I currently have 55W halogen factory bulbs. I want to install a pair of 6,000K 100W bulbs. Will they brun my wire harness even though they say the lights are cooler than the factory lights? It's a big jump in wattage.

 

Not a smart move . . . you are talking about almost doubling the wattage to the light. Pulling that much current, you are either gonna blow thru fuses, melt the bulb housing, or burn a wire. Good luck if you give it a shot!

 

Tiger:

you should read this...

Daniel Stern Lighting

 

Installing anything higher than 70 watt headlight bulbs without adding a heavy duty harness is asking for trouble. The stock wiring just isn't up to carrying the load. By the way, I doubt your original equipment 9007 bulbs are really 55 watts. I believe they're something like 45 watts on low beam and 55 watts on high beam.

I've got the full "Oh my God" lighting system on my truck and it took some work. I'm running 80/100 (low/high beam) bulbs in the headlight slots with 130 watt Hella driving lights behind the grill. I've also got 80 watt bulbs in my fog lights. I also run the HD harness with dual relays. You ought to see it with everything on! By the way, aimed properly, this setup doesn't bother oncoming motorists on low beam. I'd recommend checking out Competition Ltd. in Michigan. That's where most of my stuff came from.

 

Ok...just to put the rumors to rest.
The stock wiring harness WOULD carry a 100W/80W bulb.

Look at your fuses, each low beam has a 10A fuse.

A stock bulb ( I seem to recall is 55/45 ) running would have ~ 3.75 amps on it. The 80W low beam would have ~ 6.67 amps on it.
If you think that the stock wiring harness is going to melt down with 6.67 amps on it, then any problem ( other then a direct short to neg ) would melt the wiring harness before blowing the fuse.

Look at what the fuse is, to know if the stock harness would work before upgrading it. If the stock wiring harness would not carry the 6.67 amps, then the fuse would be a 5amp fuse, and the 80% load rate would then still work for the stock bulb ( 80% of 5 amp fuse = 4 amps ).

BTW : standard motor data calculators don't work for automotive wiring, the stranded wire in auto application exceeds the specs of standard stranded wire, one major is the max temp of auto wire is good to 105* C, not 90* C like "regular" stranded wire ( the best reason not to buy wire at Radio shack, unless it is specifically 105* C wire ).

Just so you know, I ran a set of Flosser 100/80 bulbs on the stock harness for ~ 18 months ( before getting my Silver Stars, which work way better ), and let them sit with a Fluke Amp probe on them, it did not even draw 5.9 amps, and the harness did not get any hotter then the other side with the stock bulb, after using them for 60 min.

Just so you have the formula to check
P=V*I.
P = Powerin watts
V = Volts
I = Amps.
45=12*I
45/12=I
4.58=I ( rounded up to 2 decimal places
80=12*I
80/12=I
6.67=I ( rounded up to 2 decimal places ).

The only time I could even see a problem is if you had the high beams on for a long amount of time with the trcuk not moving.
I don't know if you'd kill the battery or make the wiring soft enough to do damage first. The battery is not gong to be charging at idle though..so that is another problem all toghter.

Before anyone flames me about the upgraded wiring harness on the HID, that is more then the amps of the fuse and the wire can take ( outside of 10 amp fuse with the 80% load rating ).

If you upgrade the stock harness, it would not hurt anything, it is just wasted time and money. If it makes you feel better that is ok, it is just not a requirement in this case.

The part I always wonder is how many have upgraded the stock harness to support higher amp draw using 90* C wire.
This is actually a down grade of the harness,unless they put in 12 awg wire.....

 

Don't do it...I deal with electrical systems all the time..a few things could happen. One you could start the harness on fire, two fire the alternator from the excessive load, three melt the housing. if you're looking for some brighter lights, check out this site..http://www.brightheadlights-hid.com/ I've installed these on Fords and Chevy's and the owners liked them a lot..they even make a foglight kit...and you don't risk fires, and a lot of damage...

 

First, read the Vendor rules..you are clearly violating them, your other post promoting your own site and business here is in direct violation.

Second, if you are such an expert, please explain how 6.67 amp on a 10 amp fuse is going to ignite wire on fire ?

Let me give you an hint.....Re-Read the post above, I did run them, and checked them with an amp probe, and the wires did nto magicly burst into flames.
Do you know how to use an amp probe ?

3rd the additional amp draw will be with the stock wire harness or the after market HID lights you are pushing. That is on the alternator either way...your comment does not make alot of sense in this regard. A watt is a Watt, does not matter if this is with the stock wiring or not.

4th, if you are going to melt the housing, it is going to ahppen with more powerful bulbs no matter what ? Let me giv eyou some help here...100/80 won't melt the housing.

