Light Bar Issues

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sniffmydiff

sniffmydiff

New Member
Posts
170
Location
Bradford - West Yorkshire
I got a Light Bar and Lights on order and im fairly ok with doing it but was wondering does anyone know if you can double circuit the lights, so they will come on with full beam but also work without full beam on a dash mounted rocker switch????

I was thinking once wired into headlight harness and working take a direct feed from the battery to the lights via a rocker switch, I would of course be puttin all the lights on a fuse.



Would this work?

If not can it be done??
 
sniffmydiff said:
I got a Light Bar and Lights on order and im fairly ok with doing it but was wondering does anyone know if you can double circuit the lights, so they will come on with full beam but also work without full beam on a dash mounted rocker switch????

I was thinking once wired into headlight harness and working take a direct feed from the battery to the lights via a rocker switch, I would of course be puttin all the lights on a fuse.



Would this work?

If not can it be done??
Click to expand...

Use a changeover switch - one way they come on with main beam, the other way they're on permanently.

A better way would be to use an on/off/on (changeover with a centre 'off') switch, then you would have the option to have them not come on at all - might be handy at MOT time, or if pulled-over by Plod.

As the current drawn by 4 x 55w lamps is quite high, I would wire the lamps as two pairs, using two relays and two connections to the battery.

Wired like this -

4 x Roof Lights.jpg


.
 
PaulMc said:
Use a changeover switch - one way they come on with main beam, the other way they're on permanently.

A better way would be to use an on/off/on (changeover with a centre 'off') switch, then you would have the option to have them not come on at all - might be handy at MOT time, or if pulled-over by Plod.

As the current drawn by 4 x 55w lamps is quite high, I would wire the lamps as two pairs, using two relays and two connections to the battery.

Wired like this -

View attachment 16393


.
Click to expand...

Cheers that info is perfect :)

Out of interest with you mentioning MOT and Plod i presume roof lights can become an issue???

I wouldnt have thought so seen as so many trucks have lightbars and lights?

maybe you know something i dont???? ooooh do tell all:)
 
sniffmydiff said:
Cheers that info is perfect :)

Out of interest with you mentioning MOT and Plod i presume roof lights can become an issue???

I wouldnt have thought so seen as so many trucks have lightbars and lights?

maybe you know something i dont???? ooooh do tell all:)
Click to expand...


The legality of using them on the road is hotly debated on most forums :blabla:

My opinion is that if they're used with main beam and extinguish when main beam is dipped, then you aren't blinding anybody - so no problem*

At MOT time, when they're trying to check your headlamp alignment, a couple of hundred extra Watts isn't going to help :rolleyes:

If stopped by Plod for one of their roadside checks, the ability not to look like something from 'Close Encounters' :alien: if they check your lights, can only be a good thing ;)


* Warning - My opinion counts for nothing in a court of law :D
.
 
Last edited:
I forgot to add -

Whichever type of switch you use, it should have a warning light (or 'tell-tale') so that you know that your roof lights are on.

It should be fed from Terminal 87 on one of the relays, so that it only lights-up when the roof lights are actually on.

.
 
PaulMc said:
I forgot to add -

Whichever type of switch you use, it should have a warning light (or 'tell-tale') so that you know that your roof lights are on.

It should be fed from Terminal 87 on one of the relays, so that it only lights-up when the roof lights are actually on.

.
Click to expand...

I will use the diagram you attached to an earlier post and once that happens take a small line from 87 and put a spur to the high beam (blue) light wire at the back of the dash cluster???

so i presume it will come on when on high beam and when lights are on independant or would it be better to run to an unused light like an ABS Light or Brake Pad Low Light both of which mine has space in the cluster but dosent actually have them fitted.

Or am i sounding well stupid haha
 
sniffmydiff said:
I will use the diagram you attached to an earlier post and once that happens take a small line from 87 and put a spur to the high beam (blue) light wire at the back of the dash cluster???

so i presume it will come on when on high beam and when lights are on independant or would it be better to run to an unused light like an ABS Light or Brake Pad Low Light both of which mine has space in the cluster but dosent actually have them fitted.

Or am i sounding well stupid haha
Click to expand...


I'd leave the existing main beam warning light well alone :eek:

What you're proposing would cause problems (I think :confused: )


Using one of the unused warning lights is a good and neat idea -

ABS = Above Bonnet Spotlights :D


.
 
robint said:
be a dam site easier to run some new wire and relays under the bonnet and wire them independently of the headlights
Click to expand...

