Summit Racing's warehouse/outlet is about 3 miles away from me, I was over there this morning and saw that they have a headlight booster for $39.95 that has the harness and the relays on it. Has anyone tried this thing?

The part number is SUM-890035.

I've got a similar set up on my jeep that I trail ride and hunt out off. It works really good on my jeep major difference in the briteness of the lights. When I do the motor swap in my dually I will be redoing the lighting in it the same way. If it is made like mine with the relays the switch is controling the relays with out all of the load.

I'll let ya know, I bought it to try. I was going to make my own but, what the heck, $40 is not bad as a test.

I've got a system like this that uses relays operated by the switch. I ran 12 ga. wire to all the bulbs from the relays and ran the power wire for the bulbs to the alternator for more voltage. Also, when the lights are on bright all four bulbs burn. Its REALLY bright!! I don't think the bulbs will last a long but we have a LOT of deer here and the price of bulbs pales in comparison to a new front end.

Question for Mr. TailLight. Checked out your site looks neat. Now the question. 98 Chevy 1500 Pickup

After you run the truck for about a half hour with the headlights on, the headlights and the dash lights will go out.

The daylight run headlights come on.

Minute goes by and the headlights will come back on.

Switch has no effect and does this with high beam also.

This will repeat itself off and on quicker once it has commenced usually.

Any Ideas on what the problem is?

Do you have a relay kit that will take the load off the OEM circuit for both the low and high beam?

Mr TailLight,

Would you happen to have a Diesel Place deal for a 99 K2500 Suburban front grill? Does the kit include the amber sidemarkers?

I have not tried the Summit Racing booster, but the harness that I have comes from an advertiser here (can't remember which).

If you are looking for general feedback on the booster I can tell you that it makes a dramatic difference in the highbeam output. It's a quality kit with thick wires, HD relays and OEM connectors. There is no daytime driving lights dim feature, so unless you like driving with your emergency brake on, your lights will always be at 100% :D

Well I guess Mr. TailLight's response answered my next light question. "What do you do about these headlights when the plastic starts to turn opaque?"

Thanks!

I can highly recommend Kennedy's HB kit been on my truck for 3 years now, one problem I have seen with the less expensive "Painless et als" kits available at the discount houses, is they do next to nothing to beef up marginal wiring GM provided for headlight system. Kennedy kit is a clean install & powers from it's own wiring/ relays.

On opaque lights, not a whole lot of help, some say they can be buffed clear again, I've not been too successful at that myself, GM last time I replaced mine says newer plastic they use is less susceptable to it yellowing, but dealer price makes you want to choke, JC Whitney had some good prices on replacement lenses a while back, I don't know current status.

After I posted here, I popped up MR TL site attractive pricing there as well.

Some German cars have European version lamps called e-codes that have a better beam/lens. It might be worth investigating that route too if you plan on replacing your lamp assembly.

TD,

I had looked at Kennedy's and if this doesn't work, that is the way I plan to go. The thing is, this is the same idea.. Relays and a battery feed with the whole mess switched by putting the original wiring plug into the new harness.

I understand there is a whole you-get-what-you-pay-for component to this also, but I have to save everywhere I can to get the $$$ saved to buy JK's intercooler and chip for my rig.http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/images/smilies/rockon.gif These damn addictive performance upgrades are rough on a county workers salary. http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/images/smilies/smile.gif

SuperTuscan,

Thanks for the E-code lighting idea, I have been trying to locate some of the 100 watt offroad bulbs for when I am out in the BlackRock desert offroading only of course. http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/images/smilies/rolleyes.gif

Question for Mr. TailLight. Checked out your site looks neat. Now the question. 98 Chevy 1500 Pickup

After you run the truck for about a half hour with the headlights on, the headlights and the dash lights will go out.

The daylight run headlights come on.

Minute goes by and the headlights will come back on.

Switch has no effect and does this with high beam also.

This will repeat itself off and on quicker once it has commenced usually.

Any Ideas on what the problem is?

Do you have a relay kit that will take the load off the OEM circuit for both the low and high beam?
i have found this one other time and it turned out to be a bad head light switch. as for seperate relay haness for the high and low beam, your truck is already factory equiped with them and the relays are mounted under the hood. i have a big feeling if the problem is NOT in the switch, then i would say you have a short somehere. i would replace the head light switch and statrt there. that should cure the problem, but you never know!

Mr TailLight,

Would you happen to have a Diesel Place deal for a 99 K2500 Suburban front grill? Does the kit include the amber sidemarkers?i would be glad to help any of you fellas out with the parts you need.

first off do you have the old body syle (carry over) or the newer 99-02 style?

Well I guess Mr. TailLight's response answered my next light question. "What do you do about these headlights when the plastic starts to turn opaque?"

Thanks!
there is a plast cleaner out there called "one grand plastic polish" this stuff is AMAZING!! but as you all know, once plastic turns color, it is the pigment in the plastic, and all you can do it clean up the surface. the "best" way to cure is to replace the light with new, or go for the all glass head light lens.

i originally posted on the first page and someone must have took the post off, i mentioned our web site and i probly should not have. i was just saying their are other places out there to get the same end result for your head lights and not have to spend as much.


if i pissed of admin, i do apologize! :cool:

It is the old style chrome w/composite lights. You can PM me with details if you would like. Thanks.

