RE: IML: Headlights

["Christopher Middlebrook" <delamothe@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Eric
You bring up many excellent points, and I agree with you about the perils of increasing the load on our cars from these new lamps.  Especially in the case of the generator driven Imperials.
But if it must be done, then a relay is definitely the way to do it properly.  There are some very good solid state relays out there that can do the job without having to deal with contacts that require cleaning or replacing over time.

If anything, the ideal situation is to decrease the current load on the charging system for better performance and stability. 

(fuel economy too - an alternator at full field will require from 10 to 40 HP from the motor to turn it depending on its rated output)  

This is why I have changed the bulbs on my 62 from incandescent to LED based. Aside from having a shorter time constant when turning on (Incandescent lamps require a period in time where the filament has to get hot enough to glow - LED's light up instantly giving the drivers behind you as much as a half second more to react.) LED's reduce the current demand on a charging system by 30%.





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