Issues Wiring DEPO Smilies

[DasBooooost]

As the title suggests I'm having issues. For the purists, I understand they're not OEM, and that they're not perfect. But I'm having issues getting the low beams to work. High beams are operational.

After reading some forums and posts around the web I ordered the 9005/9006 pigtails, and picked up some H1 bulbs. Bulbs and pigtails are connected to the housings. For the life of me I cannot get the low beams to turn on. I've connected the ground from the car (brown) to the ground on the pigtails (assuming the black one). That leaves two different wires for the positive. On the driver side i have a white with yellow stripe and a white with pink/purple stripe. It looks pink but perhaps it was originally purple and has just faded over time. On the passenger time I have a white with blue stripe and a yellow with blue stripe. I've connected both to the red wire of the pigtail to no avail, and I've swapped bulbs thinking perhaps I just bought bad bulbs, nothing.

For images you can see my post on reddit here https://www.reddit.com/r/E30/comment...s_low_beams_i/

[richardodn]

On an unmodified 1990, low beam would be yellow/white stripe and yellow/blue stripe. High beam power would be white/violet stripe and white/blue stripe. Brown is ground. I'm assuming the headlights worked before this started and you had the late sealed beam system. Also keep in mind the stock sealed beams outboard lamps are actually dual beams with separate filaments for low and high. That's why they have a 3 wire hookup. When lights are switched on in low position, dual(low) beam power is hot and the outboard lamps light up. When you switch to high, the inboard high beams switch on and the dual(low) switches off. The reason the outboards remain lit is because there's a jumper from the high beam over to the outboard third wire for dual(high).

Now I'm guessing your depo smilies are an H1/H1 with city lights unit. H1's are single filament and becomes relevant because you are replacing a dual filament outboard. If I'm right, you have 4 wire connections.

Low - H1 outboard
High - H1 inboard
City
Ground

Hook up your yellow wires to the Low connection. Hook up white wires to the high connection. Typical choices for City are not connected, parking lights, & blinkers. Ground of course to ground. If you have hooked things up this way, your outboard lamps will light with the lights in low. When you switch to high, the inboard lamps will light, but the outboard lamps will turn off. This is because you used to have a dual beam outer lamp and now you have a single beam outer. But there is something you can do. First make sure your K3 high beam relay is a 5 pin changeover relay with 87 and 87a outputs. It should be. If you make a jumper between 30 and 87a, your outboards will remain lit.

If this doesn't cover your case, tell me more about what you've done.

[DasBooooost]

On an unmodified 1990, low beam would be yellow/white stripe and yellow/blue stripe. High beam power would be white/violet stripe and white/blue stripe. Brown is ground. I'm assuming the headlights worked before this started and you had the late sealed beam system. Also keep in mind the stock sealed beams outboard lamps are actually dual beams with separate filaments for low and high. That's why they have a 3 wire hookup. When lights are switched on in low position, dual(low) beam power is hot and the outboard lamps light up. When you switch to high, the inboard high beams switch on and the dual(low) switches off. The reason the outboards remain lit is because there's a jumper from the high beam over to the outboard third wire for dual(high).

Now I'm guessing your depo smilies are an H1/H1 with city lights unit. H1's are single filament and becomes relevant because you are replacing a dual filament outboard. If I'm right, you have 4 wire connections.

Low - H1 outboard
High - H1 inboard
City
Ground

Hook up your yellow wires to the Low connection. Hook up white wires to the high connection. Typical choices for City are not connected, parking lights, & blinkers. Ground of course to ground. If you have hooked things up this way, your outboard lamps will light with the lights in low. When you switch to high, the inboard lamps will light, but the outboard lamps will turn off. This is because you used to have a dual beam outer lamp and now you have a single beam outer. But there is something you can do. First make sure your K3 high beam relay is a 5 pin changeover relay with 87 and 87a outputs. It should be. If you make a jumper between 30 and 87a, your outboards will remain lit.

If this doesn't cover your case, tell me more about what you've done.

Here are my current Connections:

DRIVER SIDE:

Low Beam= Yellow and white wire from car --- Yellow on pigtail
Brown on car --- Black on pigtail
White with Pink NOT USED

High Beam= White/Pink from car --- Yellow on Pigtail
Brown from car --- black on pigtail
White/pink NOT USED

PASSENGER SIDE:

Low Beam= Yellow with Blue on car --- Yellow on pigtail
Brown on car --- black on pigtail
White/Blue NOT USED

High Beam= White/Blue on car --- Yellow on Pigtail
Brown on car --- Black on pigtail
White/Blue NOT USED

Both sides on high beams are operational. Low Beam are NOT. I have brand new H1 bulbs in both the High and Low Beams.

[richardodn]

I really can't help you any further. I don't know anything about how the new stuff should be set up. Maybe if you added specifically what you did and how DEPO says to wire their lights.

[sienayr]

Here's how mine are hooked up on the passenger side, they work fine. You don't need the white/blue strip wires, they will no longer be used due to the dual filament stock bulbs that richard mentioned. I think this matches what you have stated for your connections so you may have other issues. Have you checked for power at the harness when the low beams are on?
IMG_5448.jpg

[DasBooooost]

Yes, your wiring is the same way I have it hooked up. IDK how I could of lost power considering the lows were working fine before.

- - - Updated - - -

Here's how mine are hooked up on the passenger side, they work fine. You don't need the white/blue strip wires, they will no longer be used due to the dual filament stock bulbs that richard mentioned. I think this matches what you have stated for your connections so you may have other issues. Have you checked for power at the harness when the low beams are on?
IMG_5448.jpg

Yes, your wiring is the same way I have it hooked up. IDK how I could of lost power considering the lows were working fine before.

[sienayr]

Well you gotta start somewhere, start by testing for 12v at the harness with the low beam switch on, if no power work your way back from there. Have you checked the fuses? If there's 12v at the harness then that's the end of the line and it has to be the headlights or the bulbs, but it seems unlikely you'd get two bad headlights in one set or two bad bulbs. An obvious one but are there bulbs in the headlights? I had to go out and buy bulbs for mine, it didn't come with them; I'm assuming since the high beams work you installed bulbs in all four lights. Good luck with your troubleshooting.

[DasBooooost]

Well you gotta start somewhere, start by testing for 12v at the harness with the low beam switch on, if no power work your way back from there. Have you checked the fuses? If there's 12v at the harness then that's the end of the line and it has to be the headlights or the bulbs, but it seems unlikely you'd get two bad headlights in one set or two bad bulbs. An obvious one but are there bulbs in the headlights? I had to go out and buy bulbs for mine, it didn't come with them; I'm assuming since the high beams work you installed bulbs in all four lights. Good luck with your troubleshooting.

I checked the fuses and none were popped. I have all brand new bulbs. I even took the harness for the high beams and swapped it onto the low side and they worked. Something in the wiring for the low beams has to be off, but I have no idea what it could be as everything was fully operational before I did this.

[DasBooooost]

It was fuse 14. Being one that was original to the car it was one of the old style ones where they weren't see through. When initially looking over the fuses I guess I just glossed over it. Those old style ones are kinda hard to tell if you've never worked with them before. Anyways. Replaced teh fuse. Low beams work. Next task is to wire the relays so my lows stay on when i click on the high beams