[s-cars] E-Code High Beams Stuck On

[weski at verizon.net]

Tom,

The change to e-codes changed the bulbs from 9006/9007 to H1/H3 but and 
the H1/H3 bulbs are only 55W - I'm definitely not running 100W bulbs in 
the stock housings.

The e-code lenses have very little fluting so there's less diffused 
light.  I ran 3M on the glass for years but removed that earlier this 
summer so the glass is still clear and free of any road rash.
I did open the headlights to check the reflectors but they were clean - 
no noticeable film in the areas I gently cleaned.

I replaced almost all the headlight wiring under the hood as it was 
getting brittle, had bad grounds - I didn't check current before I began 
replacement as I could see cracked insulation in places so wanted to 
just replace it all as much as I could.

I have factory HIDs in my Rossato bin that I should have worked in this 
refresh but I needed the car on the road quickly as my spare vehicle was 
loaned out to a friend.

Paul

On 10/27/2014 4:41 PM, Tom Green wrote:
> Just about anyone who wants more light output today will install one
> of the VVME HID kits from ebay for about $35 and be done with it.
>
> Relaying the euro lights does not make much sense when the housings
> and high beam reflectors are the identical plastic.  So, your lights must
> be of similar voltage to the original DOT lights.  Any old school 100W
> high beam bulbs would have long ago burned holes in the plastic 
> reflector.
> Those bulbs are what required the e-codes to be relayed.
>
> I believe removing the relays is the method to solve your problems.  
> At the
> same time inspect this 20 year old wiring to ensure you are getting 
> ~12V to
> the headlamps.  Some Deoxit on all the connectors may help with 
> current flow.
>
> Cleaning the projector and reflector inside and installing new glass 
> covers will
> probably make more difference than buying silverstars.
>
> Tom
>
> On Sunday October 26, 2014, at 9:19 PM, weski at verizon.net wrote:
>
>> Patient is my 95 S6 with e-code headlights.
>>
>>  I've been running the e-codes for over 10 years.  They have always
>> been relayed - one relay for highs, one for lows, and one for fogs.
>> From the beginning, the high beams would not turn off immediately when
>> I turned them off - some times they would stay on and other times they
>> would turn off after 20-30 seconds.  Needless to say the on-coming
>> traffic was not appreciative.  For a quick fix, I installed a license
>> plate socket under my hood and added it into the passenger high beam
>> circuit.  This worked great by draining off just enough power after I
>> turned the highs off to actually turn them off with less than a 1 second
>> delay.
>>
>> Fast forward 10 years.
>>
>> I've been having trouble this summer with keeping all lights working
>> consistently - highs, lows, and fogs.  The relays and wiring was getting
>> somewhat corroded in places so I redid all the wiring this weekend and
>> also upgrade all the bulbs to Sylvania Osram SilverStar H1, H1, H3 bulbs
>> (I had been running these in my lows and they were noticeably brighter
>> than what ever bulb that came with the headlights and I wanted the same
>> temperature and light level for all lights).  After I was done, once
>> again the highs would not turn off when switched off - even with the
>> extra drain of the little license plate light.
>>
>> Anyone have any ideas as to what I can check next to try to correct
>> these latching high beams?  Do you think the new bulbs draw less current
>> so my original quick fix isn't drawing enough circuit to work any more?
>> The lows are bright enough to get me by at night in the short term and I
>> can flip the lights off and on quickly when I need to turn my high beams
>> off but I don't want to plan to drive it like this into the winter but
>> it's good enough to get me to and from the airport once a week until I
>> figure this out.
>>
>> TIA,
>>
>> Paul Dooley
>> 95 S6 - 256,000 miles and counting
>
>
>
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