Cascade Crew

Al Hasse · Posted: Sat Sep 20, 2008 7:45 pm Post subject: Overboard with relays

With the new lights, I thought I'd try something to keep the wire gauge smaller as well as the fuse sizes. Granted, this means more wire and more fuses, but I had fun doing it Cool

I decided to use one relay for each light circuit. This means one relay for each low beam (2) and one for each high beam (4). I kept the wire gauge down to 12 & 14 AWG and fuses to 7.5 amp for lows, 10 amp for highs, and a 15 amp for the inside pair because I spliced the high & low together. For now I took power from the fusible link block on the radiator support because it was convenient and all the relays are mounted on the passenger side core support behind the lights.

Works pretty good except for the passenger outside light, low is not as bright as the other one. I think I have a bad socket because all the swaps and rewiring of relays did nothing to change the brightness. I'll troubleshoot that later. Here's my mess Laughing

This didn't cost as much as it should have because most of the stuff I got from a friend at a car stereo shop. Cool

iansane · Posted: Sat Sep 20, 2008 8:02 pm Post subject:

Holy hell Al! That's a lot of wiring to remember!

You think about yanking a fuse block or relay block from some stock car to house all the relays?

Dewey316 · Posted: Sat Sep 20, 2008 8:08 pm Post subject:

Wow Al. Relay madness.

Al Hasse · Posted: Sat Sep 20, 2008 8:13 pm Post subject:

It looks worse than it is. There's 4 wires on each relay and some are daisy chained together (ground, high beam turn on to the middle 4, low beam turn on to the outer 2), the rest is power and light outputs. The only hard part to remember is which pins are relay coil and which are the switch in/out. Laughing

alloy · Posted: Sat Sep 20, 2008 11:16 pm Post subject:

This may help you clean up your wiring nightmare. With these you don't have to remember what wires go where. This is what I used for my headlight and fan relay harness.

http://www.partsexpress.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?Partnumber=330-075

Al Hasse · Posted: Sat Sep 20, 2008 11:30 pm Post subject:

I almost got some of them. 4 of my relays were free, as was most of the wiring and crimps. Those sockets cost as much as the relays do and would have added about $30, parts stores are pricey. Maybe later, I see those are inexpensive.

What I need to do when I get all lights working the same is remove one relay at a time, then tape & possibly loom the wires to tidy things up.

blue89 · Posted: Mon Sep 22, 2008 7:42 am Post subject:

Lol, nice one! I actually have forgotten how mine were wired..... Do your low beams draw enough to trip the headlight switch? I think I just did the high beams.

Al Hasse · Posted: Mon Sep 22, 2008 10:09 am Post subject:

Probably not, but I rewired them anyway. Total 15 amps of fuses and no problems.

QwkTrip · Posted: Mon Sep 22, 2008 4:15 pm Post subject:

Reliable = simple Very Happy

Actually, if you don't want corrosion issues I would change out every one of those crimp-on connectors. Use soldered joints and waterproof shrink wrap. It won't be available at your local auto parts store. Go to an electrical supply store.

Al Hasse · Posted: Mon Sep 22, 2008 5:36 pm Post subject:

Thanks, but I have no problems the way they are, that one bare one on the right has been replaced. I have 2 other relays on the other side next to the battery and two more on the firewall wired the same way for years and no issues with them. Cool

I might get some sheet aluminum though and fab up a drip shield or sort of flashing over the whole bank.

QwkTrip · Posted: Thu Sep 25, 2008 7:55 pm Post subject:

You have more relays??? Shocked