Raften wrote: Don, while there was an improvement for me with a Brite Box, I was never very impressed with it. I ran it for about four years till I bit the bullet on HID.
My issue is not with brightness or light intensity with my 3rd gen Dodge headlights ... it's with the coverage pattern. The low beams are OK, but the fogs really fill-in some areas up close and to the sides, so together, that is a nice arrangement. However, when I click on my high beams, while I do get some nice illumination quite a distance away, I get almost nothing directly in front, or even in a mid-range area in front of me, as the low beams and fogs got automatically switched off. So in my case, it's an all or nothing proposition when the high beams come on.
Based on this, I wanted something to just fill-in the darkened areas when on high beams, and I have previously commented to my wife that I wish the low beams would also stay on with the high beams to deal with this. Lo and behold, I learn about the Brite Box on this thread for the first time, and it sure seems to me to be just what the doctor ordered. And even though my eyes are not what they used to be, it's still the coverage thing for me, as I feel that the light intensity output from my factory lights is fine as-is.
Fisherman wrote: For those interested in installing "Brite Boxes", be careful, there have been a number of them that have gone "up in smoke", I found this on one of the dodge truck sites.
Hmmm ... that doesn't sound good. I am a member of DodgeTalk.com and I will check there, however, if that was not the Dodge forum you were thinking of, can you let me know which board it was so I can do some searching for this information?
Thanks,
Don
I did a pretty exhaustive search on Turbo Diesel Register, dodgeforum, thedieselstop, and DodgeTalk for posts on problems with Brite Boxes, and I only found one post on TDR that mentioned any issues, and the OP essentially pulled his initial post since he apparently did not have the right box for his application, and that Innova had solved his issues by providing him with the correct parts.
I have also posted on DodgeTalk to see if anyone with a Dodge Ram using Brite Boxes has had any problems with them shorting-out or otherwise malfunctioning.
If I don't hear anything negative from that (or unless Fisherman or someone else can point me towards negative reports/posts on Brite Boxes in Dodges), I will likely go ahead and purchase a kit for my '07 3500.
Well for the life of me, I looked back too, I think it was on the TDR Register, but I can't search the site(won't let me), but there were a few posts with pictures included, showed a mess of scorched wires. Maybe they did have high wattage lamps conected. There were a few others that received "defective" units, maybe just a bad batch, who knows. I know I'm not impressed with the headlights on mine either('04.5 Ram) I wish I could strap the headlights off my old VW in there, they have a much better pattern on both low and high beam.
luv2skyski wrote: I installed the brightbox a while ago. It's really nice when you have the high beams on. When it's not they are dim. The brightbox that went up in smoke didn't have normal bulbs installed. The manual that came with the bright box specifically states do not install the brighter replacements. I've even had a fellow coworker tell me that he knew when I was behind him because my lights are yellower than everyone elses. I've been meaning to remove the bright box and see if it makes any difference with the low beam only light. I've never been pleased with the low beam lights on my Ford. Dave.
Dave,
I am really curious about your perception that the Brite Box actually dims your lights (I assume you are specifically referring to your low beams). While I want to benefit from the improved coverage pattern the Brite Box approach provides when the high beams are on, I certainly don't want to see any reduction in the light output for the factory lights. If you do get a chance to remove the Brite Box (or at least to take the Brite Box out of the loop and to reconfigure your headlight system plug-ins back to the factory configuration), I would be very interested to hear if your lights brighten back up to prior levels. And I don't know if you have access to one, but you should probably do a before-and-after light intensity check with a light meter, just to take any subjectiveness out of the effort.
In terms of what caused the Brite Box to go up in smoke, I had wondered if that might be due to putting higher wattage bulbs in the system. That is not only not good for the Brite Box (as they warn on their website), but for my late-model 3rd gen Dodge, it wouldn't fly even for the factory lighting system. This is due to the fact that starting in 2006, Dodge ran the entire lighting system through the ECM, and if it senses any current draw variations beyond acceptable specs, it just shuts down the offending circuits (including your headlights). While I am not sure I am a fan of putting the lights under computer control, that's the way it is done on my Dodge, so I will have to live with it. However, again, I don't have any issues with the light intensity of my factory lights ... just the lack of adequate coverage pattern when my high beams are on.
Anyway, if you get a chance to check whether your Brite Box is actually dimming your lights or not, I for one would be very interested in hearing back from you.
You can see the effect a Brite Box will have by holding the "light lever?" on the column back when switching from low with fogs to high beam: both high beams and fog lights will be illuminated at the same time.
