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High/Low Beam Headlight Kit??

overlord1

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overlord1 Enthusiast

overlord1

Posted
Posted

I have a 2006 Silverado and noticed that when you turn on your high beams the low beams cut out. I found a kit from this vendor: Painless Performance that will keep both lamps on when you switch to high beams. Does anyone have any experience with this kit in particular or something similar? I don't mind spending the $40 for a complete kit instead of having to put something together myself which may or may not work. I definitely don't want to cause any electrical issues. Someone in another thread mentioned that the multifunction stalk may not be able to handle the increased load of having both lamps on at the same time for an extended period of time. I wonder if there is any truth to this? Thanks.

 

Ed

cmoore74 Enthusiast

cmoore74

Posted
Posted

Not sure what brand it was, but a buddy of mine had this mod and the system shorted out. I think it is best to go with a reputable one and I think the brand you list should be good.

 

I've been considering this mod as well. I'm surprised no one has chmied in yet.

overlord1 Enthusiast

overlord1

Posted
  • Author
Posted
Not sure what brand it was, but a buddy of mine had this mod and the system shorted out. I think it is best to go with a reputable one and I think the brand you list should be good.

 

I've been considering this mod as well. I'm surprised no one has chmied in yet.

 

 

 

 

Hopefully we'll hear from someone who has actually installed one of these kits and get some feedback. I wonder why GM designed the lights to function the way they do on the newer trucks (low beam cuts off when high beam engaged). Is it for regulatory reasons or because the electrical system can't handle the load? If the latter then I would probably skip this mod.

cmoore74 Enthusiast

cmoore74

Posted
Posted

I did a search and found a bunch of info (almost too much) on this topic. Apparently there are kits and then if you are somewhat good with electrical work and soldering you can do-it yourself for very cheap (Radio Shack parts).

 

Not sure about you, but I'd rather pay a bit extra and get one of the kits, but there are so many:

 

Painless

Mr. Taillight

Summit

JC Whitney

 

probably others...

 

I'm trying to find out which one my buddy had that burned out, but wondering if we could get some comments on the quality of the above kits and any others I didn't mention.

 

I hope you have these same questions and I'm not hyjacking your thread.

Ape0r Enthusiast

Ape0r

Posted
Posted

All you need is a diode and a wire for all of $2 from radio shack. There may even be a guide on the tech section of this website. If not, check fullsizechevy.com.

cmoore74 Enthusiast

cmoore74

Posted
Posted

No problem with that much of a load going through the wires/fuse?

 

The people that make the kits say the wiring won't handle the load of both hi's and low's on at the same time and that's why they recommend using a relay.

 

Doesn't sound like there's any truth to that since a lot of people seem to have done this mod and I haven't heard of anyone blowing any fuses or burning up any wires.

c4cruiser Enthusiast

c4cruiser

Posted
Posted

If you are using the stock bulbs, the total wattage may not be enough to cause problems with the factory wiring. Go to higher watage bulbs and that may cause issues.

 

I think that the Painless kit and the Summit kit are the same. Having a separate relay probably can't hurt anything.

 

For those that have used the relay kit, does the factory fog/driving lights still go out when you switch to high beams?? Many states limit the number of white lights facing foward to 4 lamps when on. WA has that law.

Guest chevydeerhunter

Guest chevydeerhunter

Posted
Posted

I'm using Silverstars and opted to go for the kit from http://www.mrtaillight.com/ . It was cheaper than going to Performance Products or Stylin' Concepts. Two years running and it still works like new. They have them on sale for $8.99.

TOTALRECALL Enthusiast

TOTALRECALL

Posted
Posted

Hi - 2002 Silverado without fog lights. Bought the Painless kit, installed pretty quick and worked right away. They use a couple of crimp connectiors for several wires and I didn't think that was good.

 

You know, get a bad crimp or two and start over - worked in the end, but if you have an option, see if you can solder them instead. So far does what they say and I really like to complete light output. Standard bulbs from the factory still being used.

 

Thanks

 

Mike

superbee Enthusiast

superbee

Posted
Posted

I have the Painless on my '88 and it has been fine for 4 years. No problems. $30.00 was cheap looking back on it now. Very simple and durable.

cmoore74 Enthusiast

cmoore74

Posted
Posted

So Far we have:

 

1) The do-it-yourself kit using Radio Shack Diodes (no seperate relay) for a few $'s

 

2) Painless kit with a somewhat painful price tag of ~ $40

 

3) MrTailLight kit with a sweet price of $8.99

 

Any others?

 

I like the idea of a separate relay to avoid the chances of burning a fuse and/or overloading the current wires, but what about quality of the kits? A buddy of mine got a kit from a place in Canada and it shorted out in the rain, not sure what company.

 

Any comment on quality of the Painless kit Vs. the MrTailLight kit? Is the Painless kit worth the extra $ ?

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