Speaking strictly for my own kit, I have large SEALED relays, 12 gauge wire, and current overload protection on the system. I also have dual grounds (1 per pair)

Of all of the kits sold so far, the problems have been limited to: 1) Ground location not clean 2) Bent pins in the cavity connector 3) Relays filled with water due to improper mounting, and jet spray.

If you can drive water into a sealed relay imagine how easy it would be to do this on a non sealed unit...

Thanks for the input JK, I just looked at this one again. It is grounded at each bulb connector but the relays aren't sealed. It was a summit part number but the actual manufacturer is American Products Corp. My guess is that this will be a temporary thing and I will get yours. Turbine Doc has me convinced I need your chip and to wedge your big intercooler on my rig so that is what I am saving for now.

Lets see, ring for girlfriend... intercooler and chip.. hmmmmm :confused:

I havent used them but, somebody makes a street legal HID kit for the '88 to 2000. The are really expensive, like $400. But my mother inlaw's BMW has HIDs and boy are they nice.

Just an FYI since you all are talking bright headlights.

-John

I havent used them but, somebody makes a street legal HID kit for the '88 to 2000. The are really expensive, like $400. But my mother inlaw's BMW has HIDs and boy are they nice.

Just an FYI since you all are talking bright headlights.

-John You usually will not get anywhere near the performance or reliability from an aftermarket HID kit as opposed to an OEM HID headlight system. The reason for this is that OEM HID headlights and their reflectors are designed for the HID bulbs. Most aftermarket HID kits use your existing headlights with their reflectors that were designed for Halogen bulbs so usually the beam pattern and throw is nowhere near as good as an OEM HID system that was designed as a true HID system.

Instead of spending $400, a much better solution would be to install a premium quality Headlight Booster Harness such as the ones sold by Kennedy or Diesel Services Group. As to bulbs, I have done a fair amount of research and have decided to go with Philips Vision Plus bulbs that are said to provide 50% more light than a standard halogen bulb while still giving long life. I was going to buy Philips 75/100 watt Rally bulbs but it appears some people have sometimes experienced a considerably shorter lifespan plus the Rally bulbs are said to have been discontinued and so are very hard to find.

The bad thing is the Vision Plus bulbs seem to be hard as hell to find - the only place in the USA I was able to find Philips Vision Plus bulbs online was here (http://shop.store.yahoo.com/aid-auto/viplrebu90.html) - their prices are pretty darn good compared to what local parts stores want for Sylvania and other brand premium bulbs.

As to the question earlier about the "euro" lights, this is a popular mod on my Impala, or was until GM stopped producing them, then ran out of stock. There is a LOT of info out there on why the european lighting systems are so much better than US systems are, and it basically centers around DOT having stupid requirements for the light pattern. The difference on the Impalas is dramatic. The euro lights are brighter (then old yellowed ones, b/c they are leaded glass, I think, instead of plastic) and the beam has a sharp cutoff just below the trunk line of the cars in front of you, with a better spread, so you get better lighting and less glare for oncoming cars. The Impala code is T84, and I was looking around for a code for our trucks, but I don't remember what the exact outcome was. I think they just weren't available. If anyone has access to RPO code lists and part # lists, the lights are called something like "Export lamp, RH rule of road".

-Chris

HEY GMC are you a member on any of the Impala SS boards?

Question for Mr. TailLight. Checked out your site looks neat. Now the question. 98 Chevy 1500 Pickup

After you run the truck for about a half hour with the headlights on, the headlights and the dash lights will go out.

The daylight run headlights come on.

Minute goes by and the headlights will come back on.

Switch has no effect and does this with high beam also.

This will repeat itself off and on quicker once it has commenced usually.

Any Ideas on what the problem is?

Do you have a relay kit that will take the load off the OEM circuit for both the low and high beam?
You need a new head light switch first then you need to remove the load from the park light circuit thats where these head light switches fail at. I did this by cutting that wire as it leaves the cab and used it to trigger a relay that carries all the park lights. ;) :cool:

Carey

Bowtie;
I'm a member of ISSCA, and of course the ImpalaSSForum.... I was a member of another one too, but its been so long I don't even remember the page anymore :-) Looks like we've got similar vehicles.... I have a T56 to put in my Impala though ;-)

-Chris

Chris surely you aint talking bout an Allison T56,:eek: :eek: :eek:

BTW I still have that PWR TRAXX still in the box just got my PML diff cover so I'm one more obstacle closer from that 2yr old get around to it project.:lol:

Here are my opinions and findings of the Summit light booster:

The wiring is dual 12 gauge and the connectors were crimped acceptably. The whole mess is loomed in yellow plastic tubing. The positive went directly to the battery and was marginal for the ring lug so I got a better ring lug and crimped and soldered it.

There was no ground back to the battery, there was a toothed ground ring to screw to the body near the light. No way! got dual 10 gauge black wire and made a return harness.

JK was right about the relays. One of them didn't work and after modifying the thing I couldn't get another relay from Summit. Sigh.. off to Napa for 2 good relays. Searched ham radio junk box and found a sealed box to mount relays in and grommets to protect the cable entry.

I also dug in the ham radio junk box for a big diode to use for the high beam mod and figured out proper location and direction for diode.

All in all, I am out time, the original $40 for the harness and $23 for the relays. I had the box, wire, grommets, and rings.

The thing works as advertised now. It may have worked at least for a while in the original configuration, but too many years chasing electrons and my stubborness made this a personal battle.

I would suggest going with either JK or DSG's headlight booster harness. As I originally said, this was all experimentation from someone who is sick enough to build his own radio gear. http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/images/smilies/biggrin.gif