If you were not too busy trying to sell your services here for free, you actuall might have learned something.

Strange, joined today, and the 2 posts that you did were to promote your own business, and to try to make yourself look like an expert, guess to make your other post look better ?

Guess I have that special truck that has the 105* C 12 AWG wire...is that it ??

Either become a supporting vendor if you want to push your wares, or stop posting this trash / spam.

Self proclaimed Expert in his profile......

 

First promoting my own business huh....no..if I was doing that I'd tell you were my business was to buymy products..
Fist of all..the 12volt.com...check it out...we deal with electrical systems...or do you not know what a 12VOLT INSTALLER means...I was just offering a site that is FREE OF CHARGE to the people of this forum, so if they ran into problems installing lights, radios, alrams, etc..they could get reliable answers from experienced technicians. Actaulyl make putting an Alarm in A DIY project. Last I knew that was beign helpful...spam, warez????..let me show you an example..

Say you need the wiring codes for a 2002 Ranger...
You'd post a topic that says...Hi I was wondering if you guys could post the wiring codes for a 2002 Ford Ranger....

You get a reply...Sure...here ya go
12volts
yellow
+
ignition harness


Starter red/lt. blue + ignition harness
Ignition lt. green/purple + ignition harness
Power Lock pink/yellow - driver door harness or PKP
Power Unlock pink/lt. green - driver door harness or PKP
Lock Motor pink/black driver door harness
Unlock Motor red/orange driver door harness
Disarm Defeat pink/orange passenger kick panel
Parking Lights+ brown headlight switch or GEM
Parking Lights- none
Hazards
Turn Signal(L)
Turn Signal(R)
Door Trigger - GEM
Dome Supervision use door trigger
Trunk/Hatch Pin none
Hood Pin none
Trunk/Hatch Release none
Power Sliding Door
Factory Alarm Arm
Factory Alarm Disarm
Disarm No Unlock none
Tachometer tan/yellow instrument cluster or PCM
Horn Trigger yellow/lt. green - steering column
Memory Seat 1
Memory Seat 2
Memory Seat 3

Just remember check with a DMM ( digital multimeter )

and that would be the end....

If you were wondering about what alarms to get....post a topic saying..who's better Crimestopper or Viper, am debating between the two...You would get teh opinions of upto 3,000 different installers, telling you ease of installation, product intergrity, etc.
So is this Spamming or promoting a business....or is this just giving people a tool to use to make life easier for them, and to give them input from peopel who don't care about their money????

As far as the post..glad to see it worked for you...It's not recommended to do that though...yeah the figureds added up with the fuse and stuff...but did oyu check to see if the wiring could handle that much of a constant load??? Jsut because the Math of a fuse, and ohms' Law for the light added doesn't mean the carrying device can handle it..meaning the wiring, and more importantly the connector...They have melted, and tell you what, if after dealing with your egotistically godlike image of yourself, I decided to even post again...I'll upload some pictures to show you...AS far as posting the site I did...thought I would ahve made it weasy for him by direct linking...I could have told him, go to Google ( if you say I'm protoming a website, for doing a search engine...you got problems, cus he could have done the samethign on AOL... ) type in Slyvania HID kits...it would have sent him there..that's how I found it one day bored outta my mind...(plus if it was a vendor link..it would have had characters like this %hhetsyiert%^^& or something..identifing me, so if anyone bought anything I would have made money...learn HTML and urls) as a matter of fact..that link I posted, if you decide to do the google search to see if I'm right...it's the second one down...

now onto Self-proclaimed expert...no I'm not I"m jsut an MECP ( Mobiole Electronics Certified Progam ) First Class installer.. ( three levels bub..basic, first class and master. ) I'd post a link for oyu to see what it's all about...but I'd be promoting a site that deals with education...obviously I cant' do that in your eyes..and I have been doing this stuff for 8 years, and successfully run my own business dealing with this field of Mobile Electronics...

And as to you reply, to the post, easy way to make my lights strobe..and you said it couldn't be done, for the lights aren't bright enough and such...ummm I have done those installs in Police Cars...and as long as you don't want ther Wig-wag ( left, left, right, right left, left, ) blinking pattern it can be done..all it akes is two relays ( one for each headlight ) you finding the high beam trigger wire for each light, ( found at the connector ) a flasher relay, fuse holder, and a switch.....Plus wire....They will jsut alternate back and forth, not wig-wag...I'd psot a site that And not all police use strobe lights in their headlights..they usually upgrade to HID kits and use the highbeam from it, or jsut use the high beam....but you could also do the wig-wag...you'd jsut ahve to build a pulsating/latched circuit....

Anymore criticism????

