Wiring Driving Lights

[Terpsmandan]

I have a JLU with factory LED's. I want to add two driving lights and want to wire them into the High Beam circuit so they turn on and off with the high beams. What is the easiest way to set up some way to trigger them off the high beam circuit. Very easy on the TJ, a little more complex on the JL (PWM voltage).

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[Jeepeto]

Can you not use a relay tied into the high beam circuit to trigger the aux lights?

Edit:

I'm pretty sure I've seen this done, if I remember correctly the wiring harness that goes by the battery/aux taps in the engine bay had the necessary high beam wire to tap into to trigger the relay.

 

[Terpsmandan]

Can you not use a relay tied into the high beam circuit to trigger the aux lights?

That is what I am thinking, but can you go straight off the high beam line at the headlight? Will there be enough voltage to keep a relay from buzzing, or are the LED headlights using non modulated power?

 

[AcesandEights]

I know I'm not answering your question, but I'm wondering why you would do this? If they are driving lights they throw a long beam that would probably be supplemented well by using either your low or high beams. I've done what you're talking about on a TJ and swore never to wire lights that way again, and don't. I find a lot of value in using my lights in various ways depending on terrain and conditions. Just wondering why you want to limit yourself (maybe for legal reasons?).

 

[Jeepeto]

That is what I am thinking, but can you go straight off the high beam line at the headlight? Will there be enough voltage to keep a relay from buzzing, or are the LED headlights using non modulated power?

It sounds like you're referring to the power past any kind of ballast/inverter that runs the headlight. The answer to that is, no. You tap into the 12 volt power wire before the ballast/inverter. Any PWM would be after the ballast/inverter. I'll have to look, but I believe there is a thread that writes this up really well, and shows that wiring harness that I was talking about. It is in a convenient location to make a relay harness.

 

[Terpsmandan]

I know I'm not answering your question, but I'm wondering why you would do this? If they are driving lights they throw a long beam that would probably be supplemented well by using either your low or high beams. I've done what you're talking about on a TJ and swore never to wire lights that way again, and don't. I find a lot of value in using my lights in various ways depending on terrain and conditions. Just wondering why you want to limit yourself (maybe for legal reasons?).

Lots of driving at night out of town with wandering wildlife. I did that on my TJ as well. Just like as much light as I can put out there.

 

[Terpsmandan]

It sounds like you're referring to the power past any kind of ballast/inverter that runs the headlight. The answer to that is, no. You tap into the 12 volt power wire before the ballast/inverter. Any PWM would be after the ballast/inverter. I'll have to look, but I believe there is a thread that writes this up really well, and shows that wiring harness that I was talking about. It is in a convenient location to make a relay harness.

That would be great. Thanks.

 

[bjm00se]

I know I'm not answering your question, but I'm wondering why you would do this? If they are driving lights they throw a long beam that would probably be supplemented well by using either your low or high beams. I've done what you're talking about on a TJ and swore never to wire lights that way again, and don't. I find a lot of value in using my lights in various ways depending on terrain and conditions. Just wondering why you want to limit yourself (maybe for legal reasons?).

I'm not the OP, but I find a lot of value in using my auxiliary lights on dark country canyon highways. A lot better visibility of the entire road and what's alongside than provided by just the high beams.

But since it's a public road, if there's any oncoming traffic, I want to be able to instantly kill the additional lights, and the easy way to do that is the high-beam stalk.

If I had to hit the aux switch on the dash somewhere, that'd be an extra second or two that my auxiliary lights were blinding someone else.

Conversely, I'm curious under what lighting conditions you've found that you want your aux lights on, but don't want your high beams on? The only scenario I can think of is low-wide fog lights, which you want on in low visibility conditions when high beams and other bright aux lights cause a bunch of glare in the fog/snow/sky moisture. I wouldn't wire my fog lights into my high beams. But then, you don't really need to turn off fog lights for oncoming traffic, either.

 

[Jeepeto]

That would be great. Thanks.

this is the thread I was referring to

https://www.jlwranglerforums.com/forum/threads/headlight-high-beam-splice-point.46915/post-1081627

https://www.jlwranglerforums.com/forum/threads/headlight-high-beam-splice-point.46915/post-1457073

However, I did come across a thread about PWM possibly being used further up the line? Seems odd, the way I under stand pulse width modulation is to be a "dimmer" of sorts, essentially firing the light many times a second, instead of a steady on behavior, this in turn makes the light "dimmer". But I haven't done extensive research on this, just what I've picked up from electrical engineering shit I've seen on YouTube. Seems to me like this would be handled by the inverter near the LED light itself and not further up the line, but I may be incorrect.

Oh well, looks like it worked for this guy, YMMV. Let us know what you end up doing, this may be a can of worms

 

[AcesandEights]

Maybe I was misunderstood, or misunderstood the original post. I like using my aux lights and high beams, but read the original post as wanting the aux lights to shut off when the high beams are turned on.

I've used fogs and low beams together, as well as driving lights and low beams. I find the low beams fill in much better than high beams at slower speeds and the aux lights provide the longer range of what would otherwise be the high beams. Low beams and aux lighting being similar to having low and high on at the same time, for speeds between say 30 - 50 mph

 

[Terpsmandan]

I'm not the OP, but I find a lot of value in using my auxiliary lights on dark country canyon highways. A lot better visibility of the entire road and what's alongside than provided by just the high beams.

But since it's a public road, if there's any oncoming traffic, I want to be able to instantly kill the additional lights, and the easy way to do that is the high-beam stalk.


If I had to hit the aux switch on the dash somewhere, that'd be an extra second or two that my auxiliary lights were blinding someone else.

That is why I want them wired to trigger off the high beam.

I wouldn't wire my fog lights into my high beams.

With the factory LED's the fogs stay on with the high beams and I think that is selectable.

 

[BDinTX]

I did this just the other day on mine. Aux2 "enables" the offroad lights, then they turn on and off with the high beams. Got the relay from autozone for about $14.
Makes the country back roads alot safer since we have a bunch of deer around here.

Tap into the high beam wire (white with grey stripe) on the passenger side and run it to pin 86
Aux 2 (or whatever your switched power is) goes to pin 30
Offroad light feed is pin 87
Ground for pin 85.

Edit: I do have factory LED headlights, I tapped in right behind the headlight, and the relay stays engaged until I turn off the high beams.

 

[Terpsmandan]

I did this just the other day on mine. Aux2 "enables" the offroad lights, then they turn on and off with the high beams. Got the relay from autozone for about $14.
Makes the country back roads alot safer since we have a bunch of deer around here.

Tap into the high beam wire (white with grey stripe) on the passenger side and run it to pin 86
Aux 2 (or whatever your switched power is) goes to pin 30
Offroad light feed is pin 87
Ground for pin 85.

Edit: I do have factory LED headlights, I tapped in right behind the headlight, and the relay stays engaged until I turn off the high beams.

That is exactly what I was looking for. Thanks!!

 

[BDinTX]

If you don't happen to have any extra wire on hand you're in for a shock when you go pick some up. 12 gauge copper was $50 for a 100 ft roll... : (
Good luck!

 

[Jeepeto]

If you don't happen to have any extra wire on hand you're in for a shock when you go pick some up. 12 gauge copper was $50 for a 100 ft roll... : (
Good luck!

I’ll add to this, don’t cheap out and get copper plated aluminum. You want copper wire often called OFC (oxygen free copper)

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