low and high beams on at the same time?

[ZackieDarko]

i guess this can go here


like on every other car i have ever driven you push/pull a lever on the sttering colom to turn your brights on...on our cars you just pull the blinker/lights lever back to activate the brights

if you so wish you can just hold the level at a certain spot and you have BOTH high/low beams on at the same time...this makes the road much more visable

i was thinking to my self that it would be neat to some how re-wire the lights so when the brights are on to also have the low beams on

thoughts?

[Demon1024]

I just refinished wiring my lights and thats exactly how they work. but my wiring was screwy when i got the car so i have the fan on one switch low beams and running lights/dash lights on another and one for highs. when i flip the highs i never turn off my dash so yeah it does make a bit of difference at night,but if you do this i suggest using 12gauge wire a fuse and rewire the plugs to the headlights while your at it.

[MessyHonda]

how about some H4 convertions....im thinking about it since then later i can upgrade to HID like cheese did.

[AccordB20A]

your cars dnt come standard with h4 HUHWTFOMG??!??!!?!?!11one

to activate low beam and high beams on my car i turn lights on, put them on high beam then hold the lever in and not release it, it turns the low beams back on and both go lol

[A18A]

whats H4 lights?

[ghettogeddy]

whats H4 lights?

bulb type all usdm 3geez have sealed beam headlights an h4 conversion will give your housings with replaceable bulbs instead of one solid light

[lostforawhile]

the light housings aren't meant to handle both on at once,i would just say get some driving lights that work with your high beams. much better anyway

[ZackieDarko]

sooooooooo any thoughts to MY question? :-p

[w261w261]

The light switch cannot handle the amps for both lights on at the same time. It won't fail right away, but it will fail. A few years ago, I put in higher-wattage bulbs into my Hella housing. I watched for signs that things weren't going well, but nothing happened (I previously had partially melted the connectors on an Audi doing the same thing). So fine, and I enjoyed my brighter lights. About a month later, my switch failed...as I recall, the lows wouldn't come on. I bought a new switch for almost $200 plus install.

If you were going to do this, you should first get the H4 replacement housings, then hook up the highs and lows through separate relays (the light circuit would now power the relay instead of the light itself, and so you would have two new circuits (fused of course) from the battery, through the relay(s), to the light). Even then, I'm not sure you wouldn't cook the connectors, which you should probably upgrade also. The point is, that in the old days there was a lot of "headroom" left when things were spec'd out. Not any more, and not any more means in '89 also. You pull more amps at your own risk.

If you did it with relays, then you could just hold the switch when you wanted to do both lights.

[Ichiban]

The light switch cannot handle the amps for both lights on at the same time. It won't fail right away, but it will fail. A few years ago, I put in higher-wattage bulbs into my Hella housing. I watched for signs that things weren't going well, but nothing happened (I previously had partially melted the connectors on an Audi doing the same thing). So fine, and I enjoyed my brighter lights. About a month later, my switch failed...as I recall, the lows wouldn't come on. I bought a new switch for almost $200 plus install.

If you were going to do this, you should first get the H4 replacement housings, then hook up the highs and lows through separate relays (the light circuit would now power the relay instead of the light itself, and so you would have two new circuits (fused of course) from the battery, through the relay(s), to the light). Even then, I'm not sure you wouldn't cook the connectors, which you should probably upgrade also. The point is, that in the old days there was a lot of "headroom" left when things were spec'd out. Not any more, and not any more means in '89 also. You pull more amps at your own risk.

If you did it with relays, then you could just hold the switch when you wanted to do both lights.


As far as I know, the lights on almost any vehicle (including my 82 accord and 83 toyota pickup) already use relays to control the running lights, low and high beam headlights. The light switch simply provides a signal to the relay. I can't see Honda running the current through the lightswitch to power all the accessory lighting on the 3gee when that wasn't the case on previous vehicles.

[w261w261]

As far as I know, the lights on almost any vehicle (including my 82 accord and 83 toyota pickup) already use relays to control the running lights, low and high beam headlights. The light switch simply provides a signal to the relay. I can't see Honda running the current through the lightswitch to power all the accessory lighting on the 3gee when that wasn't the case on previous vehicles.

I've never seen a vehicle that used a relay to control the running lights, they're typically not a high-draw circuit. Some cars do use a relay for the headlamps (a much better solution), but many (most) don't. The 3G does not.

If there's no relay in the circuit, that leaves the various components vulnerable if you install higher-draw lights, or do something like keep both high and low beams lit. In my Audi, what went first was the headlight connector. In the 3G, it looks like it's the headlight switch.

[AccordB20A]

nah no relayed headlights in our cars, you can put them there tho. Even thre OEM foglights dont have relays.

