Wiring driving lights to high beam...

[LoveB]

where do I tap the wire from? I tried to tap it onto the grey and blue wire (which is what I read as the high beam from forums) and all it seems to have done is blown the high beam off my bulb. lol the low beam still works but high beam on that side atleast doesnt. I'm guessing (more like hoping) that its just the bulb.

but yes, during that time I could not for the life of me get the LED bar to work with the high beams. Is there anything specific I need to be doing?

[Judo]

Not sure about wire colours, but can you explain the wiring more? Are you using relays and not just high beam wire into LED bar?

I tapped high beam wire off the back of the light itself at the front, but that worked well in my Disco as the battery is centimetres away from the light itself.

[n plus one]

where do I tap the wire from? I tried to tap it onto the grey and blue wire (which is what I read as the high beam from forums) and all it seems to have done is blown the high beam off my bulb. lol the low beam still works but high beam on that side atleast doesnt. I'm guessing (more like hoping) that its just the bulb.

but yes, during that time I could not for the life of me get the LED bar to work with the high beams. Is there anything specific I need to be doing?

I can look at mine tonight if needed - but the relay question above is critical.

[LoveB]

the bar itself came with a wiring kit which has a fuse and relay. which is currently tapped into the battery and operated by a separate switch. But as I'm wanting to keep it legal I need to have the switch to operate as an 'on and off' but with the bar only being able to turn on along with the high beams.

I'm just not sure how to run the feed from the high beam to the light bar wiring in order to get it to go on along with the high beams.

[Judo]

the bar itself came with a wiring kit which has a fuse and relay. which is currently tapped into the battery and operated by a separate switch. But as I'm wanting to keep it legal I need to have the switch to operate as an 'on and off' but with the bar only being able to turn on along with the high beams.

I'm just not sure how to run the feed from the high beam to the light bar wiring in order to get it to go on along with the high beams.
You need to splice or T-piece the high beam wire so it is always connected to both the headlight and relay at the same time.

Am I on the right track now?

[LoveB]

yeah. Where is the best place to splice it? I was thinking the wire that runs along the guards. but when I tried that, even with the high beams on the light bar would only turn on via its original switch. having the bright on had nothing to do with it... and it blew my bulb lol

[n plus one]

where do I tap the wire from? I tried to tap it onto the grey and blue wire (which is what I read as the high beam from forums) and all it seems to have done is blown the high beam off my bulb. lol the low beam still works but high beam on that side atleast doesnt. I'm guessing (more like hoping) that its just the bulb.

but yes, during that time I could not for the life of me get the LED bar to work with the high beams. Is there anything specific I need to be doing?


yeah. Where is the best place to splice it? I was thinking the wire that runs along the guards. but when I tried that, even with the high beams on the light bar would only turn on via its original switch. having the bright on had nothing to do with it... and it blew my bulb lol

You're gunna have to expand on the above - its a little hard to understand:(

You need to splice into the high beam feed (back of the headlights is an easy to access location) and use this to power the coil of the relay - as you're running an separate switch for the led bar, the high beam power feed should also go through this switch before going to the relay coil. The other side of the relay coil then goes to earth.

This means that both the separate switch and the cars high beam have to be on to get power to the relay. You also need FUSED battery power to one side of the relay's contacts, the other side of the contacts goes to the positive of the light bar, then through the light bar to earth.

Sounds like your splice connector may have severed your high beam wire - assume only the high beam you tried to get a feed off has gone AWOL?

[Judo]

To be clear, the standard set-up that meets regulations/laws is:

Cabin switch on - LED bar will come on when you hit high beam. LED bar will go off when you turn off high beam.
Cabin switch off - LED bar will never come on, even when high beams are on.

With the standard set-up, you can never have the LED bar on without high beams.

The cabin switch should really be called an "off" switch for when you have high beams on.

Wired correctly, I'm not sure why you would blow up a bulb.
And sorry I'm not sure where is the most common place to splice the wire on a Defender. Shouldn't matter where, but my guess would be to have relay close to battery and wire around that.

[LoveB]

Nevermind... I've figured it out..


