do I need additional relay for HID head lights?

[rnln]

Hi everyone,

I see that most of the HID head lights are selling include hardness to plug into the factory plug. From there, to the ballast. Then from ballast to the bulb. But I remember I read someone recommended to install a "home center", basically a relay which make the factory hardness to act as a signal. Then using another big wire to get 12v from the battery.

Question is if it necessary? Should the factory head lights wiring should already go through a relay and fuses. Am I correct?

Additional relay:
https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/eYMAAOSwIh1eXdUx/s-l960.jpg

Thanks in advance.

[AndrewCologne]

The question is how much watts/amperes draws "each" Bulb.

[Ctopher]

Most include a harness because you will have ballast that you need to power. The kits I’ve seen use the factory harness to activate and/or for a high beam switch.
I am using a Morimoto kit including the relay harness which uses one side of the factory harness for turning on lights and high/low beam. The other part of the relay harness is for high beam and ballast which gets power directly from battery.

Or did you mean LED, not High-Intensity Discharge (HID)?


CTopher

[theiceman]

answer the question is the factory headlights do NOT run through a relay , they carry the full current through the turn signal switch. One of the first thing any 911 owner should do is install headlight relays to reduce the current through the signal stalk. Most do it after they burn up their first 250.00 switch.

[AndrewCologne]

Originally Posted by theiceman

One of the first thing any 911 owner should do is install headlight relays to reduce the current through the signal stalk.

First thing the owner should better do is check "why" the circuit from the bulbs to the light switch via the signal stalk draws more amps which makes the contacts in the signal stalk get braised. If you use lights/bulbs coming with watts officially recommended, and if no uncommon transfer resistance in the circuit occurs then no relay is needed. I know mechanics which were working the 80s or 90s at Porsche and they never needed to install headlight relays.

See the contacts in my signal stalk, ... after over 10 years they look like new, no relay installed and the full voltage reaches the headlight. Those contacts easily can handle 10 amps and more. If they are full of dirt, then its a mother story.

[PeteKz]

Side question: Why mess with HID lights? I could understand it 10 years ago, but now some LED options are as good or better than HIDs, use less current, are much simpler, etc.

[AndrewCologne]

+1

[rnln]

Thanks everyone for responding...
One thing I know is that I installed a relay on my low beams years ago. I can check again.
So, you guys agree with me that if I already installed a relay, that "wiring Home Center" device is not needed, right?
If I remember right, I think I did each low beam has 1 separate relay.

I didn't know LED can be better than HID. I always thought HID is always better. The things is that I have not installed these after market HID. I only experienced with manufacture HID.