NZ new accords come with h4 housings..... JDM ones come with sealed but whenever i get a new JDM one the 1st thing i do is get rid of those gay sealed beams....

[russiankid]

I see what you are saying, but with fog lights and H4 conversion like i have the road is clearly visible in front of you and up ahead.

[Oldblueaccord]

I always wondered if the standard headlights could take the heat with both filaments burning.

Relays on both circuits would be a must.


wp

[Accordtheory]

I've never seen a vehicle that used a relay to control the running lights, they're typically not a high-draw circuit. Some cars do use a relay for the headlamps (a much better solution), but many (most) don't. The 3G does not.


I am extemely skeptical about this, but I can't find my factory service manual anywhere to look it up. Either way, the lights should be rewired, even with stock headlights. When I measured the voltage at the lights, I couldn't believe how low it was, it was several volts lower than at the battery, with oem lights. I promptly re wired the lights with ridiculously thick wiring and 2 relays. I also did the set up with the diode so when you have the highs on, the lows stay on, but eventually changed it back because I realized that you can actually see Better without the lows on at the same time. Your pupils contract because of the bright light immediately in front of the car, and then you can't see as well in the area that the high beams are illuminating. That was my experience anyway.

As far as the H4 conversion, everything available that I've encountered, esp on ebay, is complete garbage. The light is not properly focused or aimed, and the result is inferior vision even with illegal higher wattage bulbs, and everyone flashing you, even with the lows on with stock wattage bulbs. I also doubt that any of the h4 conversions are legal, for that reason.

What my car currently has, and what I currently recommend, esp for those on a budget, is some higher output stock colored sylvania sealed beams from wal mart, and obviously rewired power to them. When I first swapped out my h4s for those, I thought there was no way they would be comparable, they appeared much duller and more yellow, but then when I got into the car, I couldn't believe how much better I could see.

Another thing, I might sound like a sissy talking about legality, but I've had cops see my obviously modified car, and run up about 2 feet off my bumper at night with their highs on, just to see if I would try to back them off by speeding, and I did, becasue I figured it was either a dui or a friend playing. That wouldn't hold up in court, but then they just lie and say you were speeding before that. I just had a ticket increased yesterday because a cop lied on the stand. I now think that anything you do to your car should be evaluated by its potential to attract attention from law enforcement. Really bright rainbow colored or blue colored lights that obviously aren't factory H.I.Ds will definitely do that.

[lostforawhile]

I am extemely skeptical about this, but I can't find my factory service manual anywhere to look it up. Either way, the lights should be rewired, even with stock headlights. When I measured the voltage at the lights, I couldn't believe how low it was, it was several volts lower than at the battery, with oem lights. I promptly re wired the lights with ridiculously thick wiring and 2 relays. I also did the set up with the diode so when you have the highs on, the lows stay on, but eventually changed it back because I realized that you can actually see Better without the lows on at the same time. Your pupils contract because of the bright light immediately in front of the car, and then you can't see as well in the area that the high beams are illuminating. That was my experience anyway.

As far as the H4 conversion, everything available that I've encountered, esp on ebay, is complete garbage. The light is not properly focused or aimed, and the result is inferior vision even with illegal higher wattage bulbs, and everyone flashing you, even with the lows on with stock wattage bulbs. I also doubt that any of the h4 conversions are legal, for that reason.

What my car currently has, and what I currently recommend, esp for those on a budget, is some higher output stock colored sylvania sealed beams from wal mart, and obviously rewired power to them. When I first swapped out my h4s for those, I thought there was no way they would be comparable, they appeared much duller and more yellow, but then when I got into the car, I couldn't believe how much better I could see.

