Quad Headlight Harness Upgrade

TexasAggie · November 4, 2004

I know a lot of you guys have had some experience with the headlight upgrade and I know there are tons of threads on this forum about them, believe me, been reading them all for the last three days...

I've got a 1997 Silverado X-Cab Z71 with the old 4 light composite set up. (2) 9006 HB4 Low Beams and (2) 9005 HB# High Beams. I not only want to upgrade the harness to having both the low and high beams running through relays with much beefier wiring, but I also want to have the low beams stay on with the high beams. Just looking at the factory wiring diagram, there are a couple of ways to do this on my 97. I can either have a three relay setup or a two relay system with a diode in the high beam signal wire to prevent the daytime running lamps from turning on the high beam relay.

Looking at the suvlights.com harness, it looks like they have put a provision in for the diode and only use two relays, but I really don't like the appearance of their product, has anyone had experience with the new "upgraded" version they are advertising, which is supposed to have black loom, heavier guage wire, etc??

As for the painless wiring harness, I can't get a straight answer from anyone over there about what their product does or doesn't do. The #30802 kit only runs the low beams through a relay when the high beams are on, that still leaves the high beams running through the switch!! Then, the #30815 is set up for only dual filament lamps and it looks a little weak to be honest. Still waiting on an email back from them about what they really have for my truck's headlight arrangement.

Anyway, I did run across the kennedy diesel harness and I don't really care so much about the price, but I want to know whether or not the harness takes care of everything...relays and heavier gage wire plus quad lights or ???

The one on Mr.Taillight.com looks just like the one from suvlights.com...

So...anyone that has an older model truck like mine...and who has done this modification...please let me know what you used and what your results were...most of the posts were geared towards the newer trucks and weren't a lot of help, but I love my 97 and don't have any intention of ever getting rid of it...so any help you guys can give me here would be great!!!

Greg...

TexasAggie · November 4, 2004

Here are the diagrams of what I am talking about...The first one is the factory wiring on my truck and the second is what I would like to do to the truck with one of the harnesses out there...

Does one of the kits accomplish this that you know of??? I have word from Mike Abbot over at Painless that they are making a new harness with the #30817, but that it won't be in production until January 2005

Factory Wiring

Upgraded Harness

rbumpus · November 4, 2004

I currently used a kit I purchased from Performance Products, Single relay heavy guage wire. Quite simple to install.

It really lights up the road, additionally I added the HID lights from JP Cusotms. (www.jpcustoms.com) Now I can really see...

TexasAggie · November 5, 2004

rbumpus,

That sounds similar to the #30802 from Painless.

Does it just splice into the high beam wire coming from the hi/low selector switch which activates the relay to provide power to the low beams from the battery?

Thanks...

Greg

citydriver · November 5, 2004

I made my own kit with 2 Bosch style 30amp relays and a diode for my '95, similar to the set-up in the 2nd wiring diagram you put up....but I only cut the factory harness just after it passes over the windshield wash res....then I ran a seperate 12gauge wire with a fuse holder to the convenience center aux. terminal for the power to the terminals(30)...the headlight switch wires only trigger the relays...then I used the stock harness to the headlights(87)....the Batt.powers the lights without passing all that juice through the headlight switch, then I wired the diode to trigger the low beam relay when the high beams are on....It cost me about $14 total

Rookie · November 5, 2004

I used the painless kit. it took about 10 minutes to hook up. it runs one relay ,but pulls the power from the alternator directly, It taps in to the high bean to activate the low beams. i would suggest this kit. It was less than 20.00 at summit racing.

I think your trying to make it harder than it needs to be with multi relays. just my .02

TexasAggie · November 8, 2004

Update...

Just got a confirmation from Mike Abbott over at painless...

I sent him the diagrams above and their new harness #30817 is what is shown in the second diagram. It gives you an upgraded light harness to get rid of the voltage drop when you have any of the lights on and it takes care of having all four lights on when switched to high beams! The catch...it won't be out till January!! Anyway, thanks for the emails and responses...