Honda Car Forum

Charlie S wrote:
> It's not a relay Contact in series with each Tail light bulb it's a
> relay COIL. A COIL has a voltage drop so I assume 9 volts on the wire
> between the relay and the bulb.

you /assume/ a coil has a voltage drop of 3V??? what's the resistance
of the coil in proportion to the bulb??? the math is real simple.

>
> This is not new Honda has been doing this for over 10 years.

dude, /no/ manufacturer puts a relay coil in series with a high wattage
bulb. period.

>
> I remember going in to Kragen's and being told that Honda has
> different Brake lights than other brands.

no. get the bulb number and cross reference it against all the other
applications - it's just a stock bulb used industry-wide.

>
> 4 of the 5 Brake lights are dual filiment.

so? it's called redundancy. it helps keep the car safe when neglectful
drivers fail to check to see if their bulbs are working properly.

>
> I have a '92 Accord wiring diagram in front of me and I can see the
> relays.

i have two different helm [honda factory] circuit diagrams in front of
me right now, and there are no relay coils in series with any light
bulbs. there must have some sort of problem with the drawings you have
if you think you're looking at relay coils.

>
>
> On Sat, 30 Jul 2005 07:26:28 GMT, "Doug McCrary"
> <DougMcCrary@spamcop.net> wrote:
>
>
>>Charlie S <chasa@rcn.com> wrote in message
>>news:14tle1dthbehe3fbo44j0a0sqqoiplhqk1@4ax.com. ..
>>
>>>Honda installs a relay in series with each Tail Light Bulb so the bulb
>>>sees less than 12 volts. I did not intend to say that you have to buy
>>>a bulb manufactured by Honda. A bulb intended for other than a Honda
>>>would fit, but not have the correct brightness.
>>>
>>
>>Not.
>>Spec'd lamps are standard. A 327 or whatever has a specified voltage, base
>>design, current rating, and output (candlepower) .
>>Honda can't change that unless they design their own lamp, with their own specs
>>(and number). I don't see where they have done that. If you have an example,
>>please post it.
>>
>>
>>>For other than a Honda tail light, if I had a burned out bulb I would
>>>look in a box in my garage for a bulb that looked the same and it
>>>would work.
>>>
>>>Cheers
>>>Charlie
>>>
>>
>>
>

Dude, I have the 90-93 Accord Haynes repair manual wiring diagram in front
of me and there is a device called a brake light sensor which uses what's
called a reed relay. There is a relay in series with each brake lamp, when
the lamp is on the current travelling through the relay pulls in a contact
which tells the monitor that the lamp is working. If the bulb is burned out
(open) then no current flows through the relay and the contact remains open,
indicating a brake lamp is out by the brake lamp on the dash.

"jim beam" <nospam@example.net> wrote in message
news:esWdnZG8kZOrcXHfRVn-qA@speakeasy.net...
> Charlie S wrote:
> > It's not a relay Contact in series with each Tail light bulb it's a
> > relay COIL. A COIL has a voltage drop so I assume 9 volts on the wire
> > between the relay and the bulb.
>
> you /assume/ a coil has a voltage drop of 3V??? what's the resistance
> of the coil in proportion to the bulb??? the math is real simple.
>
> >
> > This is not new Honda has been doing this for over 10 years.
>
> dude, /no/ manufacturer puts a relay coil in series with a high wattage
> bulb. period.
>
> >
> > I remember going in to Kragen's and being told that Honda has
> > different Brake lights than other brands.
>
> no. get the bulb number and cross reference it against all the other
> applications - it's just a stock bulb used industry-wide.
>
> >
> > 4 of the 5 Brake lights are dual filiment.
>
> so? it's called redundancy. it helps keep the car safe when neglectful
> drivers fail to check to see if their bulbs are working properly.
>
> >
> > I have a '92 Accord wiring diagram in front of me and I can see the
> > relays.
>
> i have two different helm [honda factory] circuit diagrams in front of
> me right now, and there are no relay coils in series with any light
> bulbs. there must have some sort of problem with the drawings you have
> if you think you're looking at relay coils.
>
> >
> >
> > On Sat, 30 Jul 2005 07:26:28 GMT, "Doug McCrary"
> > <DougMcCrary@spamcop.net> wrote:
> >
> >
> >>Charlie S <chasa@rcn.com> wrote in message
> >>news:14tle1dthbehe3fbo44j0a0sqqoiplhqk1@4ax.com. ..
> >>
> >>>Honda installs a relay in series with each Tail Light Bulb so the bulb
> >>>sees less than 12 volts. I did not intend to say that you have to buy
> >>>a bulb manufactured by Honda. A bulb intended for other than a Honda
> >>>would fit, but not have the correct brightness.
> >>>
> >>
> >>Not.
> >>Spec'd lamps are standard. A 327 or whatever has a specified voltage,
base
> >>design, current rating, and output (candlepower) .
> >>Honda can't change that unless they design their own lamp, with their
own specs
> >>(and number). I don't see where they have done that. If you have an
example,
> >>please post it.
> >>
> >>
> >>>For other than a Honda tail light, if I had a burned out bulb I would
> >>>look in a box in my garage for a bulb that looked the same and it
> >>>would work.
> >>>
> >>>Cheers
> >>>Charlie
> >>>
> >>
> >>
> >
>

