SurfingScotty

Anyone know if our cars are positive swithced or negative switched?

tmnhs81

what's that.

Go90go

Negative switched, as most real cars. American cars tend to be positive switched, so no, that police wig-wag won't work, .

~Cheers~

SurfingScotty

I gotta be sure the '96 3.2TL Premium is neg/pos or else the wire harness I'm gonna get won't work. If you're sure, I'll order it today. Thanks for the quick response, fellas.

SurfingScotty

I meant to ask you this a LONG time ago, but what projectors are you using in your set-up. Also, did you make your own HID harness or did you purchase it. If you bought it, have you any issues?

Go90go

The first half-retro was with 300ZX projectors, and now I'm using aftermarket D2S ones. Originally, I was using D2S bulbs that had amp connectors wired in, but at the moment, I'm using proper D2Ss with a harness I got from a company specialising in retrofits. Unfortunately, said company has since gone out of business. I also have Denso slim ballasts out of an LS400 but I'm not using them.

~Cheers~

SurfingScotty

How's your output with your after-market projectors? I'm using e55's and my output is just okay.

Can you recommend anyone/site for a wire harness? Mine only last like 25 hours and that's B.S.

Go90go

It's good. I have a bit of glare off the chrome housing, but it's negligible. Blacking out would take care of that. I have ZKW replacement clear lenses but since they're for your E55 projectors (3") they won't fit my 2.5" housing. Which harness do you need? D2S to amp?

~Cheers~

SurfingScotty

I'm not totally against a little glare. The cut off doesn't look as nice, but it will help light up street signs.

Not sure what D2S to amp is. I am running D2S bulbs. I'm using an aux switch for my bixenon solenoid and I'd like to integrate it back into the stock headlight switch on the steering column.

Go90go

I see. Actually my glare is so minor that there practically isn't any unless you're standing in right in front of the car. I might have something for you. Let me dig it out and check, as I've got 5 or 6 harnesses and harness parts just packed up and sitting in my room and the garage.

~Cheers~

SurfingScotty

Cool. I'll gladly pay you for one that will work longer than 25 hours.

Go90go

Check your PM because I need more details on your setup.

~Cheers~

LDH

You could easily just make your own relay harness. All you would need is a H4 male plug, fuse holder, bosch spdt relay, a relay plug, wire, and some random terminals.

SurfingScotty

I'm sure I could, I just don't understand the relay part of the harness. I don't know what to connect to what.

LDH

A Bosch Relay has 5 prongs.
30 - Hook this up to the fuse holder then to the battery
85 - One terminal of the OEM bulb harness (Positive or negative)
86 - One terminal of the OEM bulb harness (Positive or negative)
87 - Goes to the power source of the ballast
87A - empty

30 is the power source (battery)
85 & 86 are the positive and negative for the switch, so when you turn on your headlights it'll connect the power source from 30 directly to 87
87 & 87a are the 2 power outlets for the relay and the switch alternates it in between the two.

What I normally do is connect 87 to the power wire of the ballast and then use the ground wire on the ballast and connect it directly to the chassis.

SurfingScotty

I don't think anyone has ever explained it like before. Thanks, LDH. One final question: Is it better to go from a thicker guage wire to a smaller (i.e. 12 guage from battery to 16 guage on the ballast) or visa versa? OR is it best just to keep the same size wire?

LDH

I just used whatever I had. I used 12 awg all around for mine because that was what I had available. I'm not sure if there is a negative effect for mismatching wire sizes, but the OEM ballast wires on my denso ballast are pretty thin in comparison to the wires on my relay harness.

SurfingScotty

Good to know. I'll give it a wack. Thanks for the help. Where did you buy your relay?

LDH

I ordered it online, but any electronics store should have it. Maybe radioshack?

SurfingScotty

Cool, I'll hit up AutoZone and Radio Shack this weekend.

SurfingScotty

I started my harness tonight and I have two questions that I think you'll be able to answer:

Question #1: 85 & 86: I don't know which wires are positive and negative that come out of my male H4 connector. I guessing that if I interchange them, it'll effect if the lights come on in either the high or low beam position, correct? My main question is, will it do damage if I interchage them?

Question #2: I have just a 4 prong relay. Can I combine the power for both ballasts into one prong (87)?

LDH

Question 1
Positive and negative won't matter for 85 & 86 as long as there is 1 positive wire and 1 negative wire. With an H4 harness there are 3 wires: Positive, Negative low, negative high since hondas are negatively switched.

Positive + Negative low = low beam switch is the on position (you want this one)
Positive + Negative high = high beam switch is the on position
Negative high + negative low = nothing

Question 2
Yes you can run both ballast off of the 87 prong. You could make 1 relay harness per ballast, but that isn't necessary.

SurfingScotty

Thanks a lot for your help, LDH! Any idea why my old harness would stop working so soon, or stop working at all? I noticed the harness was very hot when my passenger side stopped working. J/W.

SurfingScotty

I finished it up w/o any issues. I know it's best not to use crimp connectors but trying to solder 12 guage wire is a pain in the ass....and fingers. Hopefully this time the harness will last more than a couple months.

LDH

I use a blow torch to heat larger wires then just feed the solder into it.

My current harness worked for 2 years on my accord before the fuse holder got ripped apart when installing it in my SC300, but with the new fuse holder it has been fine for 16 months in the SC.

SurfingScotty

I thought that heating the wires up too much wasn't a good idea. I mean, obviously it wasn't in your case. Maybe that was just if they're hooked up to other electronics...?

I must have just bought a cheaply made harness. Live and learn, right?