Forums/Z31P/z31-basics basic-modifications-basic-questions-aka-the-newbie-forum/Headlight Relay Modification
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TearingRaven: (2009-08-17 11:27:52)
Now we all know that if the "Headlight Down Mod" is applied, one cannot lower the lights once they are raised unless the lights are turned off. I recall some time ago reading a write up on how to remedy this by altering the relay. Does anyone have a link to this article?
Thanks in advance.
edicer2: (2009-08-17 14:54:24)
that would be cool i have always wondered if that was possible
Durkin: (2009-08-17 15:25:00)
couldn't you just unplug the headlight motor? the lights would still get power, but the motor wouldn't thus, headlight wouldn't move, but you'd be able to adjust it accordingly.
edicer2: (2009-08-17 15:38:50)
well it would be nice to be able to pop the lights up for when you really need the light then be able to lower them back down again for like in town driving when you dont need much light. You know what i mean? That way you have can have the added light if you need it and then you can lower them for looks when want instead of having to turn them off and on again to lower it. I dont like doing that because its hard on HID bulbs to turn them on and off like that.
Durkin: (2009-08-17 16:16:04)
yeah i was thinking more of a semi-permanent mod, vs a switch to lift them up or down. i thought my 85 parts car had a switch on the dash to lift the lights was that not on all of them? or something wrong with the switch… … i really need to fix the Z and drive it so i actually Know the interior as much as the engine bay.
TearingRaven: (2009-08-19 07:42:16)
There is a way to do it with the relay, I just cannot find the damned write up. I believe you jump pins 3-5.
Nismo_: (2009-08-20 21:21:20)
That write up is on the AUZ Z31 Forum
New 2 Z: (2009-08-20 21:22:58)
Lots of people like to make it so the headlights on their Z31 dont automaticaly pop up when they turn their lights on. Well here are the instructions.
Remove the interior trim piece just above where you knees are in the drivers side. There should be three screws.
After you remove this panel look on the right hand side of the steering column. Tucked in the back there should be a white plug. It should have an orange and a purple wire comming out of it. The plug is about an inch and a half long, about half an inch or so wide and a quarter an inch thick. The plug shape should stay the same but the colors may change from year to year. If you dont see it then look around, it might be tucked behind the steering column. There is a snap connector on it, you push down on this snap connector and the plug comes apart. You can just let this plug dangle down, dont have to worry about taping it up or anything.
While you are under there if your car has over 100k miles there on the left hand side of the column under the AC vent there should be a wire that has a label that says SENSOR, DISCONNECT AFTER 100k MILES. If it already isnt unplugged then do so. This is just to remind you to check your O2 Sensor every thirty thousand miles or so, its nearly useless after 100k miles.
Replace the trim piece above the knees and reinstall the screws. Now when you turn your lights on they will not automatically pop up. The will however come up when you turn on the brights or fog lights. If you want to make them come up without the brights just push the button to pop them up. They will stay up until you push the button again and turn the lights off.
Keep in mind that this is for cosmetic and aerodynaic purposes only. IT WILL REDUCE YOUR VISIBILITY. Dont come crying to me if you get pulled over for having your lights down. But, I have had this for months and never had a cop stop me for having my lights down yet but you have been warned.
Enjoy and happy Z'ing.
vagabond: (2009-08-20 21:43:20)
I think you missed the point of the thread.
Here you go TR.
http://nq300zx.10.forumer.com/viewtopic.php?t=301
inqui-Z-tor: (2009-08-20 21:45:41)
What the OP desires .. is a way to lower the lights (while ON) .. "into the down position" WITHOUT turning the lights OFF.
Right now. I can turn my lights on. The lights fully raise up. I turn off the lights, the lights turn off, the lights lower (they're off) .. then I turn the lights on again, the lights light up - in the lowered position.
The goal is to raise or lower the lights, while on, without having to turn them off.
Nismo_: (2009-08-20 21:49:16)
HOW TO: Headlights (AND HIGHBEAMS) on while down.:
http://www.auz31club.com/viewtopic.php?t=301
inqui-Z-tor: (2009-08-20 22:12:50)
Cool .. I never knew about this ..
LOL .. I might have to attempt it.
vagabond and Nismo_
Thanks for the links.
bronzemfp: (2010-04-08 12:23:27)
Sorry for the thread necrophilia, but I tried doing this mod yesterday after work and could not get it to work at all. Keep in mind I have a 87 gll model with the headlight sensors. look at the fsm, there is a lot more to the gll schematic than the non gll. Maybe having a 87-89 makes a difference too as it looks like the OP had an 84 or 85 model. Any thoughs oh why mine didn't work? I followed the instructions on the AU Z site to a T.
