Headlight high-beam splice point

[THAW]

Any chance you’d draw a schematic for those who don’t understand this?

The best I could quickly and easily do with the first basic online tool I found:

Sponsored

 

[bobholthaus]

The best I could quickly and easily do with the first basic online tool I found:

Perfect diagram. Thank you. I will save this.

 

[Grayhound]

I really like the addition of the 5 pin relay!

Let me run a scenario by everyone:

I have 2 sets of lights on two aux switches today. If I wanted to control each set manually and with the high beams set by set I would need to do the following:

High beam trigger to 5 pin relay
Manual switch for lights aux 3 coming into same 5 pin relay

From this relay it would go out to two separate 3 pin relay one for each set of lights.

These two 3 pin relays would be fed from the 5 pin when either the high beams are on or the switch 3 is on

From there I would turn on switch 1 or 2 or both to get my lights on.

In this scenario the only diodes I need are between the 5 pin relay and the 3 pin relay so that if I have one set of lights on I don’t backfeed to the other.

Am I understanding this correctly?

 

[bobholthaus]

I really like the addition of the 5 pin relay!

Let me run a scenario by everyone:

I have 2 sets of lights on two aux switches today. If I wanted to control each set manually and with the high beams set by set I would need to do the following:

High beam trigger to 5 pin relay
Manual switch for lights aux 3 coming into same 5 pin relay

From this relay it would go out to two separate 3 pin relay one for each set of lights.

These two 3 pin relays would be fed from the 5 pin when either the high beams are on or the switch 3 is on

From there I would turn on switch 1 or 2 or both to get my lights on.

In this scenario the only diodes I need are between the 5 pin relay and the 3 pin relay so that if I have one set of lights on I don’t backfeed to the other.

Am I understanding this correctly?

@Grayhound : @THAW wiring is the simplest way to do it. If you don't have two 5-pin relays, I would buy two of those and then wire each set of lights exactly as he has shown above. Use Switch 1 &2 for the first set of lights, and switches 3 & 4 for the second set of lights. I would forget my mention of diode's altogether; his wiring truly is the most direct and simplest way to do it. You simply need two 5-pin relays and the tap from the high beam wire.

Switches 1 & 3 would be your manual on/off switch for your 2 sets of lights, and switches 2 & 4 would be your on/off switches for the high beam control (meaning they go on with the high beams when those two switches are on (which is one switch per set of lights)).

Make sense?

 

[bobholthaus]

And, if you want a cheap, waterproof, pre-wired relay that you only have to splice wires onto, I suggest this:

Waterproof Relay on Amazon

5 of them for $25. You can't beat that! Ignore the diagrams on Amazon and use THAW's diagram above; it will work exactly how you want it to (and you can tap the high beams just one time and then split that wire to both relays).

 

[Grayhound]

And, if you want a cheap, waterproof, pre-wired relay that you only have to splice wires onto, I suggest this:

Waterproof Relay on Amazon

5 of them for $25. You can't beat that! Ignore the diagrams on Amazon and use THAW's diagram above; it will work exactly how you want it to (and you can tap the high beams just one time and then split that wire to both relays).

Exactly the relay I was looking at!

 

[bobholthaus]

Exactly the relay I was looking at!

And if you haven't seen the plug and play kit from Europe that someone mentions above (for tapping the high beam), you may check that out. Cleaner than tapping the wire yourself (although more expensive).

 

[Grayhound]

And if you haven't seen the plug and play kit from Europe that someone mentions above (for tapping the high beam), you may check that out. Cleaner than tapping the wire yourself (although more expensive).

I saw that, however the positap looks like a great option!

 

[THAW]

You simply need two 5-pin relays and the tap from the high beam wire.

@Greyhound make sure you wire the high beams to the 2 relays in parallel. In series, the relays won't get the proper voltage.

 

[bobholthaus]

@Greyhound make sure you wire the high beams to the 2 relays in parallel. In series, the relays won't get the proper voltage.

I thought Pin 85 on a typical relay only needs Mill amps to trigger? With wiring it in series really not given enough juice to turn both of those relays on? I’m learning all kinds of good things in this thread!!

 

[THAW]

I thought Pin 85 on a typical relay only needs Mill amps to trigger? With wiring it in series really not given enough juice to turn both of those relays on? I’m learning all kinds of good things in this thread!!

The (yes, small) current draw isn't the issue, it's the voltage drop. Wired in series, each 12V relay coil gets 6V.

 

[bobholthaus]

The (yes, small) current draw isn't the issue, it's the voltage drop. Wired in series, each 12V relay coil gets 6V.

Maybe I’m confused how you would wire it in series. Why would touching the wire to the relay coil drop the voltage in half? I’m not being facetious, I just have never experienced that before.

Are you saying that if he taps the wire directly at the highbeam point and then goes to the first relay and then jumps that same wire to the second relay the voltage is going to be cut in half? In my JK I had a four switch set up on the A pillar and I did plenty of wire jumping to illuminate those Carlon switches, and I don’t recall ever having a voltage drop of any sort. In my mind, Daisy chaining that 12 V tap from the highbeam should be fine on Pin 85 because it needs amperage to trigger the coil. What am I missing? Thanks for the explanation. Like I said, I’m learning a lot here. By the way, the son of my girlfriend wants to use your wiring this weekend on his 1990 Ford bronco two for his light bar being able to come on with his highbeams. So I will be using your wiring diagram this weekend!

 

[THAW]

Why would touching the wire to the relay coil drop the voltage in half?

It doesn't.

But, when the 2 relays are in series they split the voltage.

Are you saying that if he taps the wire directly at the highbeam point and then goes to the first relay and then jumps that same wire to the second relay the voltage is going to be cut in half?

I'm not sure I know what you mean by "jump" in this context. Split the high beam splice wire and connect it to the 85 pins on both relays, then run both 86s to ground (or tie them together and then connect to ground) to get a parallel connection.

Running the high beam wire to pin 85 on first relay, then the first's 86 to the second's 85, then the second's 86 to ground, is a series connection. The relays split the voltage and likely won't operate since they're 12V.

By the way, the son of my girlfriend wants to use your wiring this weekend on his 1990 Ford bronco two for his light bar being able to come on with his highbeams. So I will be using your wiring diagram this weekend!

?

 

[bobholthaus]

It doesn't.

But, when the 2 relays are in series they split the voltage.



I'm not sure I know what you mean by "jump" in this context. Split the high beam splice wire and connect it to the 85 pins on both relays, then run both 86s to ground (or tie them together and then connect to ground) to get a parallel connection.

Running the high beam wire to pin 85 on first relay, then the first's 86 to the second's 85, then the second's 86 to ground, is a series connection. The relays split the voltage and likely won't operate since they're 12V.



?

Thank you for the explanation. I get the “series” wiring now; I’ve never done it that way, so I’ve never had that issue. I appreciate your time in educating all of us on this! Thanks man.

 

[jav_eee]

The best I could quickly and easily do with the first basic online tool I found:

So the AUX swithces would be providing power for the lights. They can handle that? ( i haven't read the first 3 pages of this thread haha)

Sponsored