Wiring 2 sets of "rally" lights

Grayguy · Post by **Grayguy** » Fri Jan 09, 2009 4:06 am

I just picked up 2 sets of Hella 500's that I am going to be mounting on the front of my 93' SS. I was wondering if anyone knew the best way to wire them so that one set come one with the low beams, one set comes on with the high beams (low beam set goes back off), and also have a master over ride so I can turn them all on at once when Legality is not an issue?

thanks in advance for any help!

stipro · Post by **stipro** » Fri Jan 09, 2009 5:02 am

Here is a quick diagram I just drew up, hope it helps.

magicmike · Post by **magicmike** » Fri Jan 09, 2009 6:35 am

something is not right there. that shows the light being on anytime the headlights are on regardlessof the switch. I'd do it the same except put the switch on the ground side of both 85's preventing the relays from triggering unless the stitch is enabled. other than that great drawing!

stipro · Post by **stipro** » Fri Jan 09, 2009 8:21 am

magicmike wrote:something is not right there. that shows the light being on anytime the headlights are on regardless of the switch. I'd do it the same except put the switch on the ground side of both 85's preventing the relays from triggering unless the stitch is enabled. other than that great drawing!

Thanks for chiming in Mike, looking at it now I see what you mean. But, I think to get this circuit to work on a master switch that can disable power to the entire circuit, as well as toggle both lights either on or both off, we would need to add another switch and another relay, something like this??

You are the wiring guru Mike, help us out

log1call · Post by **log1call** » Fri Jan 09, 2009 9:05 am

I think you'll find that the headlights have power to them all the time and they earth through relays when they are turned on. It's a pretty standard way of doing it these days. If that is the case then neither of those circuits will work. Better get a wiring diagram and see how the headlights are wired I think.

log1call · Post by **log1call** » Fri Jan 09, 2009 9:09 am

Sorry... I should have said... the headlights have power to them all the time the lights are on, then each beam is earthed to turn it on as needed. There is generaly a relay to turn the power on to the bulbs, then two other relays to earth the two beams to make them light up.

magicmike · Post by **magicmike** » Fri Jan 09, 2009 8:59 pm

ok give this a shot. I took the wire colors out of my hanes manual so I think they are correct.

Description:
Relay 1:
85 - Low current 12V needed
86 - Low current to Switch
87a - not used
87 - High current Fused 12V (Batt)
30 - Connect to 30 on Relay #2

Relay 2
85 - RED from steering column light switch (high beam)
86 - Low current 12V needed
87a - High current output to low beam fogs
87 - High current output to high beam fogs
30 - Connect to 30 on relay #1

Wiring single pole normally open configuration:
This will make the fogs only be able to work if the cars headlights or high beam lights are on.
Terminal 1 - Connect to 86 on realy #1
Terminal 2 - Connect to Blue/Black at switch at column.

To make the lights usable all the time regardless or headlights use a single pole double throw switch and connect the middle pole to ground and the other two to as described above. and illustrated.

hope this helps. Let me know if anyone sees anything wrong with this.

It might look backwards to some of you but subaru wires everything as negative triggers instead of posotive triggers like most american cars. A good way to think about it is that a negative trigger is just a 12v current "waiting" to get grounded.

I don't think any diodes are needed. Let me know if anything strange happens when hooking this up.

magicmike · Post by **magicmike** » Mon Jan 12, 2009 7:55 pm

I must say in my best Stephanie from full house voice "HOW RUDE!" Jeeze I dont expect much here but a thank you would be nice. I go out of my way and spend about an hour drawing this shit up in excel, then saving it as a print screen, then cropping it in photoshop, then saving as a jpg, then uploading to photobucket, then linking to this post, then writing another enplanation on how to do this and the thread stops? WTF people. I don't need to do this for myself, I didn't have this shit lying around. A little gratitude would be appreciated. Thats all I'm saying. Have a nice day.

log1call · Post by **log1call** » Tue Jan 13, 2009 2:54 am

Ha, I sympathize there Mike, but if you think that is bad check out the guy getting impatient after nine hours in "Inlet". He want's people to rush out and inspect their "jecs mafs" and report back what they find, which is fair enough, but see the sarcasm when we weren't quick enough... even though he has already said it is just for a pending modification... not a urgent repair he is trying to accomplish.

You got to laugh Mike.
Cheers, Brett.

555BCTurbo · Post by **555BCTurbo** » Tue Jan 13, 2009 4:11 am

While I don't have a use for your diagram Mike, I will say that it is MOST excellently laid out.

I'm sure someone who dives headfirst into a driving light modification like this with no wiring experience with benefit GREATLY from your diagrams!!!

On behalf of the 1st Generation Legacy world...I thank you for your efforts!!!

magicmike · Post by **magicmike** » Tue Jan 13, 2009 4:58 am

stop patronizing me! but thank you if you are being serious, thats all I needed.

