ABY lights - switch or?

[Henkjan]

I bought (from Olli of the german typ44 forum) a relay set that will change the lights from sending the full current through the stalk to through a set of relais. Mounted a similar set in my typ85, worked plug&play.

so I mounted this one: no lights and auto check complaining. When I measure voltages, there is 12V on the relais, but the signal that should close the relais (so coming from the stalk) is only 1V (high beam) or 0V (normal beam). Which raised the question how the ligjts function in an ABY? So maybe not just a simple switch?

[Henkjan]

Well the is partly solved. Tirned out I had mistaken a connection in the fusebox for an earth connection. Hooked up the relais set to a propwr earrh so now the lights function as they should.

but the autocheck is still complaining.. All lights, also rears, are ok.

This is the relay set:
http://audi100.net/Technik/Tips___Tr...chtupdate.html

[Nuvo]

Very interesting, so has the light output considerably improved now with this relay set?
The autocheck falsely triggering was also an issue when people had fitted HID lamps in the headlamps, it was fixed by disconnecting the K-pin on the autocheck relay. Search the forum for the K-pin mod for more details.

[Henkjan]

Thx

is there no way to keep the function of the autocheck?

dunno on the light output, ir should be better, but it has been a while since the car was out in the dark.....
But the main reason for it is to avoid a smoking light switch

[Bowie69]

Given the current for the bulbs only goes through the relay, and not the autocheck now, you can't really keep the autocheck function.

All it will check is if the coil on the relays is working, which is pretty unlikely to fail

[M2ki]

You can modify autocheck module so that it wont complain.
Also you can wire them up so, that power goes through the autocheck module, then you can keep the autocheck function.
Battery->relay->check module->lamp

[Henkjan]

where is the check module?

the relais set should keep the autocheck function acc the description (I'll try and draw up a schematic later)

[steve briance]

I agree that the relay mod is good for stopping your stalks smoking but I think there is more to be gained from changing to modern bulbs (not led or hid just better colour light filament bulbs) than relays.

I was all set to do a relay mod on my b3 coupe after doing similar on a scirocco years ago but, while I was thinking about where to put relays I did a test...

Power from battery straight to back of bulb provided no real difference in light output. I was surprised as it worked well on the scirocco but on the coupe, it just wasn't worth it for light gain.

[Henkjan]

[OT] for light gain, upgrading to proper LEDs is staggering. I installed Philips X-tremeultinon LED H7's in my parents Octavia, I'd guess double the light output (these were tested by a German car magazine, officially not permitted on the road over here, but legal in Japan), they are also made in H4, not in H1 unfourtunately.

[Henkjan]

[steve briance]

How do these led h4 upgrades work with the reflector and glass lense set up on b3? I've seen reports that they work better in the focused projector style headlamps and in a normal reflector they tend to glare oncoming drivers as the reflector is reflecting light at angles it doesn't from a normal bulb? I'd like to have more effective lights in my Coupe but see so many cars out there with awful beam patterns, I am put off.

Anyone with personal experience of a h4 led bulb?

[Bowie69]

Brighter halogen, are of course fine in the housing, LED and HID are actually in contravention of the Construction and Use regulations in the UK, and so can't be retrofitted to a vehicle not designed for them. For HID, you also must have self levelling of the headlamp or via the suspension, and headlamp washers fitted.

The problem with the LED bulbs is the cover often won't then go back on the headlamp on our cars because of the heatsink, which leads to muck ingress of course...

Good quality '200% brighter' halogen bulbs are very good though

[Henkjan]

Anyone with personal experience of a h4 led bulb?

The H7s from Philips have a beam pattern the same or maybe even better than the halogen have. But the cheaper replacement LED bulbs will do a lot worse. See the test in the link above for measurements on the H4

the size of the heat sink could be an issue, better investigate before shelling out 200

[steve briance]

Yeah, there isn't much space behind the bulb for the heat sink shame as LED does provide a good rendition of daylight. I know led bulbs aren't E approved for use in our cars but so are a lot of halogen upgrades which say 'off road use only' and I don't think Mot testers care about output, it is beam pattern they check?

[steve briance]

Philips Ultinon h4 LEDs seem to get great reviews and have fairly compact heatsinks. There is a ballast to fit somewhere but it is also not that big. The important thing about these is that they have LEDs that are in the same place and are the same size as the halogen filaments and therefore give good beam patterns. Still not technically legal for road use but that's up to the end user to judge whether it is a problem for them