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Headlamp +12v provision |
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DaemonForce
AMC Addicted Joined: Jul/05/2012 Location: Olympia, WA Status: Offline Points: 1070 |
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That sounds about right. I know the wiring is older than me and deserves a badly needed refresh for the sake of consistency but new wires are only the smallest part of the fix. A relay box for the headlamps is likely going to be the answer since I look at the foglight harness and see a relay box on that setup and it runs fine. I need to insure a solid connection between the battery and headlights as they compete with the other electronics in the car and draw the most power. How would I go about setting this up in a way that doesn't get in the way with the other parts of the harness? Shared dash +12v from firewall to switch with the main +12v connection? What goes to the other side? Headlight kick or direct connection to the headlights?
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1971 Javelin SST
American 304 2v | FMX | AM20-3.31 1983 American Limited Jeep 4(.7)L S-MPFI | 1982 NWC T-5M (4.03/.76) | Dana30IFS/35-2.72 |
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farna
Supporter of TheAMCForum Moderator Lost Dealership Project Joined: Jul/08/2007 Location: South Carolina Status: Offline Points: 19686 |
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Most of the wiring in my car is even older... 1963... Haven't had a wiring issue, except for once with the new stuff I ran for the EFI. Had a wire fall down onto the exhaust and ground out. It was the oxygen sensor wire, and grounding it killed the ignition. Who would have thought that?
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Frank Swygert
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DaemonForce
AMC Addicted Joined: Jul/05/2012 Location: Olympia, WA Status: Offline Points: 1070 |
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Yeah the MPFI harness is really prone to that for the oxygen sensor wire and the coolant temp sensor wire if it's relocated elsewhere from the front of the engine for some reason. In my case it is plugged into the front side of the block and I should probably move it closer to the rear of the block. I need to check for fusible links for the MPFI harness since after all the wire weeding I probably don't have one on that line. I need to fix that.
I could load a relay into the system without a problem and be done with this but I don't know the purpose of that 6-pin board that plugs into other parts of the harness and its level of importance in the headlamp circuit. I'm probably going to find out when I tear apart the dash. |
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1971 Javelin SST
American 304 2v | FMX | AM20-3.31 1983 American Limited Jeep 4(.7)L S-MPFI | 1982 NWC T-5M (4.03/.76) | Dana30IFS/35-2.72 |
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tomj
AMC Addicted Joined: Jan/27/2010 Location: earth Status: Offline Points: 7553 |
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confronted with the same issue in my old classic, and those horrid old headlamp switches with the chronically bad contacts, rather than rewire it i installed two relays, one low one high beam, up in front near the headlamps, and had the headlamp power run the relays instead of headlamps (thereby offloading the horrid switch). then ran a hot wire fromt he alt or something to the headlamp relays, and new wire and lamp sockets from there to Cibie Z-beams (it was a while ago :-)
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1960 Rambler Super two-door wagon, OHV auto
1961 Roadster American, 195.6 OHV, T5 http://www.ramblerLore.com |
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farna
Supporter of TheAMCForum Moderator Lost Dealership Project Joined: Jul/08/2007 Location: South Carolina Status: Offline Points: 19686 |
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I replaced fusible links with in-line fuse holders on my 4.0L 63 Classic. Never have like fusible links!! A fuse might blow quicker, but it's a lot easier to replace and won't slowly disintegrate over time as it heats just enough to NOT burn in two a few times...
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Frank Swygert
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billd
Moderator Group Forum Administrator Joined: Jun/27/2007 Location: Iowa Status: Offline Points: 30894 |
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http://theamcforum.com/forum/eagle-heatlight-upgrade-relays_topic67272_post610194.html
I used heavy and more heat resistant headlamp sockets and made a better, heavier harness for my headlights. I grounded them by the horn relay. I used a breaker to supply power, run through two relays (one for high, one for low). All that goes through the cabin and switch inside is the power to the relays. With the battery that close, and the heavier wiring I found I have to have my lights properly aimed or I get a lot of folks flashing their brights at me even when I'm on low beam. The voltage drop I measured was crazy - even when system voltage was over 14 the headlights were getting somewhere between 10 and 11 volts. A lot of the drop was GROUND. The biggest drops were under the hood, not inside, as I had replaced almost all internal wiring when I did the engine swap. I replaced the fuse panel and ran countless new wiring, EXCEPT for the headlights. since that was a different harness, even with the engine swap that didn't get changed UNDER THE HOOD. (I redid the inside wiring as it had gotten wet over the years of windshield leaks across the fuse panel and such) The link above is a bit more on the project. The whole wiring harness for the headlamps is short because it goes only from the relays to the headlamps. I used "jumpers" from the original headlamp wiring to the relays and left the original wiring hidden behind the grill since that controls the relays. The photos show the two relays in a socket screwed to the inner fender, then the circuit breaker, then the horn relay. The headlights ground behind the horn relay - and the battery cable ground is just inches from that. So from the right side low beam headlamp socket I ran a wire to the low beam relay and from the right high beam socket I ran a wire to the high beam relay - the original wiring only powers the relays. Since those draw a pittance, the headlight switch and dimmer switch should last, let's see - I'm 60 - well, they should last longer than ME! The wiring you see in the bottom photo that runs above the battery against the fender - that's my new headlight harness. Short, simple. |
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