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EFV-8 Club Forum / General Ford Discussion / LED headlight Bulbs

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Posted By Discussion Topic: LED headlight Bulbs -- page: 1 2     supereal 08-30-2021 @ 1:39 PM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 6819 Joined: Oct 2009 I agree with my friend TomO. The dimmer switch is located on the road side of the floor panel where it is exposed to the elements. I did try to rehabilitate mine but it wasn't successful. I'm still seeking my info on the relay panel. Seventy years as an old car enthusiast has produced two file cabinets of clippings, notes, and diagrams. I have posted it before. I have attached a small version. The small panel is mounted on the left front side under the hood near the junction where the headlight wires branch out. one set feeds the high beam, the other the low beam. I used some bullet connectors so if desired to have the car judged, the panel can be removed and the original wiring put back. I have noted on the photo where the battery and headlight wires are attached. Over the years I have been asked why I use starter solenoids instead a separate relay. The answer is that finding a six volt DC relay is difficult and expensive. The solenoids are available at NAPA. I also use them to control the top of my convertible. My car is a "driver"so I save considerable cost and time trying to locate hard to find parts that are now unavailable by designing my own. This message was edited by supereal on 8-30-21 @ 2:00 PM TomO 08-30-2021 @ 8:36 AM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 7256 Joined: Oct 2009 Most of the voltage drop to the headlights comes from the dimmer switch. Operating it many times usually results in brighter head lights. Opening up the switch and cleaning it or replacing it will decrease the voltage drop to close to original. You can check the voltage drop by connecting the COM or black lead to the battery and use the red or + lead to probe the head light circuit with the headlights on. Start by probing the connection to the right front light. I use a paper clip to get to the bullet connector. The best reading will be 0.3V, a good reading is 0.5V. If your reading isn't good, probe connections back towards the battery. Going into the dimmer switch the reading should be 0.3V or less and into the light switch 0.1V or less. Tom CaliforniaBorn36 08-30-2021 @ 7:15 AM reply profile send p.m. Member Posts: 57 Joined: Jan 2013 supereal, If you could post details of your fix, I am certain that would be most useful. supereal 08-29-2021 @ 1:21 PM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 6819 Joined: Oct 2009 If you have dim headlights, installing halogens usually will not help. I installed halogens in my '47, as the headlights were still too dim to drive after dark, but they made no difference. Tracing the headlight circuit all the way from the battery, I found only a fraction of the power made it through the system. That path goes through the dash switch, the dimmer switch, and lots of the "bullet" connectors. Replacing all of these parts of the system is one cure, but instead I designed a simple relay board controlled by the original system that provides full power to the headlights. Now, my headlights are as bright as modern cars. If anyone is interested I will try to post the details. LEDs draw much less current than halogens, and older vehicle's charging systems may not be up to the task for halogens. same 08-10-2021 @ 8:17 AM reply profile send p.m. Member Posts: 92 Joined: Jun 2020 h*llo,iv'e tried led bulbs in head lights on my '37. they are whiter brighter light very reasonably priced but with the orig fluted glass lenses are not focused on road. i would not bother with led's. i have seen clear non fluted tear drop lenses for a 37 but didn't want to spend money because my current lenses are new. tom. ryreidl 08-10-2021 @ 7:38 AM reply profile send p.m. Member Posts: 3 Joined: Aug 2021 !!! This message was edited by ryreidl on 8-11-21 @ 7:41 AM ryreidl 08-10-2021 @ 7:37 AM reply profile send p.m. Member Posts: 3 Joined: Aug 2021 These headlights are much more economical but illuminate the road much worse. If you want to use them for city driving, they are the right choice for you. Be sure to consult with professionals in the field before installing them. I try to do this every time. Recently I decided to buy new solar flag pole lights, there are so many models on the market. My friend recommended a suitable specialist who picked out the perfect model for me. Now the flag in my yard can be seen at night from afar. This message was edited by ryreidl on 8-11-21 @ 7:42 AM Guy 06-22-2020 @ 7:56 AM reply profile send p.m. Member Posts: 4 Joined: Jun 2020 Sorry I was thinking halogen not LED LED's use less power than regular bulbs and in the tail lights you might have to use a shunt to get the blinkers to work right . Their are kits to convert to LED out there . Guy 06-22-2020 @ 7:53 AM reply profile send p.m. Member Posts: 4 Joined: Jun 2020 My experience is that it will burn up your generator because the amps required to run the halogen bulbs are way more than the generator can produce making it work full on all the time and eventually knocking out the armature, I had this happen to me 2 times so I went with an alternator 6 volt that puts out 60 amps at idle way more than enough to offset the need and yes Halogen bulbs are way brighter and they were used in Volkswagen when they were still using 6 volt systems and have the same base that the 12 volt version has. Junglejim 06-22-2020 @ 7:12 AM reply profile send p.m. Member Posts: 17 Joined: Jun 2020 Any update on this topic? I realize its 2 years old.

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