HID and LED Lights Install - GMT-400

[Bernie]

You should have a relay powering your HID's on the highs as well.
That might solve your problem too...

The ignition charge might be causing power to drop, making the relay kick out.

If that's the case, then adding a capacitor to the feed for the relay would solve that problem. When the voltage dipped the cap would kick it back up again, keeping the relay from opening. It depends on just "what" is causing the voltage drop when the highs kick on. Could be a poor power connection to the battery, too small a wire gauge for the current, or a weak or undersized battery.

It's most likely the factory wiring doesn't like the ignition charge of the HID's...

I'm pretty sure adding a relay for the HID's on the highbeams will fix the problem.

If that doesn't do it, then it's the highbeam switch is too low when switching, in which case, a capacitor WILL solve that problem.

If he wired it the way I told him then the only thing the factory wiring is doing is setting the relays. I had him run power to the ballasts direct from the battery, using 14ga and going through the relay. The coil on the relay gets its power from the headlamp circuit. Much less load on the headlight switch contacts that way, and gives better power to the ballasts since it's a shorter run with heavier wire.

Could be the wire gauge is marginal, or there's a bad crimp connector somewhere. Changing to 12 gauge might help, but I'd really rather put a meter on it and see what the voltage drops are.

 

[drperry]

You should have a relay powering your HID's on the highs as well.
That might solve your problem too...

The ignition charge might be causing power to drop, making the relay kick out.

If that's the case, then adding a capacitor to the feed for the relay would solve that problem. When the voltage dipped the cap would kick it back up again, keeping the relay from opening. It depends on just "what" is causing the voltage drop when the highs kick on. Could be a poor power connection to the battery, too small a wire gauge for the current, or a weak or undersized battery.

It's most likely the factory wiring doesn't like the ignition charge of the HID's...

I'm pretty sure adding a relay for the HID's on the highbeams will fix the problem.

If that doesn't do it, then it's the highbeam switch is too low when switching, in which case, a capacitor WILL solve that problem.

If he wired it the way I told him then the only thing the factory wiring is doing is setting the relays. I had him run power to the ballasts direct from the battery, using 14ga and going through the relay. The coil on the relay gets its power from the headlamp circuit. Much less load on the headlight switch contacts that way, and gives better power to the ballasts since it's a shorter run with heavier wire.

Could be the wire gauge is marginal, or there's a bad crimp connector somewhere. Changing to 12 gauge might help, but I'd really rather put a meter on it and see what the voltage drops are.

As I understand it, he did NOT put a relay to power his highbeam HID's, I may have misread things, though...

12 guage would be better, but 14 will work.

Even on halogen bulbs, people will notice a small improvement in light output by switching to relays with higher guage wiring...

Factory is just barely adequate for what's there.

 

[Bernie]

You should have a relay powering your HID's on the highs as well.
That might solve your problem too...

The ignition charge might be causing power to drop, making the relay kick out.

If that's the case, then adding a capacitor to the feed for the relay would solve that problem. When the voltage dipped the cap would kick it back up again, keeping the relay from opening. It depends on just "what" is causing the voltage drop when the highs kick on. Could be a poor power connection to the battery, too small a wire gauge for the current, or a weak or undersized battery.

It's most likely the factory wiring doesn't like the ignition charge of the HID's...

I'm pretty sure adding a relay for the HID's on the highbeams will fix the problem.

If that doesn't do it, then it's the highbeam switch is too low when switching, in which case, a capacitor WILL solve that problem.

If he wired it the way I told him then the only thing the factory wiring is doing is setting the relays. I had him run power to the ballasts direct from the battery, using 14ga and going through the relay. The coil on the relay gets its power from the headlamp circuit. Much less load on the headlight switch contacts that way, and gives better power to the ballasts since it's a shorter run with heavier wire.

Could be the wire gauge is marginal, or there's a bad crimp connector somewhere. Changing to 12 gauge might help, but I'd really rather put a meter on it and see what the voltage drops are.

As I understand it, he did NOT put a relay to power his highbeam HID's, I may have misread things, though...

12 guage would be better, but 14 will work.

Even on halogen bulbs, people will notice a small improvement in light output by switching to relays with higher guage wiring...

Factory is just barely adequate for what's there.

And for some GM's, like mine, not even adequate for what's stock. Hence the reason I told him to use relays and go direct to the battery with his own wire.

 

[nubuilder]

Wow, looks like you guys have done some head scratching in the last 2 hours.

