How To Stop Head Lights Popping Up On Sidelights? (Uk Model)

Any luck with this?

 

 

 

I have a 95 1.8 done the same put in new headlights and changed the bulbs to xenon halegon and now they stay down when side lights switched on so I can only assume its the type of bulb thats used

 

Interesting.  Which bulbs did you use?  I didn’t realise you could do a straight swap for Xenons…  does it involve doing anything else?  Isn’t there a rule about having washers on xenon lights?

 

I replaced my old ones with Wipac clear lenses and Osram nigtbreaker bulbs (just standard halogen but brighter) and it made a vast improvement.

 

If there’s no easy re-wire option for keeping the popups down on sidelights I’d consider xenons if it’s fairly easy.

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I just bought a pair of head light with the bulbs off e bay straight swap for the old lights the bulbs have a blue colour to them not sure what make they are

Do you mean something like this ? http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Ring-Xenon-Gas-Ultima-H4-12v-Car-120-Brighter-Upgrade-Headlight-Headlamp-Bulbs-/200667492752?hash=item2eb8b6f190:g:BxEAAOSwWTRWxE77

It would be great if this were the solution but I don’t understand how the bulb can affect the pop-up action.   Any ideas?

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Wasn’t this type if you put in mx5 headlights in e bay the first ad is the headlights and bulb item number 215867501094 I can only assume being a double or single filament bulb that would cause this but i’m no genius all i can say is it stopped the lights coming up when fitted

 

OK ,  thank-you,  I really appreciate your help and I don’t want to be a pain.  I just don’t understand the bulb thing either so maybe someone else can help?

As far as I’m aware a H4 bulb (halogen and presumably the xenon version too) will have two filaments,  one for main beam and one for high beam (inc flash).  Then in addition there’s a dim dipped beam feature on UK 95 model MX5’s that is provided by the silly resister box that reduces the main beam to 16% of it’s normal brightness.  This comes on with the sidelights by default upon the first turn of the switch. The dim dipped feature has been eliminated on my car by removing the resister pack but the headlights still pop up upon the first turn of the switch… not illuminated.

I don’t really want to replace my wipacs but I’m happy to replace the bulb if it will have the desired effect (as that would be far easier than any re-wiring).  So far though I can’t find anything that appears to be any different to my Osram nightbreakers (H4).   I’d want to be sure before buying any other bulbs (and would only want pure white,  not blue tinged)

p,s.  item number 215867501094 is no longer listed but I can see the headlight/bulb package you purchased,  difficult to be 100% sure but they appear to be normal H4 bulbs,  just brighter xenon ones.

 

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No problem I’m as mystified as you lights go up with one set and not the other hope you get it sorted and somebody with more knoweledge than me can help

Sorry not got back to you over the weekend oh the joys of DIY I’ll go through the wiring diagram and post everything to hopefully sort you out in a couple of hours

Thanks,  apologies for chasing again though…   if you could post something up over the next few days that would be great.   I’m away over the weekend but hoping to have another crack at this next early week as I’ll have some time to dedicate to it then.

Sorry the joys of working 60 hours already this week I forgot I’ll post it tonight from looking at the diagram I think you will only need to cut one wire I’m gonna check it on my car as mine doesn’t have dimmed dipped so if said wire is missing then you will be laughing

Hi from the wiring diagram it looks like the white/blue wire going to the dim-dip relay needs to be cut but I’d try removing the relay first the resister pack needs to be in the circuit hopefully this helps

Thanks for this. I didn’t try taking the relay out with the resister put back in as the resister had already been removed. Hopefully this is the answer! I’ll try tomorrow and let you know (I’m 250 miles from my car at the mo!)

 

Meant to say as well there are two relays for the headlights try to locate the one that operates when you turn the side lights and the second one that operates when you turn on the headlights then remove the first one

Is this any help https://www.mx5oc.co.uk/forum/default.aspx?g=posts&t=193 ?

You’re a genius!   “the resister pack needs to be in the circuit”… indeed it does!  I reconnected the resister pack and removed relay HD22 and hey presto, the lights stay down on the first turn of the switch and the side lights illuminate,   then on the second turn of the switch the headlights popup on main beam.  I even popped the lights up manually on sidelights to see if the headlights were illumined on the dimmed setting and they weren’t…   so this is exactly what I wanted! 

In summary,  for anyone looking at this in future, for reference,  on my UK spec 1995 model, with the dimmed dip setup as standard,  I found :

Removing the dim dip resister pack only = Headlights still popup on the first turn of the switch but not illuminated.

Removing the dim dip resister pack and relay HD22 = Headlights remain down completely on first and second turn of the switch,  but the headlights illuminate (popped down) on main beam after the second turn.

Removing relay HD22 only (leaving dim dip resister connected) = first turn of switch makes the sidelights illuminate only (no popup) , and on the second turn of the switch the headlights pop up on main beam.

Sorted :slight_smile:

Now all I need to do is relocate the dim dip resister as it no longer fits in its original position due to my re-routed air intake… I need to extend the wires to be able to do that though. Soldering iron time…

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Hi all,

I understand this might be a ‘slight’ resurrection but I’ve been playing with this recently and was wondering whether you have to use the resistor for some low power reason or whether you could just connect the wires? 

Thanks, 

Matt. 

 

 

The resistor does need to be in there, with the resistor in place, removing relay HD22 will stop the dimmed headlights popping up with sidelights.

Just done it to ours as it crazed me too, I can remember it being the thing in the early 90’s, Vauxhalls used to do it. Although mine did until I fitted uprated bulbs, I had to uprate the transistors in the dim dip module to handle the extra current…

 

Resurrected this old thread - but as usual, MSOC members come to the rescue.

I am working on a 1991 UK car that has been bought by a young enthusiast and getting it back in shape for its MOT - it has been stood for nearly 2 years and needs a tidy. Luckily bodywork is good (sills and extra work done in 2012) so it is minor mechanicals and tidying up plus getting rid of 17" low profile wheels. Managed to sortout 4 original wheels in near-new condition complete with near-new Pirelli P6000’s for about the price of the tyres!

However, the headlight popping up dimmed is (and always has been) an annoyance so tracking down this post was a great result. Thanks to Gandolfstwin and Paulous for their posts.

JMZNA18B200112781

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I just carried this out on my '91 NA. Brilliant!
If you want to remove the ugly resistor pack you can just bridge the plug terminals to complete the circuit as I have done.