↓ Advertise on Defender2 ↓

Home > In Car Electronics > Dim dip retro fit!
Post Reply  Down to end
Page 1 of 2 12>
Print this entire topic · 
doublea



Member Since: 12 Jul 2011
Location: Aberdeenshire
Posts: 494

Scotland 2016 Defender 110 Puma 2.2 Adventure Phoenix Orange
Dim dip retro fit!
Right, I know most folk ask about disabling dim dip, but I kinda like the retro look of it.

How do I go about retro fitting this to my 2015 utility wagon?

I'm hoping it's a case of getting the "pink relay" and resistor and plugging them in. Current Steeds:
2015 110 UW in Grasmere Green
2003 BMW F650 the Hack
2000 Elise
1992 Ducati 888 (no longer in bits, yahoo)
1990 TDR 250 (in bits again)
1988 TDR 250 (no longer in bits) and for sale
Post #786037 9th Aug 2019 11:41pm
View user's profile Send private message View poster's gallery Reply with quote
grafty99



Member Since: 15 Aug 2012
Location: North Devon
Posts: 4784

United Kingdom 2002 Defender 90 Td5 HT Caledonian Blue
The pink relay controls the headlights anyway so should already be there. If the wiring is there then it should just be a case of getting a resistor and plugging it in Thumbs Up 2002 90 Td5 Station Wagon
1990 Vogue SE
Triumph Tiger Explorer 1200
Td5 90 Thread http://www.defender2.net/forum/topic50767.html
Tdi 110 Thread https://www.defender2.net/forum/topic69562.html
RRC Thread http://www.defender2.net/forum/topic54492.html
Instagram http://www.instagram.com/george_grafton
Post #786039 10th Aug 2019 6:00am
View user's profile Send private message View poster's gallery Reply with quote
90 Dreamer



Member Since: 13 Jul 2019
Location: Oop North
Posts: 2045

United Kingdom 2016 Defender 90 Puma 2.2 HT Corris Grey
what is it exactly??
Post #786046 10th Aug 2019 7:33am
View user's profile Send private message View poster's gallery Reply with quote
blackwolf



Member Since: 03 Nov 2009
Location: South West England
Posts: 16808

United Kingdom 2007 Defender 110 Puma 2.4 DCPU Stornoway Grey
It is a useless feature which is optimised to make your headlight bulbs fail quicker!


It was actually a half-witted scheme by the UK government which meant that if you turned on the sidelights with the ignition on, the dip beam headlights would come on at about half power. It was for a short time in the late 1980s a legal requirement, until Europe, in a rare moment of sense, ruled that it was illegal under EU law for the UK to make it a legal requirement. So it stopped being a legal requirement!

Some manufacturers, especially those like Land-Rover, who thought the 1970s hadn't ended, went on fitting it for years before stopping.

Benefits of DD: none.

Disbenefits: running a headlight bulb on a reduced voltage has been shown to make it fail much quicker than running it on design voltage.

It is probably illegal to retrofit dim dip to a vehicle unless a configuration of the vehicle with DD has been through the EWVTA process, and then only to a class N (not M) vehicle. You'd have to compare the wiring diagrams to see exactly what is needed, but the DD system is more complex than you expect and you will be cutting and splicing harnesses to retrofit.
Post #786057 10th Aug 2019 8:24am
View user's profile Send private message View poster's gallery Reply with quote
Sulisuli



Member Since: 30 Oct 2016
Location: South west
Posts: 4787

United Kingdom 2015 Defender 90 Puma 2.2 HT Corris Grey
Everyday is a school day, thanks blackwolf Thumbs Up 2015 HT XS 90
2008 SVX 90
2000 XS TD5 90
Post #786065 10th Aug 2019 8:53am
View user's profile Send private message View poster's gallery Reply with quote
doublea



Member Since: 12 Jul 2011
Location: Aberdeenshire
Posts: 494

Scotland 2016 Defender 110 Puma 2.2 Adventure Phoenix Orange
Oh well, sounds like it's not feasible.

It's just that super bright newfangled led DRLs just don't complement the retro look of my defender.

Thanks for the replies though. Current Steeds:
2015 110 UW in Grasmere Green
2003 BMW F650 the Hack
2000 Elise
1992 Ducati 888 (no longer in bits, yahoo)
1990 TDR 250 (in bits again)
1988 TDR 250 (no longer in bits) and for sale
Post #786067 10th Aug 2019 9:47am
View user's profile Send private message View poster's gallery Reply with quote
90 Dreamer



Member Since: 13 Jul 2019
Location: Oop North
Posts: 2045

United Kingdom 2016 Defender 90 Puma 2.2 HT Corris Grey
cheers for the info....... Thumbs Up
Post #786069 10th Aug 2019 10:03am
View user's profile Send private message View poster's gallery Reply with quote
LandRoverAnorak



Member Since: 17 Jul 2011
Location: Surrey
Posts: 11240

United Kingdom 2013 Defender 110 Puma 2.2 USW Orkney Grey
If you want something DRL-esque but retro looking, then you could just turn the sidelights on. Darren

