higher wattage bulbs without relay

[wewoy_romero]

i often see the advise here that whenever we install higher wattage bulbs on the headlight, that we should add a relay and ceramic sockets.

with ordinary sockets, i know that they might melt because of the high heat generated by the bulbs. but what about the relay? what if i don't install a relay and use 90/100 bulbs? what would be the effect? hindi iilaw? mabilis madrain battery? somehow, i just read the warnings pero wala namang nakapost on what the effects would be.

thanks.

[JohnM]

On stock wiring the current goes through a roundabout route to get from battery to bulb including passing through the headlight switch. Car companies use the thinnest possible wire to support stock bulbs e.g. 60/55W.

Using higher wattage bulbs increases the current and therefore the heat on the stock wires. Some are lucky enough to survive without upgrading the wiring. Most are not as lucky and chances are the headlight switch is the first to go kaput. Headlight switches are expensive to replace.

So be safe and upgrade. Won't cost you that much too

http://www.danielsternlighting.com/

[kinyo]

without a relay and corresponding larger-sized wires, the stock wiring for headlights on a honda civic (92-95) is protected by 10A fuse for each filament ... which means you may only have less than 120 watts for each filament

the original design is 55/60W bulb so this have sufficient safety factor ... using 90/100W bulbs on the original wiring is pushing the limit and although it would appear to work, and would in fact work for a long time, the wirings are actually suffering slow decay due to higher currents and eventually become blackish and brittle ... this goes for the switches too in the civic as they also carry the lamp current (although other cars use relay for switching)

hence, the recommended relay and larger wirings for higher powered lamps is not without basis, especially for civic

the alternator and battery in a civic are not affected by 90/100W headlights .. but of course, the battery would drain sooner if headlights are on while engine is off

[170kphlang]

isang bagay ang siguradong mangyayari dyan...


...smoked headlamps

[wewoy_romero]

thanks for the reply guys :D

[hitomi]

naku, use relays sir

i installed high power bulbs on our toyota corona without relays
and it was fine - at first. in the end, the fuse receptacles in the
fuse box melted along with the fuse rendering the whole fuse box unusable.

so i had to go find a used fuse box and had relays installed.
lesson learned hehe

[alwayz_yummy]

noong bata pa ako ginawa ko yan sa maxima ko--145/120 pa nga,e.. ok na ok... pero--

1. tinunaw sockets ko
2. lalong pinalabo reflector ng headlight
3. sinunog headlight column switch ko! buti di wiring...

now i learn--60/55 nalang ako.....

[HIFI]

The relay will provide "circuit isolation" to your control switch.

Mainly for safety and convenience reasons.

[wewoy_romero]

ahhh ganun pala. i thought, the bulbs would just be dimmer or won't light since there isn't enough "juice" to power it. yun pala, iilaw parin. i was comparing it to attaching dc devices to a dry cell.

i remember nung mga bata-bata pa ako, connecting those bulbs or small dc motors to batteries tapos kapag hindi kaya nung battery, malabo ang ilaw or hindi aandar yung motor. tapos dagdag lang ng battery para umandar.

[Diesel_Torque]

ahhh ganun pala. i thought, the bulbs would just be dimmer or won't light since there isn't enough "juice" to power it. yun pala, iilaw parin. i was comparing it to attaching dc devices to a dry cell.

i remember nung mga bata-bata pa ako, connecting those bulbs or small dc motors to batteries tapos kapag hindi kaya nung battery, malabo ang ilaw or hindi aandar yung motor. tapos dagdag lang ng battery para umandar.

Haha! ganyan din ako nung bata pko sir.

Anyway hindi talaga maganda gumamit ng 90/100 watts bulbs lalo na sa mga civic kc maliit talaga ung wiring nila design for 55/60 watts lang talaga but if u want talaga mag-wiring Kit na lang kyo sir may ksama na relay yun at Fuse around 300-400 Petot lang yun sa Concord MG or Blade tpos rekta yun sa Battery magiging Switch na lang ung Origial nyo na Wiring ang maganda pa dun hndi iinit ung switch mo dahil wla sya Load masyado, khit pinaka mataas na watts ng bulb yakang-yaka nun Sir kc malalaki na ung wirings nun at socket high temp na. Pero Sir mas ok parin ung Low Watts pra hndi mabigat sa Alternator actually pareho lang ng buga ng liwanag yun kung may difference man konti lang ung Liwanag pero kung gamit nyo Phillips ung Diamond Vision or Vision Plus basta Original na Philips HID talaga ang dating low wattage pa kya parang Plug and Play na lang sya haha! no need for wiring upgrades basta Philips.