I tried making sense of the headlight schematic, but electronics are not one of my strengths.
bronzemfp: (2010-04-08 18:46:21)
Found my issue, I was messing with the uphold relay, not the headlight relay. Headlight relay is located on the drivers side. I was going by the pics posted and messing witht the black relay behind the green EFI relay on our passenger side (AU drivers side)
what a country.
bronzemfp: (2010-04-12 13:46:43)
Messing with the headlight relay didn't quite get the desired results either. My headlights will go down when the switch is turned to the '1' position instead of the off position, but I still can't control them with the headlight button like the mod is supposed to do. I think on GLL cars you have to do the mod to the headlight relay and the uphold relay. I'll experiment and update as I can.
Richard_85ZXT: (2010-04-12 21:00:58)
This writeup should be hosted somewhere like Xenonz31, I'm going to go ahead and add to it however, I took a few pics of the internals so it can make sense. I was able to pull the relay out without damaging anything, also was able to remove the cover without too much damage to the lip so it will hold in place once back together. I will however once it works run a bead of silicone around the lip to cover any areas damaged. I'm going to test it later before a permanent fix of this though, for now just to make sure it works I've got something blocking movement between the 3-5 contact so I can make sure this is all I need. The 3-4 and 3-5 contacts are similar to the headlight switch contacts. Anyway, the pics.
This is most the damage to the lip I made, the blade contact on the right that is soldered is #2 the 2 blades cumon up on the left with metal pads for contacts on them are #4 and #5, the thin one you can barely see with pads on either side is #3, you'll notice it is making contact with #4 and not #5 in the pic.
[archived image: S5000214.jpg]
From the other side, tab on left is #1, tab on right is #3, the next pic should make some sense of #3 reaching the placement in the first pic.
[archived image: S5000215.jpg]
ok, so you'll notice #3 follows the copper wire to a flat piece of copper the goes strait down. You can see #4 being the contact on the bottom dead center.
[archived image: S5000216.jpg]
Basically the theory being that the contact between 3 and 4 lets the headlights stay down when you follow AZ Zbums writeup on low beams, but contact between 3 and 5 is what makes them go up with high beams, so make the 3-4 contact permanent and you will be able to control the headlights freely with the button on the dash. I pulled this relay from an 85 and I will try it in my 89 to see if that will work or if there is more required on later models.
Mitchd03: (2010-04-13 08:37:47)
If I remember correctly (and I probably don't), when I unplugged the relay I modified and flashed the highbeams, the highbeams turned off straight away, but the button wouldn't let the headlights come up ether. When I unplugged the relay on the other side of the engine bay, the highbeams stayed on until I plugged the relay back in.
Eitherway, I've got no idea what relay I modified was unless someone can provide me with an Australian spec service manual. If someone can give me an Aussie manual, I'll highlight the relay for USDM model cars and post it up.
Here's a newer write up btw. I'm going to put the link in my signature, too.
http://www.auz31club.com/viewtopic.php?f=20&t=66
Richard_85ZXT: (2010-04-13 08:54:06)
Well plan is tomorrow that I go out and try this out, I pulled this relay from an 85, top was listed the same as yours, and it was on the drivers side. I'll be trying it out on an 89 so we'll see if that changes anything.
Mitchd03: (2010-04-13 12:56:30)
All black relays are the same from all angles. If you've got the right relay, the headlights wont pop up at all.
I think the alternative is to just cut the wire going to pin 5, but that's permanent, and I'm not sure what happens when pin 4 doesn't have any power going through it, the switch might not work.
Richard_85ZXT: (2010-04-13 21:30:36)
Alright so replaced the headlight relay in my 89 with the one from my 85 that I modified. The 89 has the plug under the dash already disconnected. Here is what I have found. I can switch to high beams and they stay down, but when I press the button on the dash they pop up but won't go down unless I put them to running lights. Looking at the FSM to try and figure out what will next need to be changed. The headlight relay is on the drivers side, on my 85 there was one metal bracket with relays in it on my 89 there were 2, one with a single relay, same relay as the headlight relay but for the windshield wiper relay, more to the front is 3 relays on one bracket with the headlight relay. Disconnect the harness from the relay, place a screw driver between the metal bracket and the relay and the relay will slide right out without damaging the bracket and it will go back as normal. I'll update what is required to make it work on the USDM 89. I'm wondering if the uphold relay has anything to do with it.
