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Oh why oh why didn't I take the blue pill!? (Headlamp swap)


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So I go out to install my new nerd lights in my 84 Brat. You know, the uber cool, H4 glass housings with the fancy schmancy half halo LEDs. Simple, right? Disassemble grille, remove, replace, assemble. Easy peasy! Right? WRONG! Now in lo beam, all four are on with the inner two very dim. On hi beam, the inner two are bright and the outters dim. Wtf?! Never dawned on me there could be an issue since everything was working fine before the swap. So I stomp dejectedly into the shop and pull the schematics to see wth is going on. Damn Subaru and their bass ackwards switched ground system!  Everyone else in the world uses switched +! So instead of ground being your 'common' wire, B+ is. You have to switch the RB wire with the R wire on the right side and the RL wire with the RB wire on the left side on the lo beams only. I then remembered someone else had this problem. Quick search and voila!  They just said they swapped terminals, not which ones, so I thought I would add that to make it easier. Now to decide how I want to hook up the LEDs...

 

Probably should add... To remove the terminals from the connector housing, you need a flat terminal release tool or a very small, rigid, flat object. Looking at the connector head on, you will see the terminal slots at 12, 3 and 9 o'clock. You are swapping 3 & 9. Inboard of the terminal slots you will see a small cavity with part of the terminal in it. Insert the tool between the terminal and the very inner most edge of this cavity. Pry the top of the tool inwards and then pull on the wire from the back side while maintaining pressure with the tool. This will unlock the metal retaining tab on the terminal from the housing. Bend the tab back out, an eighth of an inch is sufficient, and install in the opposite slot.

Edited by skishop69
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my 84 has single headlights, and yours the twin !

I had troubles with my uncles 92 Brumby with twins. Some goofball fitted after market inserts that sported replaceable globes but also earthed things out so all four beams were on high when switched to low beam. Sealed beam inners sorted the drama, after I switched the combo switch, the light switch etc.

 

Did you buy online and got a link ?

 

I found my EA82 ran a trickle voltage through high beam while low beams were ON. The trickle was about 1.4V and was not enough to make the HI glow inside the single EA82 headlights, but was enough to trigger my driving light relay, turning the driving lights on during low beam, the headlights hi beam remained off as wanted, I suspected either something was wrong or Subaru let a trickle through to ? save the hi from surge blast or something ? giving longer bulb life ?

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We make adapters at the shop that plug directly into your factory terminals to make this work ;)  I'm assuming you are talking about the 4 lamp 165mm sealed beams, which you replaced with H4 housings.

 

HERE is the link to our adapters :)  Built in house with top quality East Penn/Deka US made wire and Hella H4 connectors :)

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Good to know, but unless I'm looking at the pic of  the adapter wrong, the wires go from the same terminals on the sealed beam to the same terminals on the H4 connector. That won't solve the problem of the Subarus being ground switched and not + switched like everyone else.The outside terminal wires would have to cross from connector to connector and they don't. The connectors on the Subies plug directly into the H4 housings.

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Good to know, but unless I'm looking at the pic of  the adapter wrong, the wires go from the same terminals on the sealed beam to the same terminals on the H4 connector. That won't solve the problem of the Subarus being ground switched and not + switched like everyone else.The outside terminal wires would have to cross from connector to connector and they don't. The connectors on the Subies plug directly into the H4 housings.

 

 

If ya decide you want to order a set, let me know and I can get em made up for ya to work on the ground switched setup.  Its pretty much just a matter of switching that one wire around on the H4 side.  I can talk to my wiring guy in the morning if ya want and see what he says (he's the one who makes them)

Edited by TheWanderer
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