Some clarification:
--1 relay gets its signal from the factory low beam wire and sends power to the low beam ballasts
--1 relay gets its signal from the factory high beam wire and sends power to the high beam ballasts
--1 relay (the 3rd) get its signal from the power going to the high beam ballasts and sends power to the low beam ballasts

Even if I take pictures of this, it won't make any sense since there are so many wires in a very small area (maybe like 15 or more). And they are all red and black. Red sends power. Black is signal wire and ground. Sorry, I only had 2 colors. None the less, I know where everything goes (and can easily trace them too).


So now instead of a diode, I need a capacitor? Where?

I'll try to draw up a picture in Paint of my wiring, but for now I need to get to bed.

But first, more night shots. -- I re-aimed the headlights. They are now at 30" at 20'. Sound OK?

Highs & Lows (20')

Lows (20')

Lows

Lows

Highs & Lows

Highs & Lows

Sorry for the slightly bad pics. Hope you like 'em.

 

[Bernie]

Going to bed as well. Don't worry about the capacitor yet. I think we need some voltage readings first, to determine exactly where the problem really is. I'll try to get on tomorrow early, but the wife goes in for surgery on Thursday and we need to get the house cleaned up before then.

 

[welscher08]

NuBuilder. I will be curious to see how the HID's go for you. I am about an hour away from Lacrosse, and i don't get over there alot but once in awhile. So wanna see if the cops say anything. I do all rural driving here, but don't want any issue while headin home late at nights, while out, coming home from bars, etc. But wouldn't want to get pulled in Lacrosse either. But hopefully you will be fine. I am thinking HID's hopefully sometime here in the next 6 months.

 

[Bernie]

Wow, looks like you guys have done some head scratching in the last 2 hours.

Some clarification:
--1 relay gets its signal from the factory low beam wire and sends power to the low beam ballasts
--1 relay gets its signal from the factory high beam wire and sends power to the high beam ballasts
--1 relay (the 3rd) get its signal from the power going to the high beam ballasts and sends power to the low beam ballasts

Even if I take pictures of this, it won't make any sense since there are so many wires in a very small area (maybe like 15 or more). And they are all red and black. Red sends power. Black is signal wire and ground. Sorry, I only had 2 colors. None the less, I know where everything goes (and can easily trace them too).


So now instead of a diode, I need a capacitor? Where?

I'll try to draw up a picture in Paint of my wiring, but for now I need to get to bed.

I think I figured out the problem... or part of it. You're feeding the low beam ballasts from two different points when it should be just one. Instead of having relay #3 send power to the ballasts, have it send power to energize relay #1, which will then turn on the low beams.

 

[drperry]

Wow, looks like you guys have done some head scratching in the last 2 hours.

Some clarification:
--1 relay gets its signal from the factory low beam wire and sends power to the low beam ballasts
--1 relay gets its signal from the factory high beam wire and sends power to the high beam ballasts
--1 relay (the 3rd) get its signal from the power going to the high beam ballasts and sends power to the low beam ballasts

Even if I take pictures of this, it won't make any sense since there are so many wires in a very small area (maybe like 15 or more). And they are all red and black. Red sends power. Black is signal wire and ground. Sorry, I only had 2 colors. None the less, I know where everything goes (and can easily trace them too).


So now instead of a diode, I need a capacitor? Where?

I'll try to draw up a picture in Paint of my wiring, but for now I need to get to bed.

I think I figured out the problem... or part of it. You're feeding the low beam ballasts from two different points when it should be just one. Instead of having relay #3 send power to the ballasts, have it send power to energize relay #1, which will then turn on the low beams.

You should be powering the low beam relay, not the low beams themselves...

If you're already doing this... You definitely have some digging to do

 

[nubuilder]

I think I figured out the problem... or part of it. You're feeding the low beam ballasts from two different points when it should be just one. Instead of having relay #3 send power to the ballasts, have it send power to energize relay #1, which will then turn on the low beams.

You should be powering the low beam relay, not the low beams themselves... The relays are powering the lights

If you're already doing this... You definitely have some digging to do

OK, so I need to get rid of the 3rd relay and have the low beam relay get the signal from 2 places: factory low beam and factory high beam.

If that sounds good, I'll run a wire.

 

[nubuilder]

I want to know what he is doing with the LED's.

This is what I'll be doing with them. The only difference will be that they will be mounted behind the grill.
I'll be getting to those in a week or so. Next week I have to work 7 days so I'll be pretty pre-occupied.



Here is my current setup:

Here is what I think I need to do/what you guys said:

The new "cross-over signal wire" will need a diode in it so the highs don't come on with the lows...right?