I've fitted relayed H4s and would never go back. It's like driving a modern at night.

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1958 Morris Minor 1000 - "Nigel"

i've got h4's and they're great, but fitted by the po and i don't think there's a relay anywhere.

relays always confuddle me, is anyone able to list what type/model of relay and a wiring diagram?

cheers.

Try fitting relays first before you change the original headlights. Even cleaning the connections on the back of the headlights with emery paper may improve things.
Clean the earth connections.

As a test you could just run a thick wire from the solenoid straight to a headlight and see if the light gets brighter as you touch it on and off.

If none of this helps you could then try H4s.

Good advice.

You can be clever and hide the relay under the dash if you want

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Have a Nice Day.
If already having a nice day please disregard.

Oh yeah, I forgot to say, dull headlights can also be caused by the headlight switches. Fitting a relay can avoid this.

It also helps if you run a thicker gauge wire from the fuse to the relay and then to the lights. The original wire gets pretty warm with up to 10amps per light (so 20 for both lamps) running through the shitty little BMC wires.. You can feel it with your hand.

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SooperDooperMiniCooperExpertEngineering

All garage work involves equal measures of enthusiasm, ingenuity and a fair degree of irresponsibility.

Here is a simplified diagram of a standard system and one with a relay.
Whenever you take power from a constant power source fit a fuse double the amps of the stable current draw.

The top is a diagram of the bottom of a standard relay.
The middle is our mate LUCAS un-assisted.
The bottom is a modified system. NOTE, the wire to pin 30 should have a fuse and be thicker than standard.

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Dean Hutton's first car was a Mini.

Well, I am one of only 10% who want to stay original with the headlights. I guess that means there should be plenty of lights available for me! I drive most nights but only in the city where it is lit so I guess that makes it less of an issue.

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Flute - 68 MK I Cooper S
Member: VMCI #2474
Member: International Mini Model Collectors Club

I'm with Doc, I've got the Wipac Quadoptics on relays.

AWESOME lights, easily as good as those on our Territory

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Simon

The adventures of an owner builder in the Tallarook Ranges

Do what a group of us have been doing for years and get the best of both worlds without the dollars for those tripod Lucas items.

I look for H4 light units with replacable light globes at swap meets ( they are quite common about $10 per pair) that fit the metal can ( you need to make sure that the lugs fit in the notches - 90% of what you will find will do this.A new pair is about $70 on ebay so its still cheap. Break the glass with a hammer and gently pick the broken bits out of the frame. DONT EVER TOUCH OR WIPE OR TRY TO POLISH THE REFLECTOR SURFACE. Its applied by a vapour process -not the old silver plating - and will simply wipe off.

Next find old 7 inch lucas headlights about $5 to 10 each. All you want is the good glass - you are going to bin the reflector so the more rust the better - saves money All you are going to save is the lens so. Look for units with a replacable globe - plentifull and cheap Use pincer pliers to carefully lift the rolled-over edge away from the glass. Its a lot easier than you think

Now you can apply a silicon bead to the H4 rim and fix the glass to the H4 shell
Install a modern halogen light globe and you have brightness and Lucas branded lamps!!!! and the globe is replacable when it burns out.
I know blokes with vintage cars running around with this conversion

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Mk1 Cooper S
Mini K Rally car

That's a great idea!

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SooperDooperMiniCooperExpertEngineering

All garage work involves equal measures of enthusiasm, ingenuity and a fair degree of irresponsibility.

For originality if you wire up headlight relays to the original Lucas sealed beams they inprove heaps and many times you will not need to change the headlights. Headlight efficiency improves by about 25 percent by simply wiring headlight relays. This can also be done discretely without ruining the car's original look.

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DID I MENTION THAT I AM THE BEST SUPPLIER FOR MINI ELECTRICAL PARTS AND REPAIRS?
"Let us remove your "SHORTS"

Just noticed a problem in Tombo's diagram, on the relay, pin 30 is switched to either pin 87 OR 87a, if you join 87 and 87a together the lights will always be on...


I've rescued quite a few indicator stalks that have melted by using the low beam as a trigger and wiring low beam to 87 and high to 87a.

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How can it be rusty when it's covered in so much oil?

The diagram shown above shows the wrong relay. Relays that have 87a terminal in the middle are Change over type, meaning 87a is normally closed and when power is applied to the relay coil (pins 85 and 86) the power switches to terminal marked 87.
For Headlights and driving lights you will needa Bosch 150 relay which is normally open relay and it has 2 X pins marked 87. 5 Pins still and have the same configuration. (NO 87a terminal.)
Please note that you can still use the change over relay but leave pin 87a unused. Also, change over relays can handle less current load.

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DID I MENTION THAT I AM THE BEST SUPPLIER FOR MINI ELECTRICAL PARTS AND REPAIRS?
"Let us remove your "SHORTS"

I understand exactly what you mean, but it is the one I intended, as I mainly use them for reparing melted indicator stalks that usualy have the high beam contact die but the low beam contacts are still servicable. It's MUCH cheaper to fit a relay than to replace the stalk, and fixes the voltage drop to the lights problem. (also stops the indicator stalk melting down because of dust in the contacts)


The ones I use are rated for 40 amps. 2 x 75watt headlights will only draw about 10.4 amps @ 14.4 volts so you only need one relay which easily handles the load of both headlights.

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How can it be rusty when it's covered in so much oil?