I found an extra while I was looking for stuff yesterday, and I have lots of free time.
This is the 3rd one I've taken apart in a span of maybe 3 years. All 3 have had different type of wires and differing quality of crimps at the ground and power lines. This one pictured is the highest quality I've seen. I'm not saying anything about the relays, they have been the same. Same type, same waterproof components, same configuration. The whole set up is worth 20usd no matter how you slice it. You can't get the waterproof housing and seal stuff on your own plus all the rest for less.
Just make them better and more reliable if you have the time.
in these pictures you can see what they do with the grounds, joined and crimped. Same with the +12 battery lines, joined and crimped.
The ground and power wires are decent. Guessing 16awg ground and 14awg +12, all copper. Not silicone. I would not replace the power or ground wires at all. Just fix to length and solder the splices inline.
For that matter, you can ground wherever you like. Joined ballast ground, separate ballast grounds with shortest possible wire runs, etc. whatever you like.
INPUT wires
You can see how they solder the OEM input lines together with the 4 lines from the relay. Good Solder. Not so great wire, it's 20 awg also, I would change, but didn't in the pics. Not because its 20awg, because it's silicone. The other change might be,,,,Some people might like separate inputs, some might like them joined. I'd like separate. My personal set up is combined. One note here.. Leaving one input line not connected (this is a car side low beam input) can and will affect your instrument panel operation (possibly) regarding the headlight indicator (low beam). Depends on your car, early or late, LX or LC. 4 different conditions with different outcomes, too many to write about here.
If you have the equipment and supplies, swap the wire, recrimp new ballast input connectors, pictured are 9006/5.
You won't find better connectors or female crimps than what is supplied unless you spend lots of money.
I'd use them.
What I did in the pictures was cut the sleeve away and expose the power and ground crimps and cut those out. Then solder them inline and use heavier clear shrink sleeves. These have some heft to them and really add rigidity. Available on amazon in a random size, in an assorted box. They are really good to have.
Any length needed or not needed for the +12 battery line I would cut or add at the ring terminal as supplied. Use the ring terminals they supply for the +12 and ground (if you use that one). Add length or cut shorter between the ring and wire going back to the relay.
I did cut and resolder the oem input connectors in the pics, just for example.
If I had 18 or 16 gauge red and black I would redo them to swap to regular cooper wire. Cut to length and also put a new female end on only because I have bags and bags of terminals and seals and housings but I'm waiting on wire to show up.
With certainty you can say that a main failure point is going to be the OEM input connector. Which as supplied is going to go to both relays. It will arc and burn. Which will give you delayed ignition, zero ignition uneven ignition and relay failure.
Second might be ground for both relays and ballast wires, which are all joined, good or bad depending on preference.
Third might be the battery line. It's good wire. Recrimp inline, check the inline fuse they supply as it's one continuous wire, that's a good thing even though the fuse housing part isn't anything great.
Main point is it's a good set up that can be made better, and can be configured how you like to eliminate the failure points so that in the future the fault can be easily found. All the while maintaining the flow so that no indicators fail on the dash, no extra wire is wasted and it looks decent.
these relays are about 2usd on ebay, so they probably have a real cost, as configured by the regulars here in the usa of about .50usd
This is the 3rd one I've taken apart in a span of maybe 3 years. All 3 have had different type of wires and differing quality of crimps at the ground and power lines. This one pictured is the highest quality I've seen. I'm not saying anything about the relays, they have been the same. Same type, same waterproof components, same configuration. The whole set up is worth 20usd no matter how you slice it. You can't get the waterproof housing and seal stuff on your own plus all the rest for less.
Just make them better and more reliable if you have the time.
in these pictures you can see what they do with the grounds, joined and crimped. Same with the +12 battery lines, joined and crimped.
The ground and power wires are decent. Guessing 16awg ground and 14awg +12, all copper. Not silicone. I would not replace the power or ground wires at all. Just fix to length and solder the splices inline.
For that matter, you can ground wherever you like. Joined ballast ground, separate ballast grounds with shortest possible wire runs, etc. whatever you like.
INPUT wires
You can see how they solder the OEM input lines together with the 4 lines from the relay. Good Solder. Not so great wire, it's 20 awg also, I would change, but didn't in the pics. Not because its 20awg, because it's silicone. The other change might be,,,,Some people might like separate inputs, some might like them joined. I'd like separate. My personal set up is combined. One note here.. Leaving one input line not connected (this is a car side low beam input) can and will affect your instrument panel operation (possibly) regarding the headlight indicator (low beam). Depends on your car, early or late, LX or LC. 4 different conditions with different outcomes, too many to write about here.
If you have the equipment and supplies, swap the wire, recrimp new ballast input connectors, pictured are 9006/5.
You won't find better connectors or female crimps than what is supplied unless you spend lots of money.
I'd use them.
What I did in the pictures was cut the sleeve away and expose the power and ground crimps and cut those out. Then solder them inline and use heavier clear shrink sleeves. These have some heft to them and really add rigidity. Available on amazon in a random size, in an assorted box. They are really good to have.
Any length needed or not needed for the +12 battery line I would cut or add at the ring terminal as supplied. Use the ring terminals they supply for the +12 and ground (if you use that one). Add length or cut shorter between the ring and wire going back to the relay.
I did cut and resolder the oem input connectors in the pics, just for example.
If I had 18 or 16 gauge red and black I would redo them to swap to regular cooper wire. Cut to length and also put a new female end on only because I have bags and bags of terminals and seals and housings but I'm waiting on wire to show up.
With certainty you can say that a main failure point is going to be the OEM input connector. Which as supplied is going to go to both relays. It will arc and burn. Which will give you delayed ignition, zero ignition uneven ignition and relay failure.
Second might be ground for both relays and ballast wires, which are all joined, good or bad depending on preference.
Third might be the battery line. It's good wire. Recrimp inline, check the inline fuse they supply as it's one continuous wire, that's a good thing even though the fuse housing part isn't anything great.
Main point is it's a good set up that can be made better, and can be configured how you like to eliminate the failure points so that in the future the fault can be easily found. All the while maintaining the flow so that no indicators fail on the dash, no extra wire is wasted and it looks decent.
these relays are about 2usd on ebay, so they probably have a real cost, as configured by the regulars here in the usa of about .50usd
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