hey everyone. I was just reading on a Mark VIII thread about it being bad to hot fire HID's (going from HID lows, clicking on the brights, clicking back on the lows) and that there's a way to rewire the headlight to keep the lows on when you turn the brights on. Has anyone done this on the LS? I have a 2000 V8, and would love to do this mod.
"jumper" your hid's?
- Thread starter pektel
- Start date
uknowmehfo
Active LVC Member
i have 10,000k in my lowbeams, high and my fog lights... i click from high to low easy... BUT when u click from low (after warmed up) to high you do not have light instantly.. you have to wait for the brights to warm up. after they warm up they are BRIGHT!... but i can flicker from low's to highs easy or click from low's and stay on highs and go back. but just click'n back and forth does not hurt them i have not seen.
i have a 00 v8
but i have not jump'ed my headlights to stay on when i turn my brights on...... my lows are bright enough i really dont need bright's reguardless.... i have 10,000k fogs as well so... when i need brights it must be out in the middle out the woods.
i have a 00 v8
but i have not jump'ed my headlights to stay on when i turn my brights on...... my lows are bright enough i really dont need bright's reguardless.... i have 10,000k fogs as well so... when i need brights it must be out in the middle out the woods.
eastcoastLS
Dedicated LVC Member
To the best of my understanding, it is not the best thing for them.
Right. That's what i think too.
And to uknowmehfo, I do live out in the woods, so I need brights to see further up the road for deer. So I'd prefer that when my brights come on, that my lows don't turn off.
skizot722
Well-Known LVC Member
Yes, what you've described is very bad for the HID bulbs. There is a way to prevent this from happening, but it depends if you're willing to go through the work. I retrofitted some Lexus HID projectors into my LS and I made a custom relay harness for the setup. I used a diode to keep the lows on when the high beams are switched. However, if you don't want to build a custom harness, then you will have to splice your existing wiring harness. Let me know if you're interested in how to do this. BTW, my LS is a 2002.
uknowmehfo, he's talking about HID bulbs here, not halogen bulbs. Switching the halogens on and off is no where near as damaging to the bulb as it is when you do that to an HID bulb.
uknowmehfo, he's talking about HID bulbs here, not halogen bulbs. Switching the halogens on and off is no where near as damaging to the bulb as it is when you do that to an HID bulb.
skizot, i would love to know how to splice the existing wiring. I am a novice when it comes to wiring, but I'll definitely give it a shot. Unless a custom relay harness is easier. Whichever you think a novice will be able to understand better.
Thanks!
Thanks!
PatrickSimmons
Photographer
uknowmehfo
Active LVC Member
i have HID 10,000k bulbs, low, high and fogs.
uknowmehfo, it is hard on HID bulbs to keep switching them on and off, much like what happens when you go from low beams to high beams. Your HID's will not last as long if you do it that way. I believe it severely reduces their useful life.
I would love to have a basic knowledge of electronics, but i do not. So I have no idea how to "throw in a relay." If someone could explain it to me, I would be able to do it.
So the relay thing would be the easiest to do?
So the relay thing would be the easiest to do?
glanga
Dedicated LVC Member
I don't know how much this relates but on my Jeep there is a relay that shuts off the fogs when you turn on the highs. All I had to do was bend one pin on a 3 prong relay and they stay on. So if you find the right relay, and maybe get a few extras and find out with relay shuts them off...bend that pin or put tape over it and it should stay on.
My lows always stayed on with my highs...my fogs would go off, not my lows.
Also, A relay is similar to a fuse, it sort of just pops in and out as easy as a fuse. Don't take my word for all of this though...a Wrangler is a lot easier to work on that a Lincoln. This is all "in theory"
My lows always stayed on with my highs...my fogs would go off, not my lows.
Also, A relay is similar to a fuse, it sort of just pops in and out as easy as a fuse. Don't take my word for all of this though...a Wrangler is a lot easier to work on that a Lincoln. This is all "in theory"
Well, I don't really know how your lighting system is controlled. If it's a simple relay that shuts off your lows, you should be able to just cut the wire that activates the relay. But if the relay switches between highs and lows, then you'd have to install an additional relay which would by-pass the disconnect from the vehicle lighting relay. I suppose this is really something you'd need some schematics for, and know how to do it. BUT... how does your kit activate? Does it draw it's main power from the battery and use the the headlight leads as the signal to a relay? If so then you could just throw another relay in-line on the high-beam harness to power up the HID's.
