Upgraded headlight harness

[rgsSpider]

I just got the relay/wiring harness kit and a couple new headlights. I think I've got the wiring figured out but am looking for some tips/tricks. Do I install this under dash or in the engine bay? Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Thanks

Randy

1980 TR7 <font color="red">Spider!</font id="red">
http://web.me.com/rg_spb/TR7_Spider/Home.html

[trekcarbonboy]

Everything gets installed under the front of the car.
1. Zip-tie relays up under front sheet metal on passenger side (inside frame rail)
2. Feed light plugs to the pods
3. Remove the wireconnectors from the light plugs and feed them individually into the small hole in the light pods, remove the original ones the same way first of course. You obviously have to take the headlights out for this.
4. Re-install the wires into the plugs and hook up to lights
5. Connect the plug that goes to the relays into the factory light plug on the passenger side. The drivers side factory plug now does nothing so just find a place next to the horn to tuck it away.
6. Connect the red wire (I forget if its 1 or 2) to the battery. I connected mine to the plastic distribution block since I put my battery in the trunk.
I think thats everything. If I think of anything else I'll let you know. Removing the wires from the plugs is the key to the whole project![;)]
Happy night motoring![:D]

Craig '75 2.0 FHC

[rgsSpider]

Great, thank you! So the relays don't have to be screwed to metal?

Randy

1980 TR7 <font color="red">Spider!</font id="red">
http://web.me.com/rg_spb/TR7_Spider/Home.html

[trekcarbonboy]

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Century Gothic, Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by rgsSpider</i>

Great, thank you! So the relays don't have to be screwed to metal?

Randy<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></font id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
Well thats up to you. I took the lazy way out. They are secure enough for me and I don't need state inspection. [:)]

Craig '75 2.0 FHC

[rgsSpider]

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Century Gothic, Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by trekcarbonboy</i>

Everything gets installed under the front of the car.
1. Zip-tie relays up under front sheet metal on passenger side (inside frame rail)
2. Feed light plugs to the pods
3. Remove the wireconnectors from the light plugs and feed them individually into the small hole in the light pods, remove the original ones the same way first of course. You obviously have to take the headlights out for this.
4. Re-install the wires into the plugs and hook up to lights
5. Connect the plug that goes to the relays into the factory light plug on the passenger side. The drivers side factory plug now does nothing so just find a place next to the horn to tuck it away.
6. Connect the red wire (I forget if its 1 or 2) to the battery. I connected mine to the plastic distribution block since I put my battery in the trunk.
I think thats everything. If I think of anything else I'll let you know. Removing the wires from the plugs is the key to the whole project![;)]
Happy night motoring![:D]

Craig '75 2.0 FHC

<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></font id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Started looking into this today and have some questions.

1 - I found the quick disconnects that go to the pods and think it would be easier to tap into those instead of going directly to the pods.

2 - Does this mean that both lights are now operated through the RH Main and Dip beam fuses?

3 - Based on your instructions did you take out the fuses for the LH Main and Dip beams?

4 - You didn't specify so I'm assuming that you had to connect extra wire to gang the lights together, since the new relay harness only comes with one wire for each (Main and Dip)?

Thanks and sorry if I'm being a little thick headed, I just don't want to make a mistake when it comes to wiring.

Randy

1980 TR7 <font color="red">Spider!</font id="red">
http://web.me.com/rg_spb/TR7_Spider/Home.html

[Odd]

Here you have some more input on the subject of relay feeding the front lights:
http://www.forum.triumphtr7.com/topic.a ... erms=relay

The goal from a safety view of things <u>must</u> be that you have one fuse and one relay for each of the
headlight filaments - that way you will almost never end up zero-eyed due to any single fault cause
(one relay acting up, a fuse blowing prematurely, one connector going bad etc etc). If/When any
<i>common</i> unit goes bad, like either of the two light switches, <u>it</u> might in some cases render the entire
system inoperable and black out the headlights. Problem is; creating redundancy there is a wee bit
awkward... Plus of course; a burned out bulb filament will still make you one-eyed - for a while...

Driving at night with both front headlights suddenly going out is NOT something you want repeated
if you've had the experience... And in my case it wasn't even Lucas, the Prince of Darkness who was
trying to kill me - I was in a German made, all-Bosch vehicle... [:I]

So: <u>Always</u> think redundancy - and <b>your</b> reactor will never melt!!! [^]


Full article available within the TWOA from the editor (on a CD I think) and in the 2011 # 3 issue of
both of the UK TR club magazines (the TR Drivers Club AND the TR Register). It's also published Down
Under by the club in New Zealand. (PS - Still no copy here Jolyon...)

<font color="red"><b>My two 1980 Wedges...</b></font id="red">

[trekcarbonboy]

Not sure if I have enough electrical knowledge to answer these questions properly but here goes.
1. My personal thought is; the fewer connections the better. The harness is ready to just plug into the lights (after taking apart and putting back together) so why not?
2. I guess so. It just serves as a connection from the switch to the relays. Is there a fuse for each light? I did install a fuse between the battery and the relays.
3. What fuses? [:I] Not sure what you are talking about. I don't think my car has separate fuses to each light. Just the one in the glovebox. Lack of knowledge on my part perhaps.
4. I didn't connect any extra wires. The harness is ready to go straight from the box. I did add the fuses between battery and relays though. Mine is from Vic Brit.

I'm sure there is no redundancy built into it like Odd recommends. I do know that if one light goes out the other still works. Not sure what happens if a relay goes bad. Maybe Odds article will shed a little light on it.

Craig '75 2.0 FHC

[rgsSpider]

Thanks for all the input guys. Trek: I think the confusion is twofold. The kit I got is from Moss and looks to be setup for a vehicle whose lights are wired in tandem. I looked at the one from VB online and it looks more designed for my TR7 setup. In my fuse box, there are four fuses: LH Main, LH Dip, RH Main and RH Dip. Based on that I think I will take Odds advice which means I would need a second kit. It may be more expensive that way but it will be easier to work out and hopefully safer in the end. After having the main wiring harness fuse together in my first 7 I'm extremely gun-shy when it comes to electrics.

Randy

1980 TR7 <font color="red">Spider!</font id="red">
http://web.me.com/rg_spb/TR7_Spider/Home.html

[rgsSpider]

All this work on relays has me wondering if I should also add one to the factory fog lights? Would one be sufficient or should I use one per light?

Randy

1980 TR7 <font color="red">Spider!</font id="red">
http://web.me.com/rg_spb/TR7_Spider/Home.html

[Odd]

I used a single one for both front fog lights...