Im putting them on a 3way switch, so there on independently, off totally or on with main beam, will be realyed in but need to find the main beam light so they light up at same time:)

This is the diagram im using but wired into 3 pairs not 2
 

Attachments

  • 4%20x%20Roof%20Lights.jpg
    4%20x%20Roof%20Lights.jpg
    81.2 KB · Views: 3,614
Its on its own independent circuit drawing power alone, by bridging to main beam via a 3 way switch will just complete the circuit when high beam is on so no worrys there,

It cant be illegal for high beam lights otherwise there are a hell of a lot of trucks with no MOT's,

My Volvo FH12 had 8 70w spots on a 2 chrome bars, 6 Above the Cab and 2 on the bumper all wired into the High Beam with no issues.
 
it is rounder bwt this subject so the safes thing to do is to wire it on its own...

thats how i have done mine from the battery + to my fuse box under my Swheel then to my switch then to lights. i have earthed them on the bar !! its more tidy that way.

hope that helps but its ur 4x4 do wat u want to it pal .

anthony
 
robint said:
i hope you got a nice mot tester then as wiring them in with your main beam is illegal
Click to expand...

Rubbish - there's no requirement in the MOT to test auxiliary lights or to question their legality.

If they're switched off for the test it's none of the tester's business as to what they're used for or how they work.



robint said:
plus have you thought about the current draw on the standard wiring
Click to expand...

That's why he's using relays - the additional current draw is entirely on newly installed wiring of the appropriate CSA (I hope :eek: )



sniffmydiff said:
Yay i have my Lights Ready to be fitted tomorrow but i need help in finding the high beam wire so i can follow the diagram thats in this thread, any ideas which it is??
Click to expand...


I see they've grown from four to six lamps :D

I hope your wiring them as 3 x pairs, using 3 x relays :rolleyes:

The easiest way to pickup the main beam wire to feed through your 3-way switch, is from the back of the main lighting switch, which should be a Blue wire with a White tracer (U/W in circuit diagrams), or splice into the Blue/White wire that goes to the main beam warning light in the instrument cluster.

You don't need to touch any wires on the back of the headlamps :doh:

The feed to the main lighting switch is taken from a fused supply - the Blue/White wire from the main lighting switch feeds the main beam warning lamp and the fusebox, which splits the main beam into LH and RH sides, separately fused.

The additional load of 3 x relays on this Blue/White wire is negligable and will not cause any problems.

Also, as you're using a 3-way switch on your dash, you don't want to be picking-up a feed at a headlamp, running the wire back into the cabin to the switch and then back out to the engine bay to switch the relays :confused:


.
 
brockus said:
it is rounder bwt this subject so the safes thing to do is to wire it on its own...

thats how i have done mine from the battery + to my fuse box under my Swheel then to my switch then to lights. i have earthed them on the bar !! its more tidy that way.

hope that helps but its ur 4x4 do wat u want to it pal .

anthony
Click to expand...

It's no 'safer' to wire them independently, just different.

Sniffmydiff wants the option to have them on, off, or on with main beam, which isn't difficult to do, or unsafe to implement.

As for earthing them to the bar - not a good idea

You are putting 27.5 amps (6 x 55w) to earth through the mounting clamps :doh:

Do it properly, run decent sized earths back to the battery, or to an earth header.


By wiring the lamps as 3 x pairs with 3 x relays, you reduce the working load on each relay and you can use a smaller CSA cable to feed and earth each pair of lamps.


.
 
Last edited:
Ok i finaly wired them in,

Using wireing diagram supplied by PaulMc it all worked first time thanks mate:)

i wired them up in 3 pairs of two using 3, 30a relays,
on off on switch,
high beam feed from back of fuse box
power from battery
All earthed back to batt (-) neg and all on 27amp wire,
sidelight feed for the switch was taken from the electric sunroof loom,
any joins were made using spades which were then soldered and insulated.
And the switch has light indications for on or off etc

Switch positions

Pos 1 - Lights All Off,

pos 2 - Lights On

Pos 3 - Lights On with High Beam

So i get what i want Mr MOT Man cant say anything and PC Plod cant do me:)

Job a gud un:)

DSCF7451.jpg
[/IMG]
 
sniffmydiff said:
Ok i finaly wired them in,

Using wireing diagram supplied by PaulMc it all worked first time thanks mate:)

i wired them up in 3 pairs of two using 3, 30a relays,
on off on switch,
high beam feed from back of fuse box
power from battery
All earthed back to batt (-) neg and all on 27amp wire,
sidelight feed for the switch was taken from the electric sunroof loom,
any joins were made using spades which were then soldered and insulated.
And the switch has light indications for on or off etc

Switch positions

Pos 1 - Lights All Off,

pos 2 - Lights On

Pos 3 - Lights On with High Beam

So i get what i want Mr MOT Man cant say anything and PC Plod cant do me:)

Job a gud un:)
Click to expand...


Good job :cool:

.
 
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