Dimmed headlights

Dimmed headlights

Author
Discussion

JumboBeef

3,772 posts

176 months

Wednesday 15th April 2015
quotequote all
B@man said:
To stop the pods raising with the side lights there are a pair of brown/white wire's that go from the pod control relay to the diode and a second brown/white attached to the same pin on the relay that goes back into the loom (couldn't find where it went to ?) anyway cutting this keeps the pods down when the side lights are on, I've put a connector in here so I can restore the original operation if I need to, the single diode seems to be enough to keep the pods up for dip & main.
Sorry, confused. Of the six wires, which one(s) do I cut? How many brown/white wires are there in total? Three?

Thanks.

To add: more confused now. I can only see one brown/white wire.

Also if I remove the whole unit, the pods do rise on sides with ignition on but do not light and stay up on main and the headlights do light. Turn the ignition off, and pods drop and sides stay on.

So I have got rid of the dim dip part, but the pods still rise on sides with ignition on, how do I stop them from doing this please?

bradderztvr

364 posts

146 months

Wednesday 15th April 2015
quotequote all
Am I missing the point or is my car a complete anomaly?
The light switch has two positions.....
1. Side lights on with the pods down (no headlights on)
2. Pods up both head and sides on
Believe the car is as it came from the factory, never had any wires snipped etc.

mrzigazaga

18,534 posts

164 months

Wednesday 15th April 2015
quotequote all
Ah but on the early 350i don't you have the old rocker switch for the headlights and not the toggle type on the top steering cowling?..Delilah had the early switch and she had a side light position on it and then the main beam..But if you flash someone the pods come up....Whereas with the driving lights on the early 350i that doesn't happen...If i put mine on 1st position..(Toggle) then i too have pods up and side lights...Would be cool just to have a sidelight switch.....Ziga

bradderztvr

364 posts

146 months

Wednesday 15th April 2015
quotequote all
Yes the old 350's have the rocker switch, so driving with just sidelights is easy. Why the change I wonder ? As it doesn't sound like a popular improvement.

Wedg1e

26,760 posts

264 months

Thursday 16th April 2015
quotequote all
bradderztvr said:
Am I missing the point or is my car a complete anomaly?
The light switch has two positions.....
1. Side lights on with the pods down (no headlights on)
2. Pods up both head and sides on
Believe the car is as it came from the factory, never had any wires snipped etc.
Nope, that's the same as my '87 390SE. There was a narrow window (88-89?) when the DoT mandated 'Dim-Dip' headlamps and those cars would have to have the pods up as soon as you put the sidelights on because it also had to show the dipped beams, dimly lit (self-explanatory, I know whistle).
With the passing of years, owner's bodgifications, component failures etc. there are likely to be some cars that lift the pods on sidelights but no longer light up the dipped beams.

JumboBeef

3,772 posts

176 months

Thursday 16th April 2015
quotequote all
JumboBeef said:
B@man said:
To stop the pods raising with the side lights there are a pair of brown/white wire's that go from the pod control relay to the diode and a second brown/white attached to the same pin on the relay that goes back into the loom (couldn't find where it went to ?) anyway cutting this keeps the pods down when the side lights are on, I've put a connector in here so I can restore the original operation if I need to, the single diode seems to be enough to keep the pods up for dip & main.
Sorry, confused. Of the six wires, which one(s) do I cut? How many brown/white wires are there in total? Three?

Thanks.

To add: more confused now. I can only see one brown/white wire.

Also if I remove the whole unit, the pods do rise on sides with ignition on but do not light and stay up on main and the headlights do light. Turn the ignition off, and pods drop and sides stay on.

So I have got rid of the dim dip part, but the pods still rise on sides with ignition on, how do I stop them from doing this please?
I know the answer is in here, but can I see it? Now I've pulled the dim/dip module completely, the only other connection seems to be the two red wires on pin 5. Do I cut one of these? But no one has mentioned anything about red wires.......confused



(taken from the other thread, thanks!)

