Anybody have experience with these?
So just how much can an 80 watt bulb for headlamps heat up wiring? Has anyone really fried their wiring ON A MINI COOPER OR MINI COPPER S SPECIFICALLY. And how much does it cost to repair. If its not alot then maybe can I replace wiring every time I replace bulbs to prevent damage. But can I damage more than just wiring? Beacause I want these bulbs Philips H7 12v 80 watts Rally bulbs, but slightly worried about burning things up. I am not worried AT ALL about its legality, sorry. I was also considering Philips H3 12v 85 watts Rally All Weather (yellow) Bulbs for Auxiliary Driving Lamps.
See Pis:
Philips H7 12v 80w Rally Bulb

Philips H3 12v 85w All Weather Bulb

 

Nobody

 

Are your aux lights OEM or aftermarket?

Assuming theyre OEM, 85w would work ok as long as you are NOT using Ian Cull's R.L.R.(which has been discontinued for a while anyways)...The stock relay can handle the higher current draw(based upon my own experience, im no electrical engineer at all!!!)

see 'Tims comments' (thats me!)
http://www.gbmini.net/wp/auto-up_windows/rlr/

 

I would run a relay to both headlights. It's a quick wire in, and protects you from melting the harness. Did mine in about 1hr. Use direct battery voltage to the headlamps. They run brighter that way anyway.

 

80w is kinda pushing it on a 55w system... i'd be worried about melted harness if used on a hot day/night for prolonged hours.

 

I have also seen concerns about heating the headlight wires based on using higher wattage bulbs but I have not seen any posts from someone who has actually burned a headlight wire due to too much current from higher wattage bulbs. To solve this question we need to determine the gauge of the headlight wire in the Mini. The gauge will allow us to determine how much current the wire can handle and in turn how much wattage.

I suspect the Mini headlight wire size is specified in metric terms. If someone can determine the American Wire Gauge size of the headlight wires we will be on are way to getting an answer.

Based on 12 Volts; 55 Watts draws about 4.6 Amps, 80 Watts draws about 6.7 Amps, and 85 Watts draws about 7.1 Amps. My MCS usually runs closer to 14 Volts so the current draw would be even be less than that based on 12 Volts. I believe that #18 gauge wire is good for about 7 Amps which would be enough for the 80 W and probably even 85 W. If the Mini headlight wires are #18 or thicker (small gauge #) there should not be a problem but if the wires are thinner than #18 (larger gauge #) there should be concern about heating the wire and a relay would be needed.

 

If I am reading the Electrical Wiring Diagrams in the Mini Cooper Service Manual (Bentley) correctly, the headlight wires are 1.5 mm^2. I found a metric to american wire gauge conversion chart. 1.5 metric is a little thicker than #16 American. #16 is thicker than #18. 1.5 or #16 should be good for 10 Amps which, in my opinion, translates to no problem using 80 or 85 Watt bulbs in the Mini headlights with the existing OEM wires.

 

I always wondered if there was RLR sorta like his Always On Fogs.
OEM Aux Lights. Thanks

I will check wire size to verify. Thanks

Hmm, good idea. Did it affect any of the programing in the headlight control via Toggle switches? What I mean by programing is how when low-lights are in use fogs are operable and aux. driving lights are not, and when highs are in use fogs are inoperable but aux. driving lights are usable. I hope it doesn't get brighter when I throttle and dim when off the throttle? Or when I turn up the the stocker radio the lights get dim to every drum beat like flickering dico strobe lights Does it? More info on (relays) your set-up. Thanks

 

It's not the wiring itself you need to worry about when overlamping. The 1.5mm wire can handle the load without difficulty. The areas for conern are the headlight housings themselves, and the body control module. The BC1 uses transistor switches and not relays to control the lamp power. Thankfully, the driver ICs are made with internal overload protection as well as the circuits being fuse protected. The current draw will make the driver ICs generate more heat, and this can shorten the life of the expensive BC1 module. Adding relays to the headlamp circuitry can alleviate this worry. Doing so will require that daytime running lights be disabled by programming. The reason for this is the BC1 modulates the high beam power when used as DRLs by rapidly switching the power to the lights off and on at about a 200Hz rate. This will cause an attached relay to buzz and burn out of used for the high beams with DRLs active.

The headlight housings are not too keen on grossly overwattage lamps. The higher heat levels thrown off inside the housings have caused the reflectors to warp and melt in cases where people have put high power bulbs inside. Also, the bulb terminal connector gets subject to the higher heat and current draw, making it failure prone with overwattage bulbs.

If you are willing to take the risks, these will be your area of concern. You should be okay if you are doing this only to the high beams. Overwatting the OEM-style Rallye lights risks breaking the glass lens due to higher heat. I've read where this has happened with people fitting 100 watt H3 bulbs to them. ALso the OEM 'relay' uses the transistor/driver IC method for switching as does the BC1, with the same potential for issues down the road.

As for legality, that's all your responsibility.

 

Thanks guys for help!
So for the relay I went to look at some they had a 12v 30 amp and a 12v 40amp but the 40 amp was outta stock and to order. The guy said I should get the 40 amp and could run a pair (2) of lights through the relay. So, I would need two 40 amp relays (1 for the lows and 1 for highs) and some 16 wire, right? We looked at some huge 90 watt aux. lights and it had only one (1) 30 amp relay for both lamps.

GREATBEAR-Can you run the "programming issue" by me one more time?
Does that mean I would I have to take to dealership, or is disabling the DRL simply sniping a wire?

 

Post about airhorns cleared up relay wiring a bit.

The guy at the shop told me just running the oem 55w headlight bulbs to the battery with one 30 amp relay will improve my lighting. Does it really improve lighting that dramatically?

 

OK I went to local automotive electical shop, and had them look at it. They said it seems like I would be ok just putting bulbs in, but if it were them they relay it battey with fuses, offered to do job $85. plus parts.

 

So I ended up installing the Phillips 12v/80w Competition Bulbs for my highs and lows I have lots of great pics that compare oems, Osram 65w, and Phillips 80 watt Competition Bulbs, they are clearly the brighter bulb. They are not xenon type or blue bulbs just hi-powered bulbs. Plan to run relays later as some of you mentioned ( I have them already) just couldn't wait to see 80watts of light. Relays should make them even better? My quest for light might be over I am satisfied WITHOUT the addition of driving lights.

 

By the specs, the Philips H7 80W Rally puts out 2000 lumens, the oem H7 55 W puts out 1580 lumens,
and the Osram 65W Hyper puts out 2100 lumens (actually a H9 bulb on a H7 base - the H9 is a much
more efficient bulb than an H7).

 

Who makes the H9 on the H7 and where can you get them?
Thanks

 

Osram makes them. I got mine from Daniel Stern Lighting.
Halfway down this page:

http://www.danielsternlighting.com/p.../products.html

 

I have the 65W Osrams and they pump photons like it aint no thang.

 

The 80 watts-Phillips but euro spec they are not DOT compliant. I got from peformancebulbs.co.uk but they sell them for less on ebay.co.uk for less $36 bucks a pair. Also, have two pair of H7 HELLA 100 Watt bulbs, but are the white light type. These are real 100 watt not the 55w with 100w like lighting. Have not tried.

 

So more than 4 years with the Phillips 12v/80w Competition Bulbs and no issues.Never installed the relays nor reprogrammed DRL. Never tried the Aux lamps sold them before I got chance to install.