My version of headlight relay kit

[hcoles]

I chose to make my own headlight bypass relay installation.

It is in and seems to be working fine. I can post material info. if people are interested. Thanks to JWest for the Posi-Lock connector tip. I got some from Napa.

Here is my wiring layout, somewhat following the routing used, I put as many wires behind the fuse panel face as possible, it is getting a bit packed in there. I used relays with diodes. The most difficult part was selecting and properly crimping the terminals that clip in the socket. My Porsche mechanic loaned me a very good crimper tool and I was getting good crimps after some practice and adjustment. Get more wire and spare terminals than you need. There is crimping info. on the web on open and closed barrel terminals.

[zippy_gg]

Nice diagram. I definitely would like to get the list of materials. Thanks!

[equality72521]

Or you can just buy the entire kit from Pelican for a mere $25. Comes with everything you need.

[DRACO A5OG]

Check the voltage at the head light, that will tell you if it was a success or not. It appears correct, good job Brother

[zippy_gg]

Originally Posted by equality72521

Or you can just buy the entire kit from Pelican for a mere $25. Comes with everything you need.

This is not about cost, it is more about the satisfaction of building something myself from a diagram. For that reason I am also doing all the work on my car with maybe the exception of alignment... at least for now..

[hcoles]

Originally Posted by zippy_gg

Nice diagram. I definitely would like to get the list of materials. Thanks!

Thx.

@zippy, here is the diagram with notes on material info. and where to purchase.
You will need various other items: shrink tubing, wire protective covering. Tools: soldering iron/etc., crimper for open barrel ($$$), crimper for closed barrel connections($). I would look for a relay without the bracket, it might look better. I wanted a relay with diode and they are a bit harder to find. I wired the socket to accept the standard normally open relay using 87 and 87a termination points. I have 3 other cars to do and they will get a better install than I did for my car. I'll post a picture of the final result if wanted. You will need a piece of AL or other material to mount the sockets. Also need various metric nuts/bolts/etc. Learning how to make a good crimp is not trivial. If doing this over I might consider getting the next size up wire insulation thickness. The Kayjay Co. had good info. on wire type/etc. If you get wire from Kragens it might not be the type that has cross linked plastic. I cut off the insulation that comes with the ring terminals and used shrink wrap, it looks better, more like factory. You want good quality ring terminals, that have been annealed. The ones I got from Napa had actual model and company markings, so I think they were made in the US. Lots of parts out there come with no markings for obvious reasons.




Terminal




You can see where two crimps are made:
1-wire
2-insulation
It is hard to get these to be right, but can be done. See if you can borrow a good tool.

[DRACO A5OG]

Originally Posted by zippy_gg

...with maybe the exception of alignment... at least for now..

Let me know and I will come over show you how to rig it up

[equality72521]

Originally Posted by zippy_gg

This is not about cost, it is more about the satisfaction of building something myself from a diagram. For that reason I am also doing all the work on my car with maybe the exception of alignment... at least for now..

Fair enough

[zippy_gg]

Originally Posted by DRACO A5OG

Let me know and I will come over show you how to rig it up

Jim, you're on! I am still refurbishing the interior, then it will be time for suspensions and brakes. Then alignment and smog test! Woo-hoo!

[zippy_gg]

Originally Posted by hcoles

Thx.

@zippy, here is the diagram with notes on material info. and where to purchase.
You will need various other items: shrink tubing, wire protective covering. Tools: soldering iron/etc., crimper for open barrel ($$$), crimper for closed barrel connections($). I would look for a relay without the bracket, it might look better. I wanted a relay with diode and they are a bit harder to find. I wired the socket to accept the standard normally open relay using 87 and 87a termination points. I have 3 other cars to do and they will get a better install than I did for my car. I'll post a picture of the final result if wanted. You will need a piece of AL or other material to mount the sockets. Also need various metric nuts/bolts/etc. Learning how to make a good crimp is not trivial. If doing this over I might consider getting the next size up wire insulation thickness. The Kayjay Co. had good info. on wire type/etc. If you get wire from Kragens it might not be the type that has cross linked plastic. I cut off the insulation that comes with the ring terminals and used shrink wrap, it looks better, more like factory. You want good quality ring terminals, that have been annealed. The ones I got from Napa had actual model and company markings, so I think they were made in the US. Lots of parts out there come with no markings for obvious reasons.




Terminal




You can see where two crimps are made:
1-wire
2-insulation
It is hard to get these to be right, but can be done. See if you can borrow a good tool.

THat is a lot of info, thanks for that!
I will use shrink tubing and try to attach to an extension of my new fuse panel from Fred Cook. I'll even try to color match the tubing.
I should have all the tools for the job. Just waiting to have my carport finished before I can get started on the car!