B@man

1,486 posts

203 months

Thursday 16th April 2015
quotequote all
Wow historic thread resurrection... Ah the days when all I had to worry about was bits of wire... ;-)

As this was some time ago I can't remember however looking at the circuit approximation you need to disconnect the wire I have marked. This prevents the pod control relay energizing with the light switch in the "side" position. The connections to the dim dip module are just unplugged from the module. if you start cutting things you disconnect the side lights !



JumboBeef

3,772 posts

176 months

Thursday 16th April 2015
quotequote all
So its the brown/black wire from the main light switch? What happened to the brown/white wire(s)? confused

Can I get to this wire without going behind the dash? Does it go anywhere accessible?

Thanks for the reply smile

Edited by JumboBeef on Thursday 16th April 11:59

B@man

1,486 posts

203 months

Thursday 16th April 2015
quotequote all
As to the colour change no idea it's along time since the first post and it's possible that not all looms are the same.

I disconnected the wire at the back of the fuse/relay block, I may have a photo somewhere at home.

JumboBeef

3,772 posts

176 months

Thursday 16th April 2015
quotequote all
If you do have a photo, that would be great, thanks.

JumboBeef

3,772 posts

176 months

Tuesday 21st April 2015
quotequote all
B@man said:
I disconnected the wire at the back of the fuse/relay block, I may have a photo somewhere at home.
Hello. Any luck finding the photo please? I would love to get this job finished.

Thanks smile

B@man

1,486 posts

203 months

Tuesday 21st April 2015
quotequote all
Apologies overseas at the moment and the folder I need isn't one I have remote access to.

Back in blighty tomorrow so I will have a look in the evening

B@man

1,486 posts

203 months

Thursday 23rd April 2015
quotequote all
B@man said:
Apologies overseas at the moment and the folder I need isn't one I have remote access to.

Back in blighty tomorrow so I will have a look in the evening
Had a look last night and I can't find the photo.

All I did was dropped the fuse / relay board down. Locate the diode mounted on the side of the block and follow the wire from the stripe end of the diode which is connected to the coil of the pod control relay and another wire that goes into the loom.

Cut and insulate this wire and pods will stay down until you turn on headlamps.

Don't cut the wire close to either end, make your cut in the middle so you have sufficient wire to join it back up again if you need to.

JumboBeef

3,772 posts

176 months

Thursday 23rd April 2015
quotequote all
B@man said:
Locate the diode mounted on the side of the block and follow the wire from the stripe end of the diode which is connected to the coil of the pod control relay and another wire that goes into the loom.

Cut and insulate this wire and pods will stay down until you turn on headlamps.
Sorry I must be as dim as my headlights. You say cut "this wire" but you mention two wires. Which one do I cut?

Thanks for taking the time to reply.

B@man

1,486 posts

203 months

Thursday 23rd April 2015
quotequote all
To clarify : Cut the Wire that goes from the relay into the loom.

If you cut the other one between the diode and the relay the pods will become very shy and you won't see where you are going

JumboBeef

3,772 posts

176 months

Thursday 23rd April 2015
quotequote all
Thanks!

I'll have a look at the weekend. What's the worse that could happen....

B@man

1,486 posts

203 months

Thursday 23rd April 2015
quotequote all
JumboBeef said:
I'll have a look at the weekend. What's the worse that could happen....
Exactly!


Edited by B@man on Friday 24th April 10:53

stevoj

798 posts

160 months

Thursday 23rd April 2015
quotequote all
I'll watch with anticipation, I also want to achieve this but think i'll wait until after the MOT which is due next week - just in case!

JumboBeef

3,772 posts

176 months

Saturday 25th April 2015
quotequote all
Tim nice but dim here. I still can't find what I'm.looking for..... Help!


Wedg1e

26,760 posts

264 months

Saturday 25th April 2015
quotequote all
JumboBeef said:
Tim nice but dim here. I still can't find what I'm.looking for..... Help!

Phwoooar, car electrical porn hehe - if only they were all that tidy.

ETA I can't see any headlamp control diodes in there, wonder where they're hiding...

Edited by Wedg1e on Saturday 25th April 11:52