Appearance: How To: Ultimate High Beams for Projectors
07-23-2007, 11:46 AM
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How To: Ultimate High Beams for Projectors
If any one has ever noticed the lighting on the projectors, the 2 light housing act independently of each other. Once you install HID’s into the low beams and aim them properly, the high beams do not light the road as well. This modification will allow both the halogen high beam bulb and the HID low beam bulb to be on at the same time when the high beams are on and only the HID’s when the low beams are on. All it takes is a 12VDC automotive relay from RadioShack and some wire.
WARNING:
This IS NOT recommended if you are NOT using the relay harness to power your ballast. Doing this modification with this setup will cause excess heat build up in the headlight wiring. This is also NOT recommended for those who still have halogens in the low beams. Doing this modification with this setup will cause excess heat build up in the housing and the headlight wiring.
Diagram:
Here is a diagram for those who understand how to wire up relays.
Instructions:
1. Splice the red high beam wire into the 12V on/off switch voltage.
2. Run a wire off of the ground prong of the relay and run this to the chassis. It is ok to use the same place as used for ground for the HID’s.
3. Run a wire from the battery terminal to the 12 V IN on the relay. I would recommend using an inline fuse since this will be connected straight to the battery.
4. Splice the 12 V out into the blue wire of the low beams.
5. To test, turn on the low beams, make sure that just the HID’s come on. Then, turn on the high beams and check to see that all 4 lights come on. Then, turn off the high beams and make sure that the HID’s are the only ones on again.
6. Mount relay to the body and hide all wiring, if you are worried about a clean installation.
Doing this modification is very easy, as you can see. This will give a very nice high beam that you will enjoy to use on a dark county road. I hope everyone enjoys this and happy modding.
WARNING:
This IS NOT recommended if you are NOT using the relay harness to power your ballast. Doing this modification with this setup will cause excess heat build up in the headlight wiring. This is also NOT recommended for those who still have halogens in the low beams. Doing this modification with this setup will cause excess heat build up in the housing and the headlight wiring.
Diagram:
Here is a diagram for those who understand how to wire up relays.
Instructions:
1. Splice the red high beam wire into the 12V on/off switch voltage.
2. Run a wire off of the ground prong of the relay and run this to the chassis. It is ok to use the same place as used for ground for the HID’s.
3. Run a wire from the battery terminal to the 12 V IN on the relay. I would recommend using an inline fuse since this will be connected straight to the battery.
4. Splice the 12 V out into the blue wire of the low beams.
5. To test, turn on the low beams, make sure that just the HID’s come on. Then, turn on the high beams and check to see that all 4 lights come on. Then, turn off the high beams and make sure that the HID’s are the only ones on again.
6. Mount relay to the body and hide all wiring, if you are worried about a clean installation.
Doing this modification is very easy, as you can see. This will give a very nice high beam that you will enjoy to use on a dark county road. I hope everyone enjoys this and happy modding.
Last edited by TommyP; 10-06-2012 at 09:12 AM.
07-26-2007, 05:52 PM
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Is it possible to just put a better bulb in the high beam housing, or is this the best way to get more light output? Also, is it bad for the housing since there will be two lights on at the same time?
07-26-2007, 06:23 PM
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There is very little heat that is produced from a HID. The amount of heat from a hallogens are very great in comparison. If you feel the lens, there is a lot of heat around the hallogen high beams, but very little heat for the HID low beams. I don't see there being any problems with the housing melting.
07-26-2007, 06:34 PM
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I did this mod with my old car (1988 Beretta). I will agree, having highs and lows on at the same time increases visability alot!
I'd say the big advantage is the fact that you have the distance of the highbeams, yet the width of the low beams. Great for roads where wildlife might be hanging out in the ditch.
I'd say the big advantage is the fact that you have the distance of the highbeams, yet the width of the low beams. Great for roads where wildlife might be hanging out in the ditch.
08-23-2007, 05:31 PM
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u know if u pull the lever for high beams instead of pushing it, all 4 go on without splicing this wire right?... or is the point of this so you dont have to sit there and hold the lever towards u?
11-22-2007, 12:33 AM
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Sorry to bring this thread back up... I couldn't understand your step by step instructions and I want to do it myself and this was my solution. Is that what you meant?
11-25-2007, 09:23 PM
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^^^^
From what I can see on your diagram, everything appears to be correct. You have a more complete diagram than what I have. I am glad that you were able to understand me and get things to work for you.
From what I can see on your diagram, everything appears to be correct. You have a more complete diagram than what I have. I am glad that you were able to understand me and get things to work for you.
01-03-2008, 02:40 PM
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01-29-2008, 04:50 PM
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Mine must be a little different, because I can flip the lever forward for high beams, then pull back slightly and the lows come back on. I don't have to hold it there or anything. If I want the lows back off, then i just nudge it forward a little bit.