 

One more thing...another reason I posted taht HID site...was, yeah you did it upgradign the harness....but how many peopel really wanna run to the main distribution box tracing teh wires, than run bigger gauge all the way back to the headlights, and than try to figure out how to take the old wires out and put new wires in the harness....not everyone has the tools for that...
when they could jsut get a kit that they could buy at their local Autozone, Carexpress, Napa, hell probably wal-mart. Saves time, and sanity...

Please tell me you did run new wires from the distributin block ( from the fuses etc ), and all the way INTO the harness...or did oyu jsut get soem butt-connectors and splice in thicker wire???


Excuse typos....A little preturbed at ignorance

 

Sorry if it was not your business. I stand corrected, but this would not be the first time that some registered to this site, and posted URLs.
Again..sorry if it was not yoru business.

Yes, it handled it for 18 months...did you not read the post that I made where is plainly states this ?
If you infered from my post, your opinion of me, then maybe you need to read the words, and take them for face value, and don't add your own spin to them.
BTW : I checked mathmaticly, before I did it. And then after with a AMP meter after the install. That is how I debunked the myth.
No melted connector, or melted headlight bucket either....that is strange...guess I just have that special truck that works wonders ??
Please show me calculations, and field data that show 6.67 amps on the stock harness are going to ignite the wire, or make the alternator catch on fire. Oh sorry I forgot you swept the alternator statement under the rug.... Gee an additional 8 amps max on the alternator is going to trash it. Guess you cannot put a new HU in, and use it loud without trashing your alternator. Did you think of this before you said that an additional ~ 8 amps would trash an alternator ?
Then you also state that Ford put in a fuse large enough to ignite the wiring harness on fire then, if any other problem besides a direct short to ground happened ?

Actually if it were YOUR web site, it would not need them. Try learning how ecommerce works in whole, before commenting on it, or do you have a certification in this as well.
Again I STAND CORRECT it was not yoru site. But 2 posts with URLS in them and no info completed under the profile ( checked that before repling to the post ) looked a whole lot like pump and run tatics that some have used here in the past.

So...then you should have ALOT of data showing the additional 4 amps on each set of wires to the headlights will cause it to ignite ??

Read the WHOLE post again. First it is tail lights, second he said he wanted the STROBE light for tailgaters.
You can mimic any pattern you want, but that does not make it a strobe light. The request was for install in the tail lights.
But then again your certification taught you how to read an entire post, and answer the question that was asked, not want you think was asked. Then again, this is 2 times that you have read more then I have written...so I guess that is what to be expected.
If you'd care to explain how you can turn an ordinary bulb into a strobe light, I am sure you can make TONS of cash.
Truth be known a standard tail light cannot be made to be a strobe light. It will not come to full brightness / bright enough & quick enough due to the physics of the element. The closest thing would be to put in LEDS that light at full brightness when voltage is applied, but these would not be as bright as an actual strobe light. If he wanted the pattern only, he would have asked for that, in its stead he asked for turning tail lights into strobe lights.

Your next post, I have no idea what you are getting at, and if you are preturbed at what you feel is ignorance, maybe you could just not reply, or better yet, after reading this....put me on your ignore list.
Also put in check where the ignorance is at ????

 

one...
I understand what oyu mean about people joining a forum to post spam...The12volt has it to....it does get frustrating.

Two....it was a typo on my part..I meant Fry the alternator not Fire the alternator...it is possible by an increased load..not all parts of the electrical system are as sound as in others..Ford is not as big of a problem as GM..but the problem is there...which is why you should test before upgrading the electrical system. The probability of doing it is slim to none..but it's there, which is why I warned of it...

Three...True about the e-commerce..that part slipped my mind...since few spammers I have seen do that, except in e-mail.

Four...you truck is not special, let me clarify what I meant...in a little more detail...Some connectors and wiring in vehicles are more inferior than in others...call it manufacturer slip up on the supplier of the part, or whatever...some parts jsut can not handle the increase current flow...the more current the more heat inside the wire. the heat coems from the energy..blah blah blah...I'm sure it's happened to you...you but too much of a load on a wire, the fuse didn't blow, but the wire got hot. I probably should of said melt the insulation instead of fire...but when you deal with soem of teh idiots I do in my shop...you learn to say fire... ( let me give you an example ) This guy came in with a 2002 Dodge Ram ( forgive me for using Dodge ), he wanted the new Xenon bulbs, the real bright ones. So one of my installers put them in. All seemed good. Two months later he comes back in..they burned out. Which I thought was weird. So I pulled it into my shop, and popped the hood...pulled the bulb out...and everything looked fine. went to put in a new bulb, and it wasnt' slipping on as easily as it should have...looked inside the connector, and it had started melting from the heat. ( Note these bulbs, were supposed to be a Direct Replacement Part )...I told the guy and refused to put the bulbs in, and put in a set of factory spec ( whihc I paid for outta my pocket ). Well two weeks later, he comes back in, one bulb is burnt out...I'm like ok...go to change it...well I popped the hood and looked, the wiring insulation had melted...than I pulled out the bulb...and the guy had picked up another set of Xenon's from another store and put them in.....I told him he had to take it to a Dodge dealership, and recommended one...of course, since I was curious, I sent him to the Dodge Dealership I have alarm and keyless entry contracts with. Well they ahd to replace the harness...all the way back to the distribution box...I asked them what caused it, and they said..too much current draw...wasnt' enough to blow the fuse, but was just enough to create heat to melt the wiring insulation...
So needless to say.... I stopped carrying Xenon and headlight replacement bulbs in general. So that's what I was actually warning about...The excessive draw, might just be enough to create that type of situation... I hope that cleared it up...BTW: Xenon's were the 100 watt bulbs I carried....

