Bull bar indicator wiring - how's yours?

[af3556]

I've joined the club - picked up my 2008 TDV6 HSE last week, and am pretty happy so far :-) (will drop a note into the 'intro' thread when I've got some action shots...)

This car has a ARB bullbar installed, and the way the wiring for the bullbar-mounted indicator lights has been installed is pretty ugly - the 12V and GND for the slave relays were connected to the battery post and a screw into the chassis (the latter despite the fact there seem to be plenty of nice ground points available - sheesh).

I'd like to fix this and connect the lights into the "proper" place - presumably via the indicator light circuit in the fusebox. If you have a bullbar with indicator lights, can you let me know where it's patched in to the 12V and earth?

Thanks,
Ben

Aside: the previous owner had a couple of "extras" installed that are useless to me, incl. a Nokia bluetooth kit. As I'm a bit particular about these things I've pulled the now-superfluous wiring - if a Nokia CK-100 module and wiring is useful to you, let me know - free to a good home; ditto a "spare" IPF spotties "mouse" remote control switch (he took the lights with him).

[pedro54]

I am interested as well. The 2008 I purchased about a month abou has a fault in the wiring to the lights in the ARB bullbar and they are not working properly.

As I am currently in India for work I have not had a chance to track the problem. The washer bottle was replaced sometime prior to my purchasing the vehicle and the bar would have been removed for this I assume. Whoever did the work stuffed the wiring and I need to fix it when I get back.

Peter

[ADMIRAL]

I've joined the club - picked up my 2008 TDV6 HSE last week, and am pretty happy so far :-) (will drop a note into the 'intro' thread when I've got some action shots...)

This car has a ARB bullbar installed, and the way the wiring for the bullbar-mounted indicator lights has been installed is pretty ugly - the 12V and GND for the slave relays were connected to the battery post and a screw into the chassis (the latter despite the fact there seem to be plenty of nice ground points available - sheesh).

I'd like to fix this and connect the lights into the "proper" place - presumably via the indicator light circuit in the fusebox. If you have a bullbar with indicator lights, can you let me know where it's patched in to the 12V and earth?

Thanks,
Ben

Aside: the previous owner had a couple of "extras" installed that are useless to me, incl. a Nokia bluetooth kit. As I'm a bit particular about these things I've pulled the now-superfluous wiring - if a Nokia CK-100 module and wiring is useful to you, let me know - free to a good home; ditto a "spare" IPF spotties "mouse" remote control switch (he took the lights with him).

Bull bar indicator wiring - how's yours?

Hi Guys,

I have had a pretty good search, but cannot find any data on this issue. I have just installed an OL bar. The instructions in a word are 'crap', but that is another issue. There is no wiring detail provided. I now need to wire the LED indicators/stop tail lamps, and spotlights, into the LR wiring. The spotties should just require a feed to the relay off the highbeam. Sounds like the LED indicators are a similar deal ? Does anyone have any data.

[AnD3rew]

I had my ARB bar installed before Christmas and every time you turn the indicators on it overloads the circuit and shuts all the indicators off. We didn't have time to get it sorted before I left on holidays so they are currenly disconnected but gong back this week to get it sorted.

Emailed ARB but they hadn't heard of this problem.

[PaulGOz]

the wiring for my arb bar sounds similar to op. I have two relays that are spliced into the original power lines to lights, it was then taking power from battery to operate bar lights i.e directly. I have since moved to a factory earth post and taken positive from the circuit breaker i have for dual battery line. This is much neater. Both lines had their own fuses so that part was good. I am still a little concerned about the tension all the wires appear to be under that run through the bar i am thinking of rerouting those one dayvas sone is bare wire and taught across metal corners etc.

[CaverD3]

You must use relays to run the indicators in the bar otherwise it overloads the circuit and causes issues for the CJB.
I had this issue and LR replaced the CJB under warranty before relising what the problem was.

[ADMIRAL]

Has anyone identified ( colours ) the feed wires for the front indicators ?
Certainly a longwinded way to wire something up. Ironical, any power savings from using LED's get lost along the way.

[ADMIRAL]

You must use relays to run the indicators in the bar otherwise it overloads the circuit and causes issues for the CJB.
I had this issue and LR replaced the CJB under warranty before relising what the problem was.

On second thoughts, I need this clarified. Are we talking about using relays for festoon globe front bullbar lights, or LED bullbar lighting ? It doesn't make sense that resistors are used to get the vehicle to recognise rear LED trailer lights, and relays are used to wire the front up. Surely if they are LED lights on the front, resistors should be also be used ?

[AnD3rew]

On second thoughts, I need this clarified. Are we talking about using relays for festoon globe front bullbar lights, or LED bullbar lighting ? It doesn't make sense that resistors are used to get the vehicle to recognise rear LED trailer lights, and relays are used to wire the front up. Surely if they are LED lights on the front, resistors should be also be used ?

The lights supplied on the bar are incandescent not LED, but because they are in addition to the existing indicators it would t need to actually recognize them as the existing originals do that job so LED's would solve the problem (I think) by drawing so little current as to be ignored.

[CaverD3]

Yes I would think LEDs would not have the problem.
I think the OL bar may have LEDs? Anyone confirm? And do they have relays?

[Ashes]

OL bar has LED's. On mine I believe they were spliced in.

[ADMIRAL]

Yes I would think LEDs would not have the problem.
I think the OL bar may have LEDs? Anyone confirm? And do they have relays?

The OL bar has LED's for trafficator and park lights. No relays, electrical connectors, or circuit diagrams are provided. They simply advise the use of an auto leckie to wire the bar up.

[CaverD3]

So no relays required?

[roamer]

No relays on ECB bars either, LED indi and park

[Duck's Guts]

ARB bar with incandescent indicators & parking lights, with relays installed.

[AnD3rew]

Mines fixed now, with relays.

[ADMIRAL]

I am no closer. The OL bar uses LED indicators and park lights. Does anyone know the colours of the relevant wires in the OE loom ? My probe does not detect the indicator signal, but I can identify the park lights. The strange thing is, the front indicator is an ordinary globe ?

[ADMIRAL]

Cracked it !! The wiring has to be active under load when probing for the indicators. If the plug is disconnected from the headlight module, the computer must adjust the current to suit, and nothing can be detected.

I now have LED indicators working in the bullbar. Parking lights tomorrow with luck.

[Defender bender]

My defender came with arb bullbar, insicators not fitted but supplied (indicators were in the glove box. I simply unpluged the indicator , then split and duplicated each side. So i now have two indicator plug n play clips on each side, then got 2 indicator plugs for the bullbar mounted indicators. Its all landrover plug in clips. No need for earth wires or any other messy crap.