Another thing, I might sound like a sissy talking about legality, but I've had cops see my obviously modified car, and run up about 2 feet off my bumper at night with their highs on, just to see if I would try to back them off by speeding, and I did, becasue I figured it was either a dui or a friend playing. That wouldn't hold up in court, but then they just lie and say you were speeding before that. I just had a ticket increased yesterday because a cop lied on the stand. I now think that anything you do to your car should be evaluated by its potential to attract attention from law enforcement. Really bright rainbow colored or blue colored lights that obviously aren't factory H.I.Ds will definitely do that.the hella and other name brands are completly legal,you still have to aim them just like your regular lights, the cheap lights such as apc are most likely not legal. the good H4 conversions give you much better optics then the throwaway sealed beams. if you do this you need relays. the high beams have a relay i believe but the low beams don't. this is why the switches fail. you actually need four standard accessorie relays,the standard bosch style. the reason for four, is the low and high beam are split on different circuits for safety. this prevents both high beams,or both low beams from going out at once. on the relays you need to run a high beam and a low beam wire from each headlight. on each relay you will need to use terminals 85,86,30 and 87. if it's a single pole double throw relay, it will also have 87a, in this setup you won't need this. on the relays connect all of the terminal 85's together and ground. now run the low beam wire from one headlight to terminal 86 on the relay,do the same with the high beam on another relay,and repeat for the other side and two more relays. when you are done with this step you should have two low beam wires and two high beam wires running to terminal 86 on four relays, it wlil help to mark which relay has a high beam wire going to it and which has a low beam running to it. now you will need four inline fuses ,you need the separate fuses so one bulb going out doesn't blow your main fuse sending power to the lights and all four lights go out at once. to terminal 30 on each relay, connect a separate inline fuse with i would say a ten amp fuse. this should be plenty of amperage for a single headlight. connect the opposite end of these wires together and use a high amperage inline fuse of perhaps 40 amps coming from your battery. this should be enough amperage to prevent a bulb blowing out from blowing the fuse., yet still protect the wiring. now on each marked relay connect terminal 87 to the proper high or low beam connection on each headlight. when you are done with this step you should have four wires coming from 4 relays going to 2 high beam connections and two low beam conections on the lights. now connect the ground terminal on each light to ground. carefully wrap your wires and make good connections PLEASE! these are your headlights. now connect the battery back up and you are good to go. you have just converted the switch from a high current switch to a low current control circuit. also replace the bulb connectors,they go bad where they flex when the headlight goes up and down and wear out right there.

[Accordtheory]

Well, I never checked out the hella brand, but I am familiar with it. I'm relatively happy with the sealed beams I currently have though, and my night vision is pretty damn lousy.

[lostforawhile]

Well, I never checked out the hella brand, but I am familiar with it. I'm relatively happy with the sealed beams I currently have though, and my night vision is pretty damn lousy.
yea they make quality products, a light that is meant to be use again like that will always have better optics, the others are made as cheap as possible to discard. come to think of it the APC ones probably are too.

[w261w261]

I've had the Hella conversion for years, either with PIAA Ultra-whatever, or lately with the Sylvania Super-White (or whatever they're called, about $40 per pair). The PIAA's seem to last longer, but are around $65, and the difference in illumination over the Sylvania's is marginal. I've never considered putting in a relay for the lights...as long as you keep them at the stock wattage there won't be a problem. I also have the 89 Accord electrical trouble-shooting manual, which has large complete schematics of all the circuits. There is no relay included for the high or low beams, just for the headlight retractor motors. One time I increased the wattage of the bulbs, inspected the connectors carefully for signs of melt, didn't find anything, so thought I was out of the woods. Bye bye headlight switch. Back to stock watts.

I can't imagine going back to sealed beams, but then I can't imagine going back to a stock suspension either. I had a Maxima try to keep up with me over a curvy stretch of broken pavement just today. He had me on power, but he couldn't keep the car together on the turns. Older Maxima's (I think the square ones) at least had an independent rear, but not much in the 80's is a match for our double wishbones, particularly when they are sporting Eibach springs and Bilstein revalved shocks.

[Ichiban]

I noticed something strange about my 2g. When the low beams are on, they are decently bright. When I put on the high beams, the lows dim considerably. If I hold the dimmer switch in, I get both high beams and bright low beam at the same time, which makes me think that the low beam headlights actually have 2 filaments inside. Come to think of it, the high beam bulbs have 2 prongs, while the lows have three.

Thoughts?

[2ndGenGuy]

I noticed something strange about my 2g. When the low beams are on, they are decently bright. When I put on the high beams, the lows dim considerably. If I hold the dimmer switch in, I get both high beams and bright low beam at the same time, which makes me think that the low beam headlights actually have 2 filaments inside. Come to think of it, the high beam bulbs have 2 prongs, while the lows have three.

Thoughts?

The low beams look like they dim, but I'm pretty sure that they just change direction and aren't so much in your face. My low beams have a high and low, and the high beam headlights are just a bonus. 4 high beams is the only way to go.

[Ichiban]

The low beams look like they dim, but I'm pretty sure that they just change direction and aren't so much in your face. My low beams have a high and low, and the high beam headlights are just a bonus. 4 high beams is the only way to go.

So it switches the low beam filament to one that's offset in the housing to direct the light more downwards? It seems that with the bright lows, I get way more peripheral vision, while with the highs on I get more distance, and the low lows are just along for the ride, adding little.

[2ndGenGuy]

So it switches the low beam filament to one that's offset in the housing to direct the light more downwards? It seems that with the bright lows, I get way more peripheral vision, while with the highs on I get more distance, and the low lows are just along for the ride, adding little.

I'm just assuming, but I thought that it just projected the light outwards more, and so it looked like it was dimmer. But maybe you're right, and they work in unison, covering areas the other wouldn't get. All I know is that people really don't like it when I high beam them. :cheers: