs at the store so I thought it good to ask. They told me 9003 are built to "higher tolerances" and H4 is for motorcycles. I got the 9003s. When I turned on my lights, my high beams were on but at very low power. When I switched to high beams, the low beams turned on low power. I felt the wiring and it was getting warm fast. I shut off the lights. What is the deal? Do I need to use H4s instead? What is the deal?!?!?

[RockHQ]

well, what kind of headlight conversion units are those? A relay kit, new headlights and/or bulbs?
Whatever the case, you've either got the bulb wires mixed up or 9003's (i don't even know what they are) differ from H4.
In any case, if the current draw is higher than with stock equipment your wiring and dimmer switch will not handle it, the wire diameter is questionable at best from factory. You'll need to run the headlights through a pair of relays. In fact, i would assume you have the wires crossed (low beams for highs and vice versa) and you're overloading the headlight wiring+dimmer switch.

[gldevall]

Painless wiring makes a wiring harness just for this application.

http://www.jegs.com/cgi-bin/ncommerc...15&prmenbr=361

[LOHRTBT]

Mine did the exact same thing with the Midnight Moose Conversion lol. I Just unhooked the High beams till I have time to mess with it.

[apstguy]

All they are is the headlight unit - no bulbs or wires. It uses the stock stuff. The wires CAN'T be crosses as the harnes only goes on one way. I'll look into the harrness - I was going to do that soon anyways byt my own wiring job - the painless looks like less aggrevation though. I'll go with that.

Dave - how did you fix it then?

[apstguy]

On the painless kit - it says it is for a 2 headlight system - do you think it is ok to run all 4 off of it?

[gldevall]

I'm sure they have a 4 light kit too. Try www.painlesswiring.com

[LOHRTBT]

I havent fixed it yet lol!

[apstguy]

Great! It must be in the wiring. I bought the cheapy $8 H4 bulb to see if it is the correct bulb. Same thing. So bulb doesn't matter. Is the ground backwards or something? I'm going to get a painless wiring harrness for sure now.

[RockHQ]

You can have the ground wrong in a H4-connector in a few ways:
(Assuming the H4 bulb does not have ground wire connected to bulb body)
1. You're grounding the low beam filament, while having +12 volts from low beams to the original ground. High beam +12V in correct place.
Result:
Low beam works ok.
Switching to highs will drive both filaments making them low powered, because you're running them in series.


2. Same as #1, but you have +12V high to original ground, and +12V low to original high beam connector.
Result:
You're driving both filaments when low beams should be on, grounding them through the low beam filament, low power.
Switching to high beams, low beams come on at normal power.

3. You're grounding the high beam filament, while having +12 volts from low beams to the original ground. High beam +12V in low beam connector.
Result:
High beams on when low should be (but at normal power), switching to high's will drive both filaments, making them low powered.


4. Ground same as #3, but you've got +12V high beams to the original ground and +12V low beams to their apropriate place.
Result:

High beams work ok, but low beams drive both filaments making them low powered.


But if you've got the ground right, there's only 2 ways to connect the power wires, reversed and normal.

Btw, $78+shipping is a whole lot of money for some wire, a single fuse and two switching relays!

[apstguy]

Thanks RockHQ that really helps. Let's narrow this down.

I disconnected the high beams to prevent unnessesary wear. The high beam indicator is stuck on. When I switch back and forth, it gets really dim (might be both high & low filiment on at the same time), switch back and it turns bright, but I don't know whick filiment is the correct low beam. The one in back (without the little dish reflector) is on at full power.

Maybe the grounding system in the BULB is different and cause this problem? Maybe how it is wire so there is leakage to another circuit? If that is true, the relay kit will fix that.

[RockHQ]

I would begin by disconnecting the bulb connectors. Then with a test light see which wires get power. After you've figured the pattern on the connector, check the bulbs with a car battery for correspondence. After that, check for continuity between the high&low beam power wires, there should be none.

If those check out fine the problem must be your low/high beam switch isn't working (oxidized contacts or even burnt because of excessive amperage) or the wires. When you add the relay kit, make sure you remove all of the existing wiring except the park lights&turn signals. I myself would make a new wire harness, that way you get a cleaner installation since all wires can be cut to exact length and routed the way you want. It is surprisingly time consuming, even though there aren't many wires to route, but well worth the trouble.