[hcoles]

I did find shrink tubing companies that have offer a variety of colors and will even dye to match. I ended up using black, the red I had wasn't big enough. Take your time to figure out re. routing and figuring out what operations (solder or crimping) need to be done in the car. Do all that you can out on the bench. Consider what you end up with when viewed in the future by new owners or yourself after you forgot details of the design. The posi-lock connectors are a big help as they are easy to do in the car working with short wires. You will have to cut off the ferruels for the 4 wires feeding the high and low bulbs. I don't know how my solution compares to JWest $25, any comparison details might be interesting to others and myself. Any tips to improve my solution are welcome. I wasn't going for low cost, IMO the cost of materials is not that important, getting the best quality solution and understanding was the target. For me the fun was reading about relays, relay options, wire types, wire current carrying capability, terminals, crimpers, and crimping quality/etc. The design of a wire harness is not trivial in my opinion, there are a lot of variables not commonly thought of.

[hcoles]

I borrowed a Tool Aid crimper that looks something like this. You need to confirm that you have the correct die set.

You might want to invest in a complete crimper set that also does WeatherPack and spark plug wires/etc. then you are pretty much covered. I had to do some pre-bending of the insulation wings to get a semi-clean looking insulation hold. Look under Molex info. for what to look for and do's don't's on open barrel crimping.



This is the sort of what you want the final crimp to look like.
You should be able to pull with 30-40 pounds without coming apart.
The insulation should be held tight but not cut, you should see wire only between the two crimping sections and there should be a brush visible at the end but not intruding into the ring area. For added security you might consider putting a bit of solder near the brush area, but you don't want solder going past the wire crimp section. If the crimp and all materials are proper this should not be needed. I covered the crimp area and down the wire a ways with heat shrink tubing. I recommend cleaning with alcohol if any soldering is done.

[RoninLB]

nice crimper et al


any suggestions on brand and pn or just look at amp tools?

thx

[JeremyD]

I use marine terminals - especially the ones that have the adhesive lined heat shrink connectors.

[dw1]

Originally Posted by hcoles

I borrowed a Tool Aid crimper that looks something like this. You need to confirm that you have the correct die set.

NICE manual crimping tool. This is the one you borrowed, I'm assuming. Is the case marked with a model number or kit number? Did your mechanic happen to mention a source for this? (e.g. McMaster-Carr, Techni-tool, Digikey, Newark Electronics, or other?)

I know it will probably be expensive, but to replace some of the older manual crimpers we have in the lab at work, it would be worthwhile. Most of the time, the cable harnesses are mass-produced using powered crimping equipment, but occasionally we have to make specialty cable assemblies, or perform some repair work.

[hcoles]

@dw1 - since I borrowed the tool I don't have where it was purchased. If you google Tool Aid, or open barrel crimpers all sorts of links come up. If you can't find let me know. I think even Amazon has it. Found it - Amazon.com: S & G Tool Aid 18920 Ratcheting Terminal Crimping Kit- 5 Piece: Home Improvement

I was looking around and ran into this crimper which looks like many others but apparently works very well on a wide range of open barrel terminals. I like that it doesn't crimp the insulation at the same time giving more control. If you want a full set for your lab. you may want something with more dies as above.



This is where you can buy that crimper and also the Hozan tools. This site has some good info. and they know about crimping. Apparently they offer a wide variety of good quality terminals. Name Easternbeaver.com
It appears they have access to the good material available in Japan, remember when things were made in Japan? I digress.

Tools, Open Barrel Crimpers, cheap worldwide shipping

[Traveller]

Originally Posted by DRACO A5OG

Check the voltage at the head light, that will tell you if it was a success or not.

And to take it a step further, the voltage at the headlight should at least be the same as the voltage at the relay. If not, the wire gauge should be larger. Ideally, you want no voltage drop to the headlights.

Taking it one step further again, the headlight voltage should be the battery voltage. If not, the wire gauge is undersized and/or the relay is.

[Traveller]

Originally Posted by hcoles

Terminal



You can see where two crimps are made:
1-wire
2-insulation
It is hard to get these to be right, but can be done. See if you can borrow a good tool.

Even when I can use the correct tool, I always solder the exposed end of the wire to the terminal. In 30+ years, I've never had any of my connections fail.

Usually I just use miniature needle-nose pliers to fold the tabs over and then solder the exposed tip of wire to the terminal. I've done so with all of my Molex connectors.

[hcoles]

We are planning to take some before and after volt readings for the next car converted. Last night we were getting 0.850vdc drop from the battery out to the bottom of the 3,4 fuse locations with the low beams on and engine not running. The volt meter or battery is now suspect as we got some low readings for the battery when not charging or loaded. I'm now not easily able to compare on my car as the wires are "covered".
The volt drop for the relay and wire assuming perfect termination and connection can be calculated using charts/etc. on the web and relay resistance info.
My goal was to get the current out of the dash switches - if I get brighter lights that's fine also.

[hcoles]

Originally Posted by Traveller

Even when I can use the correct tool, I always solder the exposed end of the wire to the terminal. In 30+ years, I've never had any of my connections fail.

Usually I just use miniature needle-nose pliers to fold the tabs over and then solder the exposed tip of wire to the terminal. I've done so with all of my Molex connectors.

Careful hand work can make up for or can be equal or better than proper production tooling. My reading is that proper crimping and materials can make a reliable connection (BMW's are the exception ;-) ) I'm a believer in belt and suspenders also, why not - you are in there might as well kill it.

I agree re. putting some solder on the tip, should not be an issue of making the wire stiff if the solder doesn't wick down into or past the insulation section.