How to wire Aux light to shut off with high beam switch

swinada

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I've read a few hours of AUX light installs but would like to know how one would have to wire to be able to switch the lights on anytime (external switch can be switched on low or high beam) but will switch them off if I dim the High beam. Not sure if this is even possible.
 

yoyo

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I was looking to do something similar, I wanted to trigger the aux lights with the main beam but to also have them come on just by activating the switch but I couldn't work it out. I find when I flash the main beam it doesn't really have much effect but if the aux lights come on too that would help but I don't want to ride around with my main beam on high all the time.

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Gigitt

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I'm still not sure what you are trying to do...


Normally you put a relay in to control the turning on of the led lights. you control this with a trigger circuit.

So if you want to turn on the led lights with high beam your trigger circuit is powered by the 12V in the high beam wire. when high beam is on the relay is triggered and the led comes on.

Now some people want to control the led lights to NOT turn at all with high beam as sometimes the leds are too bright so that put a switch in the trigger circuit to cut it off or allow it to trigger on.

Soooo.

You can add a second switch #2 parallel to the high beam switch #1. they both then connect to the trigger of the relay.
the second switch #2 is connected directly to a 12V+ accessory power source. this way you can turn on the led lights to run on low or high beam (note you should put a diode after each switch (2 diodes) with the other ends joined together then attached to the relay trigger in a Y config - this is to stop you manually switching on the high beams if the other switch #1 is also on)


If you use the manual switch #2 to turn on the leds with low beam, activating the high beams will not kill the leds... they just stay on - then when you dip from high to low... the manual switch #2 is still holding the led lights on.

If you are asking can you have a manual switch to turn on the leds, then when you flick to high beam they stay on, BUT when you dip to low the leds ALSO turn off.... then this system is harder to implement.
 

patrickg450

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yoyo said:
I was looking to do something similar, I wanted to trigger the aux lights with the main beam but to also have them come on just by activating the switch but I couldn't work it out. I find when I flash the main beam it doesn't really have much effect but if the aux lights come on too that would help but I don't want to ride around with my main beam on high all the time.

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk
you an have the same 12 volts power the lights from 2 diff options. Use a relay like stated so they get triggered with the high beams and run a separate 12 volt line in parallel with a switch. If they come from the same source, and they will as you only have one battery they will be no bucking of power in the event that both are providing to the lights at the same time. You will have a back feed of power to the open switch/relay if you do not install a diode to prevent this.

Make sense?
 

swinada

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If you are asking can you have a manual switch to turn on the leds, then when you flick to high beam they stay on, BUT when you dip to low the leds ALSO turn off.... then this system is harder to implement.
yes this is what i am asking :)
 

swinada

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you an have the same 12 volts power the lights from 2 diff options. Use a relay like stated so they get triggered with the high beams and run a separate 12 volt line in parallel with a switch. If they come from the same source, and they will as you only have one battery they will be no bucking of power in the event that both are providing to the lights at the same time. You will have a back feed of power to the open switch/relay if you do not install a diode to prevent this.

Make sense?
not yet



would this work? and where would i put the diode or diodes? What amperage should they be? 10A enough?
 

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patrickg450

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I cant totally tell by your diagram.

Here is my suggestion, do half first. There are a few threads here that use the pink (I think) wire off the high beams to a relay that will turn on your aux lights. Get that going first........

When it is all good you can add a manual override switch that will turn them on when NOT on high beam.

That is what you want to do right? Have them come on with high beams but also be able to manually turn them on with no high beams?
 

swinada

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patrickg450 said:
I cant totally tell by your diagram.

Here is my suggestion, do half first. There are a few threads here that use the pink (I think) wire off the high beams to a relay that will turn on your aux lights. Get that going first........

When it is all good you can add a manual override switch that will turn them on when NOT on high beam.

That is what you want to do right? Have them come on with high beams but also be able to manually turn them on with no high beams?
Yes ::015::
 

Gigitt

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swinada said:
ok i have it wired to the high beams now triggered by the pink wire.
How do i put in an over ride now so I can turn them on without using high beams?
you add/splice a switch in the wire you used to attach to the pink wire.
switch on leds work
switch off there is now no 12V+ high beam signal to trigger the leds
 

swinada

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Gigitt said:
you add/splice a switch in the wire you used to attach to the pink wire.
switch on leds work
switch off there is now no 12V+ high beam signal to trigger the leds
but that is the opposite of what i want. This way I just have the ability to turn them off if I do not want them on on high beam, what I want is being able to turn them on when not on high beam.
 

