[FifeTiger]

OK, latest chapter in my 'Tales of What the hell do these do ?'....

Received the twin headlight relays from triumphtiger-online on Saturday, bounced into the garage cheerfully expecting to have night vision 5 minutes later.

Side pod off, rubber cover off, only one free relay socket......hmmmm.

OK plug the relay in anyway, no difference....

Whip out the one above and replace with second relay, no difference....

Whip out the top one and replace, no difference......

So, all the instructions say 'simply plug the new relays into the TWO spare sockets' - I've only one !

This is an 02 955i. So, questions are :-

1- how many relay sockets should there be ?
2 - what's in the second one if it's not spare ? The rating for the relay in place is 40W, the replacement is 30 A (!!!), bike has standard heated grips and datatool alarm, no other electrical items extra. Relay currently in slot 2 is a 3 pin.
3 - how come even with all the relays in I get no second dipped beam ? (Best suggestion so far is there's no bulb - thanks Graeme).

Answers ona postcard.... before it gets light so I can check out the difference in the lights !!

 

[chrisn]

1. Normally there are 4 available, the two centre ones used and the two outside ones empty.
2. Your new relays need to be 30W/4 pin.

3. Both your headlight bulbs contain two filiments, one for main beam and one for dipped.
It's possible one or more filiments have blown. If you're installing the additional relays for better light I recommendy you replace the bulbs with Philips VisionPlus at the same time.

Take a look at this PDF with photos which should make things a little clearer

 

[FifeTiger]

It's another bash tonight then, didn't remove the fairing completely, just felt and looked for the top relay slot, couldn't find it.

I am 99.9% convinced my relays are marked 30A not 30W, which would be a whopping 420W. Can't quite make out yours in the pdf but looks the same ? Has the electrical symbol for Watts become an 'A' since I did A Level physics ?

Look out for tomorrow's 'Where do these spare bolts go ?' thread.....

 

[iansoady]

I think the W relates to the pin connections - note that although the 2 types (see here will fit in each others' sockets, the connections are different. I believe that is the source of the flat batteries some people have experienced when fitting relays.

You'll also see that the relays on that page are a minimum of 30A capacity which is what you need. 30 watts would fry.......

 

[FifeTiger]

Just what the hell is a relay for anyway ?

To make sure you don't blow your switches turning on some high power electrical stuff ?

How do they work ?


I have loads more stupid questions I can ask so don't be afraid to answer !

 

[Dusty]

Can't help you with the relay location on a Tiger but I posted the following on the Sprint forum after I fitted them to my RS:
----------------------------------------------------------------------
There are 2 empty relay holders under the seat, behind the right side body panel. The forward position enables double main beam, and the rearmost enables double dipped beams. Each slot has one permanently live terminal; this is the main feed from the fusebox to the lamps. When the ignition and headlights (main or dip) are on, another terminal goes live. The other two pins are the respective neutral(earth) terminals.

The reason I had a battery problem, is that the standard (in UK) accessory relay is a Type A pin configuration which does not match the Triumph relay slot wiring, and connects the switching terminal on the relay to the permanently live coil feed on the relay holder. This type of relay has a pin configuration of (clockwise, looking at pins) 87,85,86,30.(i.e. 87 opposite 86).
Can't help you with the location on a Tiger, but I posted the following after fitting relays to my RS.

The Triumphs require a relay with pin configuration Type B. (I think that this is a standard configuration in Australia;the Narva relay recommended elsewhere is Type B). Most accessory shops in the UK stock Type A, and don't realise that there is an alternative. Of course, if you're not using an existing relay holder, it doesn't matter as you just wire it according to instructions. Type B configuration is 87,85,30,86.(i.e. 87 opposite 30). This is standard for VW, Saab, Renault, Peugeot & Rover. I used Ring relays; model RLFK30.
So, the ebay advertisers are possibly right, they are selling "special" relays, but if you ask for 2 Type B pin configuration relays, and check the pin position as (87 opposite 30), you can do this conversion for as little as £6.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
You shouldn't have any problems with the electrical connection configuration on the relays you bought from triumphtiger-online as the supplier is well aware of this.
Good luck.

