Alfa Pages

jamie · Guest

Hi All

My 33 has always had dim headlights, I think it's due to the reflector being dull/faded.

Anyway have tried increasing the globe wattage no major difference.

I remember some time ago there was talk of a fix, using relay's ????

thanks for your help.

Jamie (Perth W.A)

Eddie W · Posted: Wed Nov 12, 2003 2:18 am Post subject:

Hi Jamie
First thing to do is check the voltage at the lights and all the earths. However having said that,the voltage does seem to disappear in parts of the Alfa wiring never to be seen again. I had the same problem on my car and had to fit a relay to cure it. I mounted a twin pole relay on top of the heater with a fused main supply direct from the battery. Ithen dismantled the headlight connections at the plug where the dash loom connects to the main loom and extended the dash side wires to the switching side of the relay . The output side is then extended back to the main loom , thus supplying a full 12volts to the lights.Hope you can follow all this .
Regards Eddie

Eddie W · Posted: Wed Nov 12, 2003 2:27 am Post subject:

Me again
You could of course use separate relays. You will find that there are two wires each for high and low beam in the loom. I spliced them into one for each to go through the relay and back to two at the reentry to the loom.
Regards Eddie

Rob (Perth) · Guest

Jamie,

For best results, use two relays (one for each headlight) and mount them as close as possible to the lights so that the high-current carrying 12V wires are as short as you can get them, to minimise voltage drop. I mounted my two relays just above the ignition module on the LH side, with the 12V wires to the RH headlight running on top of the radiator, but I wish now that I had split the relays, one on each valance (?).

The improvement in light output was quite noticeable, though not earth shattering. You need to make sure your reflectors are still nice & shiny, otherwise it'll all be in vain. Total cost for me 3 years ago in Perth was $50.

Cheers & good luck,

Rob

Jamie · Guest

Thanks for the input guy's the problem is that my reflectors are dull not shiny .... any way of getting the shine back?

Regards

Jamie

Guest · Posted: Mon Nov 17, 2003 10:24 am Post subject:

Hi Jamie
In a word, no. They are generally vacuum metallised and can't be polished.
Regards Eddie

PaulMac Melb · Guest

G'Day

I just pulled apart my headlights yesterday. One of them had been trapping water due to the failure of the sealant between the glass and the plastic. (Now resealed with neutral cure silastic.)

This reflector was really dull, and I was contemplating going and buying a can of silver spraypaint. However, I gave the reflector a light rub, and it has come back shiny again! Not as much as the other headlight, but still completely different than before. Previously, the two headlights looked different to each other when viewed from the front, now they look the same.

I haven't taken it out at night yet, but I'd guess I've improved the lights one step up from woeful to marginal....

Not bad for a but of spit and a light rub... Don't rub too hard, it scratches up fairly easily.

Paul