It was fun to do every once and a while with my old headlights (stock), but after I got my projectors, it's really fun and my passengers are always impressed by the output (I don't do it for extended periods of time, or even that often though, for fear of doing some damage to the wiring harnesses). I'm a huge fan of the high beams on the new style projectors. They're pretty f'ing bright.
works for the 07 G5.
07-22-2008, 02:32 PM
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When talking about the red and blue wires of the high and low beams, does it matter which side of the car you take the wires from? Are these the wires that go onto the stock headlight connector's harness right by the headlight? Are the lights tied together in such a way that turning on one high beam turns on the other? Also are the high beams now powered directly off the battery? I have a HID setup in 1st gen projectors that are wired with a relay harness. I am not sure how exactly this setup works now though because only one stock headlight harness connection is used to trip the lights on now. The passenger side light harness clip is now taped up and unused. Any way to combine the highs and lows into 1 relay in a usual HID relay harness setup. Please explain the directions more clearly. Thank you!
07-26-2008, 02:54 AM
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When talking about the red and blue wires of the high and low beams, does it matter which side of the car you take the wires from?
No. Simply put, the wires in this diagram is meant to be a turn on wire for the relay. You can tap into whatever side suits your fancy. Usually the driver side is the best since its closer to the fuse box battery terminal.
Are these the wires that go onto the stock headlight connector's harness right by the headlight?
The wires to use are the ones that go directly to the bulb sockets. I do not reccommend tapping the wires before the headlight harness connector (The single squareish connector that connects your harness that goes with the headlamp housing.)
Are the lights tied together in such a way that turning on one high beam turns on the other?
The lights should function as normal. Again, this is a turn on wire to tell your HID relay to turn on like it was getting a low beam feed.
Also are the high beams now powered directly off the battery?
No, the high beams are still through your stock wiring. Again, this is an additional turn on wire to turn your hid on.
I have a HID setup in 1st gen projectors that are wired with a relay harness.
Good. Its easier if you have a setup like this already. Its also a bit more safe.
I am not sure how exactly this setup works now though because only one stock headlight harness connection is used to trip the lights on now. The passenger side light harness clip is now taped up and unused. Any way to combine the highs and lows into 1 relay in a usual HID relay harness setup. Please explain the directions more clearly. Thank you!
You can just tap into the high beam wire on the same driver side headlight harness. As far as using just one relay to do the entire thing, it won't work. You'll end up where you'll get a short and either blow your high beam fuse, or have a high beam that says on with the lows, and then turns off with the high. You need two relays to make this work.
No. Simply put, the wires in this diagram is meant to be a turn on wire for the relay. You can tap into whatever side suits your fancy. Usually the driver side is the best since its closer to the fuse box battery terminal.
Are these the wires that go onto the stock headlight connector's harness right by the headlight?
The wires to use are the ones that go directly to the bulb sockets. I do not reccommend tapping the wires before the headlight harness connector (The single squareish connector that connects your harness that goes with the headlamp housing.)
Are the lights tied together in such a way that turning on one high beam turns on the other?
The lights should function as normal. Again, this is a turn on wire to tell your HID relay to turn on like it was getting a low beam feed.
Also are the high beams now powered directly off the battery?
No, the high beams are still through your stock wiring. Again, this is an additional turn on wire to turn your hid on.
I have a HID setup in 1st gen projectors that are wired with a relay harness.
Good. Its easier if you have a setup like this already. Its also a bit more safe.
I am not sure how exactly this setup works now though because only one stock headlight harness connection is used to trip the lights on now. The passenger side light harness clip is now taped up and unused. Any way to combine the highs and lows into 1 relay in a usual HID relay harness setup. Please explain the directions more clearly. Thank you!
You can just tap into the high beam wire on the same driver side headlight harness. As far as using just one relay to do the entire thing, it won't work. You'll end up where you'll get a short and either blow your high beam fuse, or have a high beam that says on with the lows, and then turns off with the high. You need two relays to make this work.
Ok, for the sake of demonstration, I have done up a better wiring guide that shows all the harness in a typical setup with a HID setup fed from the battery (click to enlarge):
For those who are not used to auto relays, the numbers in the diagram correspond with numbers that you will find on the relay itself. Those are the terminal numbers that you should use for the shown connections.
07-26-2008, 12:23 PM
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Thank you very much for the clarification! I appreciate it!
Soo basically are you making the HIDs just stay on with the high beams? That is why you still need direct battery power? Soo that it will still switch the HIDs on with the high beams? Are you essentially just using two relay harnesses for the HIDs only you are using the high beam signal to trip the low beam HID relay into turning them on?
I see it like this...
Low Beams On: Trips HIDs through harness to turn on like normal. Only low beams on.
