T4 Quad Headlight Project .......... latest update

[Grubb05]

?????

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[Grubb05]

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[TURK]

That's the thing ......... I used to cut holes in ceilings with one of those in blasterboard to install ceiling speakers. They struggled even then ! The other issue right now is, the pilot drill is exactly where my screw is in my jig to hold the part down !





TURK

[Ben Marshall]

Change screw for bolt, hole in the centre, brass centre for the guide on the twin knife cutter thing and bobs your uncle...
Or it just squeals around and cuts badly

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[TURK]

Bobs your uncle ...... easy peazy ..... and the such, do sound very straight forward, if only it were Ben !

I'm currently working on a supporting jig, that I hope will help to precisely position the headlight brackets in place, so I can mark out the positions of the Hella mounting frames. One of the issues is to create what I would consider to be a universal headlight bracket, The Hella 90mm modules are specifically designed for custom installations in mind, but each and every unit has a different mounting solution as they're different sizes, so the mounting holes are in different places.

I'm also working on the issue of the hole cutting in the headlight brackets, you can quite easily drill up to an 8mm hole in ABS plastic with a brad-point bit, but any larger than that and the drill bit 'grabs' the plastic ......... throws the part across the room ( while shattering it ! ), scary stuff !!!

The large 92mm diameter hole can not be drilled, it has to be cut with precision, leaving a nice clean edge ..... it can't be sawn as that just rips the plastic or melts it, it can't be 'routered' as that procedure requires a CNC machine. I have managed to get hold of a special 'Nippler' ( very much like a router bit ) but has to be run at a very very slow speed, so a bit of hope there, but it will take a couple of weeks for it to arrive and then I have to make a jig of sorts to support my machine, that has the ability of running at very slow speeds of 600rpm.

The other option that I'm working on is 'disc cutter', like the thing at the top of the page, but much more solid and precise. I got a metal fabricator in the UK to cut a steel disc out for me, then I'll install three or four HSS cutting blades on it, and fabricate an arbor to turn the disc manually while applying pressure.


One very effective method of cutting any plastic sheet including perspex for example, is to 'scribe' it .............. you run a scribe along a straight edge, do that a few times until the line ( or mark ) has a decent depth, then you simply snap your piece off. That method has been use for years, glaziers use the same trick to cut glass sheets. My cutting ( or scribing disc ) will work in pretty much the same way.






TURK

[TURK]

Hi folks,


Thought I would share ...................

As I placed yet another order with Hella UK for some more Hella Headlight units, I thought I would show-off my new Hella 'Premium' Bi-Halogen units.

So look at what I got the other day .................. courtesy of Hella UK
Well, when I say courtesy I still had to pay for them !

An entire range of Hella Premium Bi-Halogens, all the necessary connectors and some more Pattern-Coat Primer for my other project.
As I used flashed photography to take this shot, the reflection from my flashgun makes them look as though they're lit ........ they're probably brighter than the headlights I currently have on Lulu at the moment ! But this just goes to show the amount of glass on them >>





I'll be making a special wiring loom for these, as I want them to be all ON in high beam, so you can just imagine how bright that will be. As all four units are a low beam and high beam unit, I'll have to bypass the low beams in the 'inboard' units as it's illegal to have four low beams ON at the same time. So in low beam, the inboard units are OFF ( the two middles ones in the pic ) . That should make the design of the loom interesting ! >>






The other thing to note on these units which has come to light ( no pun intended ), is that they're not switchable RHD to LHD ! I found a major faux pas on the Main Hella website and their main product catalogue ................. it clearly states that these units incorporate the 'Tourist Solution' ( which is the RHD/LHD switch ) ........ they don't !

That now makes perfect sense to me why they don't, they already have quite an intricate internal workings for the solenoid to switch from low beam to high beam, so to also incorporate the 'Tourist Switch', wouldn't be possible. An error like that from a reputable headlight manufacturer is unforgivable ! not to mention, misleading.

Hella' design of their 'Premium' range isn't flawed by all means, as that's the reason why they have the 'single' low beam unit, as that has the 'Tourist Solution' on it. It's slightly more expensive than the Bi-Halogen, but this brings yet another option into the fold. If you decide you want to buy the 'Premium' range, you then have the choice of the switchable system, or the super power quad high beam system.


I'll go into greater detail of all the available options, when I've completed the stage that I'm currently working on now.




Until then, toodle pip !








