Euro Headlight Question

[wkohler]

So, just to make sure I understand correctly, if I connect the US wires to the euro lights as described, they'll act just the way my US setup currently works?

thanks again for help on this.

Correctamundo!

[C.R. Krieger]

Exactly right, except for this, where it is unclear which system into which you are "plugging ... directly":

Plugging them in directly will illuminate the low beam at all times and illuminate the high-beam along with the low beam when you energize the high beams.

On US cars, the low beam filaments are illuminated only if the high beams are off. When the high beam filaments are powered, the low beam filaments go off.

For Euro cars, you are correct - the high beam filaments in the H4s are never used.

[BRRV]

On US cars, the low beam filaments are illuminated only if the high beams are off. When the high beam filaments are powered, the low beam filaments go off.

My experience: on my car, with a direct U.S. plug-in (meaning no major modification of the original wiring, just plug and play), when the high beams come on, the low beams are still illuminated. This means that with the switch in the high-beam position, you have all 4 lights illuminated. So far as I know, the high beam filament in the outboard 7 inch lens never comes on. I haven't tested this, though. It's been years since I ran them this way, but I recall this specifically, as I bought them from Duke and installed them temporarily by swapping the assemblies and plugging them in before a Kansas Run.

I currently have my car set to run low beam all the time, and it adds the high beam in the high-beam switch location, with the city light on with the parking lights. I don't like the loss of close-in, side illumination without the outboard lenses. This also does not trip my overhead panel in operation.

[muleskinner]

I'm sure I'm just dense, but I wired my euro lights in every possible configuration (brown--ground always stays the same), but I can't get the outside lights to act like the US spec outside lights. I can only get them to illuminate with what's probably called "city lights".....very low illumination. The hi-beams come on as the US ones do when I flick the switch, with the lows either staying in the very faint illumination or not working at all depending on which "hot" lead they're hooked up to.

Question: Can the outboard euro lights not illuminate fully as low beams by using the US spec wiring without modification in the fuse box, etc.?

All I'm trying to do is get them to work the way the US lights work. Does that require fuse box or relay modification?

thanks again for your patience and help.
john

[wkohler]

There are two filaments in the low-beam on US and Euro cars. When the High-beams come on, a different filament illuminates in the low beam.

[muleskinner]

DOH!
After endless connections, I swapped in my US bulb.

Voila! Let there be light!

Turns out one of the freekin elements of the H4 euro bulb was fried.

thanks for the help guys.

john

[C.R. Krieger]

On US cars, the low beam filaments are illuminated only if the high beams are off. When the high beam filaments are powered, the low beam filaments go off.

My experience: on my car, with a direct U.S. plug-in (meaning no major modification of the original wiring, just plug and play), when the high beams come on, the low beams are still illuminated.

The low beam lamps (a term of art referring to the lens/reflector assembly) are illuminated, but they are illuminated by a separate high beam filament in the bulb.

This means that with the switch in the high-beam position, you have all 4 lights illuminated.

'Lights' are generally more properly called 'lamps'. Neither 'lights nor 'lamps' is a direct replacement term for 'filaments' or 'bulbs'. That is why I use those terms. If you reread my stuff with that in mind, you'll understand better.

So far as I know, the high beam filament in the outboard 7 inch lens never comes on.

It did in mine. Depends on how you have it wired & connected. Plugging the H4 directly into the US connector will illuminate each filament at the appropriate time.