Steering Column Housing - Kabli or New?

[chall3ng3r]

Hello,

My elder brother owns a Cultus 2008 EFI, and needs Steering Column Housing. The plastic assembly with wiper, indicators and head lights switches, something like this:

Original one had some issue, smoke came out from it one night while parked at home few months ago. Electrician changed it to Chinese one, it was Rs.2500, but quality was subpar... now it's making issues again, one leaver broke, and connections don't connect sometimes.

Can anyone suggest if there's good quality one available in open market? Buying from Suzuki is too expensive, and there will be no guarantee if it'll work okay for a year at least. Kabli one would be good idea? and what will be cost of good quality new or kabli one?

P. S. he's in Rawalpindi.

I will try to go shershah on Sat to look for kabli, if I get it in good rate I'll ship it from Karachi.

[Xulfiqar]

It will burn out if you use 100w bulbs in your headlamps, it will also get damaged if you dont use a freewheeling diode with a relay to run the headlamps.

[chall3ng3r]

Thanks for your reply,

Yes... This could be it. We changed its headlight bulbs with 100w Philips ones, when car was in Karachi about one and half year ago, without going the mod for relay.

Now when low quality new fitting was installed couple of months back, relay was installed too, but this one is too easy to break and switch connections doesn't work every time... You have to wiggle a bit to make it work.

[Xulfiqar]

Buy brand new from suzuki, and dont use high wattage bulbs, they also damage the actual headlamps also. The original 55w ones are perfect as long as the reflectors are clean inside.

[flyingfeather]

Suzuki unit will be too expensive. Not worth the money. Go to market find a clean kabli (used one). I once changed my alto assembly with jdm alto unit. The electrician told me that jdn assembly can be repaired if it burns out in future. I m not sure about cultux but that might be an extra benefit you get. Avoid Chinese products as they give away with time instead use kabli or oem. Get a relay installed to avoid another burn out.

[Xulfiqar]

The problem is that used one would also be burnt. Cultus is ancient now, none have been produced by suzuki and subaru in japan for 20 years, so the only parts you will find used are the trash scrapped ones, or brand new ones.

Slightly used, serviceable part availability chance is less than 10% and because almost 99% of these cars in pakistan have 100w bulbs or even relays but without quenching diodes. The contacts would be burnt.

Sometimes you have to bite the bullet and pay up.

[flyingfeather]

Yes with 100W bulbs it will. I m not sure about the function of relay but with such mods our desi electrician install some extra relay and assure you that in case of overload the relay will burn out instead of unit. Xulfiqar plz explain what is the function of a relay?

[Xulfiqar]

Relay does take off load from column stalk, but the circuit needs a quenching diode to prevent erosion of the contacts on stalk when the relay bobbin coil is de energized.

Problem is that local lektrishann are not educated enough to understand this point. So the assembly burns again.

Buy brand new SGP assembly and install, google how to install a quenching diode on relay, buy and install it.

Replace bulbs in lights to original 55w ones.. i have seen 100w bulbs literally cause fire in cultus headlights. The headlamps are not designed for 100w heat.

[flyingfeather]

Great. Thank you for clarifying.

[chall3ng3r]

Thanks for replies @Xulfiqar and @flyingfeather,

The original 55w ones are perfect as long as the reflectors are clean inside.

Well, they were completely useless, most people drive new cars with high beams on all the time, its impossible to see the road or pavements with those lights. They only made difference when this cultus was alone on road. In traffic I would turn headlights off on just to be sure they were on, because visually they were not noticeable.

Buy brand new from suzuki,

I will ask them, but they will ask too much, I've experienced them when for initial 4 years same cultus was maintained with dealership. For that amount I might be able to get full dash board from shershah.

Problem is that local lektrishann are not educated enough to understand this point. So the assembly burns again.

I know, that's why I don't allow any electrician near my Pajero Mini and I do all electrical work myself, even did ECU repair too, but since this cultus is not in same city as I am, I will ask my brother to take full weekend, and do installation himself, rather taking it to some electrician.

Relay does take off load from column stalk, but the circuit needs a quenching diode to prevent erosion of the contacts on stalk when the relay bobbin coil is de energized.

Now I'm bit concerned about my Pajero Mini too, it had one original headlight, one from some other vehicle when I bought it. In first year of ownership, I installed Suzuki Hiroof's 100w/120w sealed lights, then 2nd year on, I found and installed originals, but bulbs are 100w Phillips ones, and its more than 2 years with them running. I did not install relay for them.

Thanks again for insight and advice, I will take a round of shershah tomorrow, will try my luck to find cultus assembly in good condition and price, or else I will have to buy new from Suzuki, and of course, installation will be done the proper way as @Xulfiqar suggested.

Edit: I will ask my other brother, who is expert in electronics, if relay can be replaced by some high current supporting transistor or mosfet.

[tmalik]

Unfortunately not even engineers have grasped the concept of free wheeling diode so how you expect electrician ustaad to understand it.
Still thumbs up for bringing it to light here. Appreciate it.

[Xulfiqar]

Well, they were completely useless, most people drive new cars with high beams on all the time, its impossible to see the road or pavements with those lights. They only made difference when this cultus was alone on road. In traffic I would turn headlights off on just to be sure they were on, because visually they were not noticeable.

to remedy this, install separate lamp assemblies on the front of your car like that on rally cars, Use the same stuff that tactical lamps use and buy them with adjustable apertures and focusing lenses, so you can actually burn out the other driver retina. They hit like lasers. - Highly illegal in civilised countries, perfectly legal in Pakistan - just stick some japanese stickers on them to make them jenyann.

[chall3ng3r]

I would love to do that, but Cultus is in use by my elder brother in Rawalpindi. On my Pajero Mini, I do give high beamers coming from opposite direction taste of their nonsense. Some understand it and immediately lower beam, then I take it low too, some are just pain stupid.

For now, going for relay solution as suggested.