Odd Headlight Help Needed.

[platelets]

Hi all, I recently installed Hella European H4 low beam
/H1 high beams. In doing so I installed an LED headlight kit from Precision LED (so not cheap Amazon junk). The low beams seem very dim for LEDs (I used their lights in a prior car and they were bright as could be). The high beams look normal though. Also if I go to high beam, them, then back to low beam, the foglights don’t come back on. It sometimes works if I cycle the lights off and back on.

I also have the obnoxious low beam out indicator on the warning panel. Has anyone come across this before?

[MrBurgundy]

Hi all, I recently installed Hella European H4 low beam
/H1 high beams. In doing so I installed an LED headlight kit from Precision LED (so not cheap Amazon junk). The low beams seem very dim for LEDs (I used their lights in a prior car and they were bright as could be). The high beams look normal though. Also if I go to high beam, them, then back to low beam, the foglights don’t come back on. It sometimes works if I cycle the lights off and back on.

I also have the obnoxious low beam out indicator on the warning panel. Has anyone come across this before?

Cheap LEDs are ass and if you want to get rid of the indicator, youre going to need a decoder

[platelets]

Cheap LEDs are ass and if you want to get rid of the indicator, youre going to need a decoder

Completely agree. The Precision LEDs were great in my last car. Any recommendations on a good decoder?

[Vincenze]

I also have the obnoxious low beam out indicator on the warning panel. Has anyone come across this before?

The light control module near the antenna measures each light's amperage by creating a magnetic field around a reed relay when the current flows through a wire coil.

If the amperage is low, it lights up the indicator light. An LED needs lower amperage.

[platelets]

The light control module near the antenna measures each light's amperage by creating a magnetic field around a reed relay when the current flows through a wire coil.

If the amperage is low, it lights up the indicator light. An LED needs lower amperage.

This is great info. Do you know and/or use a decoder to cure this issue? Also curious why it seems like the low beams are dimmer than usual and the foglight issue.

[Vincenze]

This is great info. Do you know and/or use a decoder to cure this issue? Also curious why it seems like the low beams are dimmer than usual and the foglight issue.

Here is the light control module; though, it's for an older E30. The red-wire coil wraps around the relay. You can solder a wire between the relay contacts bypassing it, as if the relay is always on.
I got the picture from here: https://e30journey.blogspot.com/2017...ake-light.html

Connect a low beam bulb to the battery directly. If it's brighter, then you have a resistance somewhere in the circuit: a bad socket or wire contact, an old relay, etc.
Measure the voltage between the battery terminals and at the front between the bulb terminals.

[platelets]

Here is the light control module; though, it's for an older E30. The red-wire coil wraps around the relay. You can solder a wire between the relay contacts bypassing it, as if the relay is always on.
I got the picture from here: https://e30journey.blogspot.com/2017...ake-light.html

Connect a low beam bulb to the battery directly. If it's brighter, then you have a resistance somewhere in the circuit: a bad socket or wire contact, an old relay, etc.
Measure the voltage between the battery terminals and at the front between the bulb terminals.

tested the voltage and it is only getting 9
volts, would presume it should be getting the full 12. It is making me think relay since when I turn the high beams off the foglights don’t always come back on. Thoughts? Any tests you recommend? I am good at wiring and such, but this is a little out of my expertise without just replacing everything.

[MrBurgundy]

Completely agree. The Precision LEDs were great in my last car. Any recommendations on a good decoder?

they sell them on amazon, I forget the brand, but they worked fine when I used them

[Vincenze]

tested the voltage and it is only getting 9
volts, would presume it should be getting the full 12. It is making me think relay since when I turn the high beams off the foglights don’t always come back on. Thoughts? Any tests you recommend? I am good at wiring and such, but this is a little out of my expertise without just replacing everything.

It should get close to 12 volts.

According to the wiring schema, the battery is connected to the Power Distribution Box, where most fuses and relays are located.
The Low Beam Relay is K4. It also provides power to the fog lights.
Then, the current goes to the Low Beam Check Relay, which is actually on the opposite side of the Power Distribution Box, not in the module that I've shown.
Then, to the fuses 13 and 14, and to the headlights.

It's possible to check the relay K4 by connecting the terminals 85 and 86 to 12 volts and measuring the resistance between the terminal 30 and 87b (low beam) or 87(fog light). It should be 0.
You can check the voltage on the fuses 13 and 14.

[platelets]

It should get close to 12 volts.

According to the wiring schema, the battery is connected to the Power Distribution Box, where most fuses and relays are located.
The Low Beam Relay is K4. It also provides power to the fog lights.
Then, the current goes to the Low Beam Check Relay, which is actually on the opposite side of the Power Distribution Box, not in the module that I've shown.
Then, to the fuses 13 and 14, and to the headlights.

It's possible to check the relay K4 by connecting the terminals 85 and 86 to 12 volts and measuring the resistance between the terminal 30 and 87b (low beam) or 87(fog light). It should be 0.
You can check the voltage on the fuses 13 and 14.

thanks for this. I thought it was a bad relay, however when I added the decoder in, the lights got the full 12 volts.