Hella Headlight Bulbs

[landtank]

As far as Slee's harness goes, if you are in a dry climate it probably works OK but everyone up here in the North East has pulled them for connection failures. All the failures have been at the bulbs themselves. The rest of the harness does just fine and that's the portion that is actually out in the elements not tucked away behind the light.

Just a cautionary post for those in similar environments.

 

[medtro]

I just recently installed the Slee harness (after it sat on my garage shelf for about a year) and it was a no brainer. Then did the JD high beam and HIR low beams from Dan Stern's lighting (sp?). Basically have HIRs all around. Love it. No worries about reliabilty, overheating wires, etc. Same wattage was stock, I couldn't be happier.

Any reason you added Slee harness when stock headlight harness has relay in it already?

 

[robmir]

Any reason you added Slee harness when stock headlight harness has relay in it already?

Look at the OEM wiring diagram from the FSM and you will notice that a relay is used only to provide + 12 volt to the L/H and high bulb common pin and the low and high selection are handled directly by the column changeover switch who in the high position carry the current draw by the high filament of the L/H bulb plus the current draw by the inner high beam bulb filament.

Also the wiring harness gauge is quite tinny for such a high current demand.

 

[sandcruiser]

interesting information, landtank. I'll have to get out and take a look at the connectors themselves. Seems pretty easy to get some dielectric grease and pack the connectors, or even rtv and fill them to prevent water from getting in.

 

[Brian894X4]

Any reason you added Slee harness when stock headlight harness has relay in it already?

Yep, as stated, I did it to get the full 13-14 volts to the headlight with the engine running.

As for the connection failures, I did notice the connectors didn't seem as tight as the OEM, which concerned me. They appear to be a standard connector, like something you can buy at an autoparts store and the Toyota version is probably a lot higher quality, but I used diaelectric grease and shouldn't have any corrosion worries. '

One odd thing about the Slee harness, my scangauge and an aftermarket volt meter I use to monitor my second battery, both seem to indicate higher system/battery voltage than before. I can't image why this would be the case.

I wonder if the alternator regulator somehow measures resistance from the headlights and regulates the voltage accordingly. With the slee harness, the stock headlight wiring is no longer drawing any significant current, except to power the slee relays, but the healights are drawing power from the battery, which the alternator would sense and kick up the voltage to compesnate. I just wonder if it's kicking it up more than normal, if I'm making any sense.

I need to look at my wiring diagram.
.

 

[medtro]

Look at the OEM wiring diagram from the FSM and you will notice that a relay is used only to provide + 12 volt to the L/H and high bulb common pin and the low and high selection are handled directly by the column changeover switch who in the high position carry the current draw by the high filament of the L/H bulb plus the current draw by the inner high beam bulb filament.

Also the wiring harness gauge is quite tinny for such a high current demand.

The wiring harness for the high beam is not tiny. It is 12 ga wire for the power, and also 12 ga wire for the ground from the headlight to the switch. Are there people with melted stock high beam harness when running stock lights?

 

[medtro]

Yep, as stated, I did it to get the full 13-14 volts to the headlight with the engine running.

With engine idle at normal operating temperature, I got 14.5v at the headlight connectors for both low and high beams at the passenger side (further away from the battery) from the stock harness on a 1993 FZJ80.

 

[Lka1988]

My headlights don't dim anywhere near as badly as they did before I installed Slee's harness...

 

[robmir]

The wiring harness for the high beam is not tiny. It is 12 ga wire for the power, and also 12 ga wire for the ground from the headlight to the switch. Are there people with melted stock high beam harness when running stock lights?

Nope, check the L/H lamp socket, is a 14 gauge wire for Low (negative), 14 gauge for high (negative) and 14 gauge for common (positive) for the Left side and for the Right side .

 

[medtro]

Nope, check the L/H lamp socket, is a 14 gauge wire for Low (negative), 14 gauge for high (negative) and 14 gauge for common (positive) for the Left side and for the Right side .

I did. I would check again but I have no access to it for the next short little while. I also found the following from Daniel Stern Lighting Consultancy and Supply, it doesn't look like it is a problem even with 14 ga wires.

