TJ Headlight Upgrade

[Lugnut]

Well I went with the IPFs H4 lights, Super Low Beam bulbs and the wiring kit upgrade as well. 

Lights are a huge improvement!  I have yet to get out on the highway to see how the high beams light up the night, but am very happy with the low beams on the darker side streets I have travelled.

The only complaint I have is with the wiring harness.  It is absolutely the easiest wiring harness I have ever installed and is of very high quality.  My issue is with the daytime running lights.  It seems this USA produced wiring harness is not compatible with our DRLs.  When the DRLs kick in you end up with relay chatter due to the reduced voltage from the DRLs.  This requires you to run your head lights ALL the time.  Not a big issue for the owner, but if someone borrows your vehicle, best let them know or their proprietory relays will be toast.  I have contacted ARB for a solution and they have none...other than disconnecting the DRLs, so I will do my own research further.

Other than that Great Lights.     

[Vinman]

It seems this USA produced wiring harness is not compatible with our DRLs.  When the DRLs kick in you end up with relay chatter due to the reduced voltage from the DRLs. 

I ran into the same problem when I did installed the relay to allow the low beams to stay on with the high beams.
I ended up just removing the DRL module and all worked well (no DRL's obviously)

If you do remove the DRL module, your hi-beam indicator will not work unless you add a jumper wire to the now unused DRL plug (easy to do)

The only other method of getting the low beams on with the high beams and keep the DRL's would be to tap into the harness before the DRL module to source the required power for the relay. It wouldn't be that dufficult to figure out if you have a wiring diagram.

I think the best improvement I did to the Jeep headlight wise was the ability to have both beams on at the same time, way better than stock.


Vince

[w squared]

Yeah, I can vouch for Cibie and Bosch, ran them years ago in my '69 Belvedere Station Wagon 4 headlight system.  Man, you should have seen the road when I hit high beam.... you could land a jet by them.

There is one outfit in the US that deals Cibie, otherwise I haven't seen much of them anymore either, which is odd considering they used to be "the" headlight to get.
What they try to tell you now is that the reflector/lens combo is pretty much "standard" (yeah, right... prism and lens design is an art form) and the biggest difference is in the bulbs.

Hmm...  HID bulbs in those reflectors aimed properly and use dual "driving/fog" lights on the bumper for the "high beam" if and when it's "necessary". 

I'm starting to dislike the stock headlights in my JK more and more. They look flashy and all, but they're pathetic compared to my GF's VW.

I think that I'm going to end up picking up a set of Cibies from that outfit you mentioned in the US, and upgrade my wiring harness as well. There's actually a place in the US that sells a heavier harness built specfically for the JK's. Those plus a good set of halogen bulbs and I should be styling. Not as flashy as HID, but half the price and 95% of the performance.