Driving light install question

[NullZwei]

I just got a set of Hella 500 driving lights. One of the wiring options is to wire them into the a high beam circuit so they come on when the high beams are activated. Seems like a simple and practical way of wiring them but is there a downside to doing it this way? Would it be better to just wire them on their own circuit so they can be switched on independent of the headlights?

[Mike Self]

beam switch.

That being said you can wire your driving lights to go on either by themselves or on/off with the high beams. Get a double pole, double throw switch. Connect the wire running to the driving lights to the switch's center terminal. Connect one side terminal to the high beam terminal on the dimmer switch, and the other side to a fused hot source that's live only with the ign on.

Now--with the switch centered, no driving lights. Throw the switch one way, and they'll go on and off with the high beams; throw it the other way and they'll go on independently of all other lights.

Easy to do; lemme know if you want a simple wiring diagram.

mike

[02for2]

Check local regs as some places require they only work with headlamps or high beams - no point in getting unecessary tickets.

I am wiring mine through the oem foglight switch on the cluster, a slight deviation from the Hella instructions, but very easy as well.

+1 on the relay.

Cheers!

[NullZwei]

Thanks for the suggestions guys. Mike, I really like your solution. A wiring diagram would be most helpful. I'm in no particular rush so when you get a chance if you'd be so kind as to email me the diagram at e2002w@msn.com I'd really appreciate it.

[M3M3]

stock 02 wiring harnesses have a tap in both high and low beam circuits that can be used to trigger a relay to turn driving or fog lights on. they are in the wiring bundle that runs along the radiator support. high beam on left, low on right.

i put a "defroster" switch on my 75 dash where the "fake" switch was and wired it in line with the relay trigger wire. now when high beams are on, i can add the driving lights and they will go on/off with the highs. i could not think of any situation where i would want just the driving lights on and this eliminated having yet another non-std switch somewhere in the car.

never wire aux lights directly into the harness without using a relay and separate fuse.

[BillWilliams]

Here is one of the "taps" Captain Lytle speaks of.

[M3M3]

good pic Bill. i was digging through mine when you posted. all i found was this.

the three extra black relays are:

right - elec fan

middle - driving lights

left - switched and fused circuit for center console items (stereo, guages, 12v power outlets, etc.)

ps - as of last month....it's Admiral now...:-)

[BillWilliams]

Congratulations Admiral, that sounds good on you.

[NullZwei]

Thanks again guys. I wasn't aware there was a tap for both the high and low beams so this is good to know. A relay was included with the driving light kit and I did plan to use it. However, I guess I'm a bit confused by mlytle's post regarding the use of a switch. If the driving lights are tapped into the connector in Bill's pic and this is used to trigger the driving light relay, why the need for the switch? I'm assuming it's there only in case you don't want to activate the driving lights when the high beams are on, correct? If that's the case, then I get it.

[BillWilliams]

I will take a feeble attempt at an explanation but I think you understand.

The power from the "tap" will just provide power to the switch via the relay and the switch will determine when the driving lights come on.

So, the switch via the relay will only have power when your high beams are on and you, via the switch, back through the relay, will determine when the lights come on.

Now, if you power the high beams from the tap without a switch, yes, the high beams will always come on when you turn on the high beams.

Said another way:

When the switch is activated, it closes the circuit in the relay between the driving lights and the power from the tap. Thus it shortens the path of power and reduces the stress on the switch.

[M3M3]

Thanks again guys. I wasn't aware there was a tap for both the high and low beams so this is good to know. A relay was included with the driving light kit and I did plan to use it. However, I guess I'm a bit confused by mlytle's post regarding the use of a switch. If the driving lights are tapped into the connector in Bill's pic and this is used to trigger the driving light relay, why the need for the switch? I'm assuming it's there only in case you don't want to activate the driving lights when the high beams are on, correct? If that's the case, then I get it.

you get it. putting the switch between the tap and the relay lets you choose if the driving lights come on with high beams or not. hella 500's are pretty darn bright. around town i always leave DL's off. this is also important if you leave covers on the lights. if covers on and DL's are always on with high beams...covers will melt....

[jgerock]

this is also important if you leave covers on the lights. if covers on and DL's are always on with high beams...covers will melt....

LOL Right after I bought my car, I had some friends over and I let their son sit in the car. I let him mess around and didn't care if he touched anything. The next time I started the car, I was doing something in the garage and noticed a burning smell. I peeked inside the car and the green foglight switch was illuminated and the front driving lights were on - so were the covers. I was able to quickly turn off the lights and pop off the covers without any damage.

More fun: While Marshall was over helping swap in the 5 speed tranny, he helped me diagnose why my driving lights were not working. I had just moved the switch to another location and didn't change any wires. We spent several hours tracing circuits, switching wires and the relay and still couldn't get the lights to work. Turns out a bullet connector came loose in the wires behind the A/C console (no power to the switch)!