dual filament bulb life when forcing low beams to stay on with highs?

in regards to the 2.5 gen with single bulb headlights... i just used a jumper wire to force the low beam headlight relay to stay "active" when i hit the high beams. thus, all 4 filaments are on when my high beams are on. has anyone ran like this for a considerable amount of time? bulb life affected? bulb temps hurting the housing?

 

Things to think about, current, wires, sockets, housing.

 

Irritation to on coming drivers will not make you real popular. Heating of a plastic housing it wasn't designed for. Just swap the bulbs out for some higher wattage H4's.

 

Should be OK with standard 65/55W halogen bulbs (which should draw 120W if both filaments are lit). The wiring is sized for 10A.

You can always measure the housing temps with a thermometer before and after the mod.

 

Not so sure I agree. Many vehicles, including the 3rd gens and most full size pickups, leave their low beams on when the high beams are on. The bigger issue would be the electrical system in my opinion.

 

Buddy if you're driving with your high beams on no one is going to notice or care that your lows are still lit up too

 

Why?

 

Oh, interesting, I had assumed this was already how things worked.

I’m building a harness for @Shadowhunter and I was thinking I had to size it for both being on at the same time. If it’s either / or, that is a bit simpler.

 

I don't fathom the advantage.

The highs throw a long beam where the lows throw a shorter beam. They have a different focus.

If the object is illuminated by the High at a distance, then you are able to see it until you hit it. The Low will illuminate the object when you are much closer to hitting it.

If you are "hoping" to see deer jump out..........then keep dreaming for the Jetson's flying car.

 

That doesn't mean you have to make it twice as bad.

 

Do ya know what high beams are there guy? They're the ones that are angled up, the ones that blind oncoming drivers. Having your low beams on wouldn't do a damn thing with regard to blinding an oncoming driver any more than the high beams do all on their own.

 

Read this if you actually have interest in usable light w/o burning down your vehicle.

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/the-ultimate-headlight-upgrade-h4-not-led-or-hid.398066

 

looks like 201 pages of guys talking about nonsense and saying "i order it"

 

Just read the first 10 posts.

Or keep using jumper wires.

Certainly up to you.

 

As has already been stated, you don't have to read the whole thread. More importantly, the mod discussed there is 100% safe for your truck, your wiring and the bulbs. Trust me, it's the best, most well thought out and tested lighting mod for a 2nd gen truck period.

As for the mod you suggest running both filaments at the same time, I would propose that the extra heat generated will grenade the bulb in pretty short order. If you've never tried to clean that mess of shattered glass out of a headlight housing, you don't know what a total PITA it is. Why risk it?

 

Thats what I would think as well.

 

Similar idea but different vehicle. When I was running my e36 M3 around, I swapped in Infiniti FX-35 Bi-xenon HIDs into the low beams. Those cars have separate high beams, and the lows stay illuminated with the highs.

To give you an idea, it was the xenon lows, xenon highs, and Osram Nightbreaker Halogen highs.

I wired it so that the bixenon highs and halogen highs both came on when clicking the high beams. It was an absurd amount of light and I loved every second of it. Properly aimed, there was no bother to other drivers unless they left their high beams on at me. I'd give 'em a quick flash, but if they didn't click their highs off, I gave them an x-ray.