Mitchd03: (2010-04-14 17:32:53)
[quote=Richard_85ZXTI'm wondering if the uphold relay has anything to do with it.
I'm pretty sure the relay I modified on my car was the uphold relay. It would make sense, the uphold relay is the relay that holds the lights up when they're up.
Anyone with an Australian z31 service manual, can you please post the Aussie version of this image, or tell me what 6E is in the Australian cars:
6E is in the same spot as the one I modified on my car, though I'm not sure if it switches sides for LHD cars.
MuhKaydenZ: (2010-04-18 19:20:07)
so I followed the write up and it doesnt work the only way I got it to work was to have one of my fuses removed from the kick panel on the drivers side but that disables the button i'd like to still be able to use the button so if any one gets this to work can you maybe put up better pics of what is connected where? thnx!
Richard_85ZXT: (2010-04-18 19:27:43)
I haven't got the chance to check the uphold relay but it might be a little bit, I've got a few too many things going on right now.
MuhKaydenZ: (2010-04-19 01:33:43)
OK so I had the wrong relay lol It's behind the windshield washer reservoir connected to two other relays and it works awesomely
MuhKaydenZ: (2010-04-19 04:26:48)
my video of it working!
[http://[video=youtube_share;J_bkwpxPS2E http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J_bkwpxPS2E[/video]] [archived image: yt_logo_rgb_light.png]]
Mitchd03: (2010-04-19 06:04:17)
On the image I posted above, can you post the number of the relay. I.e. I've circled 6E and 64E, whats the number of the relay you modified as seen by that image?
Glad to hear you've figured it out. Your headlights are noisy man, soak those puppies in some WD40 or something!
MuhKaydenZ: (2010-04-19 18:20:37)
I'd have to say 64E I believe. There is a single black relay and then a group of three relays hooked together and it's the black one in the group of three
Richard_85ZXT: (2010-04-19 21:51:39)
64E is the one I already modified on my 89, so may be different with 87-89, the single black one you are talking about is for the windshield wipers. 6E should be the uphold relay on USDM cars which when I get time to do it I will also try and check.
MuhKaydenZ: (2010-04-20 00:23:32)
i'm not sure about 87's but it worked great on my 86 [archived image: smile.png]
Mitchd03: (2010-04-22 18:42:52)
Okay.
Basically, the relay you need to modify is on the drivers side, near the brake booster, regardless of if your car is left or right hand drive.
Richard_85ZXT: (2010-04-22 21:07:14)
as long as it's 84-86, 87-89 will stay down when you switch to high beams but won't go back down until you turn lights off still.
MuhKaydenZ: (2010-04-23 06:43:50)
So when you turn on the brights they will stay down if you push the button it will raise them but you can't lower them unless you turn off the lights completely? when I modified the 6E relay in the 86 it did that same thing and didn't work until I modified the 64E maybe it's backwards in the 87's?
862sik: (2010-04-25 10:02:28)
through an accident in wiring today I found that the relay in the fender, if you cut the purple wire it will allow the headlights to stay down but it will come up if you hit the high beams or the headlight popper button.
also if you cut one of the purple wires from the headlight sensor it will do the same as I described.
also if you dont want to unplug the light from behind your guage cluster that says "light" (hid setup or headlight relay) then cut the white/purple wire at the headlight sensor.
just thuoght id share.
sprtcrazy17: (2010-04-25 23:05:35)
Same thing as unplugging it under the dash. Good job genius :nanan?re
Mitchd03: (2010-04-26 00:09:36)
Except much harder to reverse the process. lol fail.
862sik: (2010-04-26 04:02:27)
hahah I dont care, I was just there and decided to share it.
maybe someone is inclinded to take apart a dash :lol:
sprtcrazy17: (2010-04-26 04:07:11)
it's 3 screws to get the cover off
MADMIKE: (2010-05-17 03:45:01)
[quote]MuhKaydenZ wrote:
as long as it's 84-86, 87-89 will stay down when you switch to high beams but won't go back down until you turn lights off still.So when you turn on the brights they will stay down if you push the button it will raise them but you can't lower them unless you turn off the lights completely? when I modified the 6E relay in the 86 it did that same thing and didn't work until I modified the 64E maybe it's backwards in the 87's?
