Fw: Relaying dim-dip headlights - Type 44

[Duncan Wood]

Subject: Fw: Relaying dim-dip headlights - Type 44


>
>
> Hi Kent,
> HeHee, looks like I've started one that could run and run!
> Ok, I'll try and knock out a few easy translations here, so as to
> minimise the potential for more confusion.
>  British American
> ---------- -------------
> main Beam = high beams
>         Agreed
>  dip low beams
>          Agreed
>  > dim parking lights only (no headlights)
> Not sure, We use the term 'Sidelights' for what you may call
>  parking
> lights. Reason I guess cos they're generally sited towards the
>  extremities
> of the vehicle. I can understand why they'd also be called parking
> lights as
> they are more to do with marking your vehicle out in the dark than for
> seeing with.
> In my car I would call sidelights the first switch position - 5w bulb in
> headlights and tailllights and number plate lights on.
> Alternatively there is the feature that leaving the indicator on
> with the ignition off will leave the 'sidelights' on that side of the car
> on.
> We would call that parking lights as again you are marking out a hazard
for
> other traffic and I beleive that was an EU requirement at one time (may
> still be).
> full-dip low beams only
> No, dipped is dipped, no concept of full-dip here. But read on!
> dim-dip both low beams and parking lights
> Well yes, according to Audi.
> Dim-dip is a feature fitted at least on the type 44 from about
> '87, maybe in europe but certainly in the UK. All it does is send a
reduced
> current (via a resistance) to the low beam filaments when the ignition is
>  on and the sidelights are switched on but not the low beams.
> I guess this is to prevent the possibility of people cruising
>  around at night with just sidelights on, but I don't find it very
usefull.
> Driving
> as night falls means I put first the sidelights on as dusk falls, - on
come
> the dim 'low' beams. After a while I start mentally cursing my crappy low
> beams and then remember that I've never actually switched them on. So I
> switch
> em on properly. (Then I mentally curse my crappy low beams for real, and
> resolve to relay them! Doh!)
> Maybe if it features in US spec cars, who knows, it may be called
> dim-low beam.
> city lights low-wattage bulbs within some Euro-spec headlights
> (they are not parking lights)
> Oh, maybe these are our sidelights!!
> Phew. So what I'm asking about is maybe something not fitted to US
> cars.
> Can anyone shed 'light' on that?
> Cheers,
> rob
> Pretty certain you'll only find it on UK spec 82-84 cars. After that Ford
> won an EU harmonisation appeal & DOT had to withdraw the requirement for
> dim/dip lights from all cars. Anyway use the control voltage to the dim
dip
> relay to operate the headlamp relay.
>
>