Relays

[Cuda54]

How many have put in relays on thier head light to make them brighter? I am rewiring my 72 Cuda to get rid some wiring problems. And thinking about the relays for the head lights and putting in a volt meter. I have a 18 curcuit Summit harness with the spade fuses. I just got tired of dim light and not chargeing from bad wires. The old harness was cut and patched and changed for the MSD ignition and a few other things. So new good wiring started sounding better and better. Most of it is hooked up already but I saw where some used relayes on thier head lights. To get good voltage to the lights. Normal mopar wiring has a voltage drop in the wiring to the head light switch. That is why the lights seem dim at night. Anything else that you think I should do while I am at it?

[barracuda7199]

putting relays on the lights is the best thing u can do for night driving! come off the alt. stud and u will be feeding 14 volts to the lights and they will be brighter as well.

[dodj]

Relays are the way to go, unless originality matters, then make the connections as clean as possible. If you are going the relay route, I would also suggest a large gauge wire from the alt to the starter solenoid (battery +ve)  to take the charge current off of the b/h connector. 

[Katfish]

Definitely works, my lights are much brighter.  I would also run a wire from the alternator to the battery, no more dim dash lights.

[dodj]

Katfish, third relay for the marker lights? I didn't do the marker lights. Two different harnesses and all....

[FJ5_440]

Katfish, third relay for the marker lights? I didn't do the marker lights. Two different harnesses and all....

I ran a third relay for my fog lamps.  I don't use them much, but I was splicing wires anyway.

[Katfish]

Katfish, third relay for the marker lights? I didn't do the marker lights. Two different harnesses and all....

Yeah, I went ahead and added a relay for the running lights.  They are on all the time, and I was cutting the harness, so what the heck.  With the old wiring I figured it was better to limit the current through the dash.

I'm going to do the rear lights next.

[Cuda54]

I like the idea of hideing them under the  battery tray. I will be running straight from the alt to the bat but still want a volt meter in there too. How much brighter did it make the dash lights? It will be all new wiring not stock any way. But I want it to work the best in can without a chance of a melt down.

[422STROKER]

I went under the battery tray as well.  Relays for Hi-Low-Fog lamps.

Tom
Dash lights will most likely be the dimmer switch.  Does yours work ok?  They aren't too bright normally.  Contact member Slotts if yours isn't working.

[UKcuda]

Definitely worthwhile, and get some halogen bulbs in there.

[Cuda54]

I have new helogen bulb to go in. And I am trying to set it up to make it simple but yet the best. That way I should not have any problems for as long I have it. The problem was the way they had wired in the MSD ignition. As I burned that one out because it was not wired right. It just looks BAD when you have a nice old 72 Cuda and you set along the highway. Because it just lost power and stoped. When you know you have 525HP under the hood that is just not getting spark. Or it just stops chargeing and you drive the battery dead trying to get it home to fix it. I just want to make it as dependable as posible. I am disabled and just can not do thing like I use to. I know how to fix it but just can't do it. Once two kids stoped when I was setting along the road. And I had them change the voltage regulator for me and jump it. I tried to pay them but they would not take it they were happy to work on car like mine. I did give them a ride and they liked it. They did not know what they were doing but they did what I told them and it got me home. I want to be able to go for a drive alone and not have to worry about making it back.

[422STROKER]

Yep take your time and make good solid connections and things should last quite a while.  I drive mine every chance I get.  Haven't had a major failure yet.LOL  I will now though...   For what it's worth, I didn't cut the factory harness at all upgrading to relays and halogen lamps MSD box etc.  Just takes a little planning and work.

Tom

[ShelbyDogg]

Here are my relays. Attached to a fuse box that you get at AutoZone. I use circuit breakers so I don't go completely dark. You have to use these to run halogen headlights or the headlight circuit breaker trips and the headlights start turning themselves off.

The parking light circuit does not need a relay. I hook my alarm systems right into the wire that powers those. With all 15 lights on the current draw is only 3.5 amps.

[Katfish]

The parking light circuit does not need a relay. I hook my alarm systems right into the wire that powers those. With all 15 lights on the current draw is only 3.5 amps.

Maybe with new wiring, but "with only 3.5A" draw, 1 ohm of resistance is a 3.5V voltage drop!

[GoodysGotaCuda]

How I did mine

http://www.cuda-challenger.com/cc/index.php?topic=67743.msg695415#msg695415