When I turn on the brights the lights will stay down now. The problem I am having is that when I use the manual dash switch to raise the lights they will not go down until the lights are shut off* correction* The manual headlight button works when the turned to just the parking lights. I modified the relay on the drivers side near the brake booster. Did you modify both relays?
86T GLL
MuhKaydenZ: (2010-05-18 07:50:17)
I only modified the relay behind the windshield washer resevoir and I also have the connection under the dash disconnected
MADMIKE: (2010-05-18 09:23:52)
hmmmmmm, I may have tweaked the relay upon opening it. The wires attached to contacts 1-2 was severed. I'm going to pop open a few of my spare relays and check them out.
MuhKaydenZ: (2010-05-18 18:50:58)
Yeah if you have a spare id just use that
MADMIKE: (2010-05-19 19:58:36)
Yeah same thing with the other relay. It might be a gll thing. I have the headlight sensor that was mentioned previously. Time to stare at schematics.
bronzemfp: (2010-05-20 14:22:59)
I stared at the schematics for a long time and they made absolutly no sense to me, but I'm also not great at reading wiring diagrams. through trial and error i found that on my 87 gll, i have a headlight relay and an uphold relay. putting a modified relay in either one of of the relay's had the same effect, so if I have 2 modified relays and put them both in… I think this should work. I've just gotten sidetracked with installing a sub and planning an intercooler setup :-(
plus my front struts are wearing out and I have a rear wheel bearing going bad on me. my diff leaks and the list goes on and on. lol maybe i'll mess with this project more this weekend. maybe.
dreadedZ: (2011-10-08 05:28:15)
Okay so on my 86 I found the headlight relay (after the longest time just looking under my hood and just feeling dumb) and i pulled it out that was no problem. Then when I wired it up 1 to 2 and 3 to 4 (I think) and when I put the relay back in the headlights would stay down on low and high beams but when I pressed the manual button they wouldn't go down tell I turned them off. Does anyone know what i did wrong? :-?
MuhKaydenZ: (2011-10-08 05:32:30)
make sure you got the right relay I had the wrong one and it didn't work correctly either
dreadedZ: (2011-10-08 05:36:08)
Yea I was looking at what you said and so thats what I did I just think i'm wiring something wrong.
Did you use the soldering iron to do it?
MuhKaydenZ: (2011-10-08 05:36:34)
I used a soldering iron and some electrical tape and has worked great this whole time
dreadedZ: (2011-10-08 05:40:40)
Okay well ill use a soldering iron when i can get one and hopefully that will work for it. Maybe i just wasn't getting a good connection through my ghetto wiring. :nanan?re
dreadedZ: (2011-10-11 20:31:35)
Okay so i used a soldering gun and i'm still having the same problem. When I turn my low and high beams on they stay down then when i press the manual headlight button it pops up but then when i push it again they dont go back down until i turn the headlights off.
This is where i pulled the relay from.
[archived image: z31relayboxes.jpg]
[archived image: z31relayboxescloseup.jpg]
This is the soldering job i did (it was my first time so doesnt look the best)
[archived image: z31relaycloseup.jpg]
I connected 1 to 2 and 3 to 4 i believe.
[archived image: z31relaycloseup2.jpg]
If anyone knows or has any ideas to why its not working i would appreciate the help. Thanks
MuhKaydenZ: (2011-10-11 20:36:32)
Just to make sure you unhooked the flat black connector under the steering wheel correct?
dreadedZ: (2011-10-12 07:27:27)
Yea I did that a long time ago because that was the most you could do to get the sleepy eyed headlights. I feel that i did everything right but I just don't know whats not working with the modification. :-?
MuhKaydenZ: (2011-10-12 14:41:14)
the next time i'm around my car i'll take a look and snap a couple pics for ya
dreadedZ: (2011-10-13 04:59:16)
Okay thanks any help will be appreciated :-) . I'll get a new relay and try to wire that one up and see if that will work for it, maybe its something wrong with the relay? Who knows what might be wrong.
les_joey_paul: (2015-07-07 17:43:04)
Has anybody figured out the way to properly do this on a gll? I have an 85 gll that I'm attempting to do this and have jumped pins 1 and 2 and 3 to 5 on the headlamp motor relay, still not functioning the way described. Where is the uphold relay? And is the head lamp sensor that one that's in front of the passenger side strut tower? Maybe I have to bypass that too.
les_joey_paul: (2015-07-07 19:47:47)
Correction 3 to 4 I connected