 

[Arrybash]

A relay is an electro/mechanical switch. Two of the connections i.e. the low current input side feed a coil. Through the middle of the coil is a ferrite rod. When current is fed to the coil it pulls the ferrite rod. The ferrite rod is attached to a pair of contacts. These can be either normally open or normally closed (in this relay they are normally open, i.e when there is no current on the coil the switch is open, sometimes relays have 5 terminals, the extra contact being for the normally closed position).

The other 2 wires are the power supply to the device you are activating, one side connects to the supply the other to the device, in this case the headlight bulb.

The relay saves having the 110w load (9.2amps) going through the light switch on the handlebars.

Most relays have a small picture of the workings, as described above, on them.

This particular relay has a diode in the circuit and prevents reverse current flow. (A diode is like a one way valve).

Triumph Tiger on Line a well aware which relays you require hence they will be the correct ones.

I trust the above explains

Regards

Chris

 

[Dusty]

Sorry FT; I realised after I'd posted that you had also asked a general question on relays. Arrybash has beaten me to it with his excellent description. Building on what he says, you may be interested in the terminal numbers on a switching relay: 85 and 86 are -ve(earth) +ve sides of the coil. 87 is the 12V output to the load (in this case the headlamp);30 is the 12V supply to the relay from the battery, usually via a fuse (some realys have a fuse built-in). A changeover relay also has 87a as the fifth terminal for normally closed. If these numbers seem unusual, I believe they originated from an early VW automotive electrical standard and have been universally adopted. These numbered terminals can be in different positions on the relay base or holder, so that's why it's important to get the correct one. As Arrybash says, your supplier has already worked this out for you!

 

[chrisn]

OK OK apologies....Watts / Amps sorry.

(My PDF does clearly state Amps)

 

[FifeTiger]

BINGO !!!

Thanks to Chris and his pdf, on closer inspection, there is indeed a fourth relay holder, right at the top previously hidden by the rubber cover.

It's a bit like being an amateur gynaecologist getting your fingers in there, but managed it without taking the fairing off.

Flicked the switch and....

Somebody help me - I'M BLIND !!!

Twin headlights bouncing off the fridge freezer just a few feet away (in the garage, wasn't working on the bike in the kitchen).

Got up especially early this morning just to make sure it was dark and, like a kid at Xmas, fired up, pointed her up the road, flicked the swicth and Let There be Light !

What a difference, there's actually a pool of white light on the road ahead instead of a dim patch and a brightly lit gutter.

Can't beleive I've spent the last few dark months peering ahead of me, buttocks clenched for the sake of a few quid

 

[chrisn]

Well done FT.

Now get some Philips VisionPlus bulbs in there too :upthumb:

 

[doctordee]

Congratulations, thats the hard part done, now change the bulbs.

Highly recommend the philips, they are great, one down side are the cars flashing their lights because they think you are on high beam, feck them all, at least now they can see you

 

[ai]

Well done that chap, makes some difference.

Since I have fingers like bananas I had to take the whole kit 'n' kaboodle off the front end, but the info and pics on this site made it a much less daunting task - It was my first real piece of work on the tiger and you are always nervouse about fubaring something. I did the relays and the bulbs at the same time, what a difference.

Sitting next to me here is a centre stand, maybe this weekend I'll get that on.

 

[CATUCK]

I've got the TigerOnline 100w main beamers in my 02 wow. Like a flippin searchlight!

Arrybash have you done a headlight upgrade for your TTR? Mines a bit dim?

 

[Arrybash]

Hi,

Apologies to the non TTR250 owners out there but you don't know what your missing.!!

No I haven't bothered changing the headlight as I don't really use it in the dark. I think it is limited what you can do without risk of melting the headlamp surround with the extra heat.

Done all the performance mods though.

Regards

Chris

PS if you want to talk TTR250's email me direct or go to the specialist TTR250 forum at:

TTR250 Forum