[Vwdiesel] H4 headlights, relays and the proper speedo drive and other stuff

Thu Feb 27 19:19:04 PST 2014

My Westy started as a $200.00 save from the crusher and now is a
considerable investment. I hit one doe with my Hyundai last year here in
Western Iowa and  have 5 deer getting processed at the locker. Better
lights will help protect my investment. Do they have a complete kit?

Velma 82 1.9L AAZ td westy
On Feb 27, 2014 9:10 PM, "Scott Alexander" <salex at dsalex.org> wrote:

> I did a conversion on my Rabbit.  I went from the rectangular sealed beams
> to (non-DOT) drop in lens assemblies that take H4s.  Additionally, similar
> to Hayden, I rewired things so that the headlight switch powers a pair of
> relays, which then switch wiring that is direct to the battery and larger
> gauge than the original wiring.  I’m immensely pleased with the result.
>  It’s frustrating to me to drive my 2000 Ford because the headlights aren’t
> nearly as nice.  Some of the rental cars that I’ve driven that have HIDs
> are marginally nicer, but not all of them.  To my mind, particularly given
> that I live in an area overrun with deer, this has been a very nice upgrade.
>
> I’ll also put in a good word for Daniel Stern Lighting (
> http://www.danielsternlighting.com/).  I believe I got all of the
> components there.  In a few dealings with him, I’ve found his service to be
> outstanding and his products to be top notch.
>
> Best,
> Scott
> ’82 Rabbit Diesel
>
> On Feb 27, 2014, at 9:59 PM, Ralph Meyermann <ralphmeyermann at gmail.com>
> wrote:
>
> > I am planning on an H4 conversion for my Westy, and was wondering how
> much
> > better they actually are
> >
> > Velma 82 1.9L AAZ td westy
> > On Feb 27, 2014 8:44 PM, <dieseltdi at verizon.net> wrote:
> >
> >> It has been a while since I updated the trials and tribulations of my 82
> >> Jetta GTD so I thought I would pass a few things on.  Although the Jetta
> >> has 4 headlights on the front, I have never been satisfied with the poor
> >> light output from them even on bright, so when I had a chance on ebay to
> >> buy a set of H4 lights, I jumped on it.  Imagine my disappointment when
> >> they seemed to be dimmer than the original lights AND all four lights
> >> glowed on low beam and only the center lights turned on at high beam.
>  In
> >> desperation, I called my son who has much experience with Scirocco
> lights
> >> which are identical.  He basically told me to dump the stock wiring and
> >> relay the lights.  I did an internet search and did what he suggested.
> >> Sure enough, by using the existing left side wiring to trigger the
> relays
> >> and taking power directly from the battery feed, I manage to get some
> >> really superior lighting.  All the lights are bright white and all four
> >> come on on the bright setting.
> >>
> >> Many of you know that I had some temperature problems with the jetta so
> I
> >> replaced the thermostat and then the fan thermoswitch.   This has solved
> >> all the heating problems but I am about to mount a temperature sensor to
> >> the front hose outlet on the engine to have an accurate temperature
> >> setting.  I had wondered if the temperature problems were part of my low
> >> mpg problems but that didn’t seem to change anything.  Then one
> evening, I
> >> was reading up on 5th gear swaps to lower rpms and came upon a statement
> >> that I wasn’t aware of.  I have known that there were several types of
> >> speedo drive gears, each denoted by a color and each having different
> >> teeth.  What I hadn’t really understood is that the gear is matched to
> the
> >> transmission based on the final drive number.  Turns out the 3.67 final
> >> drive in the CHD transmission requires the red drive gear.  I got one
> and
> >> installed it.  I then took the car out for a long drive with the GPS to
> >> test it.  Low and behold, speedo is absolutely accurate now.  Well at
> least
> >> in terms of VW speedos.  When cruising at 60 the GPS fluctuated between
> 59
> >> and 61.  I filled up at the same time I installed the new drive gear so
> I
> >> could get a good measure of the difference.  Sure enough, my mpg went
> from
> >> 33 mpg to 42 mpg.  The best I have ever gotten in the car was 37 so I am
> >> very pleased.  The 42 mpg tank was 316 miles on just under ½ a tank (I
> fill
> >> all the way to the neck) and was ⅓ highway speeds and ⅔ back and forth
> to
> >> work.  The current tank will be all just back and forth to work and I
> can
> >> tell from the gauge that I am probably getting in the upper 37-39 range.
> >> This takes a big weight off my shoulders as I was beginning to think I
> was
> >> going to have to do something drastic to fix the problem.  I am still
> going
> >> to do a 5th gear swap into a spare CHD transmission I bought.  I have a
> FN
> >> that I intend to remove the 5th gear from, then take it to a local shop
> to
> >> get it installed.  From the Bentley, I fill like I can remove the gears,
> >> just don’t want to chance doing something wrong.
> >> One last think, I know someone on here said that they are running a
> volvo
> >> sandwich oil cooler (Bryan?),  I just got one and I want to know what
> the
> >> opening temperature for the built in thermostat?  Thanks, Hayden
> >>
> >> “There are many men of principle in both parties in America, but there
> is
> >> no party of principle.”
> >> “I do not know if the people of the United States would vote for
> superior
> >> men if they ran for office, but there can be no doubt that such men do
> not
> >> run."
> >> “I cannot help fearing that men may reach a point where they look on
> every
> >> new theory as a danger, every innovation as a toilsome trouble, every
> >> social advance as a first step toward revolution, and that they may
> >> absolutely refuse to move at all.”  Alexis de Tocqueville
> >>
> >> Proud owner of:
> >> 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee Ecodiesel
> >> 1968 Beetle, Still in progress
> >> 1982 VW Jetta Coupe GTD "FrankenJetta"
> >> And many, many, many VWs; from a 1947 Beetle (13 Beetles total), to Vans
> >> (5 - 3 splitties  2 bay window (both were campers), 1 Vanagon Westy,
> >> Rabbits (3), Karmen Ghia (1), Jettas (11), Passats (2), Dasher (1), New
> >> Beetle (1), Rabbit Convertible (1) and Rabbit Pickups (3) most now gone
> but
> >> not forgotten.
> >>
> >>
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> >> _______________________________________________
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> >>
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>