Re: headlamp sockets

[Ed Kellock <edkellock@juno.com>]

I have had the Competition Limited harness and 80/100 bulbs in my CGT for
about 5 years now.  The initial installation lasted for a while.  Then I
started
burning and replacing sockets fairly regularly.  At one point, I found
some new
sockets at an auto parts store.  They had four, two in a newer packaging
than the
other two.  The older two had thicker gauge wire.  I bought those and
then went
all over town trying to find the old-packaged connectors.  I ended up
with about
4 total I think.

Most importantly though, the thing that seems to have prolonged their
life the
most is that I ran each ground wire (heavy gauge) directly to the
battery's negative post.

My right side headlight is again becoming a bit reluctant to light fully.
 Switching to
high then back, gets it on line properly.  I'm sure I have the beginning
of another
burned connector, but its been a year or more this time.  

Not a perfect solution, but it seems to be working better this way for
me.   So far, I am
able to see well enough at night that I haven't felt the need to spend
hundreds of dollars
for Euros, although I'm sure they are far better.

Ed
Woodland Park, CO

On Sun, 12 Dec 1999 13:21:29 -0500 Robert Myers <rmyers@inetone.net>
writes:
> Allan and Erik,
> 
> My personal experience with the Competition Unlimited (nice folks, 
> BTW)
> wiring harness (including sockets) and 80/100 watt 9004 lights (or 
> the
> lower values above stock) was totally unsatisfactory in my first '89 
> 200tq.
>  I repeatedly burned out the sockets.  Eventually I soldered in 
> several
> sets of new sockets at a time so that changing to new sockets at the
> roadside at wheat seemed to be approximately weekly intervals became 
> a
> trivial matter.  Using lower power lights (65/80? 65/100?, I forget)
> extended the socket life but only marginally.  After I tired of that 
> I went
> back to the stock lights and added decent driving lights and fog 
> lights.
> This proved to be a much more livable solution.  This, of course, 
> requires
> suitable relays/switches/fuses, etc along with proper aiming.  A bit 
> of
> ingenuity in deciding how to wire the lights so that they are easily
> controllable and do what you want them for is also helpful.
> 
> Were I to do it again, I would not even bother trying to upgrade 
> lights
> simply by using higher wattage 9004 lights.  IME, it simply doesn't 
> work
> for any length of time.
> 
> At 11:50 AM 12/12/1999 -0600, Erik Addy wrote:
> >
> >
> >> I'm runnin' higher wattage bulbs(80/100) and the sockets can't 
> take it, as
> >> most of you probably know.  I have relays installed already, but
> >> they still
> >> burn. My question: I heard VW GTI headlamp sockets work as a fix 
> for this
> >> problem - Is this true? and if so, can I get them at a local auto 
> parts
> >> store(I live in Mass.)?  Any other fixes?
> >>
> >I run 65/100's 9007's on the 4kq, and have had no problems with the
> >connectors.
> >I use "HD" ones from comp ltd.
> >
> >http://www.htnews.com/comptltd/parts.html
> >
> >However, I should note that I don't recall ever using high beams 
> for a long
> >duration on this car.
> >
> >HTH
> >Erik
> 
> 
> ___
>    Bob
> ***********************************************************************
> * Robert L. Myers  rmyers@inetone.net          Home 304-574-2372     
>  *
> * Rt. 4, Box 57,  Fayetteville, WV 25840 USA   WV tag Q SHIP         
>  *
> * '95 urS6  Cashmere Grey - der Wunderwagen    ICQ 22170244          
>  *
> * http://www.cob-net.org/church/pvcob.htm  MediaRing Talk 
> 304-574-1166*
> ***********************************************************************

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