[Che]

Getting sick of fixing all these little faults that keep popping up in the zook... here's the latest:

Passenger side headlight has stopped working on startup, although seems to sort itself out once i'm in gear and rev past 3000RPM, don't ask me how/why, but it's solved the problem every time. I'm lost, not sure if it's a voltage kick making the light work, the vibration of 3000rpm or something else.

Relevant fuse is fine, headlight filament seems fine, i've pulled out the voltage tester and wiring apperas to be fine, all connections are scrubbed and rust free.


Help - if you can... any ideas? I'm over it

[PJ.zook]

Have you replaced the globe itself, or at least swapped it out with the other side?
Now might be a good time to do a headlight loom upgrade by adding relays to feed the lights directly from the battery, it makes em quite a bit brighter as it eliminates the voltage loss of the standard circuit.
Also check earths.

[Che]

I'll replace the headlights and dishes over xmas if I can find the time (loom upgrade will have to wait for now tho), got 2 different lights installed with different outputs - OK for the suburbs, but hopeless once outside the city street lights. Earthing seems fine (didn't mention that), will double check in the morn though.

[Zoook]

Quote:

Getting sick of fixing all these little faults that keep popping up in the zook

Hehe your not the only one i have had my car for just over a year now and im still fixing things. I'll get the aftermarket kit... one day.

[Che]

Zoook wrote:

Hehe your not the only one i have had my car for just over a year now and im still fixing things.

I know what'll happen - i'll fix it up so it's absolutely perfect, then it'll get struck by lightning, abducted by a ufo, be made illegal, or contract the first ever case of car aids... I have no luck with cars, they all hate me.

[shep]

Replace the stock earth that goes from the battery to the firewall with a decent one, that generally
fixes most strange electrical stuff

[PJ.zook]

shep wrote:

Replace the stock earth that goes from the battery to the firewall with a decent one, that generally
fixes most strange electrical stuff

Was about to mention that, its only tiny stock and more often than that pretty worn. One of the first things I did was run a large earth from isolator switch to chassis, body and engine. Then obviously from other side of isolator to battery.
The loom upgrade is really basic to do yourself, all you really need is relays, plugs to connect to headlight globes, basic terminals and wires.

[laurie]

che_guitarra wrote:

Zoook wrote:

Hehe your not the only one i have had my car for just over a year now and im still fixing things.

I know what'll happen - i'll fix it up so it's absolutely perfect, then it'll get struck by lightning, abducted by a ufo, be made illegal, or contract the first ever case of car aids... I have no luck with cars, they all hate me.

at least your thinking positively.
x2 on the earth suggestions made above also check the one at the dizzy.
by the way nice paint job

[ajsr]

the earth is always the problem on my lights in general.
find them all and clean them up and retighten.

[whincup]

laurie wrote:

also check the one at the dizzy

x2. found mine melted once while investigating a bad misfire...

[Che]

What size are the stock headlights - are these a part I can buy off the shelf at repco or autobarn, or something i'll have to order in specially?

[whincup]

7"... you can go to a wreckers and pick them up, i know patrols and wranglers are the same, as well as many others... or new here:

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/Suzuki-Sierra-Fo ... 45f79f4f2e

[Che]

^^^ Can anyone recommend these, and are they street legal? Just asking as they're twice the output of stock lights, no doubt there's a bunch of headlight laws I have to stick to. Otherwise they seem perfect.

[whincup]

i haven't tried them, but i plan on getting a set eventually. ebay isnt exactly known for quality products, but they seem fine and that company has sold quite a few on there...

[LAY80N]

If you going to get those headlights above, youe MUST upgrade your wiring and preferably do the headlight relay upgrade. Your alternator will probably hate you too if its getting on in age. Zook headlights are usually 55w/60w, and the wiring is IMHO bordering on inadequate standard. Fitting 90w/100w or larger wattage globes will probably overheat the wires and not be that much brighter than standard due to the lack of capability of the factory wiring. The acutal upgrade is a very easy and quick job, just do it when you replace the headlights.

Layto...

[Che]

Is there a techy article on how to upgrade the wiring for this? I've seen the spottie article, but this is slightly different. I'm handy enough with rewiring things, as long as I have a solid DIY guide to go off.

Currently looking at running 100 - 130W H4 globes.

[ajsr]

che_guitarra wrote:

Is there a techy article on how to upgrade the wiring for this? I've seen the spottie article, but this is slightly different. I'm handy enough with rewiring things, as long as I have a solid DIY guide to go off.

Currently looking at running 100 - 130W H4 globes, so need to bulk up the electrics to suit.

personally I think if your looking to go that big aglobe you would be better off with HID and take some load off the electrics and alternator
55watt hid would be about 150 watt halogen equiv

[Che]

OK, obviously I better do a bit more research and see whats right for my application. Could I get away with running stock electrics if I install HIDs? Just asking as I got a lot to do, and not much time to get it done, and forking out extra $$$ for this and that takes its toll on other things i'd like to sort out

[ajsr]

I run hid in mine on stock electrics and they work fine as the draw is low once they are lit/warmed up , but both hid and 100/130's are illeagal on the road.
just bear this in mind.
I run hids in my daily driver, and I do a lot of dark km's a year . But you need to set them up properly aim wise otherwise you will have people fashing you all over the place on low beam, and trust me badly aimed hid is just nasty on oncoming drivers.
they are probably no worse than 100/130's that aren't aimed though.
set up properly and in good headlights you get a great high beam range, In my colorado I get about 500m of lit refectors on high without the spotties.
my zook gets about 300-350m of good light on high with 55w hid

[VAXXi]

che_guitarra wrote:

Could I get away with running stock electrics if I install HIDs?

