Headlights (dim-Dip)..

[Ray-s]

Headlights Dim-Dip? first time I've been out in the car & had to use headlights to see where I'm going switched on dip stayed on for 2/3 minutes went off flicked column switch to side lights & back to dip on again came on again for 2/3 mins then off (groundhog day ) all the way home, main beam ok, Checked wiring circuit deduce from this problem is dim control module, can see how to wire out module to use dip & main. Q- what is the dim feature for?..Ray

[AndyC]

The feature was due to regulations at the time, a bit of a pre-DRL solution, so that cars were more visible in certain conditions (when dip beam wasn't on. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automotive_lighting
Technically, if you have a faulty dim-dip relay/ bypass it, your car wouldn't be meeting the regs of the time, so wouldn't be road legal. In reality, it was such a short-lived requirement that I doubt anybody (police etc) would care or even realise. You wouldn't be alone if you were to bypass/ remove it.

[KevW]

On both the Excel SEs I have owned all I did to get rid of the dim dip function was to remove the dim dip relay. You can then switch on sidelights without the pods rising.

Forgot to mention I pulled the dim dip fuse too.

(Post edited after reading Phantasm's post below)

[rs blu]

On both the Excel SEs I have owned all I did to get rid of the dim dip function was to remove the dim dip relay. You can then switch on sidelights without the pods rising.

I saw that there are 2 relays Dim Dip control relay and Dim Dip motor relay. which relay did you remove?
I had removed the the dip-dip ignition feed fuse,the dim-dip did not work anymore but I have the impression that the headlights make less light without dim-dip is this possible? I have new headlights

[KevW]

It was the dim dip control relay I removed. In my experience disabling the dim dip makes no difference to the normal operation of the headlights or their brightness.

All the dim dip function does is make the headlamps flip up and glow dimly (less bright than normal dipped beam) when sidelights are switched on.

[Alan_M]

I had a similar issue with mine. Initially headlights would occasionally go out when driving. At this point the relay tested ok. Turning to side and back on would fix it. Then they would need me to switch on and off a few times to get them to come on. This was the relay gradually failing- a new relay fitted and all working correctly.

[Phantasm]

on my 91 SE...
I pulled two Dim Dip relays and the 2 AMP fuse just above them. This disables the Dim Dip system completely. Without pulling the fuse the lights are on in the pod Down position. without pulling at least one of the relays the pods are up with the lights off. I didn't experiment too much once they were all out and I had the result I wanted. Once I did all that I noted that if I leave the switch in position two with the ignition turned off the lights wouldn't go out. So I wired a piezo buzzer across the Sidelamp fuse to the ignition/radio fuse. When I turn off the ignition the buzzer goes off until I turn off the lights.
It's not TRUE DRL. I have to turn them on manually, but I also have the ability to disable them if desired too. Of course my rear marker lights are on as well. Curiously, I can turn on my fogs in position two so I can have all the front lights on without the headlamps up now.
See post here on same topic and from where the above I Copied from...
viewtopic.php?f=27&t=9067&p=67259&hilit ... lay#p67259

[barker_001]

I chose the other direction (not for the first time.... ) and fixed my dim-dip module. I quite like having some extra sidelights. Makes you more visible to those not paying attention or perched up high in their soft-roaders!

[alanmoss]

I have disabled the Dim Dip on mine, but upgraded the sidelight bulbs (and several others) to LEDs

[Phantasm]

X2, So did Hawaiis (upgrade to LED).
You can see both of our setups in the link in my previous post.
I always turn the sidelights on when I drive - a manually operated DRL- this also illuminates the dash gauges, which are also LED upgraded, and makes them so much easier to read since I find the dials a tad tiny to read and hard to see even when it is sunny out.
Random observation, in this 1990s Lotus ad, the Excel is shown with the sidelights on, but no dim dips. hmmmm.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Print-1990-Lot ... rk:13:pf:0

[ChrisJ]

Random observation, in this 1990s Lotus ad, the Excel is shown with the sidelights on, but no dim dips. hmmmm.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Print-1990-Lot ... rk:13:pf:0

Hmm my MY89 car is 373 rather than 392 and it had dim dip, as I found out when it failed when I went over a speed hump one night and I had to drive home on main beam - there were an awful lot of police cars going the other way that night.

[rs blu]

Random observation, in this 1990s Lotus ad, the Excel is shown with the sidelights on, but no dim dips. hmmmm.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Print-1990-Lot ... rk:13:pf:0

if you turn on the lights with the engine off or with start key in position one the dim dip does not work I ignored the existence of dim dip before buying an Excel, in Italy it's never existed. I had to write on the forum, to understand what it was, I thought I was wrong to reconnect the wires after the restoration.
viewtopic.php?f=27&t=10255