LED headlight question

[Jim]

Even though I knew, but forgot, that for the headlight doors to work you have to have the headlight bulbs installed. I cannot find any reference to this in the shop manual but know if from past experience.

I purchased some LED bulbs to replace the Halogen sealed beams and they work very good but now the doors on my '89 will not open or close. In addition the low beam portion of the LED bulbs is on very dimly even with the key off.

Has anyone ever put in LED bulbs and made it work in a Reatta?

[DAVES89]

I put in the "Truck Lite" brand. They are a sealed unit that exactly replicates the sealed beam lights that came stock with the Reatta. I had to use a relay harness as the car did not close the headlight doors. 

 I am extremely happy to have these bulbs.

 This was in my Black 1989.

 The other two cars I went with Silver Stars also using a relay harness. Less switch issues and I think the lights actually work better [brighter].

[Jim]

Where did you get the "relay harness"?

[fordrodsteven]

It took me a while to find it but it certainly was Dave who had done the LED swap!

 

DAVES89    643

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Posted December 11, 2015

I bought a relay harness from Octane Lighting on Amazon. It is the H4 100 watt harness. It was $25.00 plus freight. It works well and is in both '89 Reattas. Takes a lot of heat off the headlight switch. It's mostly plug and play after you extend a lead or two. 

 The Truck-lite headlights are a different matter. I think they were $350.00 for a pair. They come with a short pigtail that has to be extended. But they fit right in with no clearance issues.  

[Barney Eaton]

Jim....without getting too involved,  my first thought is by adding a relay, the resistance of the coil is enough for the "car" to think it is a bulb.

You probably only need one relay for low,  (they might not open if you turned off the light with the high beam on, but start with one and experiment) could be installed on the drivers side.

I have picked up some relay at the pick-n-pull off GM cars.......the type that are on the Reatta firewall,  that gives you a relay and a plug with leads.

 

[jonlabree]

Jim, I have a set of relays w/ wiring harness, that is plug and play. You can have them if you want.

[Jim]

Thank you everyone and especially Jon.

I now know how to make my LEDs work and will accept Jon's harness.

 

Jim

[D-a-n-i-e-l]

If you install a relay in the initial head light circuit they work fine 

Some times the will stay on for a minute or so, but I find that nice when in a dark area.

I installed mine in the interior relay area with a couple wires from a donor caddy

[DS_Porter 89 Burgandy]

I put in LED's and the brightness is fantastic but they need special grounding. 

Read my post on this page

 

 

[VA Randy]

On the linked page I saw where last year Barney said:

 

"There was a running change in 1990 that added a relay before the HI-LOW relay.  This takes the load off the headlight switch.

This new relay was added to the headlight wiring harness and is located in the front of the console and taped to the cable bundle (drivers side)"

 

Does this mean that my '91 should also have this new relay?  Don't see it in the FSM headlight diagram ('91, page 8A-4-1).  Only looking to install SilverStars, but see that they are 55 watt vs 35 watt originals and surely don't want to toast my headlight switch. So can I just plug and play some new SilverStars?

 

Thanks, Randy

[Ronnie]

You should have the relay already installed on a '91. The photo below shows it's location if you want to look for it.

 

[VA Randy]

Thanks Ronnie, I will take a look....