spot Lamps

Hello every one i am going to be fitting 4 x 100w spot lamps to my sd roof rack when i get it wired through main beam on a switch also, my question is do i wire them to my starting battery or my aux battery which is in the rear rear of the vehicle. currently on the aux battery is a winch an eberspcher an air compressor a 300w power inverter and one day their will be a fridge. oviouslly i wont use the lights unless the engine is running theirfor i see no problem with them gooing on the main battery but i am unsure so could somone enlightem me please. Thanks Dan

ffs - are yu trying to shoot down german bombers?

do you have a 200Amp alternator and the wiring to match - or do you just like to keep warm with the melting insulation from the wires?

I am trying to startle terrosist before i run them over. My alternator is 130amp is this a bad idea then? maybe better with 2 100watts and 2 50watts? i also have 4 50watt x-lites to mount above my winch oooopss. I drive in pretty remote areas i also want to have lots of light avalble when off roading ect. Mad hat man did you sort out the ecu problem you was having?

sfunny yu should mention that - I believe that Ratty has posted one each to you and Eightinavee for you to play with and tell me whats wrong

Re lights dont forget each wire has to take Watts/12 Amps - thats a lot of current to go through standard wiring, and particularly the headlight switch!

2x 100w will be fine coupled with your x lites. you wont need 4.

I have 2x 120w PIAAs in driving beam and that plenty.

G

have you tried to sit down with a calculator and work out the maximum possible load on your alt and wiring??

base your calcs on the following conditions Voltage (V) = 13V and then figure out the total combined wattage of all your accessories and lamps and add the std lights front and rear to this sum then divide watts by voltage W/V =Amps. then reconsider your plans.

if you are rewiring the motor itr might be fine - but on old wiring not designed for that load...........................





sniff sniff!!! poof!

I think 2 on a roof rack wont look all that good. i would run indivdual wires for each lamp not piggy back. so what are you saying i cannot run 4 x 100w lamps and 4 50w x-lites with my current setup? I wouldnt be running them through the headlamp switch. would use mainbeam trigger wire to 4 relays 1 for each light 20amp ralays with 20 amp cable. for the x lites they wiil be fitted to the existing wiring were my fog lamps used to be.

or how about 4 55w lamps? would this be better?

IMHO

600w of light (cheap lights) is completely pointless.

G

As a rough guide at 12v, 12w=1amp, therefore the 600w of lighting your suggesting will increase the load on your electrics by around 50 amps. I'm not sure what the spare capacity above the vehicles needs is, on a standard 120w alternator, but I suspect it's not that much, or they'd have fitted a smaller/cheaper one in the first place!

Griffdowg said:

IMHO

600w of light (cheap lights) is completely pointless.

G

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I dunno G - they would keep yu warm

The Mad Hat Man said:

I dunno G - they would keep yu warm

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he has an Eberspacher for that! :doh:

600W of lamps = 50amps + whatever else your drawing off the alternator.

ok ok bottom line can i fit 4 x 50 watt lamps to my roof rack and 4 x 50 watt x lites?

you work it out and tell us.

then we will tell ya if yu is right

ok i get it thats almost half of the ouput of my alternator.

well a rought calculation tells me that i would be drawing about 34 amps 400watts worth of lights which is still quite high i guess but is it ok to draw 34 amps worth of current? its saying it wasnt designed for that but im sure vehicles arnt designed to have a winch bolted to the front drawing 300amps on a hard pull. how do you justify if 34amps worth of lights extra is to much?

To the mad hat man hopfully it comes soon then and ill have a mess with it. on the later td5s. I have someone who remaps ecus who may no whats going on will have a word. they are very good with that kind of stuff.

the prob seems to be with the black (not red) lead - affects throttle response on reprogrammable ECM's - works fine on early (non reprogrammable) ECM's. Buckshot knows first hand.