Gigitt

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swinada said:
but that is the opposite of what i want. This way I just have the ability to turn them off if I do not want them on on high beam, what I want is being able to turn them on when not on high beam.
Sorry I read the last bit wrong.
I thought I read now how do I turn them OFF without using high beam

Me bad
 

fred-houston

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swinada said:
but that is the opposite of what i want. This way I just have the ability to turn them off if I do not want them on on high beam, what I want is being able to turn them on when not on high beam.
Two relays and some diodes.

First relay trigger wire connected to your high beam wire. If you want to be able to turn this off when the high beam is on, it needs to be ran though a switch.

Second relay trigger wire powered from some source when the ignition is turned on. A switch needs to run though this wire.

Both relays connected to the aux lights, you can even connect them at the same point. You need to wire in a diode on both power wires going to the lights between the relays and the aux light connection. I would also wire in diodes between the switch and it source. If you don't install a switch on the high beam trigger wire, I would still wire in a diode.

I would also install a fuse line into the power feed to the relays. I ran mine from a fuse block

This is pretty brief, I am typing this with the assumption you know how to wire in a relay.

I actually did what you are asking about on a previous bike I owned. It worked great, but I found it was more work than it was worth. As I stated in an earlier post, a simple waterproof on/off switch with one relay does the job without nearly as much fuss.

DISCLAIMER: I am not an automotive electrician. I learned how to do what you are asking because I wanted the same thing on a previous bike of mine. I am sure there may be other ways of doing what you asked.

Hope this helps.
 

swinada

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fred-houston said:
Two relays and some diodes.


Hope this helps.
thanks for your help.
What size diodes did you use? Voltage, amperage?

Was also thinking maybe a 3 position handlebar switch would work. Position 1 would be getting signal from pink high beam wire, position 0 would be off, and position 2 would be getting signal from a constant 12v source. That way i only would need one relay and no diodes if i'm correct in my assumptions.
 

OX-34

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Swinada I think when trying to figure out how to connect auxiliary lights it helps to not only have a plan for which wire goes where, but also to have a plan for what the lights are supposed to do.

Why are they being installed?
a) To make it easier to be seen by other road users day or night? Running those on low beam makes sense, so the road users don't get dazed. Like daylight running lights on cars.
b) To see farther down the road at night and avoid animal strike? Running those on high beam makes sense, as using those tends to be without oncoming traffic (consult you local authorities if needed).

The lights in a) may only be little 10watters to achieve that and work perfectly well. They won't be of much use on high beam anyway, so may as well switch off on high beam.
The lights in b) would ideally be more powerful and certainly aimed to maximize down-the-road performance. They would be inappropriate or at least wasted for low beam use.

If you want the one set of lights to do both jobs then a dimmable arrangement like for example a Skene system or some of the Denali series from Twisted Throttle could do that. Low beam could run at 10-20% (so you can be seen), flick to high beam and they go to 100% (so you can see) or switch them off with a manual switch.

Running 2 sets of lights is another way and what I tend to do. A 5 pin relay with 87 and 87a pins available can do that. One set of lights per pin.Triggered by the high beam wire, the little lights can run on low beam, then flicking to high beam they go off and the big lights come on. A handlebar switch spliced into the trigger wire means you can turn them all off if you choose.
 

fred-houston

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swinada said:
thanks for your help.
What size diodes did you use? Voltage, amperage?

Was also thinking maybe a 3 position handlebar switch would work. Position 1 would be getting signal from pink high beam wire, position 0 would be off, and position 2 would be getting signal from a constant 12v source. That way i only would need one relay and no diodes if i'm correct in my assumptions.
If I remember correctly I used a 5W 12V automotive diode for the trigger wires. That is overkill, you probably could get away with something far less. Doesn't take much juice to trigger the relays.

I don't remember what size I used for the lights, but that is going to be dependent on the wattage of the lights you are using. Just make sure you get a diode to handle the capacity.

You could make a three way switch work, but they are bulky and for me at least not easy to find a good convenient mounting point on my bars.

Not to beat a dead horse, but why don't you try the single relay with the on/off switch? If it works for you, then good, if not, then you are halfway to do it the other way. Very little time loss, and maybe a lot of less aggravation.
 

swinada

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Not to beat a dead horse, but why don't you try the single relay with the on/off switch? If it works for you, then good, if not, then you are halfway to do it the other way. Very little time loss, and maybe a lot of less aggravation.
yes that is what I did now. I had it on the high beam first but didn't like it so switched it around now that I can turn them on when ever i want to. Turns out the light pattern of my lights is anyway more of a flood light type. I didn't know because I bought those lights used from somebody else.
I still think the 3 position switch would also work, however the only handlebar mounted switch like that is from Trailtech and by the time I get it to my door in Canada I probably have to spend around 70$ and I didn't want to do that.

::022:: THANKS TO EVERYBODY for THEIR INPUT ::022::
 
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