Wiring Driving Lights Up

[Snupple]

Due to the not-so-good high beam on my Ambiente MD I am going to get some seperate driving lights.

How easy are they to wire up? I have done it on my previous cars with a realy etc, but not on something as complicated as these recent cars!

Cheers

[thebigd]

Originally Posted by Snupple

Due to the not-so-good high beam on my Ambiente MD I am going to get some seperate driving lights.

How easy are they to wire up? I have done it on my previous cars with a realy etc, but not on something as complicated as these recent cars!

Cheers

Not sure about the wiring side of things, but where and how are you going to mount them ?

[my67xr]

Providing the high beam positive wire is normally off (not sure in this case)
To keep it all legal (can only activate driving light's when high beam's are on)
Just tap into the original high beam power wire at the back of the headlight as the trigger wire for the relay.
Run a wire from the relay's earth terminal back inside the cabin (use an existing firewall grommet) to an on/off switch, then the other side of the switch goes to an earth point, this way you wont have a positive wire running through the firewall

You can also connect a Driving Light on indicator light by running a wire from a positive behind the dash to the light and the earth side connect's where the earth wire from the relay connect's to your switch


30 - Power, Battery Positive via a 30A fuse
86 - Relay trigger, High beam wire at back of headlight
85 - Relay Switched Negative, Driving light main switch on dash, other side of switch to an earth point on the body
87 - Positive power wire to Driving light's

Negative wire from Driving light's to earth

[Snupple]

Originally Posted by thebigd

Not sure about the wiring side of things, but where and how are you going to mount them ?

Using one of those license plate bracket mounts

[Snupple]

Originally Posted by my67xr

Providing the high beam positive wire is normally off (not sure in this case)
To keep it all legal (can only activate driving light's when high beam's are on)

Thanks!

[bundybear75]

Pretty sure the headlights are negatively switched ie positive is always live (on the MC at least)

I got around this by tapping off both the positive and negative high beam wires, ran one through the driving light switch, and the connected them to the pins 85 and 86.

Biggest problem I had was finding somewhere to run the switch wire through the firewall, so I temporarily mounted the switch near the under bonnet fuse box (4 years ago.....)

[bundybear75]

Originally Posted by Snupple

Using one of those license plate bracket mounts

Just check that the bumper is strong enough to support the bracket - on the MC, the number plate is only attached to a thin section of plastic grill - I ended up making support brackets from the lights to the radiator support panel to avoid the lights bouncing around when driving

[Snupple]

Originally Posted by bundybear75

Just check that the bumper is strong enough to support the bracket - on the MC, the number plate is only attached to a thin section of plastic grill - I ended up making support brackets from the lights to the radiator support panel to avoid the lights bouncing around when driving

Thanks, will keep an eye out for that

[thebigd]

Originally Posted by bundybear75

Just check that the bumper is strong enough to support the bracket - on the MC, the number plate is only attached to a thin section of plastic grill - I ended up making support brackets from the lights to the radiator support panel to avoid the lights bouncing around when driving

Agree bundy. The MD is the same. I also considered the front number plate bracket for an LED bar, as I do a bit of night driving (through the winter months). I believe it will need support if you don't want it bouncing around.

[bundybear75]

lights by bundybear75, on Flickr

[LG17]

If you are not sure on the wiring, just buy a kit from Korr or someone else.

[Snupple]

With the bracket, there are a few options:

https://www.stedi.com.au/number-plat...g-bracket.html

https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/NUMBER-P...R/324181425358

https://www.supercheapauto.com.au/p/...040204#start=7

Next is to work out which lights to use!

[bundybear75]

Originally Posted by Snupple

With the bracket, there are a few options:

https://www.stedi.com.au/number-plat...g-bracket.html

https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/NUMBER-P...R/324181425358

https://www.supercheapauto.com.au/p/...040204#start=7

Next is to work out which lights to use!

I started with a 120W light bar, but I upgraded to the above 7 inch LED driving lights. Much better reach and spread. I do around 1500km per week, at least half of that in the dark, so good lights are essential.

These are the Kings from 4wdsupacenter - you can get them for around $100 delivered. They work great, but I have found that the lens is starting to yellow a little after 3 years of being parked outside all the time.

You can see the braces I made to take the vibration and rattle out of the bracket

lightbar by bundybear75, on Flickr

[Snupple]

Originally Posted by bundybear75

You can see the braces I made to take the vibration and rattle out of the bracket

Where did ther brackets come from, can you get a closer photo at all?

[bundybear75]

Originally Posted by Snupple

Where did ther brackets come from, can you get a closer photo at all?

Braces are made from some 12mm x 3mm (?) aluminium strap from bunnings, bent and twisted to go from the side of the lights through the grill, back to the radiator support panel. Covered with a quick coat of matt black rattle can