Voltage output

Has anyone tryed the modifications on the XJ CD that increases the output of the alt yet.

 

I've not tried it yet. But I was thinking of buying a kit to upgrade the lights, so the turn signals also double as running lights. Thought if I did that I might need to have some more power.

Richard B.

 

On my XJ all I did was fit relays for high & low.
I ran a heavier new positive feed directly off the rectifier/regulator to the relays and ran a new heavier earth from the bulbs back to the battery/frame earth.
I'm still running the standard bulb, but increased my lights a significant amount.

 

You wouldn't want to increase the voltage, you want more current.. :wink:

I agree, DEFINITELY install relays on your headlight. H4 bulbs require a lot of current to achieve maximum intensity, and 18ga wire just doesn't cut it.

Another way to lighten the load on the electrical system is to install LEDs in your turn signal, brake, and panel lights. The stock 1156 bulbs (turn signals) use 23 watts apiece, the 1157 bulbs (brake/tail) use 9 watts for the tail plus 23 watts for the brake, and the 194 bulbs in the panel use 7 watts apiece (1 per gauge, plus one for each indicator). So if you have your brakes on, turn signal on, and lets say you have the high beam on in neutral, that's 145 watts being drawn. (23W x 2 for the turn signals, 23W x 2 for the brake lights, 9W x 2 for the tail lights, 7W x 2 for the gauge lights, and 7W x 3 for the indicators [high beam, turn, and neutral]). That's a LOT of juice for a little generator..

The LED replacements for these bulbs all use less than 1 watt apiece. So in the same scenario, with LED's you would be using less than 11 watts. Using less power there not only means there's more power for your headlight, (you won't see it dim out when the turn signal is on or you hit the brakes) and the ignition, but it also takes a tremendous load off the alternator. It will last longer, AND, it doesn't take as much engine power to spin a lightly loaded alternator as it does a fully loaded one.

These are the LEDs I used for turns/tails..


They are available in red and amber, 1156 and 1157 sockets. I got them off ebay for $15 each. (search 1156 LED)


And these are the gauge cluster/indicator lights...


They come in all colors, plus white, and go for abut $5 each (depending on the color. Make sure you get the 4 or 6 LED versions to make it bright as possible. For the gauge lights, I used white, but keep in mind there's a yellow color gel molded into the gauge face. So other colors like red or blue might not show through. Because white LED light has a lot of UV, I painted my gauge needles with fluorescent orange paint, which makes them light up and its much easier to see.


If you are replacing the turn signals, you will have to buy an electronic flasher, because the LEDs will not put enough load on your stock flasher to make it flash. Downside to this is you will lose the auto-cancelling system (unless someone knows what part the flasher plays iin that system and can share what to do to bypass it). But otherwise it is just a standard 2-prong plug in plus a ground wire. If you have the XJ750 with the computer, replacing the tail lights will trigger the TAIL warning. This is a simple fix (but it involves removing the gauge cluster), you just solder a jumper between 2 contacts on the PC board (same fix to kill the HEAD warning if you install headlight relays).

**EDIT: Oh yeah, I forgot two very important things.. First, you CAN NOT put a white LED behind a color filter. It is NOT true white light, and it will not shine through at all! With LEDs, you MUST put the correct color behind the lens (red behind red, amber behind amber, etc.). And second, it seems like a lot of money to spend on bulbs, but remember one thing - LEDs never burn out. They're not vulnerable to heat, vibration, oil on your fingers, or moisture. So these are the last bulbs you will ever have to buy.

 

What is the exact bulb style used to replace the gauge cluster lights? I have seen conflicting styles, based on the Japanese & USA bulb #'s.

 

The gauge backlights and indicator lights are #194 bulbs. With LED's, you have to check the 'insertion clearance' of the mounting hole (how much extra room you have around the bulb when it goes through the hole) because it will determine the size of LED module you can use. Any #194 module with up to 4 LEDs will be the same diameter as a 194 bulb. 6, 8, and 10 LED modules will be slightly larger and may not fit through a tight hole. I had no problem with the 6 LED modules, but they were a REAL close fit, so the 8 LED modules will not fit.