"The headlamp power circuit ought to use no less than 14-gauge (2.5 mm2) wire, with 12-gauge (4.0 mm2) being preferable."

 

[sandcruiser]

Regardless of the actual size of the stock wiring circuit, there are many cases of anecdotal evidence where people get better voltage to their headlights after putting in an aftermarket light harness w/ relays.

Think about it for a second:
the stock harness is about 15 years old, made of 12 or 14 ga wiring, and goes from the battery to the fuse box to the light relay to the headlamp back to the steering column, through a (probably filthy) switch then to a ground, which is a body ground (which then has to travel back to the battery/alt.

The power circuit for the aftermarket harness is 12ga wire, new, and goes from the battery to a relay that's right next to the battery, to the headlamps, then back the battery to ground.

Total distance of wire in the aftermarket harness is much less than half the wire in the stock harness. The aftermarket harness probably has heavier ga wires as well, and certainly doesn't have the wires bundled into as large a cable (which makes them warmer and less able to carry current).

You can debate all day about if *you* see an advantage to upgrading the wiring harness, or if *you* see an improvement in light output, but there is no doubt at all that the aftermarket harness is able to carry more current with less voltage drop. In other words: if you've got anything less than full voltage at the headlamps, updgrading the harness is a cheap and easy way to improve your lights.

(it is also a little bit of MIBS, but then, that is a pretty common theme to most of our discussions)

 

[medtro]

Regardless of the actual size of the stock wiring circuit, there are many cases of anecdotal evidence where people get better voltage to their headlights after putting in an aftermarket light harness w/ relays.

Think about it for a second:
the stock harness is about 15 years old, made of 12 or 14 ga wiring, and goes from the battery to the fuse box to the light relay to the headlamp back to the steering column, through a (probably filthy) switch then to a ground, which is a body ground (which then has to travel back to the battery/alt.

The power circuit for the aftermarket harness is 12ga wire, new, and goes from the battery to a relay that's right next to the battery, to the headlamps, then back the battery to ground.

Total distance of wire in the aftermarket harness is much less than half the wire in the stock harness. The aftermarket harness probably has heavier ga wires as well, and certainly doesn't have the wires bundled into as large a cable (which makes them warmer and less able to carry current).

You can debate all day about if *you* see an advantage to upgrading the wiring harness, or if *you* see an improvement in light output, but there is no doubt at all that the aftermarket harness is able to carry more current with less voltage drop. In other words: if you've got anything less than full voltage at the headlamps, updgrading the harness is a cheap and easy way to improve your lights.

(it is also a little bit of MIBS, but then, that is a pretty common theme to most of our discussions)

I am not trying to start a debate about if *you* ...... here.

FWIW, I do have the harness and some measured data. I thought technical discussion with measurement data is allowed in this forum.

 

[sandcruiser]

fair enough, medtro. I was off-base on implying anything about your views personally and agree with you that technical discussion w/ measurement is allowed. Please accept my apology.

I haven't measured the difference in resistance on the slee harness vs. the stock harness.
My lights did get brighter when I upgraded.

If you've got data that shows that the stock harness is better than the slee harness, I'm interested. Post it.

 

[robmir]

I did. I would check again but I have no access to it for the next short little while. I also found the following from Daniel Stern Lighting Consultancy and Supply, it doesn't look like it is a problem even with 14 ga wires.

"The headlamp power circuit ought to use no less than 14-gauge (2.5 mm2) wire, with 12-gauge (4.0 mm2) being preferable."

It's a problem, because usually in other vehicles the column changeover switch control a changeover relay which is located in the engine bay, close to the lamps so a thinner gauge could work between them, but on our cruisers the L/H wires goes from the headlamp to the changeover column switch, and in the high beam case scenario the same #14 gauge coming from the column changeover switch has to drive the outer high beam bulb filament and the inner high beam bulb.

Now remember the separate fused left and right bulb common positive supply: there should be a small drop of voltage through each 15 amp fuse either from minimal contact corrosion or overheating after 15 years of use.