High Beams On: High beams on through factory wiring. High beam signal trips secondary relay which in turn trips primary HID relay into turning on HIDs. Highs and Lows on together.
Is this correct? Thanks again!
Soo basically are you making the HIDs just stay on with the high beams? That is why you still need direct battery power? Soo that it will still switch the HIDs on with the high beams? Are you essentially just using two relay harnesses for the HIDs only you are using the high beam signal to trip the low beam HID relay into turning them on?
I see it like this...
Low Beams On: Trips HIDs through harness to turn on like normal. Only low beams on.
High Beams On: High beams on through factory wiring. High beam signal trips secondary relay which in turn trips primary HID relay into turning on HIDs. Highs and Lows on together.
Is this correct? Thanks again!
Last edited by csementuh; 07-26-2008 at 12:23 PM. Reason: Automerged Doublepost
10-12-2008, 02:21 AM
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Thank you very much for the clarification! I appreciate it!
Soo basically are you making the HIDs just stay on with the high beams? That is why you still need direct battery power? Soo that it will still switch the HIDs on with the high beams? Are you essentially just using two relay harnesses for the HIDs only you are using the high beam signal to trip the low beam HID relay into turning them on?
What this setup will do is allow the high beams to trigger the relay for the HID low beams. Its like the turn on wire you have for the HID and just tells the relay to turn on. You cannot, however, connect both the high and low beam to the one relay since it'll cause your high beam to turn on when the low beam is on, so that is what the second relay is for: keeping your low and high beam circuits seprate for low beam only use, but still allowing you to use the high beam to trigger the HID relay.
I see it like this...
Low Beams On: Trips HIDs through harness to turn on like normal. Only low beams on.
High Beams On: High beams on through factory wiring. High beam signal trips secondary relay which in turn trips primary HID relay into turning on HIDs. Highs and Lows on together.
Right on.
Is this correct? Thanks again!
Soo basically are you making the HIDs just stay on with the high beams? That is why you still need direct battery power? Soo that it will still switch the HIDs on with the high beams? Are you essentially just using two relay harnesses for the HIDs only you are using the high beam signal to trip the low beam HID relay into turning them on?
What this setup will do is allow the high beams to trigger the relay for the HID low beams. Its like the turn on wire you have for the HID and just tells the relay to turn on. You cannot, however, connect both the high and low beam to the one relay since it'll cause your high beam to turn on when the low beam is on, so that is what the second relay is for: keeping your low and high beam circuits seprate for low beam only use, but still allowing you to use the high beam to trigger the HID relay.
I see it like this...
Low Beams On: Trips HIDs through harness to turn on like normal. Only low beams on.
High Beams On: High beams on through factory wiring. High beam signal trips secondary relay which in turn trips primary HID relay into turning on HIDs. Highs and Lows on together.
Right on.
Is this correct? Thanks again!
Kind of late on the reply, but read the red above.
02-15-2009, 03:58 PM
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Sorry to bring this back up but I just did this on my car and was wondering if I did it correctly. When I turn on my lows they come on as usual, but when I go to kick on my highs the lows turn off for a split second and turn on with the highs. And when I turn them back to lows just the highs shut off which is good.
The question I have is when I kick on my highs are my lows suppose to shut off/flicker for a split second? Or did I wire something wrong.
Thanks
The question I have is when I kick on my highs are my lows suppose to shut off/flicker for a split second? Or did I wire something wrong.
Thanks
02-16-2009, 07:00 PM
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Also, you would need to solder the diode in.
Another thought would be the durability of the setup... I'm not quite sure about the survivability of a diode in an automotive application.
Sorry to bring this back up but I just did this on my car and was wondering if I did it correctly. When I turn on my lows they come on as usual, but when I go to kick on my highs the lows turn off for a split second and turn on with the highs. And when I turn them back to lows just the highs shut off which is good.
The question I have is when I kick on my highs are my lows suppose to shut off/flicker for a split second? Or did I wire something wrong.
Thanks
The question I have is when I kick on my highs are my lows suppose to shut off/flicker for a split second? Or did I wire something wrong.
Thanks
The way to fix this small issue is add an electrical capacitor somewhere along the low beam turn on wire that enables the HID for low beam only usage. This capacitor will sustain the current enough to keep the HID relay on while the high beam relay is activating.
Last edited by Nighthawk243; 02-16-2009 at 07:00 PM. Reason: Automerged Doublepost
07-26-2010, 11:20 AM
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Thoughts and opinions on tapping into the highbeam wire to also power the HID low beams rather than taking it directly from the battery? So (just to be clear), the highbeam wire would be supplying 12V to the highbeam bulbs, the HID ballast, and powering the relay when you flick on the highbeams.
07-26-2010, 11:23 AM
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