Relays and Euro lights

[Chris Covington]

But Bernie, pin configuration aside, you're missing an important factor -
weather - when you're saying certain in-hood relays work fine for you in
your dry, (warm?), non-salted-road, Western climate (of course they
would!) and that they should for Scott as well in his cold, wet,
road-salted Chicago climate.
You have more margin for error from Mother Nature, where Scott doesn't.  I
think weather has more to do with it than the amount of pins in the
relays.

Chris
'91 200q20v


On Tue, 4 Jun 2002, Bernie Benz wrote:

> Welcome back, Scott.  Good to hear from you.
>
> Sounds like you need to use better relays, or move from Chicago.  A 4 pin
> relay is not the best choice for this high current, two relay application,
> IMO.  Bosch and PB make a 5 pin cube relay specifically for this type app.
> in which there is a common input to two sets of 30A NO contacts and dual
> outputs, thus dividing the current between two sets of contacts and output
> terminals.  This has great wiring advantages in that only one #12 wire need
> go into each socket connector.  In your enviroment maybe the relay cover
> needs to be replaced with a little silicone caulk.
>
> In my 44s I've had my dual relays mounted on the frame member just behind
> the pass headlight, near where the jump post used to be (it's now airborne).
> No heat, no corrosion, no fuses, no problems, and wiring runs are as short
> as possible.  In the 89 chassis they are mounted on top of the pass strut
> tower.
>
> Bernie
>
> > From: QSHIPQ at aol.com
> > Date: Tue, 4 Jun 2002 08:34:00 EDT
> > To: b.m.benz at prodigy.net, brianl at starsys.com
> > Cc: 200q20v at audifans.com, urq at audifans.com
> > Subject: Re: Relays and Euro lights
> >
> > --
> > [ Picked text/plain from multipart/alternative ]
> > Just read this one....  The case of "new" spec vs element exposed reality.
> > The problem with relays is they have a life, specifically, they have a half
> > life.  The harsher the environment they operate in, the shorter the half
> > life.  In the case of my "underhood" installed relays in my urq for instance,
> > the crap wiring job from alt to relays located them right beside the radiator
> > (heat and water/salt).  Which reduced the half life of my relays to less than
> > two months.  When these pups get hot and/or wet, there is no guarantee of
> > spec.  In fact, in my case '83 urq, the relays would randomly arc closed,
> > this is *with* a 30 amp inline fuse (then run the battery down).  This
> > wouldn't happen if it was sunny, pretty much a guarantee if it was
> > raining/snowing (after shut down the lights would either stay on, or the heat
> > buildup would turn them on in the middle of the night)
> >
> > I put up with this for 4 changes of relays in 6 months, until I recently
> > moved and properly mounted them in the glovebox area, and strung 10/12guage
> > wire from the battery.  Nary a problem since.  The problem with applying
> > 200amps relays is a couple fold.  IF your relays are marginal (not new) you
> > DO risk the chance of not only arcing them, but welding them closed AND
> > blowing the bulbs out.  I'm only sharing BTDT.  I assure you Bernie, I have
> > and understand  the operating specifications of *new* 12v 4pin relays.
> >
> > I'm only sharing what I see in practice, and personal experience.  If you
> > routinely replace your relays *before* failure, your theory/specification
> > applies.  IME, few routinely replace relays before failure.  In the land of
> > winter salt, underhood relays fail quite regularly, so do those high amp
> > unprotected connections between relay and wiring.  Mounting them near the
> > battery post means you put them near the hottest heat generator too (turbo),
> > which means half life ain't great.
> >
> > "Don't fix if it ain't broke" - ok, but when it does, "Fix it right the first
> > time" (?)
> >
> > My .02
> >
> > Scott Justusson
> > practical relay install specialist
> >
> >
> > In a message dated 5/31/02 3:20:11 PM Central Daylight Time,
> > b.m.benz at prodigy.net writes:
> >
> >
> > Do you normally jump start your car with the headlites on?  200 amps will
> > flow through a discharged battery with an applied voltage at the jump
> > terminal of less than, or very little more than the normal system opperating
> > voltage, and rapid chargers are voltage regulated, restricting the peak
> > applied voltage to about 15 volts.  They are designed to be idiot proof!
> > Further, the arc over voltage of an open relay is well in excess of 600
> > volts.
> >
> > Bernie
> >
> >
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