 

[medtro]

Nope, check the L/H lamp socket, is a 14 gauge wire for Low (negative), 14 gauge for high (negative) and 14 gauge for common (positive) for the Left side and for the Right side .

Finally had a chance to check again. They look like 14 ga wires more now , I am going to say they are 14 ga wires. Thanks for the correction.

 

[medtro]

If you've got data that shows that the stock harness is better than the slee harness, I'm interested. Post it.

Just want to make this clear, I have never said anything close to that. You may want to reread my posts again.

 

[sandcruiser]

Just want to make this clear, I have never said anything close to that. You may want to reread my posts again.

Again, I'm going to apologize for "putting words in your mouth", cuz I'm trying real hard to give you the benefit of the doubt.

In my experience, upgrading the lighting harness to a shorter run of higher guage wire, connected directly to the battery, seems to have improved the output of my lights. Based on the perceived output, I'm assuming that the lights are getting less voltage drop because of the upgraded harness.


You mentioned some measured data earlier. If it is relevant, post it up.

I am not trying to start a debate about if *you* ...... here.

FWIW, I do have the harness and some measured data. I thought technical discussion with measurement data is allowed in this forum.

But it seems to me that with or without your data, the general consensus is pretty clear: the stock wiring harness on most (all?) landcruisers can be upgraded cheaply and easily by installing two relays and some thicker wiring.

I've done my own harness with 10ga wires (on a 40 w/ stock bulbs) and with with 12ga wires (on a 60 w/ cibie lenses & h4s) and the new wiring was an updgrade. I've installed the slee harness (on a '91 80) and found it was about the same price as doing my own harness (within $10) and took 15 minutes instead of two hours (and did it with a #6 as there was no danger involved)

In all three cases, my lights appeared brighter even with stock bulbs, and in two cases I upgraded the lights themselves shortly after the harness and got even more light.

For folks out there want better lighting on their rig- I suggest you consider an upgraded harness. When I get another cruiser someday, I'll buy the slee harness unless there is something else out there that is even easier, cheaper &/or better.

finally: medtro: let's don't argue this anymore

 

[Waggoner5]

I used Hella bulbs from Germany. I also use only Bosche relays. These have been in the truck for 7 years without failure. Proper wire ga. and dielectric grease is a good idea on all connections. I used the same harness that Slee sell with the exception of the relays. His harness is a good product if you can't make your own.

 

[robmir]

Finally had a chance to check again. They look like 14 ga wires more now , I am going to say they are 14 ga wires. Thanks for the correction.

Glad to be helpfull ;p

 

[medtro]

Again, I'm going to apologize for "putting words in your mouth", cuz I'm trying real hard to give you the benefit of the doubt.

In my experience, upgrading the lighting harness to a shorter run of higher guage wire, connected directly to the battery, seems to have improved the output of my lights. Based on the perceived output, I'm assuming that the lights are getting less voltage drop because of the upgraded harness.


You mentioned some measured data earlier. If it is relevant, post it up.

I posted my measurements in posts #26 & #27.

But it seems to me that with or without your data, the general consensus is pretty clear: the stock wiring harness on most (all?) landcruisers can be upgraded cheaply and easily by installing two relays and some thicker wiring.

I've done my own harness with 10ga wires (on a 40 w/ stock bulbs) and with with 12ga wires (on a 60 w/ cibie lenses & h4s) and the new wiring was an updgrade. I've installed the slee harness (on a '91 80) and found it was about the same price as doing my own harness (within $10) and took 15 minutes instead of two hours (and did it with a #6 as there was no danger involved)

In all three cases, my lights appeared brighter even with stock bulbs, and in two cases I upgraded the lights themselves shortly after the harness and got even more light.

For folks out there want better lighting on their rig- I suggest you consider an upgraded harness. When I get another cruiser someday, I'll buy the slee harness unless there is something else out there that is even easier, cheaper &/or better.

I understand the value of the harness which is why I have one, but I am not seeing the value in term of brightness. I must be one of the fewer lucky ones with good stock harness. The best headlight upgrade for me is the HIR bulbs.

finally: medtro: let's don't argue this anymore

No problem, I didn't come here to argue. I came here to learn and help others