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what's this contraption?????

Posted: 21 Mar 2013, 23:11
by what2do
Recently removed my offside headlamp and discovered this

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what on earth is????

Re: what's this contraption?????

Posted: 21 Mar 2013, 23:13
by Mocki
That would be the ballast resistor for the "dim dip" on the headlights which comes on when the engine is running when on sidelights I recon.

Re: what's this contraption?????

Posted: 21 Mar 2013, 23:14
by what2do
in layman's terms - what does it do? Reduce current?

Re: what's this contraption?????

Posted: 21 Mar 2013, 23:16
by Mocki
Reduces the power to the headlights to give you a dimmer than usual headlight when on sidelights if the engine is running.... Ie brighter than parking lights but only half as bright as headlights

Re: what's this contraption?????

Posted: 21 Mar 2013, 23:22
by what2do
how many of the 'obvious mistakes' have you found with my lpg install?????

Re: what's this contraption?????

Posted: 21 Mar 2013, 23:23
by what2do
If I understand you correctly - sidelights are brighter than parking lights. Is that correct?

Re: what's this contraption?????

Posted: 21 Mar 2013, 23:35
by Mocki
Side lights are 5w , the small bulbs in the outer bottom edge of the headlights..... Dim dip uses the headlight bulbs , but at half power so only 27w typically

Sidelights are the parking lights


Mistakes with your instal..... The only mistake I can see is where to took it!
It needs a complete reinstall from what I can see mate, I'm sorry to say I would be kicking up a big old stink

Re: what's this contraption?????

Posted: 21 Mar 2013, 23:52
by what2do
I've obtained a technical report from a different garage and they have virtually condemmed it!!!!!! Mailed uklpg today asking for direction.

Re: what's this contraption?????

Posted: 23 Mar 2013, 01:04
by California Dreamin
Digging right back into my memory bank....from what I remember....there was a production window, a couple of years perhaps, where many vehicles of this era had these dim dip lights, some sort of legislation that was kicked into the long grass very shortly after it was implemented.
You don't need this resistor, so if you can figure out how to remove it and take it back to 'standard setup' then that's what I would be doing. I don't know how hard that would be but I'm guessing this was an addition so shouldn't be too difficult?

Martin

Re: what's this contraption?????

Posted: 23 Mar 2013, 17:19
by billy739
unplug it .

if you still have side / dip / main as you should then all is good .

you have to disconnect this anyhow if you do the headlamp upgrade.

Re: what's this contraption?????

Posted: 23 Mar 2013, 20:57
by what2do
Thanks for the replies, I didn't know that it was necessary to unplug it for the upgrade. Probably read it somewhere and proceeded yo forget it!