Pivot headlight controller: "how-to" **lots-o-pix

STEALTH15R/T · Feb 22, 2009

finding information on this product was close to impossible but not anymore! anyone have any questions feel free to ask. ill do my best to describe my actions in the order i performed them, if something seems to be missing let me know and ill try to fill the gap. this is the only write-up on 3si (that i found) well here you go enjoy!

(i did not undo the battery so i could check for current...so its not necessary but it is recommended)

you will need:
-10mm socket
-a medium extension
-a long extension
-2 screw drivers (1-skinny flat-head and 1 medium sized philips-head)
-wire strippers you can fit in tight places
-wire cutters/dikes
-small "inline" wire connectors (the ones you crush around the wire)
-zip-ties are handy

1) there are 2 bolts located near the bottom of the "knee-board" in opposite corners
**see first two pix** (just found out i cant attach more than 3)

2) pop out the rear window wiper switch and the gauge light dimmer and mirror adjuster switch with a flat-head screw driver.
**see second two pix**
unplug them and push the plugs out of the way. now you will see 2 more bolts, use the medium extension to help reach these.
**see next two pix**

3) remove the 2 phillips-head screws holding in the hood release and pull it down enough to remove the cable (its complicated to explain just look at it til it makes sense) once this is removed the knee-board is ready to be removed

4) remove the 3 phillips-head screws holding up the lower air duct, you will also have to pull the inlet from the rest of the air "system"
**see next 3 pix** (last one is the air duct removed)

5) hopefully you are very flexible cause its time to move the seat back and to crawl under the dash. what you are looking for is the silver-looking box near where your left knee would be with 2 connectors attached to it one 20-pin (the top one) and one 16-pin (the bottom one) remove these connectors to get to a 10mm bolt (use the extension), there is a second bolt on the opposite side
**see these 2 pix**

6) now that it is free reconnect the plugs and pull the ETACS down so it is easier to get to, using the dikes CAREFULLY cut the electrical tape little by little as far up as you can, you are going to want enough wire to be able to reconnect it in case your car is differant than mine

7) the third wire in colored black with a blue stripe is almost in the middle of the connector, separate it from the rest of the harness using your fingers (enough to safely cut it and strip from 3/16" to 1/4") to be sure this is the right wire try to turn the headlights on (they should not go up but should turn on)

8) attach the red wire to the grey wire (as said by 3sx.com) and find a spot for the ground wire (**i put mine where the lower air duct screws to metal, see pic**) attach the grey wire to the wire going to the ETACS and attach the yellow wire to the wire leading away from the ETACS in the harness using the "inline" connectors

9) find a safe place for all the wires that wont get in the way when you re-attach the lower air duct and re-attach the knee-board (be sure to keep track of the hood release cable so you can feed it through the hole where hood release goes) find a place to mount the module and connect it (test it out by setting an angle (0 being highest up and 80 being all the way down) then turning on the lights, they should only go up according to how you set it)

there you go enjoy!!! fell free to ask questions

AFTER FURTHER RESEARCH EITHER BLACK WITH RED WIRE (STATED EARLIER IN POST AS BEING THE ONE I THOUGH WAS WRONG) OR THE BLACK WITH BLUE WIRE MAY BE USED! the black with blue will control how high the headlights go while the lights are ON, the black with red will control how far down they go after the headlights are turned OFF

STEALTH15R/T · Feb 22, 2009

next few pix

STEALTH15R/T · Feb 22, 2009

unfortunately i didnt take pix of the bolts behind the switches but they arent hard to find so

STEALTH15R/T · Feb 22, 2009

here are the ones of the lower air duct (ignore the other stuff on the floor just the black thing)

STEALTH15R/T · Feb 22, 2009

here are the 2 bolts holding up the ETACS

STEALTH15R/T · Feb 22, 2009

in the first pic you can see the black wire with blue stripe cut and stripped pointing out towards the camera (i messed up at first and cut the wrong wire thats why there is already a connector in the harness)

in the second pic you can see where a chose as a ground

STEALTH15R/T · Feb 22, 2009

AND HERE IS THE END RESULT!!! unfortunately i found out soon after this pic that a shop at one point or another over tightened the castle nut and caused stress "cracks" or imperfections in the axle! it looks as though it sheered off! i am so pissed i got so much done and now i cant drive it til i can fix it!