Five...I re-read his post about strobe...and I still see it as he is looking for the strobe effect..which would be flashing back and forth. And if that's the case...it can be done, because if you look at the lights on a Police car in the rear...they alternate back and forth in the rear...so it goes...Left Brake Light, Right Reverse Light than Right Brake Light, Left Reverse Light. This is a strobe effect...Plus on Police cars and emergency vehicles...the only Strobes are in the Light Bars, not in the factory lighting housings...


Last...the ignorance comment was not directed towards you...A guy I just hired in my shop a month ago was building a fiberglass sub enclosure in my 'glassing room...and forgot to turn on the ventilation system..so my entire store smelled like Fiberglass resin...I think that would preturb anyone....especially when you got customers complaining....

 

Deathsjester12V,

Alls good.

One more time from me : SORRY I CALLED YOU A SPAMMING A-HOLE. Once you pointed out that they were not your web sites, I felt about 2 inches tall.

The alternator part I still cannot see in my opinion. This is an added load in the case above of 8 amps.
I know for a fact that I have put mroe then 8 additional amps on my HD alt, and I have yet to see the starts of it leting loose.
These include 2 sets of PIAA lamps ( run 1 at a time, IL law ), ?Electric fans, mostly only run on teh low setting ( FAL270 kit ), and for what the punny load is worth, Muth sugnal mirros ( only an XLT, not factory signal mirros ).

I would see the big time killers as the E-Fans and the PIAA driving lamps, when used together.
Still on mine 18+ months on the PIAAs, 18 months on the Flosser 100/80 lamps, and now the stock wattage Silver star bulbs ( slightly over stock draw by 1 amp, and I was about the last to add them to my truck ) and I still have yet to have a probelm with the Alt. I also looked back, and several people have been running way over what I have on underdrive pulleys ( to lessen parasitic loss ) with upgraded lamps, driving lights, E-Fans, adn upgraded HU with amps. Maybe this is not as common of a problem with Fords as GMs ?? I don't knwo for sure.

My last truck was a Dodge, and it is over 7 years old, still has the Flosser 100/80s in it, and my best friend owns it ( I know friends are not suposed to let friend sdrive Dodges.. ),a nd no sign of connector dedgradition or wiring problem. BUT I am talkign about std hallogen 100/80s with the Floosers, not Xenon.

Actually that is kind of strange with the Police cars that you do.
The ones in Bensenville that I see have the strobes added to the tails and front parking lights. I would have to check with my friend on the job in East Dundee if that is how his new squad is setup, I thougth so, the town directly south of me, Elmhurst also has the Strobe kits in the marker lights and front turn signals.

I see this alot around here ( the strobes added to the parking lamp housings ) as well as NICor has started outfitting the field trucks with this. I would have to look, but I also thought that IL state police with the unmarked and semi marked cars did parking lamp strobe lights, front and rear.
The Galls catalog if you get it, has the Whellen kits, as well as the Galls brand strobe kits for the parking light housings.
Just a simple matter of drilling an additional hold in the housing and setting in the Strobe light, and wiring it to the controller.
It looks real cool, and is an attention getter.
Either way, I took that post to me as an actual Whellen strobe light kit, where you took the strobe effect to be what he was looking for. So I guess I will say sorry for that also, I thoguth I read it, now I cannot recall it, adn I'm not goign to bother to look it up again. Reply to the post, and tell him I am full of it.
If he was looking for the Strobe effect then I am wrong, and he would be greatful for your help then. See what he says on it himself, rather then me talking out my *** for him.

Then we'll jsut let the ignorance comment fall to the way side then.

Thanks for the reply, let me know if I am full of ***** with the strobe lights that XLT _Sport wanted.

sms