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Model specific boards => Golf mk2 => Topic started by: sdall30 on 27 December 2008, 21:11

Title: Headlamp Wiring loom upgrade
Post by: sdall30 on 27 December 2008, 21:11
I've seen a couple of the headlamp wiring loom upgrades on Fleabay , but they are asking nearly £36 posted for them , does anybody know where I can get one cheaper that that ?

Cheers
Stuart
Title: Re: Headlamp Wiring loom upgrade
Post by: sidecarphil on 27 December 2008, 21:16
make one your self  :grin:
Title: Re: Headlamp Wiring loom upgrade
Post by: Jay on 27 December 2008, 21:24
Google your friend is, upgrade your loom you will find how too. :grin:

or search the forum, been asked a bizillion times
http://www.golfgtiforum.co.uk/index.php?action=search;advanced :wink:
Title: Re: Headlamp Wiring loom upgrade
Post by: sidecarphil on 27 December 2008, 21:42
just done this quick wiring diagram of how i did it

buy good thick wire , and make your earth from the bulbs as good as your feeds

i used 80/100w bulbs so you need 50A relays but if you just have normal bulbs use 30A relays

(http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p18/rsturbophil/my%20cars/golf2headlampwiringupgrade.jpg)

P.S dont forget to fuse the 12V feeds
Title: Re: Headlamp Wiring loom upgrade
Post by: Jay on 27 December 2008, 21:56
www.matey-matey.com for the basic loom, you can add to it like phil has to create a redundant lighting system.

Someone else also produced a slightly more artistic diagram  :tongue:
Title: Re: Headlamp Wiring loom upgrade
Post by: Diamond Hell on 27 December 2008, 21:58
P.S dont forget to fuse the 12V feeds

Or use fused relays.

It would be preferable to use two relays on the dip beams, as if the full-beam relay fails it's not a significant issue, but if the dip one fails then you're rather out of luck on the driving-in-traffic dip beam front, rather than just losing one of them.....
Title: Re: Headlamp Wiring loom upgrade
Post by: richard s on 27 December 2008, 22:40
does this really make a difference if using standard bulbs as when i am driving it looks like i use candles instead of bulbs
Title: Re: Headlamp Wiring loom upgrade
Post by: Mr Blue on 27 December 2008, 23:06
Quote

Or use fused relays.

It would be preferable to use two relays on the dip beams, as if the full-beam relay fails it's not a significant issue, but if the dip one fails then you're rather out of luck on the driving-in-traffic dip beam front, rather than just losing one of them.....

True. This is why I left a few wires with bullet connectors incase the relay fails...and it has failed twice in the past.

Rain water will eat up the relay and wires so protect them well. Ive heat shrunk the lot. So far so good.
Title: Re: Headlamp Wiring loom upgrade
Post by: Diamond Hell on 28 December 2008, 07:53
does this really make a difference if using standard bulbs as when i am driving it looks like i use candles instead of bulbs

MASSIVELY.

It's like the difference between night and, errr, day.
Title: Re: Headlamp Wiring loom upgrade
Post by: sidecarphil on 28 December 2008, 09:49


True. This is why I left a few wires with bullet connectors incase the relay fails...and it has failed twice in the past.

Rain water will eat up the relay and wires so protect them well. Ive heat shrunk the lot. So far so good.

i soldered every connector then i heat shrank the connections then loom taped them all up

i have a spare relay in the boot but i think with the maths i did for the V A and R means the raley shouldn't burn out

i used fused relay's that is why they arn't on the wiring diagram  :grin: :grin:

does this really make a difference if using standard bulbs as when i am driving it looks like i use candles instead of bulbs

yes because i checked and i had 7.2V at the back of the bulb's with the engine running

now i get full 14.2 V with the engine running  :wink: :wink:
Title: Re: Headlamp Wiring loom upgrade
Post by: richard s on 28 December 2008, 14:48
cool something else to add to the todo list
Title: Re: Headlamp Wiring loom upgrade
Post by: Dolly on 28 December 2008, 14:53
i got the stuff to do it just cant be arsed lol! im only doing dipped beam as main is plently bright with the inner spots on.