Unfortunately, without seeing what you've got for a kit, pulling the schematics and having the car in front of me... it's a bit hard to say what would work and what wouldn't. Either way, I doubt it would be difficult.
Unfortunately, without seeing what you've got for a kit, pulling the schematics and having the car in front of me... it's a bit hard to say what would work and what wouldn't. Either way, I doubt it would be difficult.
2 hours seems a bit much. Especially when they'd be using short-cut connections (crimp connections and T-Taps instead of soldering).
I can try to pull up the schematics in my DVD of manuals and maybe I'll have something for you. I'll have to get back to you later though.
You're out in GR right?
Unfortunately that doesn't help. There's a relay of some sorts in the circuit, and that only shows the multi function switch, dash and light switch; leaves out quite a bit. There's got to be a relay which controls the brights turning on and lows/fogs turning off. I'm still looking for that dvd-rom... I'll tear this place up if I don't find it by tomorrow!
skizot722
Well-Known LVC Member
Sorry it took me so long to post back, guys. I've been really busy lately. Some of you are saying that on your 2003 your lows stay on when the highs are turned on. That's probably the case, since reflector HID was an option for the 2003+ models. I can tell you that's not the case with the 2000-2002 models though. Here's a diagram I created for the harness I built.
The diode is there to keep the low beams on when the high beams are switched on. The capacitor is there because when the high beams are triggered, there is a very small amount of time where there's no power to either high or low beam stock plugs. So, what would end up happening is that the power would be cut to the ballasts for about 400-500 ms while the highs turned on, and then they'd both have power again. That very quick re-strike is just as damaging to the HID bulb as what we're trying to avoid in the first place. So, I've put the 4700 uF capacitor across the low beam relay coil, so that during that intermittent power drop, the low beam relay stays closed and continues to draw power from the battery.
I'm not sure how you have your HID kit hooked up, but you really shouldn't be pulling the power from the stock harness. This is a big no-no, and especially with cheaper ballasts like this kit probably has. These cheaper ballasts usually draw a lot more juice at start-up than an OEM ballast. The harness is really easy to build, and you can build it for right around $30 parts.
If you don't want to build a custom harness, then you could use the ideas (diode from high to low ground wires, and capacitor across positive and ground low beam wires) from the harness I've posted and modify the stock wiring. I don't see why that wouldn't work, but it's best not to go cutting up the stock wiring; it's all up to you.
A little info on my HID setup:
- Lexus LS430 Projectors retrofitted into the stock 2002 headlights
- Denso Slim Ballasts (from the same Lexus LS430 the projectors came out of)
- Brand new Philips 85122+ 4200K bulbs
- Custom wire harness
The diode is there to keep the low beams on when the high beams are switched on. The capacitor is there because when the high beams are triggered, there is a very small amount of time where there's no power to either high or low beam stock plugs. So, what would end up happening is that the power would be cut to the ballasts for about 400-500 ms while the highs turned on, and then they'd both have power again. That very quick re-strike is just as damaging to the HID bulb as what we're trying to avoid in the first place. So, I've put the 4700 uF capacitor across the low beam relay coil, so that during that intermittent power drop, the low beam relay stays closed and continues to draw power from the battery.
I'm not sure how you have your HID kit hooked up, but you really shouldn't be pulling the power from the stock harness. This is a big no-no, and especially with cheaper ballasts like this kit probably has. These cheaper ballasts usually draw a lot more juice at start-up than an OEM ballast. The harness is really easy to build, and you can build it for right around $30 parts.
If you don't want to build a custom harness, then you could use the ideas (diode from high to low ground wires, and capacitor across positive and ground low beam wires) from the harness I've posted and modify the stock wiring. I don't see why that wouldn't work, but it's best not to go cutting up the stock wiring; it's all up to you.
A little info on my HID setup:
- Lexus LS430 Projectors retrofitted into the stock 2002 headlights
- Denso Slim Ballasts (from the same Lexus LS430 the projectors came out of)
- Brand new Philips 85122+ 4200K bulbs
- Custom wire harness