110 USW BUILD THREAD - EXPEDITION TRAILER - 200tdi 90 BUILD THREAD - SANKEY TRAILER - IG@landroveranorak

"You came in that thing? You're braver than I thought!" - Princess Leia
Post #786074 10th Aug 2019 10:19am
View user's profile Send private message View poster's gallery Reply with quote
blackwolf



Member Since: 03 Nov 2009
Location: South West England
Posts: 16808

United Kingdom 2007 Defender 110 Puma 2.4 DCPU Stornoway Grey
^^^ This! Rolling with laughter

Good idea, it's what I do.
Post #786080 10th Aug 2019 10:28am
View user's profile Send private message View poster's gallery Reply with quote
JWL



Member Since: 26 Oct 2011
Location: Hereford
Posts: 3443

England 2002 Defender 110 Td5 SW Coniston Green
Another way is to do what I did, I have a pair of crystal headlamps with pilot lights in. I popped a couple of led 501's in place and wired them up to the sidelight loom which give a fair impression of the headlamps being on allbeit not as bright as dipped beam as soon as the sidelights are turned on Thumbs Up
Post #786354 11th Aug 2019 7:50pm
View user's profile Send private message View poster's gallery Reply with quote
MadTom



Member Since: 10 Sep 2013
Location: Olomouc
Posts: 556

Czech Republic 1999 Defender 130 Td5 HCPU Baltic Blue
DD will not work with LED head lights .... "Drobek" = The Small One - Discovery 2, "Blufínek" = The Blue Thing - Defender 130, and for me at least Ford Mondeo Smile
Post #786416 12th Aug 2019 6:17am
View user's profile Send private message View poster's gallery Reply with quote
L110CDL



Member Since: 31 Oct 2015
Location: Devon
Posts: 10420

England 
Sulisuli wrote:
Everyday is a school day, thanks blackwolf Thumbs Up


+1 Thumbs Up 1996 Golf Blue 300Tdi 110 Pick up. Keeper.


Clayton.
Post #786674 13th Aug 2019 8:04pm
View user's profile Send private message View poster's gallery Reply with quote
discomog



Member Since: 09 May 2015
Location: Notts/Lincs Border
Posts: 2494

United Kingdom 2015 Defender 90 Puma 2.2 XS CSW Santorini Black
There is nothing to stop you fitting filament bulb drls if you want a more "classic" look. In fact my Disco Sport has filament bulb drl's fitted as do many other modern cars. It means you can run with much brighter lamps than if using sidelights and without the glitz of LED's.

Don't see the point of dim dip Defender 90XS SW
Mini Countryman Cooper S
Morgan Plus 8
Post #786679 13th Aug 2019 8:16pm
View user's profile Send private message View poster's gallery Reply with quote
custom90



Member Since: 21 Jan 2010
Location: South West, England.
Posts: 19449

United Kingdom 
I very much agree with BW's mentioning of the DD system being very complex.
I disabled mine a few years ago, it was a real head scratcher to sort out and now I can't every remember how I did it.
I certainly wouldn't re-use it, I did not see the point in it either.
Now I run Noldens with in-built sidelight function, which gives me front sidelights and a DRL of the headlights only on when sidelights are on.. (Piggyback connected from the sidelight feeds.)
Dipped, and main.

Without the above and without the dim dip which I couldn't have with LED anyway. I would have only sidelights.
And headlights dipped or main.
With sidelight on headlights would be off completely.
I'm very happy with this set up, and the extra light from the DRL headlights with sidelights on really gives better visibility in dark weather especially if your Defender is black or grey.

For these reasons, although from what I have read you have a different set up I would agree with the others not to re-instate it. Diesels Lives Matter. ⛽️🛢️👨‍🔧🧰⚙️
And if You Love the Country, then we’re on the same side ~
I got’ love for Britain, I got’ British pride’. 🇬🇧
Post #786704 13th Aug 2019 9:37pm
View user's profile Send private message View poster's gallery Reply with quote
llessur



Member Since: 15 Nov 2011
Location: Hereford
Posts: 151

United Kingdom 
I have the Dim Dip on a 2008 2.4 . I have fitted led headlights and the effect is that they are on with the sidelights and very bright. I guess its the ability of Leds to operate over a wide voltage range. I have the 10050 pink relay but when I went hunting for the resistor to disconnect it, I could not find it.
Can anyone give me an accurate idea where it is situated with possibly the wire colour please.
I would prefer to have full control over my lights as I drive with side lights on when the trailer is attached as the trailer side markers tend to make oncoming drivers a little more aware of the width. At present they seem fixated that my headlights are on and just want to flash me.
Post #786810 14th Aug 2019 3:48pm
View user's profile Send private message View poster's gallery Reply with quote
Post Reply  Back to top
Page 1 of 2 12>
All times are GMT

Jump to  
Previous Topic | Next Topic >
Posting Rules
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum



Site Copyright © 2006-2024 Futuranet Ltd & Martin Lewis
DEFENDER2.NET RSS Feed - All Forums