Re: Flat Battery/Headlight Relays

["Neil Lindsey" <neil@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

- ----- Original Message -----
From: "r.downham" <r.downham@xxxxxxxxxxxx>


> Duly reported this to the dealer( he should have paid me for the info) and
when
> I went to pick it up he admitted that he had fitted the wrong relay.
> Apparently there are two that look basically the same but the one you need
> has to have a resistor and diode in it. I couldn't find that solution in
the
> archive hence this rather long post.
>
> Roger Downham


I've been subscribed to this list for almost a year now and I don't recall
anyone having mentioned anything about resistors and diodes in these relays
(you must have dug way back in the archives), not that I doubt for a moment
what you say.

Curiously though, *none* of the "Lighting Circuit Diagrams" or "Wiring
Circuit Diagrams" in the back of the Sprint Service Manual show any
resistors or diodes in these relays for either the ST or RS, in spite of the
fact that the relay internals are drawn quite clearly.  Guess it's just
another indication of the quality and completeness of information in this
expensive book. I'd hate to have to depend on the accuracy when
troubleshooting an electrical problem.  Pretty poor if you ask me!

Upon closer inspection of all the lighting diagrams, it appears that there
*is* a significant difference in the way the headlights are wired on the RS,
and it has to do with the 'common' connection between the headlight
filaments.  For the ST, this common connection is tied directly to ground,
but for the RS it is connected to one side of the main beam warning light.
In fact I'm not sure I like the way it's done (seems a lot more straight
forward on the ST), but I suspect that this is why the RS needs relays with
diodes.  Still, when power is turned of completely I don't see where there
is any way for power to be drained from the battery, and I think I've
already stared at the circuit diagram long enough (I'll take your word for
that).

So the net of this is that I suspect that the 'special' relays are *only*
required for the RS.  Does anyone know if the resistor and diode are visible
inside the relays (haven't bothered to pull one from my ST to look).

For those of you who have the service manual, I would encourage you to have
a look and see if you don't agree that at least so far as the headlights are
concerned the ST wiring is much easier to understand.

BTW - I haven't searched the archives for the previous discussion, so if I
am re-hashing old ground here, my apologies.

Neil
'99 Black ST



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