JWest Relay kit with H1 Headlights

[Dai]

Hi, I want to install JWest Headlight Relay kit on my 81 930 H1 headlight because I want to use 100w bulbs for low and for high beam. I purchased 2 relay kits thinking that I would need one for the low and separate relay kit for the high beam. Is this over kill? Or, this method is an extra insurance for over heating? If I was to install two relay kits to my H1 setup, does anyone have schematic or picture showing the installation? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
Dai

[86 911 Targa]

Originally Posted by Dai

Hi, I want to install JWest Headlight Relay kit on my 81 930 H1 headlight because I want to use 100w bulbs for low and for high beam. I purchased 2 relay kits thinking that I would need one for the low and separate relay kit for the high beam. Is this over kill? Or, this method is an extra insurance for over heating? If I was to install two relay kits to my H1 setup, does anyone have schematic or picture showing the installation? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
Dai

JWest has tech reps that will guide you in this installation.

Give them a call.

Also, check out your wire gauge.

Good luck,

Gerry

[47silver]

I used 4 relays 2 high 2 low,, i recommend it as you can run a lead to each beam and the light i get from my h4's is the best lighting in all of my vehicles bar none.
i used porsche round relays and they installed in the fuse box...it is a clean way to do it and looks stock and works great.

[RSTarga]

I got a Mark Sucro kit with instructions and did the installation in an hour. BIG difference.

[Dai]

Thanks for everyone's comment. Has anyone installed two of the relay kits in their car using H1 headlight?

[JWest]

You will be fine running two relays with 100 watt bulbs.

Even if you run the low and high at the same time (which is possible with H1s), the single feed to the two relays is sized for that load.

You can run the four relays, but the need for that redundancy is unlikely. The upstream switch is more likely to fail than the relay, and that typically leaves either high or low still operational, as would happen should one of the two relays fail.

[Wil Ferch]

It's not all that simple...every "solution" has its pros/cons...as to the number of relays to use and what is advised.

Here is a good thread debating the number of relays issue--->

Headlight Relays Redux

[47silver]

use 4 relays
connect to the fuse box and put the relays in the fuse box holes.

[foxpaws]

So, for the electrically challenged, the JWest kit seems to be somewhat of a 'plug and play' solution. Has anyone run into problems with it if you don't exceed JWest's recommendations for bulbs?

After spending an evening on windy mountain roads - I was more than underwhelmed by the 'candlepower' of the current lights on the low setting, however, the high setting didn't seem too bad.

[Dai]

Originally Posted by JWest

You will be fine running two relays with 100 watt bulbs.

Even if you run the low and high at the same time (which is possible with H1s), the single feed to the two relays is sized for that load.

You can run the four relays, but the need for that redundancy is unlikely. The upstream switch is more likely to fail than the relay, and that typically leaves either high or low still operational, as would happen should one of the two relays fail.

Thanks James. If you said all I need is one kit (two relays) for my H1 set up then it is good enough for me. Just want to be clear here is that it would be safe to have both high beam and low beam on at the same time with just two relays. This mean I have 4 100w bulbs on at the same time. For some reason I'm not feeling too comfortable with that. Maybe I am just too paranoid about it. I always believe in over built so that is why I bought two kits (4 relays) for the job. :-)

Thanks again.

[JWest]

Originally Posted by Dai

Thanks James. If you said all I need is one kit (two relays) for my H1 set up then it is good enough for me. Just want to be clear here is that it would be safe to have both high beam and low beam on at the same time with just two relays. This mean I have 4 100w bulbs on at the same time. For some reason I'm not feeling too comfortable with that. Maybe I am just too paranoid about it. I always believe in over built so that is why I bought two kits (4 relays) for the job. :-)

Thanks again.

Sure, I understand. The weak link is still the wires running to the headlights. The next area of concern would be the main wire that feeds the relays from the battery, and it is of reasonable size to handle the 400 watts.

There is certainly no harm in running the four relays, and if it makes you feel better then you should go that route. I would probably do that if I were using H1s.

[Peter Seow]

Do not use the 100 watts bulbs the heat produced damages the reflectors. USE HID instead.

[80-911SC]

four relays for headlight is probably over kill but ?????????

it is not way out of line
(I run 5 relays 1 for each light hi and each light low and one for the fog lights)

The kit mentioned above does have the "plug and play" bonus ..... Did mine with mail order and found around parts ....... gave me a bit of satisfaction for a minute but people i show the harness to seem to agree on the quality .........

either way you should be ok ..... but at 100w per high they are going to get hot fast ......

[47silver]

I did not install 4 relays for redundancy I did it for wiring integrity.

A 100 watt bulb alone use 8.3+amps and with our old wires, old connections and relays i would guess we use about 10 amps per high beam.

So that if you run 2 high beams you are in the 20 amp range of continuous draw on a 20+ year old wiring system. You are also running the 20 amps through a relay contact thatis rated for ? 25 amps.

Not safe in my opinion and you would need a 25 amp fuse in the circuit.

If you wire up the system as i show above you can use 15 amps on the high beam side and 10 amps on the low beam side for fuses.

I ran a separate battery+ feed to each relay with an in line plug in fuse.
If you are taking the time to do it, why not add 2 more relays and a few more feet of wire to do it so that you do not run the risk of your wiring melting in the same compartment that the gasoline is stored?

[JWest]

Originally Posted by 47silver

You are also running the 20 amps through a relay contact thatis rated for ? 25 amps.

Relays are rated at 40 amps each.

[Dai]

O.K. I know 4 relays are over kill but I have 4 relays so I might as well install them. The JWest relay kit is plug and play and it came with great instruction for installation. James, by any chance you have instruction to install 4 relays? I just don't want to screw up the wiring. I will also be installing heavier gauge wire and possible ceramic sockets for the bulbs. Any suggestion for which ceramic socket to get? Thanks you guys.

[JWest]

Originally Posted by Dai

O.K. I know 4 relays are over kill but I have 4 relays so I might as well install them. The JWest relay kit is plug and play and it came with great instruction for installation. James, by any chance you have instruction to install 4 relays? I just don't want to screw up the wiring. I will also be installing heavier gauge wire and possible ceramic sockets for the bulbs. Any suggestion for which ceramic socket to get? Thanks you guys.

The input side will be the same - remove the existing 2 wires from the upper side of the fuse box and attach to the blue posi-lock connectors. Then create a jumper to connect these to the second pair of relays. These are just the switching wires, so don't be concerned about the wire gauge as they only carry the load of the relay winding.

You can't use the factory fuses, since they are paired together. Run the four remaining yellow and white wires to four inline fuses and then out to each light bulb.

Make sure you upgrade the grounds at the lights at the same time.

You don't need ceramic sockets - H1s just use a single push-on connector for each bulb.

[47silver]

I wanted to use Porsche relays and i don't think porsche has a relay with 2 separate circuits.

With 4 Porsche relays the max i run through the porsche round relays is 11 amps not 22 and that is one reason I used 4 relays.

[hcoles]

Originally Posted by 47silver

use 4 relays
connect to the fuse box and put the relays in the fuse box holes.

I like the idea of using existing relay holes compared to having the relays hanging out in the open, where did you get those relays? Are they a standard Porsche relay orderable on Pelican? I guess yes, now that I think about it.