Need more light!

[Amc1320]

I remember reading on here somewhere about some who had installed a brighter headlight system.

Maybe it's just cause its so dark this time of year but mine are so dim compared to a newer car

Thanks for any help or guidance

[1985amceagle]

Mine are also dim, I think Casper had a writeup posted on Evo. If i Am on a computer later I shoul attempt to locate it, as I need to perform the same procedure.

[Mernsy]

The existing system works by allowing battery voltage to go to the switch then to the headlights. (This long journey results in voltage drop.) You're lucky to get 10 or 11 volts to the lamps.
To upgrade you need to install relays in the existing wiring. You use the existing wiring to trigger the relays which in turn allows system voltage, (13 to 14 volts), to the headlights.
There are several write ups to be found...here's one...

http://www.danielsternlighting.com/tech/relays/relays.html

[eaglefreek]

Rob, I have Autopal glass lights installed in my 86 Eagle with brighter bulbs and the 87 has the cheap plastic 4x6 housings that I installed Silverstar bulbs. Both types take H4 bulbs, and are a MAJOR improvement over the stock lights. I also installed relays to make sure they are getting full battery voltage.

[Amc1320]

Thanks to both of you

Where did you buy the relays ?

[eaglefreek]

Just standard automotive 12v relays. I like the ones with dual 87 outputs so you can run one to each light. Most you will find will have one 87 and one 87a output. You would need 2. One for the low beams and one for the highs.

[vangremlin]

I went the HID route which requires a ballast (?) for each headlight.  I added relays also.  The brights are a standard halogen units with replaceable bulbs.  I'm not sure the HIDs are any brighter but my son was badgering me to put them in lol.  I know eaglefreek would just as soon see the HID's banned from all vehicles 

[eaglefreek]

  I know eaglefreek would just as soon see the HID's banned from all vehicles 

At least the conversions done in housings not designed to have HIDs. 

[maddog]

I for one am not a fan of them when they are coming at me (I don't like being blinded).

[Amc1320]

Is that the blue looking lights?

Don't want those, I will stick with the h4's.

If someone is blinding me I just pop my Hella's on, they are super bright!

[Prafeston]

HIDs done right are not blue and should not blind oncoming traffic. Problem is the tuner crowd just throws in cheap HID kits that aren't meant for their headlight housings...plus they purchase lights in the 6000-1000k range which are the blue/purple tint lights. Proper HID lights are 5000k and under. I think most HID stock headlights come in 4300k.

[Amc1320]

Ok so I ordered a set of halogen headlights and now I'm getting a wiring harness , thanks eaglefreek for the recommendations !

But, as luck would have it just this evening my headlights are flashing on and off.

I turned them on and they came on and then went off while going down the road, that's scary! I turned them off and back on they were ok, but I stopped somewhere and when I came back out I turned them on and they blinked a couple of times before staying on the rest of the way home.

Think my switch might be bad now! Or maybe its a problem somewhere in the wiring and the new set up will fix the problem

What do y'all think?

[1985amceagle]

ive had that issue before, and it was a light switch, which the plug had melted as well. here is how mine looked when I had my dash apart.



Regalwizard had found the same issue as well.



there was some good information in the thread, so I will supply a link to the thread as well. hopefully yours isn't in this bad of shape.
http://forums.amcevolution.com/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=1286&start=0

[Amc1320]

Thanks to the help I got here I was able to install the new relays and halogen lights, my old ones were so dim it was like driving with candles

Went well, just a couple of small things to work around

Couldn't wait for it to get dark! They are so much better, and safer since I saw a deer in the road coming home that I wouldn't have just yesterday.....

Highly recommend

[vangremlin]

Looks great!  And I'm sure that deer is happy you made the conversion also.  This is a really nice upgrade for Eagles, it makes such a big difference.