probably going single relay for abosolute simplicity and im a lazy person. carry a couple of fuses and relays with me at all times so i should be fine and if all else fails ill drive it home on main beam.  :grin:
Title: Re: Headlamp Wiring loom upgrade
Post by: danny_p on 28 December 2008, 21:58
if you use the small sub loom for the inner spots for connectors  in event of fail you can just unplug you uprated loom and put the main loom into just the outer lamps
Title: Re: Headlamp Wiring loom upgrade
Post by: ozegti on 28 December 2008, 22:26
Is anyone able to make one of these up? I'll happily pay! Or is the ebay special any good?
Title: Re: Headlamp Wiring loom upgrade
Post by: sdall30 on 28 December 2008, 22:36
And that was the reason for the post in te first place, I'm crap at electrics and can't make one up myself, I was wondering if anybody made them up for under the £36 that was being asked on fleabay ???

Title: Re: Headlamp Wiring loom upgrade
Post by: Diamond Hell on 28 December 2008, 23:00
For that price you can barely buy good quality fused relays to do the job with.

It's yer headlights - they're kinda important and this is the best upgrade you can do on them.
Title: Re: Headlamp Wiring loom upgrade
Post by: Ben Lessani on 29 December 2008, 11:46
How to Loom, before's and after's (http://www.golfgtiforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=49436.msg410777;topicseen#msg410777)

(http://img114.imageshack.us/img114/217/minicimg3515zs5.jpg)

That's running the loom on one side but not the other.

(http://i136.photobucket.com/albums/q171/blessani/LOOM-2.png) (http://i136.photobucket.com/albums/q171/blessani/LOOM.jpg)

Most you'll need is 20A relays and wires if running 4 relays.
Title: Re: Headlamp Wiring loom upgrade
Post by: sidecarphil on 29 December 2008, 17:40
hey ben whet bulb's do you use for the inners ??

i see you got them on dip beam too  :smiley: :smiley:
Title: Re: Headlamp Wiring loom upgrade
Post by: richard s on 29 December 2008, 20:35
so to do just the dipped beam i would nead 2 20a relays (fused) new live and earth for relays/original feed to relay instead of lamp
as for the new wireing what is the ideal mm cable and what sort of length is needed
cheers
Title: Re: Headlamp Wiring loom upgrade
Post by: danny_p on 30 December 2008, 02:40
that diode is a really bad idea. it'll light the full beam filament in the main headlight as well,  as in the spot.    also haveing spot lights on with dip beam will piss other road users off but full beam as will is really takeing the piss.

just as well that dioed will pop really quickly  it'll be trying to handel roughly 14 amps   the biggest commonly avalible black dioed is 3A

as for cabel size  100w x 4 = 400w.    400w @ 14.4 v  = 27A  id go for 2.5mm2 to carry the power.  and .75 will be more than enough to throw the relays
Title: Re: Headlamp Wiring loom upgrade
Post by: richard s on 30 December 2008, 20:50
cheers
Title: Re: Headlamp Wiring loom upgrade
Post by: Ben Lessani on 31 December 2008, 12:26
I don't want to pick fights here, but ...

it'll light the full beam filament in the main headlight as well,  as in the spot. 

The purpose of the diode is to not light both bulbs simultaneously, otherwise a bridge wire would suffice, the diode is there to prevent reverse current flow.

also haveing spot lights on with dip beam will piss other road users off but full beam as will is really takeing the piss.