Grayguy · Post by **Grayguy** » Tue Jan 13, 2009 6:13 am

Thank you VERY VERY Much! I REALLY appreciate all the work you put into that diagram, I think it's going to be exactly what I need. I'm terrible at figuring out how to wire things (but great at the execution) and I think even I can follow this stuff now.

I haven't been on the forum in a few days so I'm just seeing this. Hopefully later this week I'll get some pictures up and let everyone know how it all works out! Thanks again!!!

magicmike · Post by **magicmike** » Tue Jan 13, 2009 6:20 am

ahhh...all is forgiven!

Grayguy · Post by **Grayguy** » Tue Jan 13, 2009 7:39 pm

Well, i took 45 minutes or so this morning at work to Fab up a temporary mount for the lights. Eventually I'm going to be building a whole bar that mounts the lights and a skid plate, but I wanted them on there for the ice races this weekend. I haven't wired them yet tho, I just did the easy stuff today.

magicmike · Post by **magicmike** » Tue Jan 13, 2009 7:48 pm

That looks pretty cool. I would put some high current plugs on the wires and make the mounting bracket come off with quick couplings of some sort. So you could take the whole thing off before that dude with the red truck backs into you by accident and takes out your lights lol.

Grayguy · Post by **Grayguy** » Tue Jan 13, 2009 8:04 pm

Yeah, I am planning on using a quick disconnect for the wiring, I just have to find one that I think will do the trick. The Mount is just held on by 2 7/16's bolts, so if comes off pretty quick.

"That dude" with the Red truck is me, 5/7 vehicles you can see in that first pic are mine, you jsut can't see the other 2 of mine sitting off to the side LOL.

magicmike · Post by **magicmike** » Tue Jan 13, 2009 8:28 pm

ahhh. I would at a minimum use stainless nuts and bolts then. um stupid questions but why do you have 7 vehicles?

Grayguy · Post by **Grayguy** » Wed Jan 14, 2009 3:55 am

Well, at the moment, my GF and I are the only ones at home and there are 11 cars here...6 of them are mine, 3 of them are my GF's 1 of them is my other roommates and one of them is my friends Teg this is here for winter storage.

I didn't have stainless nuts, so the nuts that are welded onto the bumper beam are just grade 8 since coated, but the bolts them selfs are stainless. I'm going to give the wiring a first attempt in the morning.

Grayguy · Post by **Grayguy** » Wed Jan 14, 2009 3:59 am

quick question...so I grasp the concept here, but looking at this, is there going to be a way to have all the lights on at once? Meaning, headlights (in either High or LOW mode) and all 4 hellas?

magicmike · Post by **magicmike** » Wed Jan 14, 2009 7:35 am

at the moment, NO, there isn't a way to have all on in this configuration. we can do that but need to add a relay for safety sake. I was thinking about that but you had not specified that in the beginninig... tell me what ou want and i can draw it up... make a wish list if you will...

mine for example are wired directly to the batt and i can turn them on when i please.

Grayguy · Post by **Grayguy** » Wed Jan 14, 2009 1:04 pm

Wishlist:

-I'd like them to be able to switch outside set/inside set when the head lights are on w/ the Low.high beam switch like you have it now, but in addition to that, I'd like to be able to have on the headlights and then both sets at one time.

So in essence, there would be a "Road" mode where there was only 4 light on at a time (head lights + 1 set of hellas) and a "Lake/offroad" mode where the head lights + 2 sets of hellas can be on.

I'm assuming "road" mode will still be wired in the same, and the "lake" mode will have it's own seperate wiring with some relays so that part of the wiring is disconnected while in "road" mode....but I'm really not sure how that works...

oh, and P.S, you are a real life saver!

magicmike · Post by **magicmike** » Wed Jan 14, 2009 10:08 pm

ok so let me see, you want the following:
1. headlights work like normal and none of the hellas come on or do anything unless you activate the added switch that I put in.
2. you want the lights ONLY to work when you have your headlights on?
3. It sounds like you don't need the hi beam option.

The problem here is with limited switches. you dont want to put a rotary type switch on your dash do you?

I would suggest, a simple up down switch. Down the hellas do nothing.
Up the driving hellas come on with the headlights and when you selcet the highbeams at the column all 4 lights come on with the highbeams.

What do you think about that?

evolutionmovement · Post by **evolutionmovement** » Wed Jan 14, 2009 11:32 pm

Wouldn't the simplest solution be to just run them separate from anything (or get power from the parking lights) with 1 switch controlling the outboard, 1 switch controlling the inboard?

Grayguy · Post by **Grayguy** » Thu Jan 15, 2009 4:02 am

^ Yes, but that's not what I want.

I could definetly live with the Lowbeams+ 1 set of hellas and highbeams + all hellas.

I started wiring today, But I couldn't figure out the wires under the column. I found the wires coming from the headlight switch, but I only found 1 Solid red wire, and one Blue w/blk striped wire...and they attached to each other through a connector...I are confused...

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Wiring 2 sets of "rally" lights

Wiring 2 sets of "rally" lights