generator & halogen headlighs?
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bawrencher
- Posts: 23
- Joined: November 2, 2006, 12:52 pm
- Location: NW Indiana
generator & halogen headlighs?
i need some electrical help. can my slick's generator & halogen headlights live together in peace & harmony, or not?
"I haven't failed, I found 10,000 ways that don't work" Ben Franklin.
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YukonCor55
- Posts: 209
- Joined: February 23, 2007, 8:51 pm
- Location: New Jersey
I've spent most of my adult life as an aviation electrician by trade and an automotive electrician by hobby. As such, I'll make a short bold statement...DON'T DO IT!
The electrical systems in most pre-1970 vehicles were designed to handle lower current than what is now considered standard. The reason is simple... there wasn't that much extra stuff to run! While the wiring was fairly robust compared to today's wires (especially pre 1956 stuff,) it was poorly insulated and prone to quick breakdown if heated up; therein lies the problem. Even if your generator is OK with the load, your wiring may not be able to handle it.
I recommend to most folks that if you want to leave your vehicle fairly stock with very few accessories, you can get by on a stock wiring harness and generator. However, if you want to upgrade with CD players, amps, high powered lights, etc, then swap to an alternator and get an aftermarket wiring harness. Electrical fires are the meanest most aggresive types of fires there are. One they start in a vehicle they're tough to put out and usually result in the loss of the vehicle.
If you must change your headlights, you can get some pretty good modern sealed beams that actually draw less current than the old sealed beams, produce a brighter, whiter light, but don't produce the heat of the halogens.
Play it safe...keep it stock or upgrade it all! Just my 2 cents worth...stay safe out there!
Best,
AJ
The electrical systems in most pre-1970 vehicles were designed to handle lower current than what is now considered standard. The reason is simple... there wasn't that much extra stuff to run! While the wiring was fairly robust compared to today's wires (especially pre 1956 stuff,) it was poorly insulated and prone to quick breakdown if heated up; therein lies the problem. Even if your generator is OK with the load, your wiring may not be able to handle it.
I recommend to most folks that if you want to leave your vehicle fairly stock with very few accessories, you can get by on a stock wiring harness and generator. However, if you want to upgrade with CD players, amps, high powered lights, etc, then swap to an alternator and get an aftermarket wiring harness. Electrical fires are the meanest most aggresive types of fires there are. One they start in a vehicle they're tough to put out and usually result in the loss of the vehicle.
If you must change your headlights, you can get some pretty good modern sealed beams that actually draw less current than the old sealed beams, produce a brighter, whiter light, but don't produce the heat of the halogens.
Play it safe...keep it stock or upgrade it all! Just my 2 cents worth...stay safe out there!
Best,
AJ
SMSgt USAF Retired
1962 Ford F-250 4 X 4, 1955 Ford Fairlane, 1955 Ford Ranch Wagon, 2002 Indian Chief & a couple of old Fender guitars...Life's Good!
"The credit belongs to the man in the arena whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood...his place shall never be with those cold, timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat." (Theodore Roosevelt)
1962 Ford F-250 4 X 4, 1955 Ford Fairlane, 1955 Ford Ranch Wagon, 2002 Indian Chief & a couple of old Fender guitars...Life's Good!
"The credit belongs to the man in the arena whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood...his place shall never be with those cold, timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat." (Theodore Roosevelt)
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fmartin_gila
- Posts: 1021
- Joined: April 21, 2007, 9:58 am
- Location: Mandurriao, Iloilo City, Philippines
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Uncle Skip
- Posts: 4695
- Joined: July 15, 2006, 8:30 pm
- Location: Pearland, Texas
My opinion is: No. Don't do it.
Those guys draw a "LOT" of current and can cause a serious condition known as 'fire in the hole' (and everywhere else).
We're talking about 40+ year old wiring here, complete with bad grounds, broken wires, switches, and well, you get the picture.
However, this is just my own personal opinion.
U@ss
Those guys draw a "LOT" of current and can cause a serious condition known as 'fire in the hole' (and everywhere else).
We're talking about 40+ year old wiring here, complete with bad grounds, broken wires, switches, and well, you get the picture.
However, this is just my own personal opinion.
U@ss
I'm not arguing with you. I'm just explaining why I'm right.
Pardon me. Does your deaug bite?
Pardon me. Does your deaug bite?
Am I a dummy? Does my truck have a generator?
I went to Pep Boys (huge local auto parts store) and replaced the headlight I broke while changing the front fender (actually replaced both headlights) with the headlights they said would "fit", as they had no listing for a 65 F350 in their computer.