The spots on a my Golf point down on the road - they are not for distance.

just as well that dioed will pop really quickly  it'll be trying to handel roughly 14 amps   the biggest commonly avalible black dioed is 3A

RS (the comp. shop I use mostly) sell about 3000 varients of diode that can sustain 50A+.

as for cabel size  100w x 4 = 400w.    400w @ 14.4 v  = 27A  id go for 2.5mm2 to carry the power.  and .75 will be more than enough to throw the relays

The +ve lead isn't running all four lamps, its two +ve cables from the batt, so 200W max. Which is about 17/18 AWG, about 1.1 mm2.
Title: Re: Headlamp Wiring loom upgrade
Post by: danny_p on 31 December 2008, 13:48
I don't want to pick fights here, but ...

it'll light the full beam filament in the main headlight as well,  as in the spot. 

The purpose of the diode is to not light both bulbs simultaneously, otherwise a bridge wire would suffice, the diode is there to prevent reverse current flow.


looking at your diagram it appears that the dioed is going from the wire shown as brown whitch i would presume is dip headlight to wire shown as yellow whicth i presumed to be main beam,   if it the other way round it will work as desired  but i still don't like that dioed,  it's costing you .6volts and it dosent even need to be there, it choudl be replaced by a pair of 0.5A dioeds on the relay.      bridge brown 86 to yellow 86 with dioed, then put another iin the yellow wire going to the relay,  sorted  cheepr and more voltas at lights


also haveing spot lights on with dip beam will piss other road users off but full beam as will is really takeing the piss.


The spots on a my Golf point down on the road - they are not for distance.


thats not going to piss other road user off then,   but a lot of thingys wouldn't think to do that


just as well that dioed will pop really quickly  it'll be trying to handel roughly 14 amps   the biggest commonly avalible black dioed is 3A

RS (the comp. shop I use mostly) sell about 3000 varients of diode that can sustain 50A+.


i use them to,   my point was that the 3A dioed was the biggest common dioed yes MUCH bigger ones are avalible but they get expensive,  i much prefer to use 2 tiny ones to make the relays do it right.  it's eating 10 watts your headlights chould have had 




as for cabel size  100w x 4 = 400w.    400w @ 14.4 v  = 27A  id go for 2.5mm2 to carry the power.  and .75 will be more than enough to throw the relays

The +ve lead isn't running all four lamps, its two +ve cables from the batt, so 200W max. Which is about 17/18 AWG, about 1.1 mm2.

depends how you make loom,   if making a left and right  1.1 would do tho you'd end up useing 1.5 as it's common,   but if making it as one whitch i'd proably do one 2.5 off the battery into one pair of relays and off to the other pair would also be fine.   i would also add another wire to the diagram, a 2.5  0V line  from the headlight bulbs back to the battery not really that inportant but car bodies arn't that good at conducting.
Title: Re: Headlamp Wiring loom upgrade
Post by: Ben Lessani on 31 December 2008, 14:18
So I'm right ;)  :grin:

Ok, true point about putting them in with the relays - I'll rejig the diagram to make it more concise ;)
Title: Re: Headlamp Wiring loom upgrade
Post by: sdall30 on 03 January 2009, 18:49
WOW!!!! Bought this kit from ebay : http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=270308936524&ssPageName=STRK:MEWN:IT&ih=017

Was £36 inc. postage, very very well made loom upgrade , clear fitting instructions and makes a massive difference to my old poo lights, they are now just as good if not better than my 2 year old vectra (company car so don't all laugh at once)

£36 well spent and I would highly recomend this particular kit if your not up to making the loom yourself (like me)
Title: Re: Headlamp Wiring loom upgrade
Post by: Diamond Hell on 03 January 2009, 19:33
Good to hear someone's doing it right.  :smiley:
Title: Re: Headlamp Wiring loom upgrade
Post by: Dolly on 04 January 2009, 18:34
that ebay kit looks the real deal, i have the relay ect ready to make my own but for the time and effort and the fact that the ebay loom is plug and play rather than solder everywhere should make it tidy and easily removable?
Title: Re: Headlamp Wiring loom upgrade
Post by: Ben Lessani on 05 January 2009, 12:52
You should never really solder anything in a car anyway, vibrations do strange things to it.