jim beam wrote:
> i have two different helm [honda factory] circuit diagrams in front of
> me right now, and there are no relay coils in series with any light
> bulbs. there must have some sort of problem with the drawings you have
> if you think you're looking at relay coils.

doesnt the symbol for "light" look like a coil of wire in a bulb? mebbe
TE cheah has morphed?

Grahame wrote:
> Dude, I have the 90-93 Accord Haynes repair manual wiring diagram in front
> of me and there is a device called a brake light sensor which uses what's
> called a reed relay. There is a relay in series with each brake lamp, when
> the lamp is on the current travelling through the relay pulls in a contact
> which tells the monitor that the lamp is working. If the bulb is burned out
> (open) then no current flows through the relay and the contact remains open,
> indicating a brake lamp is out by the brake lamp on the dash.

and the bulb current is not conducted by the coil, it's conducted by the
reed. that's why there's no voltage drop.

>
> "jim beam" <nospam@example.net> wrote in message
> news:esWdnZG8kZOrcXHfRVn-qA@speakeasy.net...
>
>>Charlie S wrote:
>>
>>>It's not a relay Contact in series with each Tail light bulb it's a
>>>relay COIL. A COIL has a voltage drop so I assume 9 volts on the wire
>>>between the relay and the bulb.
>>
>>you /assume/ a coil has a voltage drop of 3V??? what's the resistance
>>of the coil in proportion to the bulb??? the math is real simple.
>>
>>
>>>This is not new Honda has been doing this for over 10 years.
>>
>>dude, /no/ manufacturer puts a relay coil in series with a high wattage
>>bulb. period.
>>
>>
>>>I remember going in to Kragen's and being told that Honda has
>>>different Brake lights than other brands.
>>
>>no. get the bulb number and cross reference it against all the other
>>applications - it's just a stock bulb used industry-wide.
>>
>>
>>>4 of the 5 Brake lights are dual filiment.
>>
>>so? it's called redundancy. it helps keep the car safe when neglectful
>>drivers fail to check to see if their bulbs are working properly.
>>
>>
>>>I have a '92 Accord wiring diagram in front of me and I can see the
>>>relays.
>>
>>i have two different helm [honda factory] circuit diagrams in front of
>>me right now, and there are no relay coils in series with any light
>>bulbs. there must have some sort of problem with the drawings you have
>>if you think you're looking at relay coils.
>>
>>
>>>
>>>On Sat, 30 Jul 2005 07:26:28 GMT, "Doug McCrary"
>>><DougMcCrary@spamcop.net> wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>>Charlie S <chasa@rcn.com> wrote in message
>>>>news:14tle1dthbehe3fbo44j0a0sqqoiplhqk1@4ax.co m...
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>>Honda installs a relay in series with each Tail Light Bulb so the bulb
>>>>>sees less than 12 volts. I did not intend to say that you have to buy
>>>>>a bulb manufactured by Honda. A bulb intended for other than a Honda
>>>>>would fit, but not have the correct brightness.
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>>Not.
>>>>Spec'd lamps are standard. A 327 or whatever has a specified voltage,
>
> base
>
>>>>design, current rating, and output (candlepower) .
>>>>Honda can't change that unless they design their own lamp, with their
>
> own specs
>
>>>>(and number). I don't see where they have done that. If you have an
>
> example,
>
>>>>please post it.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>>For other than a Honda tail light, if I had a burned out bulb I would
>>>>>look in a box in my garage for a bulb that looked the same and it
>>>>>would work.
>>>>>
>>>>>Cheers
>>>>>Charlie
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>
>