In a message dated 15/12/2004 12:38:58 PM Eastern Standard Time,
LISTSERV@GERRY.VANAGON.COM writes:

For  those planning higher wattage headlights, do consider that the contacts
on  the 9004 bulb harness are not really sufficient for 80/100W bulbs.   If
you relay the system as Jeff suggests and thereby provide more current  to
the bulbs, the possibility of melting the connector or the bulb housing  can
short circuit your efforts, so to speak.  As with many  modifications,
including SVX transplants, getting rid of only the weakest  link soon reveals
the next weakest link and so  on.

Al, not entirely true.  I have been using the  relay kit with the 100/80 watt
bulbs set up on two of my personal vans and have  installed numerous head
lamp relay kits with the higher wattage bulbs on  customers vans as well and
still no socket melt downs EXCEPT one on my '87  Westy.  The terminals in the
headlamp socket were worn to begin with and I  then replaced both sockets with new
ones available from NAPA and have had no  problems since.  The terminals in
the 9004 bulbs and sockets are definitely  small and weak.  They need to be in
good condition and clean and make very  good contact otherwise there will be a
problem.  The only other way around  all this is to convert the socket and
bulb and now were into an expensive  retrofit.  If your careful and meticulous
about looking after the OEM  sockets or replacing them with new ones there will
be no melt down at the socket  to bulb connection using the higher wattage
bulbs.

Cheers,

Frank  Condelli
Almonte, Ontario, Canada
_BusFusion_ (http://members.aol.com/BusFusion/bfhome.htm)  a VW Camper
camping event, Almonte, ON, June 09 ~ 12, 2005
'87 Westy, '90 Carat &  Lionel Trains
Member: _Vanagon List_ (http://www.vanagon.com/) , _LiMBO_
(http://www.bcn.net/~limbo/) , _IWCCC_ (http://www.westfalia.qc.ca/)  & _CCVWC_
(http://www.ccvwc.ca/)
Vanagon/Vanagon Westfalia Service in  the Ottawa Valley
_STEBRO/Vanagon Stainless Steel  Mufflers_
(http://members.aol.com/Fkc43/stebro.htm)
_Frank Condelli &  Associates_ (http://members.aol.com/Fkc43/busindex.html)
or  http://frankcondelli.com