Making a loom is a 5 minute job max, just snip wires to length, crimp and plug in.
Title: Re: Headlamp Wiring loom upgrade
Post by: sidecarphil on 05 January 2009, 15:30
You should never really solder anything in a car anyway, vibrations do strange things to it.


 :shocked: :shocked: :shocked: REALLY

OK  :lipsrsealed: :lipsrsealed: :lipsrsealed:
Title: Re: Headlamp Wiring loom upgrade
Post by: Ben Lessani on 05 January 2009, 18:14
:shocked: :shocked: :shocked: REALLY

OK  :lipsrsealed: :lipsrsealed: :lipsrsealed:

Its because the heat from the soldering makes the copper wire brittle, and more likely to snap. Not that its a major issue, I've always avoided soldering when I have room to crimp.
Title: Re: Headlamp Wiring loom upgrade
Post by: sidecarphil on 05 January 2009, 18:41
that makes sense i prosume  :undecided:

but i still prefer to solder than crimp , soldering heat's and removes moisture , then heat shrink it

crimping allows water to be still there and then you tape the water in and boomp in 2 to3 years a green connection and no headlamps :smiley: :smiley:
Title: Re: Headlamp Wiring loom upgrade
Post by: Mr Blue on 05 January 2009, 18:59
Ive never had problems with soldering then heat shrinking even in the engine bay. More problems with crimp connectors where the moisture gets on the copper wire through the connectors. @Then the wire breaks.

Your probably right but ive never had any problems with soldering :smiley:
Title: Re: Headlamp Wiring loom upgrade
Post by: Diamond Hell on 05 January 2009, 22:27
I'd would and I do solder every time I can - crimps are far more likely to fail and tougher to get right.
Title: Re: Headlamp Wiring loom upgrade
Post by: Bjork on 05 January 2009, 23:04
We should get a poll going..........crimps or solder???    :laugh:

CRIMPS ROCK!!!!
Title: Re: Headlamp Wiring loom upgrade
Post by: Ben Lessani on 05 January 2009, 23:14
Crimp for me ;) How often do you find any connections in a car where the connections are factory soldered?
Title: Re: Headlamp Wiring loom upgrade
Post by: shakeyjake on 05 January 2009, 23:24
hardly ever although do you reckon its because the wiring looms are pre made, so all that needs to be done on the production line is plug and play? Soldering would take far too long. Correct me if im wrong though
Title: Re: Headlamp Wiring loom upgrade
Post by: Diamond Hell on 05 January 2009, 23:31
I'm with Jake on this one.

Soldering is far more effective and elegant when making changes or additions to existing wiring.
Title: Re: Headlamp Wiring loom upgrade
Post by: danny_p on 06 January 2009, 02:09
i have repared counless wireing looms in various vechicels and modifyed quite a few as well,  and corrected plenty of modifactions by other people. 

main reason for FAIL is scotchlocks  closely follwed by crimps.   

most crimps you find in motorfactors are crap and so are most crimping tools.    my prefered way for headlamp loom would be to solder most of the conections and seal the relays in resin. 

i've had hours of fun fetting around under car bonnets removeing corroded crimps   
Title: Re: Headlamp Wiring loom upgrade
Post by: paultownsend on 06 January 2009, 18:21
bought the above loom from the ebay guy. good quality, quick service.

can anyone tell me what the resistor/coil thing is for that attatches on the inner drivers side chassis leg?  its hooked up to the lighting loom. is it needed? 
had one of these looms before but sent it back due to a issue with dipped/full beam. wonder if i needed to unplug it now  :sad:
Title: Re: Headlamp Wiring loom upgrade
Post by: Mr Blue on 06 January 2009, 19:00
You need to disconnect that with an uprated loom. I binned it.
Title: Re: Headlamp Wiring loom upgrade
Post by: paultownsend on 07 January 2009, 14:32
all fitted. and that 'thing' unplugged.
WOW so bright, used with osram nightbreaker 65w bulbs. going to get main spot bulbs next  :smiley:
Title: Re: Headlamp Wiring loom upgrade
Post by: Dolly on 07 January 2009, 18:59
bin the dipped beam reasitor.

