2/7 - Q/H Conversion for Type 3 Headlights by Andy Russo Australian T3 Register (Please refer to Disclaimer at bottom of page before proceeding) I always like to have nice bright lights while driving at night, I like to be able to see where I'm going especially out on the highway when I'm travelling at a higher speed than I normally would around the city. For this reason, whenever I have bought cars second-hand, the first thing I look at is the headlights; if they have the old type sealed beams in them it's a quick job to just run out and buy a set of H4 Hella Q/H inserts, a relay and a couple of 100/80watt Q/H globes and swap everything over. The relay is fitted to allow for, and give you the benefit of the extra lighting power without a voltage drop from the power source through the light switch, dip-switch etc.. once wired, the lighting/dip switch wiring only activates the relay which in turn draws its power source via a heavier duty fused lead straight from the battery. Most VW's sold here in Australia, had headlights of the semi-sealed type with a separate globe and the headlight adjustment was by two phillips screws set in the external chrome headlight rim. Some time ago Hella brought out a couple of conversion kits, one for the Beetle and old type Kombi with the oval lights and one for the later Beetle/Kombi/T3 with the round lights. This latter kit comprised of two headlight glasses with the H4 prisms, gaskets and two Q/H globes. Unfortunately these two kits are no longer available although one can still get a Rossi kit for the oval lights - We are however talking Type 3's here - So lets get to it. A lot of people have the misguided idea that if they put a larger wattage or a Halogen globe in their headlights, this will fix their lighting problem - Not so - what a lot of people don't realize is that the headlight glass plays a big part in better lighting. The prisms in the glass have to be the right type to get the full benefit of your more powerful Q/H globes. Hella sell a set of H4 178mm [7"] inserts with 60/55w Q/H globes (P/No: 5604) or 100/55w Q/H globes (P/No: 5604/100) both these kits include the parking light aperture. Now you say - I'll go out and buy a set and stick them in my T3 - Wrong - nothing will fit - but don't despair, with the '69 to '73 models which have the three small tags inside the headlight bowl, using a little bit of ingenuity, the conversion can be done. (For those who have the pre '69 models, I'm working on an adaptor insert plate that can be spot welded or pop-rivited into the headlight bowl -Instructions on how to do this and a pattern for same will be in Info. Sheet No. 2/3 when completed). Here's how with the US/Euro. rim set: If you're lucky enough to get hold of a U.S. or other European inner (VW P/No: 311-941-045) rim set and outer (VW P/No: 311-941-175A) chrome rim, you're set. Remove the complete Aussie light assemblies and discard. Replace with the U.S./Euro. assemblies and just replace the original sealed beams with the new Hella 5604/100 insert kits, new park lights, and screw it all back together. Here's how without the US/Euro. rim set: You can spend around $130 buying a pair of Hella universal rim assemblies (P/No: 1016) or as I did, go to a wreckers and get a complete set of H/Light assemblies, including the headlight bowl which is usually screwed to the fender by self-tapping screws, out of any of the old English 7" headlight cars (Hillmans, Austins, Minis etc..) You'll get them for next to nothing! Take them home, remove the triple rim system which you keep, you can discard the outer chrome rim and the rubber gasket behind the headlight bowl, these are not needed. Cut most of the bowl off leaving about 1" to retain it's strength, drill holes in the appropriate three places around the flat area of the bowl to line up with the tags in the T3 H/L aperture and attach, using small self tappers. This done, replace the old sealed beams from the rim kit with your new Q/H H4 units, the headlight plug will fit straight on to the pins on the back of your new Q/H globe but you will have to buy two park light holders as the VW ones will not fit, cut off the old park lights from their leads and crimp the new park light leads on to the old ones. Last thing to do is remove the two long adjusting screws on the sides of your external chrome rim which attaches it to the old headlamp assembly, discard the old assembly and screw the chrome outer rim back on. Drive round to your local servo. and get the lights adjusted or wait till its dark, find a level piece of concrete with a right angle wall in front (i.e. you carport wall) and roughly adjust them yourself. Now screw the outer rims back on. - That's it. Changes to the wiring: To get the full advantage of your new 60/55 or 100/55 or 100/80 watt headlights, you'll need either 2 (Hella or Bosch) double mini relays or 4 single mini Bosch (P/No: 0-332-019-150) relays, most of the former are 20 amp., the latter are usually 30 Amp. You can use either because if you work it out on the maximum wattage i.e. 2 x 100 watt [200 watt divided by 12 volt = 17 amp] - as long as you're over the maximum amperage you're okay. Basically, what you're going to do here is cut the Hi and Lo beam wires from the fuse box to the headlights and insert a relay where you've cut. The relays should be positioned as close to the headlights as possible, my suggestion would be on either side of the spare wheel cavity, mount them with the terminals pointing downwards. The original head and dip wires from the fuse box to the headlight plugs now go, via the relays, to terminals 86 and from terminals 87 back to the headlights. As you've only made a cut in your wires from the fuse box to the headlights to accommodate the relays, with spade connectors crimped to both ends of the cuts, the length of the wires should be right to just push on to the relay terminals. Terminals 85 which go to earth can be attached to the relays fitting screws, make sure you scrape a bit of paint off so that they makes a good earth. Terminals 30 go, via heavy duty 6mm with inline 20/25A fused wire to the unfused side of the heavy duty, red lead on the fuse panel that comes from the battery via the regulator. (Note - As most T3's have separately fused left and right head and dipped lights as a safety precaution and this, I think, is compulsory in some countries; the above article is written with this in mind and therefore 4 single or 2 double relays are required. If you are not too fussed with the idea of all the extra relays, fuses etc. you could do what I have done on my car - I have used 2 relays, one for Hi and one for Lo beam and my 86 terminals on the relays have gone straight back to the dip (change-over) relay terminals 56a [Lo- beam yellow wire] and F [Hi-beam white wire plus small blue/white to Hi beam indicator at instruments] The supply to this dip (change-over) relay is already fused. If you do it my way, you now have, on your fuse panel, two feed-in/four feed-out fuses spare which can be used for other things.) ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Disclaimer All the articles on electrics that have been written in these Info. Sheets are just that, an article on what I have done to mine or someone else's cars - they are meant as a guide only and can be used as an idea or elaborated on. Unless you have a basic knowledge of the car electrics I do not advise you attempt what's in these articles without the help of someone who does and no responsibility is accepted if your wiring goes up in smoke. On the positive side, as I'm much better at doing the Job than explaining, in writing, how to do it, I'm quite willing to elaborate or provide more details to anyone wishing to apply any of the electrical articles to their car. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- These info sheets, written by myself, are copyright only if used for profit. If you want to use them, please include the disclaimer and an acknowledgement to the Australian T3 National Register. Andy Russo Australian T3 Register