TURK

[Mr Nozzle]

Thanks for the update mate, they look well cool! With regards to the high beam on and keeping the main beam on at the same time, there's a mod one can do in the fuse box to achieve this. Linking a couple of contacts. You may already know this and want to incorporate into the whole design to do what is necessary to achieve both beams on. I'm waffling now

[robbie#t4]

Solar powered t4............[emoji848]


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[TURK]

No, not at all Mr Nozzle .................... don't even try it mate. No headlight relays and only two 20 amp fuses for four headlight units.


The only way you can achieve this safely is through an upgraded separate wiring loom. Four independent headlight units each with their own relay and fuse, that way you can almost guarantee maximum power direct from battery. The inclusion of the diode between the high beam and low beam is what controls the four units ON. There's a wiring diagram on page 3 of this thread.


You can look at the diode as being a switch or valve sort of thing, because if you're already in low beam and you switch over to high beam, that diode stops the low beam from being turned OFF ....... so you get all four headlight units ON at the same time. And because of the way it's wired up, you don't put an unnecessary load on the wiring.


All these quad headlight systems will include the special upgraded wiring looms anyway. But the systems will all be slightly different, as in the 'Premium' Series, only that series will have the Bi-Halogen units installed.






TURK

[regcheeseman]

Don't you have the lows hard wired and the hi switched by the dim dip switch. That's how it's done on bikes where one unit is dip and one unit is high beam - when you turn the lights on the low beam comes on and stays on regardless - then the dim/dip switch just turns the high beam unit on/off as required.

For your application you would also leave the inner dip units unconnected as it sounds like they will ever need to be lit ? Unless on main beam you intend having all eight light sources energised ?

[TURK]

Not sure I follow you Reg.

Highs, Lows and the side lights .............. where are the other two you're talking about ? eight sources energized ?

Baring in mind I haven't tested or even made the loom yet, just going off my circuit that' on the 3rd page of this thread.



TURK

[TURK]

For your application you would also leave the inner dip units unconnected as it sounds like they will ever need to be lit ?

The more I read that, the less sense it makes !?


First of all, low beams have to be on the outside ( outboard ) ............. indicates the width of the vehicle at night viewed from oncoming traffic.





TURK

[Jonnybigballs85]

Not sure I follow you Reg.

Highs, Lows and the side lights .............. where are the other two you're talking about ? eight sources energized ?

Baring in mind I haven't tested or even made the loom yet, just going off my circuit that' on the 3rd page of this thread.



TURK

I think I see where reg is coming from.... if each light unit is available of high and low beam, then potentially you could energise 8 lights for full beam? The high and low of each single light x4? Depends if the inner units are available to do dip and main or just main. (Understand to use in dip mode only the outer lights will energise)


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[TURK]

Thanks Jonny .................. I see where he's coming from now.

But if he'd taken the time to read what I wrote on the previous page, he wouldn't be confused. Here it is again >

I'll be making a special wiring loom for these, as I want them to be all ON in high beam, so you can just imagine how bright that will be. As all four units are a low beam and high beam unit, I'll have to bypass the low beams in the 'inboard' units as it's illegal to have four low beams ON at the same time. So in low beam, the inboard units are OFF ( the two middles ones in the pic ) . That should make the design of the loom interesting !

As with all aftermarket upgrade wiring looms, the Dim-Dip resistor has to be disconnected as it causes issues. If the dim-dip resistor is isolated it no longer 'sends' a reduced voltage ( 9v ) across the wiring loom which has the effect of lighting up your low beam headlight units ( 30% - 40% brightness ). On vehicles that have that feature ( later T4's after 96 I believe ), it may just be a case of disconnecting it, or is there a way around it ? ............. That's what I meant by 'I've got a fair bit of testing to do yet'.


I don't think that people are quite understanding the options that will be available ( or 'Series' ). The concept is to have a universal headlight construction, built on the OE VW headlight retainer, a vacuum formed 3mm ABS headlight support, with a choice of headlight cover types ( twin aperture or clear ). The Hella headlight units installed into these 'assemblies' will be the customers choice.

'Classic' Series
'Performance' Series
'Premium' Series

Each option will have to have a specific wiring loom designed, which will be supplied with the system the customer chooses. Mainly because the bulb connectors on the Hella units themselves are different unit to unit. The 'Premium' Series is very different however ............... there'll be two different option there alone. I'll have to explain in greater detail at a later date when I have a completed working prototype, as seeing it in operation is far easier to understand than a whole pile of drivel in an article !




TURK

[robbie#t4]

I have a question, and i will be honest, i have not read the whole thread! But, is there a reason why you are not using leds ? Surely they would be brighter and have a significantly lower power consumption so making the wiring and relays a bit simpler?
Am i right in thinking the reason would be beam pattern? As I understand that it is hard to achieve a sufficient beam pattern with leds?


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