ive built a couple of cars and fix them all day everyday at work.

my personal preferance every single time is solder as long as its done to a good standard of course. shrink wrap and then tape up.
Title: Re: Headlamp Wiring loom upgrade
Post by: sidecarphil on 07 January 2009, 20:54
speaking of wiring and repairs

can you guess what this is ??

i had a wiring repair to do behind the dashboard  :cry: :cry:

20hrs and i still havn't found it  :shocked: :shocked:

(http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p18/rsturbophil/07012009512.jpg)
Title: Re: Headlamp Wiring loom upgrade
Post by: richard s on 07 January 2009, 21:18
range rover
Title: Re: Headlamp Wiring loom upgrade
Post by: paultownsend on 07 January 2009, 21:20
range rover?
Title: Re: Headlamp Wiring loom upgrade
Post by: Mr Blue on 07 January 2009, 21:26
Theres your problem!
Title: Re: Headlamp Wiring loom upgrade
Post by: danny_p on 07 January 2009, 21:44
5ltrs of unleaded    will fix it

Title: Re: Headlamp Wiring loom upgrade
Post by: JC on 07 January 2009, 21:45
speaking of wiring and repairs

can you guess what this is ??

i had a wiring repair to do behind the dashboard  :cry: :cry:

20hrs and i still havn't found it  :shocked: :shocked:

(http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p18/rsturbophil/07012009512.jpg)

Fooked  :grin:
Title: Re: Headlamp Wiring loom upgrade
Post by: sidecarphil on 07 January 2009, 21:46
range rover

YES it was at one stage today LOL

range rover?

yes it is LOL
Title: Re: Headlamp Wiring loom upgrade
Post by: sidecarphil on 07 January 2009, 21:46
speaking of wiring and repairs

can you guess what this is ??

i had a wiring repair to do behind the dashboard  :cry: :cry:

20hrs and i still havn't found it  :shocked: :shocked:

(http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p18/rsturbophil/07012009512.jpg)

Fooked  :grin:

nope not when i have finished  :cool: :cool:
Title: Re: Headlamp Wiring loom upgrade
Post by: richard s on 07 January 2009, 21:51
but when youve done someones got to clean it and when i used to have to clean them i grew to hate them with a passion and land rovers
Title: Re: Headlamp Wiring loom upgrade
Post by: Diamond Hell on 07 January 2009, 23:28
When I put my Mini Cooper in for some warantee work a few years back I got dropped at work by one of the duffers at the local BMW/MINI/Land Rover dealer, this was in a Range Rover 'what are they like, reliability-wise?' I asked.  'The good ones are great' said the driver.  He left a pause and then said 'but we've not had one of those yet'.

Nuff said, really.
Title: Re: Headlamp Wiring loom upgrade
Post by: danny_p on 08 January 2009, 00:19
i'm good as destroyinig landrovers.   
Title: Re: Headlamp Wiring loom upgrade
Post by: sidecarphil on 08 January 2009, 06:31
i'm good as destroyinig landrovers.   

ME  TOOO  :laugh: :laugh:
Title: Re: Headlamp Wiring loom upgrade
Post by: wil892 on 08 January 2009, 20:50
Hi

Just want to say. I bought one of these
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/vw-golf-mk2-headlight-wiring-loom-upgrade-kit_W0QQitemZ270326344503QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM?hash=item270326344503&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1299|66%3A2|65%3A12|39%3A1|240%3A1318

and it has made a massive difference to my headlights. To put it in to perspective the difference it has made has made me realise one of my headlights is basically pointing into the hedge. Before they were so poor I didn't realise. Whats the best way to correctly aim the headlights rather than just making them legal?

Will