Dim headlights

[cerick305]

In my 47 special deluxe Plymouth, the headlights are and always have been dim.  Probably they are the correct brightness for this car but nowadays people on road are looking for brighter lights.  I thought to replace the bulbs to see if new ones would be brights but then thought if there are any 6 volt leds available for headlights...?   Lowering my total wattage will also help in making slightly brighter.  Anyone know of any 6v leds?

[TodFitch]

Any corrosion in your 70 year old electrical system will increase resistance and thus reduce the actual power at the headlights considerably. The lower the system voltage the more issues there can be with unwanted resistance. Example: On my '33 with lower power headlights than you have, I once calculated that 1ohm of extra resistance (can't even really measure that with a cheap analog volt-ohm meter) could decrease the light output by 80%.

So I am taking you "probably they are the correct brightness for this car" with a grain of salt.

If you haven't replaced all the wiring to the headlights with appropriate gauge new wire, replaced all connectors and cleaned up the contacts in your headlight switch your headlights are going to be a lot dimmer than when the car was new.

All that said, going to lower power devices like LED lights will mitigate the situation. But I've not yet seen LED replacements for the PAR56 style automotive headlights. Surprising to me, there is a vendor in England that purports to make a LED bulb replacement that should just fit in my 1930s car (I haven't tried them yet as they are expensive and the quartz-halogen I have in there now work pretty good). So if 6v positive ground compatible PAR56 replacement headlights are not available now I bet they will be at sometime in the near future.

In the meantime, getting your wiring up to snuff would be a good idea regardless.

[martybose]

One thing to remember is that these cars came standard with 30 watt bulbs, with wiring and switches to suit.  I put 55 watt 6V halogens in my car, and had to add headlight relays because both the headlight switch and the dimmer switch started heating up due to the extra wattage.

Marty

[Cannuck]

Good Question

I will be working on my headlight wiring this winter.The wiring is very brittle and cracks when handled.

[greg g]

Cycle your dimmer switch about 12 to 20 times.  Check that the ground wires from the head lamp buckets are attached to good clean sheet metal.  If your car doesn't have a ground from the body (typically the firewall to the frame or engine, provide one. Also clean and tighten the wires and terminals where they go to the individual lights.  The terminal block is on the drivers side of the radiator support. Clean and tighten all the wires attached to the battery side terminal of the starter solenoid, and finally put a new fuse in the holder on the headlamp switch.  You can also repower the brake light switch with a dedicated fused line from the battery side terminal of the solenoid.  This takes the brake light circuit out of the general light load making booth a bit brighter.

[DrDoctor]

   I installed quartz-halogen sealed beam 6v headlites—what a difference—I can see at night!!! They draw less amps than the regular sealed beams I replaced, so it was a win-win. And, they’re not expensive—so it’s a win-win-win.

[Bryan]

Doctor - where did you get the quarts-halogen 6V lights? Did they fir in the same plug?  BJ

[DrDoctor]

Bryan,

   I got them at my local auto parts store. They were just under $20, and they just plug in just like any regular sealed-beam unit. They’re significantly brighter, and they actually draw less amperage than a sealed-beam unit. I’ve looked at them, but they don’t have any identifying name on the glass lens. I’ll have to dig into a trunk where I keep the spare parts for the car, as I recall having the extra units (I was so pleased with them, that I purchased a second set . . .) still in their boxes, if you need that information. Thx.

[Reg Evans]

I would also be interested in the info for the halogen bulbs.

Thanks

[greg g]

https://www.ebay.com/itm/7-Halogen-6V-Glass-Sealed-Beam-Head-Lamp-Headlight-Light-Bulb-6-Volt-New/232524968077?_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIM.MBE%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20160908110712%26meid%3Da3bc23f051bb419b98d3d01ab86bebc5%26pid%3D100677%26rk%3D5%26rkt%3D30%26sd%3D370542819914&_trksid=p2385738.c100677.m4598

 

Says fits 54 Plymouth Chrysler, Dodge .  No specifications on wattage given.

[bluefoxamazone]

great info, would they fit my '53 cranbrook?

thanks,

Edited October 18, 2017 by bluefoxamazone

[Merle Coggins]

On 10/14/2017 at 11:39 PM, DrDoctor said:

   I installed quartz-halogen sealed beam 6v headlites—what a difference—I can see at night!!! They draw less amps than the regular sealed beams I replaced, so it was a win-win. And, they’re not expensive—so it’s a win-win-win.

Interesting. What is the wattage rating? I've never seen a halogen that draws less amperage than a convential bulb, unless the wattage is less. LED's yes, Halogen's no. 

[johnsartain]

The part number for the halogen headlamp is H6006. The H indicates Halogen. If the part you get is just a 6006, it is a regular incandescent headlamp.

[TodFitch]

6 hours ago, Merle Coggins said:

Interesting. What is the wattage rating? I've never seen a halogen that draws less amperage than a convential bulb, unless the wattage is less. LED's yes, Halogen's no. 

The O'Reilly Auto parts website shows the EiKO Ltd. manufactured H6006 they carry as being 40/50 watt.

Which is exactly the same as my 1970 vintage GE lamp guide listed for the 6006.

[Sharps40]

Here is the drill....regardless of whether you run 6v or 12v or incandescent, halogen or led....the single most important things you can do is get max battery voltage to the lights.

To wit.

Good wiring, and clean tight connections + Grounds are mandatory.  That will get you 4.5 to 5.5 volts at your bulbs, 10.0 to 11 on a 12v system....go ahead, measure it at the light to prove it to your self.

To get maximum battery voltage, which is often higher than battery rating due to gen/alt in the system, you MUST use relays.