I blew the fuse for the LHS high beam.. I wired the power from the high beam into the switch (FAIL) lol

I've since wired the power wire from the high beam into the power wire of the LED bar which goes through the relay - fuse then to the switch. So without the switch set to 'ON' the lightbar will never turn on. Also it will only turn on when the high beams are on. I think its wired correctly now. As in you cant turn it on on its own...

the 10A fuse seemed to pop after the led bar turned on though. I've put a 20A fuse there now and it seems to have solved it. Did any of you have to step up the fuse?

[Judo]

Which fuse? The standard high beam headlight fuse? Or the new one for the LED bar?

[Judo]

Edit: This post was rubbish. ;)

See below.

[Judo]

HERE WE GO! :D

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2013/11/1630.jpg

[Wallaby Ted]

Your other option is to pm drivesafe as he sells an excellent piece of kit to put a relay in the high/low beams (saves the switch on the stalk) and another relay for which can run 2 sets of additional lights off. His kit includes a connector to plug into the loom and onto the headlight so no need to splice into wires in the engine compartment.

If you do a search the wiring diagrams are in other posts here and he is also very helpful to talk to.

Apart from that Judo's diagram is the simplest implementation of the wiring.

Richard

[LoveB]

the 10amp fuse for the high beam was blowing. Only on the side that the LED bar is tapped to. I changed it to 20amp. seems to be good so far.

[n plus one]

the 10amp fuse for the high beam was blowing. Only on the side that the LED bar is tapped to. I changed it to 20amp. seems to be good so far.

The high beam has separate fuses for the lhs and rhs :confused:

The relay coil should pull so little current that an updated fuse wouldn't be needed - I think you've got issues mate, sounds like you're drawing the power to run the light bar from the high beam circuit.

Strongly suggest you follow Justin's diagram above.

[LoveB]

Yep... it was a separate fuse for LHS and RHS. Might go and have a fiddle with it now and see if I've got it set same as above

[PhilipA]

Read the numbers on the relay. Power should be from battery to 30/51 and output to lights from 87. The numbers are always AFAIK raised tiny numbers next to each blade terminal of the relay.

The sensor from high beam to 86. IMHO the best place for the switch is between the relay and earth ie on the 85 terminal of the relay. This is not shown in the diagram.
Regards Philip A
The switch can then go to earth.

[LoveB]

ok had a look. I'll post a pic tomorrow when the sun is out.
the relay I've got is different.. but theres two positive lines and two negatives. Both negatives are grounded to the battery. One positive line goes towards the fuse that goes to the main 'on and off' switch. The other positive goes towards the fuse and relay then onto the battery.

My only question now is do I tap the high beam to the one that goes to the switch or the one that goes to the fuse/relay? With the way it is now the switch seems to act on the relay whilst the high beam stalk acts on the power. when I hit the switch I can hear the relay clicking. but the light will only go on when I put the high beams on...

[PhilipA]

There should be thick wires and thin wires.

The thick wires are for power and the thin wires are for controlling the relay.

The thick power wires should ONLY go from the battery to the light via the relay and fuse.
If the switch is on a positive wire it should be the same wire that goes from the headlight wire, although there may be two separate wires for some reason that I cannot think of.

There may be some differences in this arrangement with the supplied loom as some Japanese 4WD ground the headlights through their headlight switch rather than switching positive and it may be set up for that.
Anyway send us a photo.
Regards Philip A

[LoveB]

Yep thats all sorted now. I just went back to the car and I had it the wrong way around. Where the headlight was going to the thick wire (explains why it was blowing the fuse)

I've since swapped it around.

it's now set as thick + wire tapped onto battery which leads to the fuse then relay. Then relay to two wires for LED bar with both negatives grounded to the battery. the remaining positive thin line is tapped to the line that goes to the high beam wire. So the relay now only turns on when the light is on.

Not when 'on off' is switched as mentioned earlier.

[PhilipA]

You may now be up for a new headlight switch. Lets hope not.
If the dip function starts to play up, that is what it will be.
Regards Philip A

[LoveB]

sorry by switch I meant the switch for the LED bar. not the headlight switch!

[PhilipA]

sorry by switch I meant the switch for the LED bar. not the headlight switch!
But when you had the power coming from the headlight circuit to the relay, the headlight switch was passing a lot of current until the headlight fuse blew. Time will tell.
Regards Philip A

[voltron]

Installing my LED bar tomorrow. Your pain is my gain haha. Timely post.

I will still probably stuff it up though.

Cheers

[LoveB]

So far so good on mine... But prayers will be said for the long life of the headlight switch!!!