At 08:01 AM 7/8/97 EDT, you wrote:
> Running with the lights on is something that my wife and I are doing
>more and more. Neither the bright red MGB GT nor the TD seems to be
>visible. One of the fellows in our club recently installed some nifty
>headlamps that he bought in the UK. The main driving illumination is
>provided by a bulb inside the headlamp fixture, plus there is a smaller
>bulb inside the reflector that acts as a daytime running light. Seems a
>good idea, yet it isn't taxing his generator (MGA) unduly. If you just
>need a little more power, could you adjust the regulator?
All new vehicles sold in Canada since the 1992 model year have daytime
running lights. Like the middle brake light, another safety feature that I
think is a good idea. The headlights come on whenever the ignittion is on
and the hand brake is released (or in gear on an automatic). Since full
brightness isn't required the high beam lamps are connected in series for
daytime running. This reduces the brightness of the lamps, reduces the
current draw by a factor of 4 and lengthens the life of the lamps as opposed
to running them at full brightness.
It shouldn't be too difficult to convert to this lighting scheme by the
addition of a relay ( or two). When it comes time to wire the GT I'll
definately go this route. Improved safety at very little cost. Such a deal.....
Cheers
___ \______ Ross MacPherson
/ __ \ __ / /------|) arm@unix.infoserve.net
/ (___)---------/ (___) Vancouver, BC, Canada
1947 MG-TC 3528 1966 MGB-GT
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