This modification serves two purposes. Firstly, it enables convenient
headlight flashing using the flashing lever on the steering column to flash the
grille mounted driving lights. The original arrangement whereby the recessed
headlights are raised and then flashed is virtually non workable due to the time
taken for the retract motor to operate. In Toyota's defence, not all MR2's are
fitted with these driving lights. Secondly, the modification rewires the driving
lights with thicker wire so as to enable 100 watt bulbs to be fitted with
minimal voltage drop.
This modification involves the following
steps:
1. Remove the spare wheel and the plastic shield from the
front compartment.
2. Locate the red wire on pin 14 of the headlight
combination switch plug/socket assembly at the steering column. This wire is
shown on electrical wiring diagram 7-4 in the Toyota manual Publication No. RM 1
82E. In the original configuration, this wire provides an earth to both the
headlight retract control unit and the headlight relay. Cut this wire and join a
new length of wire to the switch side. Then run this new wire through the
firewall (speedo cable grommet) into the front compartment and bring it to the
relay block identified as No. 5 on page BE-8 of the above mentioned manual. This
is the passenger's side of the car.
3. Locate relay 1 at the top left
hand side of the relay block and remove it. Remove the cover from the relay and
then totally remove the insides leaving just the connections as shown. These are
the coil connections.
Solder an orange wire to terminal
1 and a red wire to terminal 2. Drill a hole in the side of the relay case and
bring these wires out through the hole. Refit the relay cover and plug it back
into its socket.
4. Remove the relay block from its mounts, locate the 50
amp fusible link labeled AM 1 and solder a reasonably heavy gauge wire to the
fused side. Replace the relay block.
5. This step requires either a dual
coil relay or simply two relays with the contacts wired in parallel. 1 used a
dual headlight relay with integral fuses and modified it for dual coil
operation. Mount the relay, or relays, near the relay block above. Wire one of
the relay coils to the orange wire from step 3 (which has +12v. applied when
high beam is on) and the red wire from step 3 (which is earthed when the dash
mounted driving light switch is turned ON). This ensures that the driving lights
come on with high beam, if selected. Wire the other relay coil to the wire run
from the flasher switch in step 1 and the +12v. from AM1 above. This ensures
that the driving lights come on when the flasher switch is activated.
6.
Run the thick wire from AM] to one side of the driving light relay contacts.
Then run thick wires from the other sides of the contacts to the driving lights.
Remove the original (thin) Toyota wiring from the driving light plug and socket
assemblies, connect the new thick supply wires and also a thick ground wire.
Install 100 watt bulbs to the driving lights. Enjoy easy convenient headlight
flashing coupled with brilliant night time illumination.