As above, just fitted new lights to my stylus. I'm running a basic 'Car Looms' loom with sierra stalks. The new lights really need to have both dipped and main beam on at the same time. This happens when i pull to flash but when i push the stalk the dipped go out and the mains stay on on their own.

Can someone give a simple way to change this so that the dips stay on when i switch the mains on.

Thanks in advance

Without changing your switch and circuit you cant. Basically the sierra stalk has a changeover switch in which switched between dipped and main beam.

There are 2 ways to do it. Either change the switch to an on-onx2 type (eg another sidelight/dipbeam type switch.

Or wire the circuits differently. Currently the feed for the dipped and main beams is the same, all the switch is doing is flicking between the two. You would need another feed to a separate switch just for the main beams.

Besides I dont know if its a good idea, I know a lot of modern cars do it, but they have seperate bulbs for dipped and main beams. I dont think the average H4 bulb will last 5 mins is you have the heat from both the main and dipped beam filaments there at the same time.

David

you'll really shorten the life of the bulbs btw

yeah ^
i wouldn't.

You could solder a power diode onto the lamp connector itself, so that the anode is connected to the main-beam terminal and the cathode is connected to the dipped-beam terminal.

That way no current will flow when on dipped, but will when on main.

I'd put one on each connector as the lamps can sink a lot of current when cold.

Watch your wiring if doing that.

H4 bulbs are rated 55/60W, this means you put on 115W*2= 230W

If running a single wire this means 20A !!!
If running twin wires, this is not a problem, but otherwise make sure the cable is up to it or you put the car on fire and fibreglass tends to burn very well.

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Originally posted by Mr Whippy
you'll really shorten the life of the bulbs btw

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can't beat a nice set of driving lights

^^^ wot they say - not a good idea IMO.

If you want more light, then look at getting brighter or slightly higher wattage (which may be illegal) bulb or eat more carrots.

The Philips high output bulbs are very good IMO. Much safer than running Main and dip all the time.

- Jim

thanks guys, the lights are 2 seperate units, the lights are quite strange, the lamp units are the same but one has an arrow pointing up and the other has an arrow pointing down. I have 2 seperate wires two each side, one dipped and one main. Not too sure how diodes etc work, i thought there might be a way of keeping the dip relay on when switching the main beam on.

need to think about it but why not use a 5 pin relay and use the main beam live to go back to the dip so that there is no chance of the live backfeeding back into you lighting circuits.

Plus not only Philips, but a whole host of companies do them. I bought some 100/150 bulbs for night rallies a few years ago. From the lucas main agents cost aroung 5 quid each but a noticeable difference.

My chevette now has 4 x 100w driving lamps for the winter months plus the standard headlamps!!! OTT but makes night driving so much easier. Plus when that idiot coming head on doesnt dip, I remind them where their dip beam switch is!!!

ah, if its seperate units for main and dip, then no probs having both at the same time. bmws always have done it.

quote:

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Originally posted by AndyGT
need to think about it but why not use a 5 pin relay and use the main beam live to go back to the dip so that there is no chance of the live backfeeding back into you lighting circuits.

Any chance you could do a quick diagram pleeeease

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Vindi_andy - 10/10/08 at 07:50 AM

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Originally posted by AndyGT
Plus when that idiot coming head on doesnt dip, I remind them where their dip beam switch is!!!

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Can they still see after you have "reminded them" I expect they have green splodges (not just dots) for quite a few miles afterwards

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AndyGT - 13/10/08 at 09:36 AM

Description

black is the normal wiring loom. Green is what should be added...

This circuit doesn't need the secondary switch (on green circuit 86) unless you want to go back to standard occasionally.

"Energised on" is the type of relay as some relays switch off when energised...

Hope this helps!
Andy

If this is wrong I am sure someone will say....

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AndyGT - 13/10/08 at 09:50 AM

http://www.autoshop101.com/forms/hweb2.pdf

seems like a great pdf to use as an explanation of car relays..

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mad-butcher - 15/10/08 at 06:26 PM

Ok now I'm confused. what you are basicaly saying is that it's either main or dip on at any one time..My Transit is wired as standard so that the dipped beam remains on when I flick the switch to main. my indy is wired the same dip on when main is on. Sec 9.1 of the sva manual says check that dipped beam remains on when main beam is on. which I would have thought was a good idea in case of a main beam bulb failure you still had a reasonable light.
Am I missing something here or should I give up working nights

tony

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