They did "fit", perfectly, but they say "Sylvannia Halogen" right on them.
Do I need to swap these for others or what?
These are the only ones they had, I believe.
Not everyone means the same thing when they talk about halogen. Standard "halogen" replacement sealed beams actaully draw the same current as the orginal sealed beams. For instance, from the Sylvania website, the 6014 dual beam non-halogen draws 60 watts on high, and the basic halogen H6024 also draws 60 watts. Interestingly, the H6024 ST which is Sylvania's newest SilverStar is rated at 50 watts high beam, so actually LESS. By this logic, we should be upgrading to these light to reduce the wattage draw through our old wiring.
However, the fancy aftermarket xenon jobs that have replaceable bulbs (most modern vehicles have this style) DO draw more current if my research was correct a couple years ago.
Finally, there are HID (High Intensity Discharge) lights that you see on some vehicles standard these days. These are the ones that you see coming at you and you wonder if its a railroad locamotive cause they are so bright. These draw so much current to start them that they require a complete redo of the wiring to the lights (relay etc) even in modern vehicles. The kits cost like $300 and upwards.
In general, unless you are desiring to keep your truck stock or really hate the extra wires under the hood, retrofitting our trucks with a relay, so that minimal current runs through the light switch in the cab is a very good idea. The article is titled "Whiter whites, brighter brights" or some variant of that and its over in the tech section. This is particularly a good idea if you drive a lot at night. I live in deer country, so I avoid the night like the plague in my 65, so I have not bothered.
I do not think that basic halogen sealed beam relacements are a problem at alll. In fact, I'm not sure that your usual parts place even HAS orignal style true sealed beams -- You can get them mail order if you are a real concours original buff, but aside from that setting, go with the basic halogen sealed beams, or perhaps the Sylvania H6024 ST is worth checking into.
http://www.sylvania.com/ConsumerProduct ... ilverstar/
However, the fancy aftermarket xenon jobs that have replaceable bulbs (most modern vehicles have this style) DO draw more current if my research was correct a couple years ago.
Finally, there are HID (High Intensity Discharge) lights that you see on some vehicles standard these days. These are the ones that you see coming at you and you wonder if its a railroad locamotive cause they are so bright. These draw so much current to start them that they require a complete redo of the wiring to the lights (relay etc) even in modern vehicles. The kits cost like $300 and upwards.
In general, unless you are desiring to keep your truck stock or really hate the extra wires under the hood, retrofitting our trucks with a relay, so that minimal current runs through the light switch in the cab is a very good idea. The article is titled "Whiter whites, brighter brights" or some variant of that and its over in the tech section. This is particularly a good idea if you drive a lot at night. I live in deer country, so I avoid the night like the plague in my 65, so I have not bothered.
I do not think that basic halogen sealed beam relacements are a problem at alll. In fact, I'm not sure that your usual parts place even HAS orignal style true sealed beams -- You can get them mail order if you are a real concours original buff, but aside from that setting, go with the basic halogen sealed beams, or perhaps the Sylvania H6024 ST is worth checking into.
http://www.sylvania.com/ConsumerProduct ... ilverstar/
1965 F-100 240 Autolite 1101, Disk brake dual master upgraded, swapped over to C4 and powersteering. Bought by my Dad new in March 65'
Planned/considered upgrades:
Perhaps power brakes, 300 I6 motor and JUST maybe, AC!
Planned/considered upgrades:
Perhaps power brakes, 300 I6 motor and JUST maybe, AC!
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fmartin_gila
- Posts: 1021
- Joined: April 21, 2007, 9:58 am
- Location: Mandurriao, Iloilo City, Philippines
That's a very good writeup. Some more food for thought. by installing relays, you get rid of the heat producing current flowing to and away from the dashboard, thereby reducing the fire hazard, but you also gain some brightness of your headlights because of the larger capacity and the shorter run of the circuit. When I installed the relay in mine, I gained close to 2 Volts at the headlight plugs. I also just used the H6014 bulbs and there was a very noticeable difference.
Likewise, I installed the relay kit in my '66 longbed F100. Lots brighter light, the relay and shorter heavy duty wiring handles the load. I think mine came from LMC (hell, what on MY trucks HASN'T come from them<G>) but this was an easy upgrade. And with OES (old eye syndrome) the brighter the better.
Like Skip said, 'deer country' - they're like rabbits all over here and they ain't skeered. I've got a spare grille but Bambi ain't gonna make me use it!
Doug
Like Skip said, 'deer country' - they're like rabbits all over here and they ain't skeered. I've got a spare grille but Bambi ain't gonna make me use it!
Doug