spotlight wiring - where does stuff go?!

Hi everyone,

i've looked around but i can't seem to find an answer anywhere to a couple of wiring questions i have (probably stupid questions but you gotta learn somewhere)

firstly, i'm not sure how to connect my cable from the relay to the battery, should i drill a hole through the bulkead by the passenger footwell, into the battery box and then wrap some bare wire around the terminal? i thought probably not this option :s

secondly, where should i pick up the main beam wire to the relay? take the dash off or get it from somewhere in the engine bay? it'd also be helpful to know which coloured wire the main beam one is.

thirdly, more of a minor qestion, where have other people stuck their relays? i was thinking high-ish up, midway between battery and lights

If anyone can help me with these annoying questions i'll be eternally grateful

hebdenwill said:

Hi everyone,

i've looked around but i can't seem to find an answer anywhere to a couple of wiring questions i have (probably stupid questions but you gotta learn somewhere)

firstly, i'm not sure how to connect my cable from the relay to the battery, should i drill a hole through the bulkead by the passenger footwell, into the battery box and then wrap some bare wire around the terminal? i thought probably not this option :s

secondly, where should i pick up the main beam wire to the relay? take the dash off or get it from somewhere in the engine bay? it'd also be helpful to know which coloured wire the main beam one is.

thirdly, more of a minor qestion, where have other people stuck their relays? i was thinking high-ish up, midway between battery and lights

If anyone can help me with these annoying questions i'll be eternally grateful

Click to expand...

First off you don't sound overly sure of what you're doing and the last thing you want is a fire.

Don't wrap bare cable around the battery terminal. Buy a ring connector and either solder or crimp it to the end of the wire, use this to attach it to the battery clamp.

Main beam feed can be got from behind the headlights, no need to start pulling the dashboard off. If you look either side of the fusebox there are small holes covered by rubber grommets, you can either feed wire through these or you can run it underneath the vehicle and into the holes already extant in the battery box.

Personally I've got my relay in the battery box as it keeps it relatively safe and free from dirt and grime.

ok, thanks for the tips! re the main beam feed, should i take one from each headlight wire and splice them into one to go into the relay?

also, the spotlights are second hand and the wires to them have been cut off close to the case. there is one black and red. I am assuming black is earth and red is for the wire from the relay. the connections between light and wire from relay will have to be outside the vehicle due the short wire from the lights, shall i just connect this carefully and cover it in tape to avoid shorting? i plan to fix the earths to the inside of the bumper

thanks again!

I think you should step away, and go do more research and reading , with basic questions like those your gonna turn yer landy into a barbecue.

If it was me because im **** with working out whats what, id get the ring connector and wire them direct to a switch then to the battery, ya cant go wrong then lol

Thats just me though, that way ya have a choice of having them on or off when ya headlights are on main beam

timtheenchanteruk said:

i think you should step away, and go do more research and reading , with basic questions like those your gonna turn yer landy into a barbecue.

Click to expand...

+1

yeah, i thought about doing them to a switch but isn't it against the law? i'd prefer it that way tbh

and yeah, i'd best wait till my dad has half an hour so he can talk me through it, no point frying the wiring is there

hebdenwill said:

yeah, i thought about doing them to a switch but isn't it against the law? i'd prefer it that way tbh

and yeah, i'd best wait till my dad has half an hour so he can talk me through it, no point frying the wiring is there

Click to expand...

On the contrary its preferential to have them wired via a switch also so that you can operate them along with full beam but also kill them totally

if i wanted to do both, could i splice in a switch which would kill them when i wanted but they'd only come on with main beam?

dont forget the relays.

don't worry, i've got me a relay i will be ok with one relay for two spots won't i?

hebdenwill said:

if i wanted to do both, could i splice in a switch which would kill them when i wanted but they'd only come on with main beam?

Click to expand...

Yes you can do that. Its what my Dad's done for the front spotlights on his 110

hi again everyone, my dad's helped me and we've sorted everything but the earths for the spots which should be easy enough and the wire going from the relay to the main beam. as there's barely any length from where the wire comes out of the bundle of other wires, it'll be impossible to split, strip and splice. where have other people picked up the main beam from? there must be somewhere to get it...

hebdenwill said:

hi again everyone, my dad's helped me and we've sorted everything but the earths for the spots which should be easy enough and the wire going from the relay to the main beam. as there's barely any length from where the wire comes out of the bundle of other wires, it'll be impossible to split, strip and splice. where have other people picked up the main beam from? there must be somewhere to get it...

Click to expand...

Go to Halforrds and buy a new Bulbholder. One of these.

Halfords | Halfords H4 Bulb Holder HEF367

then solder a wire half up the Main Beam wire and run it to ya relay. then cut the old bulb holder off and solder the old mainbeam feed to the end of the new one. Jobs sorted..

sadly i don't have a soldering iron

Crimp em then. But seriously think about getting a soldering iron and learn to solder. especially now ya have a Landy..

Get a splice and just splice on some new wire, cover it in heatshrink as well and it should be fine

but DO NOT use scotchlocks.
solder best, crimp ok,

heatshrink or self amalgamating tape (for the times when you forget to slide on the heatshrink)

Beg borrow or !!! the following
One battry aux clamp
One in line fuse holder + 20A fuse
One 10 ft length 20 amp cable
One 20Amp single pole relay
One switch to your liking
One 6 ft length light cable (5Amp)
One tee crimp
Method
Fix switch to dash board connect one terminal to ground
Fix the relay in the engine bay close to the l/h head light
Connect one coil terminal to the head light main beam wire 5 amp cable
The other terminal of the relay coil to the second terminal of dashboard switch
Connect one the relay power terminals connect to the spot lights connect the other side of the spotlight to ground using the 20 amp cable
From the second relay power terminal connect to the 20 amp wire run it to the battery box and connect it to the fuse holder
Fit the battery ring connector
Connect short 20 amp wire to the other terminal of the fuse holder to the battery ring connector
Fit fuse job done

hi again everyone, thanks for all the help we did the job, they really help the crappy stock headlights. there's a (bad) picture attached. Re the main beam feed, i got the soldering iron out (we did have one) and just stuck the wire from the terminal into the headlight wire clip, dropped a blob of solder in, let it cool and pulled it to test soldering quality and just clipped it back on. the job, as they say, was a good'un. i'm getting a steady 13.4v to them, which surprised me as my wiring is....not very good. lamps are earthed to bumper bolts.

i just have one more question, i've bought a little rocker switch to isolate the spots because every time i flash someone the radio conks out for a few seconds. can i wire it into the wire going from the relay to the battery? that would be easiest for placing the switch in the dash.