Yes you can. I have a HID kit installed in my Jimny, and had one installed in my previous car also and they're pretty much great.

What you need to know:

- the bulbs are filled with inert gas and don't have the metal "thread" inside, therefore last much longer
- the bulbs need a very high voltage; this is taken care of by the "ballast" (the little additional box you get in the kit)
- what type of bulbs you need; if your headlights have separate bulbs for low/high beam, you need two kits; if you have one bulb for low/high beam then you need a "moving" type of bulb, which is basically pushed forwards and backwards by a coil for low/high beam
- the original headlight cable will plug into the little box, and the cables from the little box go to the new bulb which replaces the original one
- in time, the gas inside the bulb wears out and you'll need a new one; it doesn't break, but the light gets dimmer and dimmer. Usually you whould get about 2-3000 hours of life per bulb.

The moving bulbs are more sensitive in offroad situations due to the way they're built. As I've just had one recently break, I decided to switch to static bulbs for the low beam, and use the control wire from the HID kit to command a relay for two new spotties which will take care of the high beam.

And another thing: the white temperature gives the lights' look. 4300? is similar to halogen light; 6000? is white-ish, almost like the neon lights; 8000? is blueish. The "colder" the light, the more you see, but it's said to affect the depth perception. If you're worried about the lights being legal, stick with 4300? and no one will know the difference.

[shakes]

che_guitarra wrote:

Is there a techy article on how to upgrade the wiring for this? I've seen the spottie article, but this is slightly different. I'm handy enough with rewiring things, as long as I have a solid DIY guide to go off.

If you re-read the upgrade spoty article you can simply remove the spot circuit. or run in the wires while your upgrading everything and just leave the relay or power feed off for an easy upgrade down the track.

HID's is a much more expensive way to go. for the headlight upgrade you can probably get all you need + spares from the wreckers for $20 at an expensive one!

[Che]

I've had another week so suss this out and rather than go with 100W+ headlights, i'm going to get something rated around 75-80W so I don't have to fight with a loom upgrade. Get some Phillips super dooper halogen bulb and it should be plenty bright.

Swapping out my headlight reflectors (or whatever they're called) is gonna make the biggest difference for my car too - I get a bunch of light coming into the engine bay, not going where it should be. A quick search on ebay there's one replacment option design:



Are there any others worth checking out, or is this the latest and greatest in reflection? I remember these in a recent post, but can't find at a glance

[Ben_Sierra]

Dude seriously, the loom upgrade is cheap and easy and will get the most out of those lights, and lessen the risk of your engine bay going up in flames...

Just do it...

[Glavas]

Is there a link for the headlight loom upgrade?

RE: Those ebay lights. I have them and just fitted them up. Quality of the lense is great. I run that + 100/90 H4's.

Without the loom upgrade the difference was noticable.

Two little problems with them;

They don't mount very well into the mounting ring. They'll wobble slightly, fixed it with a tiny metal spacer.

The attaching points for the clip that holds the globe in was bent on both. Rebent it and it was all ok!

[Che]

Alright, for some reason I thought this was going to be a lot more complicated than it is.... is this a correct schematic for upgrading headlight wiring?

[Ben_Sierra]

That looks like it will do the job... More or less exactly how I did mine...

Make sure you use decent thickness wire on the high current side of things though, otherwise its a waste of time. I can't remember what I used but someone here will know the correct size...


EDIT: One other thing, when I did mine I ran seperate fuses and cables for High and Low beam, probably not necessary but at least if one goes, you still have lights!

[Glavas]

Ben_Sierra wrote:

That looks like it will do the job... More or less exactly how I did mine...

Make sure you use decent thickness wire on the high current side of things though, otherwise its a waste of time. I can't remember what I used but someone here will know the correct size...


EDIT: One other thing, when I did mine I ran seperate fuses and cables for High and Low beam, probably not necessary but at least if one goes, you still have lights!

Think factory is done light that also

[Ben_Sierra]

Glavas wrote:

Ben_Sierra wrote:

That looks like it will do the job... More or less exactly how I did mine...

Make sure you use decent thickness wire on the high current side of things though, otherwise its a waste of time. I can't remember what I used but someone here will know the correct size...


EDIT: One other thing, when I did mine I ran seperate fuses and cables for High and Low beam, probably not necessary but at least if one goes, you still have lights!

Think factory is done light that also

Which part?

There are no relays in the factory wiring, and the lights are negatively switched...

And the headlights do have two fuses, but its one for left and one for right, not low/high...

[Glavas]

Ben_Sierra wrote:

Glavas wrote:

Ben_Sierra wrote:

That looks like it will do the job... More or less exactly how I did mine...

Make sure you use decent thickness wire on the high current side of things though, otherwise its a waste of time. I can't remember what I used but someone here will know the correct size...


EDIT: One other thing, when I did mine I ran seperate fuses and cables for High and Low beam, probably not necessary but at least if one goes, you still have lights!

Think factory is done light that also

Which part?

There are no relays in the factory wiring, and the lights are negatively switched...

And the headlights do have two fuses, but its one for left and one for right, not low/high...

I only skimmed it, didn't realise you said high/low. Thought it said left/right.

I wouldn't know about the relays, I've never really had a suss of mine!

[Che]

^^^ What does this mean for the under dash headlight fuses?

Where do you splice into the factory loom? I just had a quick look and thought there might be a modular connection for the lights near the washer bottle, but no joy.