Take all the amps (and thus resistance/losses) off the switches and run the lights directly from the battery to the lights through relays.  Now the switch only uses a fraction of an amp to operate relays (one for low, one for hi) and you get 6-8v at the bulb or 12-14.5v on a modern system.

 

Regardless of the lamp type, full voltage at the lamp is QUITE noticeable!

[Reg Evans]

Where in the circuit does the relay get installed ?  1 relay per bulb ?  Can you, Sharps40, or someone else provide a simple wiring schematic ?

Thanks,

Reg   

[greg g]

Reg the relay acts like the starter solenoid, where a light load triggers the switch to connect a higher load through the relay.  Typically you could pick up power for the relay from the terminal block that feeds the head lights One should be sufficient for the pair of lows and another for high beams. The wire that comes from the dimmer switch would power the relay, a new feed to carry battery to relay and then the lines to the lamps to the power out of the relay.  Some relays are self grounding, some need a dedicated ground wire. This one shows for 12v but is typical.  86 takes power from dimmer. When selected it completes power connection 30 to 87 the lamps. One for low one for high. You can mount near the term block and shouldn't need to run new wires, except for batteryto relay feeds.   Battery to 30 probably wants to be min 12 gauge for 6 v.

 

[johnsartain]

Another point to be made Reg is to put the relays closer to the Headlights. Out under the hood between the battery and the headlight is typically good enough, either mounted on the firewall of the inner fender. The shorter the run the better rather than making all the loops under the dash . I got my 6V relays from Amazon https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00LQOSZSI/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o06_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1.

I got the pigtails as well https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0002ZPUMG/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 

I used 2 for headlight relays and one for the horn.

[Sharps40]

Use a 30 amp self resetting breaker and take power directly from battery for  max volts at bulbs.  Otherwise you still have all the power going through dash and switch first and high losses.  Google it.   Plenty of schematics out there. Simple to do. By going from the battery the only power on your switches and dash harness is the fraction of an amps to trip the relay

 

 

And yes. Gen alt will sense the load and compensate/charge as normal. 

Edited October 19, 2017 by Sharps40

[Sharps40]

With all the power looping thru the headlight switch and the high/low switch, I only receive 10.8 volts of power at the headlights with the engine off.

 

Rather than fiddle with fuzes, I installed a 30 amp self resetting breaker to protect the circuit. Mounted to the radiator shroud and ready to wire up.

A single 12g wire (top of breaker) taps power directly from the bulkhead connection which is connected directly to the + terminal of the battery.

A pair of 12g wires (bottom of the breaker) out will send power to the High and Low beam relays. Now all the high amp load on the switches, dash harness, etc, (factory set up) is transferred direct from battery to relay.   (Safer safer safer and more efficient as all the Connections/joints robbing power from the headlamps are now out of the feed stream to the bulbs)  The switches are now operating at a single amp or so, just enough to trigger the relays and there is no LAMP Load on the switches, dash harness, etc.).

Trigger wires come from the foot switch to the Low beam relay or the high beam relay as appropriate..

 

Use three wire headlamp sockets and ground both bulbs to frame.  Ground both relays to frame as well.....ground, ground, ground....its old, everything is dirty brittle and corroded....ground it all or rip it all out and replace it.

After double checking all the connections and tracing the wires one last time, I apply power. Zowie, 12.5 volts at the light sockets with the engine off.. Almost 2 volts gained at the lights where needed.  And with the engine running, voltage at the headlight sockets is a full 14.5V. Should be blinding for deer this fall!

 

Grounds grounds and then more grounds.  Old cars need the benefit of lots of grounds.  New cars can get by with just one  but unless you are cleaning up the entire vehicle and replacing everything, add GROUNDS.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited October 19, 2017 by Sharps40

[Sharps40]

This is essentially your schematic, two or four bulbs, doesn't matter, wiring is the same.  Wire gauge as you see fit, heavy is good.  5 wire relay or 4 wire relay, doesn't matter, wiring is the same.  Too simple? (And now you can do this and ignore any post that says "go buy a repair manual"!    )

 

 

Edited October 19, 2017 by Sharps40

[DonaldSmith]

The diagram does not show power to the dimmer switch. (Maybe it's understood; existing power circuit.)

[Sharps40]

That's because power to the dimmer is not part of the modification.   It remains from the headlight switch.  This is too easy to do unless folks overthink it.  Ignore the dash, dash wiring, light switch and just work from battery and dimmer to lights. 

 

Basically,,,,,Don't show what ya aint working with, to do so constitutes noise and confusion.  I'll stand down now....I don't want to type so much that it get noisy and confusing.  2 hour job, $100 bucks or less for real quality components.  Easy Peasy.   

Edited October 19, 2017 by Sharps40

[DrDoctor]

Gentlemen,

   I, too, was skeptical about the wattage issue. However, the bulbs in question aren’t the little ones, like the H1’s, also referred to as xenon, that go into the lens unit like contemporary units (which require a great deal of amperage). These are actually sealed-beam units, like the original ones, which were filled with an inert gas, but they have halogen gas in them. And, just for the record, halogen isn’t a gas—but rather a group of gasses, like chlorine, and iodine, to name just two. By combining just a minute amount of one of these gasses with an inert filler gas, an element can burn brighter, and usually longer, with LESS energy—a winning situation no matter how you slice it!!! Lastly, these aren’t HID’s, either, as they also require a great deal of amperage. And, they’re not LED’s, which have yet to demonstrate long-life in the harsh environment that headlights exist in.

[DrDoctor]

Gentlemen,

   To continue—to use these sealed-beam halogen units, one simply unplugs/removes the conventional unit (the dim ones causing the initial issue herein), and plugs/reinstalls the sealed-beam halogen unit. If the wiring was OK prior to this exercise, it’ll be more than OK after this exercise, since the sealed-beam halogen units draw less amperage. Done, and done. Simple.