well go ahead post or ask away that was all the pix i took

Stealthlabel · Feb 23, 2009

nice thanks for the guinea pig car!!

simonsays0280 · Feb 23, 2009

i think mine is different because the only way i can make them sleepy is when my head lights are off... when i turn them on they go up as far as possible and when i turn them off they go half down (or whatever my setting is) but the zero on mine makes them go down all the way and 80 is all the way up... and my wire was black with red stripe... but it might be different for the SOHC and also there is a 16 pin and a 12 pin on my connector thingy lol... so this could be just my model or wte

Stealthlabel · Feb 23, 2009

wow yours could be just like the instructions say... check out 3sx site and try those instructions on your car... could be a SOHC/DOHC thing...

MIKES93TURBO · Feb 23, 2009

dude you are awesome, i knew you would figure it out, cant wait to get to work, great job!!!

STEALTH15R/T · Feb 23, 2009

yeah on my stealth there was one 20 pin and another 16 pin and the black with red stripe was the reverse of the purpose...i cant remember exactly but i think that may be what yours are just the other wire (the one i tested and in the one pic has a connector on it) also i may have a reversed wire or connection somewhere cause it is supposed to be 80 most of the way up and zero all the way down but thats another day of switching stuff around and risking shorting something out and doing damage...

STEALTH15R/T · Mar 2, 2009

new information has been added in first post

Gen1 3kgt · Mar 2, 2009

+1... nice how to.. !

gilrod7 · Mar 2, 2009

I'll find this useful when I order it from 3sx.

Stealthlabel · Mar 2, 2009

so just cut and use the black wire with blue stripe??

STEALTH15R/T · Mar 3, 2009

no problem guys

yeah but now that i think about it the way i just thought of seems more logical but i will have to pull the dash and check it out for myself

i have done it so many times its just a hassle now...the blue wire is the onei used cause i wanted the lights to stay all the way down and come up half-way when the lights are on but now that i think about it the other way (using the black with red stripe wire) may be easier to deal with while going down the road...just another day of experimenting soon to come

Stealthlabel · Mar 3, 2009

well for me i just want them up if my lights are on... if they are off i want them to be down... so black with blue is what i should use... and it will be 0=all down and 80=all up?

STEALTH15R/T · Mar 3, 2009

alright black with blue stripe will be partial up when lights are on and all the way down when lights are off

black with red stripe I BELIEVE I AM NOT POSITIVE will be all the way up when lights are on and partially up when lights are off

STEALTH15R/T · Apr 17, 2009

ok all figured out.

the black with red stripe will only control the height when the headlights are on but once you press the switch button on the dash or turn the headlights on they will go all the way up. not too bad requires less steps from going to partial up to all the way up (compared to the next option)

the black with blue stripe will control the height of the headlights when they are on or if the switch button flips them up. personally i prefer this option and here is why: say you wanted to do snake eyes, by selecting 80 (by the way selecting this wire will switch the %height making 80% all the way closed and 0% all the way open) and turning on the lights they will come on and not come up. also if you want your headlights on AND partially up, something you couldnt do with the first option, its simple as setting the dial and turning on the lights. also with this option you can press the switch button and have the headlights partially up and off. this way you have more control over the headlights than you would have with the first option.

so why is there even a decision? who doesnt want more control? well its all preference. one issue with the second option is if you have the dial selected to half way down or all the way down in order to turn your headlights all the way up you will have to:

A) if you have the headlights off but the button pushed you will have to press the button again to lower them, turn the dial to 0% then turn your headlights on
B) if you have the headlights on you will have to turn them off so they lower, turn the dial to 0% then turn them on again

while driving this could be a hassle. also if you select the second option the dial will be reversed like i mentioned earlier where 80% is all the way down and 0% is all the way off.

so really its all up to you. option 1 with the black with red stripe there will be less of a hassle going from partially up to all the way up with lights on. option 2 you have more control and can have the headlights partially open whether the lights are on or off, but there is more of a hassle to flip your headlights all the way up (well more steps at least).

Pivot headlight controller: "how-to" **lots-o-pix

Attachments

Attachments

Attachments

Attachments

Attachments

Attachments

Attachments

Our Vendors

Top Contributors this Month

Recommended Communities