Beta lights.

[Hamish Young]

Hi all,
I use my VX coupe daily as a commuting car - they were built to be used! - and bit by bit I'm getting it right through experience gained from other Betas' I've owned. The lights on the car (dipped) are worse than useless and probably dangerous when running at the time of day I am (about 5.30 AM/1930 pm - it's dark!).
I have heard of people adapting the lighting system to take more powerful bulbs and/or making all four lamps dipped & mainbeam. I understand this requires a fair bit of modification to the lighting wiring loom which I'm happy to undertake but i could use some schematics/drawings /diagrams/advice as I don't want the bloody thing to catch fire (again!). I would be keen to hear is the experiences of other 'betanuts' who have undertaken lighting 'surgery' on their cars. I don't want to fit spotlights as I think it would spoil the look of the car. Anybody got any ideas?

[Alan Cooper]

not done any of these things myself but the biggest problem with fiat/lancia wiring at this period was the lack of use of relays infact I believe the full current is drawn through the column stalk for the lights which leads to burnt out column switches the cure for many of the ills including the madly swinging voltmeter (!) is to add relays to circuits to avoid long supply runs and lots of voltage drop also if you use 100w bulbs this will avoid the column stalk going up in smoke! I would think that with the headlights you could use a switching relay supplied directly from the battery for each unit and then use the original supply to the bulb to switch the relay instead . My VX has had several mods done along these lines and it is rare to see the charging needle in the red even with heater fan hrw and lights on ...the indicators still nearly do for it though if all the others are already on. Unfortunately I don't have full info on what the previous owner did.

[Hamish]

Alan,
Thanks! as always very informative, a few ideas to follow there. I always thought it was just my cars that had voltmeters doing strange things... Good to know this isn't the case, would be very very interested in hearing of other electrical mods. Mind you, I'm facing an engine rebuild so electrics aren't really priority! Takes my mind off hassles though!!
Hamish

[Alan Cooper]

it has to be said that all Betas have deranged voltmeters you would think that they wouldn't have fitted them as it would have avoided lots of unnecessary worry! I will check in my cars history log to see if there are any clues to the mods done whatever they are they work quite well. the rear light units have also been modified so that BOTH the brake light and the rear light work as dual brake/rearlight if you see what I mean not original but the original lights are a bit small for modern use must help to avoid rear end collisions.

[jimcraib]

On the subject of lights for the Beta coupe. My father and I did a very simple conversion in the mid 1980's. I was wor king for a local dare I say a FORD dealership at the time I managed to get both the main beam and dip Motorcraft sealed beam units for nothing as they were redundant stock and were sitting in our Parts Managers garage awaiting disposal. My father did the work like this take the old carello or siem units off strip the glass from the reflector you then have the perfect carrier to mount the sealed beams into. Not as difficult as it seems. I will give a fuller discription when I have time to find the article from the Lancia newletter dated April 1986. The might not be as powerful as the original but being as they are glass they can't rust away.

[Randy Adams]

Hamish:

If I were you, I would make a relay for the dipped beam circuit a priority. Those multi-function light switches are expensive. Perhaps they're easy to get in the U.K. but here in the U.S., good ones are getting a bit thin on the ground. You might also get a much more effective dipped beam as well.

[Graeme Simpson]

My sisters' HPE has had the lights including backing carrier from a Trumph 2000 fitted and so now uses Lucas sealed beam units. I have noticed that they are not as good as the originals as fitted to my HPE VX. They seem to give a wider/softer light. Perhaps better sealed units are available

[Hamish]

Thanks one and all, much useful info but if anyone has bought an uprated loom or can produce photos/diagrams of same I would appreciate a copy!

[Alan Cooper]

Hamish I do not think you would need to go for a full loom if you used relays for dip and main beam you would simply need to mount two relays on each side of the car (one main one dip) in a suitable location near the lights then cut into the supply wiring for each circuit attaching the switched feed from the relay to the cable that goes to the bulb the other bit of this wire should then be connected to the switch terminal on the relay this means that instead of drawing loads of current through the column stalks etc you are only drawing enough to activate the switch .then make up some suitably substantial cable to connect the +ve contact of the relay directly to the battery +ve terminal obviously with great effort to ensure it looks neat and original! And of course use quality connectors no scotchloks and such like