2002 Dodge 3500 CTD/DRW/AFE Stage II intake/DPP 95gph fp & big lines/Bilstein HD shocks/Bridgestone Dueler A/T revo
2000 Northern Lite 10-2000cd/ Hellroaring Bic isolator/PD-9160 converter/Trimetric 2020/Lifeline AGM 6v x4=440ah/Onan microlite
Fisherman wrote: Well for the life of me, I looked back too, I think it was on the TDR Register, but I can't search the site(won't let me), but there were a few posts with pictures included, showed a mess of scorched wires. Maybe they did have high wattage lamps conected. There were a few others that received "defective" units, maybe just a bad batch, who knows. I know I'm not impressed with the headlights on mine either('04.5 Ram) I wish I could strap the headlights off my old VW in there, they have a much better pattern on both low and high beam.
Thanks for checking Fisherman. I did find one other source since last night that mentioned the bad batch thing, so maybe between that and using too high a wattage of replacement bulbs may be the basis for some Brite Boxes biting the dust. I do have to say that the majority of posts I came across on a number of boards were from folks that had put the Brite Box in and had no problems with them at all (some for many years). I am now more concerned about what Dave brought up in terms of his feeling that his headlights have been dimmed by using the Brite Box in his Ford.
So a quick test with two '01's side by side and lights shining on a garage door shows a dramatic increase in light. No road test for awhile but looks good so far.
This week has been traumatic to my wallet, lights, FASS lift pump, new rear end fluids. As soon as I filled the rear end and drove it a axle seal failed, so one more thing to deal with. Two last things to do this spring, install my 60 gallon fuel tank and change the tranny fluid. Then I start going fishing when I can.
Am I the only one to add these lights to a truck? I am sure some of you are driving passenger cars with them.
Raften wrote: Don, while there was an improvement for me with a Brite Box, I was never very impressed with it. I ran it for about four years till I bit the bullet on HID.
My issue is not with brightness or light intensity with my 3rd gen Dodge headlights ... it's with the coverage pattern. The low beams are OK, but the fogs really fill-in some areas up close and to the sides, so together, that is a nice arrangement. However, when I click on my high beams, while I do get some nice illumination quite a distance away, I get almost nothing directly in front, or even in a mid-range area in front of me, as the low beams and fogs got automatically switched off. So in my case, it's an all or nothing proposition when the high beams come on.
I know when I put fogs on a few vehicles, this is why I wire them off the parking lights rather then the low beams. I am assuming you are talking about factory lights, you should be able to find the trigger wire that connects the fogs to the low beams and re-wire it to wherever you want, or just install after market fogs and wire them up new. SOME states have limits on forward lighting tho, so this may not be an option if you do a "bright box". Ct has a 6 light limit on forward facing lights. 2 low beams, 2 fogs, and 2 parking lights put you at the limit. On my cavalier awhile back, I argued with dmv for 15 min before the inspector oked my setup, I had driving lights as well but wired to only come on with the high beams. 6 lights on low, 6 lights on hi! lol
phoenix827 wrote: I know when I put fogs on a few vehicles, this is why I wire them off the parking lights rather then the low beams. I am assuming you are talking about factory lights, you should be able to find the trigger wire that connects the fogs to the low beams and re-wire it to wherever you want, or just install after market fogs and wire them up new.
No can do on 2006 to 2008 Dodge Ram pickup trucks. As I mentioned in an earlier post above, starting in 2006, Dodge ran the entire lighting system of the truck through the ECM, and if it senses any current draw variations beyond acceptable specs, it just shuts down the offending circuits (including the fogs, parking lights, or whatever). Those with 2005 or earlier Dodge Rams can in fact do what you have suggested. Again, I am not a fan of the factory putting the lights under computer control, but that's just the way it is for later model Dodge Rams.
This is also an issue in '06 -'08 Dodge Rams in terms of installing aftermarket driving or off-road lights. Unless you come directly off the battery, you cannot get away with triggering or slaving-off existing circuits. I found out from Innova that they have a special order Brite Box that can do all of the low beam and fogs on during high beam operation, and has a special driving/off-road lights slave module and wiring for safely adding such lights without tripping something off due to the ECM control. I will need this with the additional lights I will be getting with my new Buckstop bumper.
Lot of great info there, including the proper way to aim your lights and how to use relays to make your OEM headlights brighter.
Also, the brightness of your headlights deteriorate over time. Your bulbs may not burn out in four years, but their output will have significantly dropped.
Lot of great info there, including the proper way to aim your lights and how to use relays to make your OEM headlights brighter.
Also, the brightness of your headlights deteriorate over time. Your bulbs may not burn out in four years, but their output will have significantly dropped.
Yep, that's a good link with a lot of great information ... thanks Scot. Good point as well on the reduction of light output over time with headlight bulbs.
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