Team-BHP - Auto Lighting thread : Post all queries about automobile lighting here

Quote:

Originally Posted by superboy44 (Post 3632805)

Guys I am facing a peculiar problem with my headlight upgrade on the Honda jazz.
I got a roots relay along with osram 90/100 bulbs fitted onto my car and the problem I am facing is that whenever my foot is on the accelerator the headlights dim by about 20-30% and as soon as I lift off the accelerator it goes back to full brightness.
the relay in place and they worked fine with no fluctuation, but cant use them like that.
:

Did the alternator voltage decrease when the accelerator was pressed? Guess the alternator cuts out or reduces it's output during acceleration. Some cars have this feature to increase efficiency wherein the alternator works at full load during deceleration and idle and vice versa. Guess the same happens in your car. The greater load of the headlights just indicates this prominently. A difference of 1v in battery voltage can lead to a noticeable difference in the light output.

I did not see what the voltage was but yes it was working fine as i was told, the electrician did check it using a voltmeter which showed a reading of about 14.2 to 14.3
You might be right in saying that it might be tuned in such a way as to help with fuel efficiency.
Is there a way around this problem or do i have to live with it for the time being and may be get xtremevision bulbs which can be used without a relay.

Quote:

Originally Posted by superboy44 (Post 3633457)

Is there a way around this problem or do i have to live with it for the time being and may be get xtremevision bulbs which can be used without a relay.

There is no harm in continuing with this setup. It is just so that the small variation in voltage is causing the intensity to change. This can happen with any bulb, just that the degree of change will differ. As you say, the interior lamps will too show this behaviour. You wont run into trouble in this setup. Say battery gives 13.5V and when the car is running the alternator gives 14.5V at its ideal conditions, the light dims when the alternator reduces output since the lights are only powered by the battery and not alternator. The variation is present in my cars as well with both normal lamps and upgraded lamps, only difference being it doesnt vary when engine is on.

Quote:

Originally Posted by superboy44 (Post 3633401)

Got the entire setup checked at Honda service center, everything from the alternator to the relay to the fitting was checked thoroughly and found to be in perfect condition.
They too said that the main wiring is not designed to handle higher wattage bulbs, hence the variation. Though no harm in using it as the relay too was working and is fitted correctly, just that the variation will be there.

I don't buy their argument of wiring unable to handle higher wattage bulbs.

The whole purpose of having a separate wiring loom with relays is so that the main wiring is not burdened. With the wiring kit on, the current in the main wiring loom doesn't even exceed 0.1A, rather all of the current is offloaded.

I feel the Service center guys you went are incompetent in finding the root cause and they've given you a stupid excuse.

I tried an interesting experiment with great results.

My 7 year old Honda CRV (2008) was still running OEM bulbs. The bulbs/reflectors faded over time and it became difficult to drive at night. I was considering a bulb swap to Osram Nightbreakers and was getting it for Rs. 1400 locally (H1).

I was not too fond of retro fitting HIDS since the examples I had seen did not put enough light on the road, and not in the correct pattern.

My CRV comes with seperate bulbs for Low Beam and High Beam. The low beam bulbs actually have OEM projectors from the factory. Did research online and decided HIDs in OEM projectors might be worth the risk.

I am a regular shopper at aliexpress and luckily came across HID kits online. Did a bit of research and locate a seller who claims to be a manufacturer and has good ratings. I ordered the KIT with the following specifications

1) H1 - Since my car had projectors for this bulb.
2) 4300k Colour Temp - I did not want white colour, I wanted a functional colour close which was to my BMW 320d
3) AC - Apparently has better life for bulbs, and faster heat up times.
4) 55 W - There was also option of 35W but I chose 55W

Cost of the kit? 28 USD INCLUDING SHIPPING! Roughly about Rs. 1800!

I ordered on 3rd January and the kit arrived on 29th January. Luckily the customs did not show interest in the package ( Which was bought for personal use)

I saw a couple of youtube videos and decided to do the installation myself.

It took me about 60 mins in total (I took my time and tried to fit everything to perfection, was beyond the usual installer would) and required only some electrical tape, some Silicone RTV (To doubly make sure of sealing the headlight from Dust), and Soldering iron ( to cut a hole in the rear of the dust cap of the headlight.

The result : Brilliant

The car has bright beams, with a clear cut off line over which no glare is seen. The throw and illumination is quite close to the BMWs original Xenons. :I Rule:

The question : How long will it last ? :)

Quote:

Originally Posted by sgiitk (Post 3638109)

@AbhiJ; $28 may get you low quality ballasts. Fingers crossed. I had a failure even in Hylux ballasts. Bulbs hardly ever fail.

Hehe true. I have nearly zero expectations w.r.t. Life.

The only slightly re assuring this is that this was not the cheapest HID they had. The cheapest one was 19 USD. This 28 usd one is supposed to have better quality ballasts!! Lol

@ sunnyboi and sgiitk
I agree to what you say, but i have now got it checked again and they are pretty competent mechanics and they say its fine.
So i did search a a bit on the internet and found on a honda civic forum a guy facing the same problem on his 2005 honda civic.
He too faced the headlight flickering issue and his amp shutting down when he accelerated. These symptoms would not appear at idle.
He too got everything checked including the alternator. But eventually he got the alternator changed to a new denso unit and the problem was rectified.
Though he also did say the original one was giving the correct readings, it was just that the diodes inside the alternator used to heat up under excess load thus could not provide a stable output.

I don't really feel good about getting the alternator taken apart rightaway as it does not really fault under normal load without the relay.
Would like to give the xtremevision or the night breakers of oem wattage a go first if they provide even a 50% improvement in visibility as they can be used without the relay.
If they don't offer a satisfactory upgrade then i would definitely think about taking a spanner to the alternator.

Quote:

Originally Posted by superboy44 (Post 3639863)

I don't really feel good about getting the alternator taken apart rightaway as it does not really fault under normal load without the relay..

I suspect you may have to have the alternator done sooner rather then later, as the capacity is likely to decrease quickly. Having had (or by myself) a few alternators opened it is fairly straight forward, esp when compared with dynamos.