Headlight Relay Kit?

[n8marx]

Okay, before I get jumped on about searching the archives, I have searched them, and read quite a bit on this subject.

I am about to place a Pelican order and while I'm buying I wouldn't mind adding the realy to my headlight circuit. Does Pelican sell a pre-fabbed relay kit similar to the Surco kit I've read about? As long as I'm ordering I may as well buy it from Pelican instead of someone else but I can't locate any similar kit in the parts index.

Anyone bought this from Pelican?

[911pcars]

Sucro's kit and perhaps Pelican's (I haven't seen theirs) is just a couple of Bosch relays, connectors and wire. The main difference is his instruction sheet which makes installation a lot easier.

When adding wiring to any car, make it neat.

Sherwood Lee
http://members.rennlist.org/911pcar

[MIK911]

What's the advantage of the relay? Does it allow use of a higer wattage bulb? How high? Is there a significant difference (in light output) with these higher wattage bulbs?

thanks
Mike
'86 coupe w/ H1's (55W bulbs, i think)

[jyl]

Advantages
- full current no longer goes through the turn signal/hi-lo beam switch on your steering column, reducing tendency of the switch to fail (which is common, even with standard wattage bulbs, and can leave you without headlights as well as costing appx $100)
- allows use of higher-wattage bulbs
- probably increases current to bulbs somewhat (since it isn't going through all that small-gauge wire to switch and back)

Don't know how high a wattage you can go with H1s. I've read here that if you go really high (e.g. 130w) you might want an even beefier relay set-up than the Sucro kit (e.g. 4 relays and thicker wire).

With my H5s, I went from stock (65/45w?) to 100/80w and the difference was considerable.

[BGCarrera32]

Usually higher wattage bulbs mean more light. Also depends on the lens and a few other factors tho. The advantage to running a relay is that you can run full power to them without cooking your headlight switch due to the increased current draw. Most of the relays are rated which will help you determine the max current draw you can place on them. Most of the uprated Bosch relays will handle any bulb you can throw at it.

-BG

[n8marx]

Yeah, but is there a pre-packaged Pelican kit or should I order the Sucro kit? Just trying to funnel as many of my Porsche dollars as feasible to the Pelican folks.

[jmohn]

There is no Pelican kit that I'm aware of, I got mine from Sucro, went in very nicely. If you have any electrical ability you can make up your own "kit", but, by the time I priced the relays, Sucro's was just as cheap and went in half the time 'cause I didn't have to put it together.

Jerry M
'78 SC

[n8marx]

Thanks Jerry. That's just the info I was looking for.