ScoobaSteve

iTrader: (2)

Hi
Could anyone please tell me why the 02 STI headlight adjusters have a 6 pin connector and the WRX has a 3 pin connector.Why more on the STI.
Neg,up,down i am assuming for the WRX,so could anyone help me out.

Cheers

Apple

Non-techy answer coming up...

STi has Ground, Live (+12V) and then four other wires. The switch feeds this full 12V to one of the other four leads which adjusts the position of the headlights. You effectively channel the power down whichever lead by choosing the position on the dash (0,1,2,3.)

WRX has the same Ground and Live connections but some electronics in the system that gives out a variable voltage along the third wire to control the leveller position. I can't remember the figures but the dash switch acts like a potential divider so pos0 = 0V, 1=3V, 2=? etc... The actual figures aren't as simple as that but it gives you an idea. The leveller motor in the headlight unit converts these voltages into known positions.

AFAIR the WRX switch lights up completely when you turn on the sidelights etc but the STi one only lights the current switch position so you can tell where it's set...

Andy

ScoobaSteve

iTrader: (2)

......thanx for that Andy,so the WRX has a pot on it for the different settings whereas the STI has 12v full on to each setting.
Next question is,hoe easy would it be to convert WRX-STI?
Looking forward to more non tech answers

Cheers

Apple

erm...

there's either a loom to swap the wiring over but I don't know a source for one,

or you could do what I did and get hold of an STi dash switch and wire it in with some 6-way cable to run the levelers... I did it as part of swapping my bugeye WRX lights to JDM STi lights with HID dipped beam as standard - the dogs Bs (full lights & HID kit for sale if interested as it doesn't fit my '05 )

Andy

Apple

Presumably you've got a bugeye WRX and are looking to fit STI lights as there's no point fitting an STi switch without the correct lights as the WRX lamps "won't understand" the signal they are getting from a 6-wire system...

ScoobaSteve

iTrader: (2)

Got a Bugeye,got the STI lights,almost finished doing a wiring loom for the lights,got the 6 pin plug for the STI adjusters,just need the 3 pin connector and an STI adjuster switch.....so if anyone has one spare
Andy,do you have any diagrams/notes on what you did
Cheers

Apple

Insider secret - why pay 40+ quid at a dealer for an STi dash switch when you can get one from a Nissan Almera and similar at a scrappers for next to nowt (or nowt for the Yorkshiremen amonst us with suitably sized pockets ) If you got hold of an official switch it would be moulded "Nissan" on the side (and Nissan dealers charge more for them than Subaru dealers )

I never made up some diagrams unfortunately - I seem to remember some on the NASIOC site which gave basic info and I muddled through from there... I had to cut off the official 6-way connectors on the lights and put my own on as I couldn't get the mating half (unless you orer them in the thousands from the supplier )

I remember having a ground and live on a terminal block and connecting the 6 wires back from the lights into one side and then connecting the wires from the switch into the other in various combinations until they played ball. Make sure if you get a switch from a scrapper to get as much wire as possible from the mating connector back to the loom of the donor car - it makes life easier playing about and the official terminals are crimped so no real chance of replacement if you screw it up by cutting it too short...

You'll probably have to get inside the switch to work out the pinouts - there's 0V, +12V and then 4 signal wire positions on the rotary switch. Be careful which way you feed the juice through as there's a diode / led for the illumination - it shouldn't work if it's the wrong way but better safe than sorry

The 0V and 12V should be reasonably easy to sort out then it's a case of putting 12V down each of the remaining 4 wires and observing the beam pattern move - you should have 4 distinct positions and then it's a case or arranging the wires so that switch position 3 = lowest beam position, swp 2= next lowest and so on. Swp 0 doesn't move the lights or it's only minute to give them a "zero check" position.

It might be an idea getting hold of two switches if possible - one to butcher / strip for info (watch for the tiny springs inside AFAIR) and the other to use in the final setup.

Andy

Apple

When you get round to aligning the lights, I was a bit naughty and set them up so that "normal" position was on switch position 1. This meant that switch position 0 was slightly up - country lanes setting and with the razor sharp beam pattern cutoff on the HIDs, you could generally drive round like that all the time without dazzling people

ScoobaSteve

iTrader: (2)

Have been offered £30 for a switch with loom.Have the mating 6 pin connector(off a Toyota thing),so hopefully will be able to make a good loom.
Thanks for all the advice so far Andy