2000/2001 ES300 headlight wiring rating?
04-11-10, 11:33 AM
#1
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2000/2001 ES300 headlight wiring rating?
I'm wondering if I can get ride of my relay harness and directly plug my HID's into the stock wiring. I've got the ratings for the exact ballasts I'm using, which is the top ballast in the photo below,
I'm guessing that if the startup and operating volts/amps are less than the stock wiring's limits, than I should be good to go by plugging in directly. Does anyone know what the rating is on the 2000/2001 ES's?
This also brings up my hypothesis that the wiring up to the point of where ballasts would hook up in halogen-installed 2000/2001 ES's was the same as the wiring in the HID installed ES's, in which case the wiring in a halogen installed ES could handle an HID retrofit. Does anyone know if this is indeed the case?
I'm guessing that if the startup and operating volts/amps are less than the stock wiring's limits, than I should be good to go by plugging in directly. Does anyone know what the rating is on the 2000/2001 ES's?
This also brings up my hypothesis that the wiring up to the point of where ballasts would hook up in halogen-installed 2000/2001 ES's was the same as the wiring in the HID installed ES's, in which case the wiring in a halogen installed ES could handle an HID retrofit. Does anyone know if this is indeed the case?
Last edited by GoodRevs; 04-11-10 at 11:45 AM.
04-11-10, 12:38 PM
#2
As mentioned; junk it.
An interesting read:
From here: http://forum.miata.net/vb/showthread.php?t=270562
...same initial questions as you were asking in this thread and the other HID thread about the conversion, this should give you a very good understanding of why it is an unnecessary add-on in these cars.
If it doesn't flicker upon 'illuminating/while on' then there is no need for it.
-Mike-
P.S. this was the link i was trying to find last time i was trying to explain my reasoning, and i stumbled upon it again!
An interesting read:
Whoa, slow down guys. This thread has alot of confused and downright misused terms...
* The car operates on a 12VOLT system. (14.4VOLT plus or minus while running if you really want to split hairs) We all can agree on that.
* The 2001+ headlight housing uses a 9006 bulb for the low beams. It's rated to draw 55WATTS of power. Which means that the factory low beams pull roughly 4.5AMPS of current per bulb. Please note that overdrawing a wire is completely dependant on the current being drawn, and unrelated to voltage.
* An HID bulb requires a ballast and ignitor to operate. Most newer ballasts have the ignitor built in. The ballast's job is to convert the 14.4VOLT DC power source that is feeding it into a 20,000VOLT AC signal for the bulb to use. THIS VOLTAGE CHANGE HAS NO EFFECT ON THE CAR'S WIRING.
* The HID kits most people are installing consume 35WATTS of power per side. At a 14.4VOLT supply voltage, there's a roughly 2.5AMP current draw per bulb. (LESS current draw, which means the wires are loaded less than they were with the halogen bulbs)
So why use a relay? Immediately at startup, HIDs will actually pull more power than a standard halogen bulb for an extremely short period of time. Also, using a relay and better ground can help reduce the voltage drop at the headlight harness by a few tenths of a volt. But I propose it's completely unnecessary. Why?
HID ballasts will automatically adjust their operating voltage depending on the voltage level on their input. Even if the voltage were to dip a full volt or two at the input, they compensate for it. So the lower voltage drop benefit is nil.
The instantaneous power burst at startup is not sufficiently long enough to actually heat the wiring enough to hurt it. Besides, there's a fuse there for a reason. If the wiring were truly being overloaded, you'd be popping fuses all the time.
Long story short... If it really makes you feel that much more comfortable to add a relay to trigger your HIDs, then go for it. It certainly won't HURT anything. But in the interest of ease of installation, and keeping the engine bay clear of unnecessary wiring, you can get away without installing one.
* The car operates on a 12VOLT system. (14.4VOLT plus or minus while running if you really want to split hairs) We all can agree on that.
* The 2001+ headlight housing uses a 9006 bulb for the low beams. It's rated to draw 55WATTS of power. Which means that the factory low beams pull roughly 4.5AMPS of current per bulb. Please note that overdrawing a wire is completely dependant on the current being drawn, and unrelated to voltage.
* An HID bulb requires a ballast and ignitor to operate. Most newer ballasts have the ignitor built in. The ballast's job is to convert the 14.4VOLT DC power source that is feeding it into a 20,000VOLT AC signal for the bulb to use. THIS VOLTAGE CHANGE HAS NO EFFECT ON THE CAR'S WIRING.
* The HID kits most people are installing consume 35WATTS of power per side. At a 14.4VOLT supply voltage, there's a roughly 2.5AMP current draw per bulb. (LESS current draw, which means the wires are loaded less than they were with the halogen bulbs)
So why use a relay? Immediately at startup, HIDs will actually pull more power than a standard halogen bulb for an extremely short period of time. Also, using a relay and better ground can help reduce the voltage drop at the headlight harness by a few tenths of a volt. But I propose it's completely unnecessary. Why?
HID ballasts will automatically adjust their operating voltage depending on the voltage level on their input. Even if the voltage were to dip a full volt or two at the input, they compensate for it. So the lower voltage drop benefit is nil.
The instantaneous power burst at startup is not sufficiently long enough to actually heat the wiring enough to hurt it. Besides, there's a fuse there for a reason. If the wiring were truly being overloaded, you'd be popping fuses all the time.
Long story short... If it really makes you feel that much more comfortable to add a relay to trigger your HIDs, then go for it. It certainly won't HURT anything. But in the interest of ease of installation, and keeping the engine bay clear of unnecessary wiring, you can get away without installing one.
...same initial questions as you were asking in this thread and the other HID thread about the conversion, this should give you a very good understanding of why it is an unnecessary add-on in these cars.
If it doesn't flicker upon 'illuminating/while on' then there is no need for it.
-Mike-
P.S. this was the link i was trying to find last time i was trying to explain my reasoning, and i stumbled upon it again!
04-13-10, 10:55 AM
#4
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Thread Starter
Yeah, I saw that thread (He got a pretty good deal for the assemblies/bulbs/stock ballasts IMO). But he has a 97, I'm concerned primarily with the 2000/2001 ES's wiring though because of the HID option. I'm guessing that the wiring was updated for those two years to account for the HID's, unless completely different wiring was used for HID installed cars. Maybe someone with the HID's as a factory option will know for sure, or maybe pictures of how and where the HID's plug in. Also, back then the ballasts being used weren't the digital type (correct me if I'm wrong) and thus drew more power when igniting and heating up. Thus, if the wiring was the same for 97-01 without any updates to the wiring when HID's were introduced in 2000 then my 2001's wiring should definitely be able to handle the lesser draw that my digital ballasts will use on igniting and heating up.
04-13-10, 04:34 PM
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