Wiring driving lights

[racer1735]

I'm set to install my PIAA driving lights and have a question concerning relays and hook-up. I plan to wire the lights thru my Fuzeblock on the 'switched' side, so they have power whenever the bike ignition is on. And will turn them on and off with the supplied button/switch. Question is, the light harness has a relay. As does the Fuzeblock. Is there any harm in running two (2) relays? I don't really want to splice out the one on the harness. My thinking is that two will provide an added measure against a meltdown. Suggestions?

 

[AVGeek]

I'm set to install my PIAA driving lights and have a question concerning relays and hook-up. I plan to wire the lights thru my Fuzeblock on the 'switched' side, so they have power whenever the bike ignition is on. And will turn them on and off with the supplied button/switch. Question is, the light harness has a relay. As does the Fuzeblock. Is there any harm in running two (2) relays? I don't really want to splice out the one on the harness. My thinking is that two will provide an added measure against a meltdown. Suggestions?

There is no harm in doing so, as I recall I did this with my Baa Designs OnX light bar so I could use a light duty switch to control the bar.

 

[Gigitt]

If your wiring harness has a relay socket, you can pull the relay out and just add a jumper wire (short wire with 2 spade lugs) to pass power across the socket.
That way you lower your wiring connections by not hooking up the extra wires of the 2nd relay.

Your fuseblock supplies the power via internal relay - the power then just passes though the wiring harness to the lights.

 

[AVGeek]

If your wiring harness has a relay socket, you can pull the relay out and just add a jumper wire (short wire with 2 spade lugs) to pass power across the socket.
That way you lower your wiring connections by not hooking up the extra wires of the 2nd relay.

Your fuseblock supplies the power via internal relay - the power then just passes though the wiring harness to the lights.

It depends on what amperage the switch he wants to use is rated for. I expect it is wired across the coil of the relay in the PIAA harness, and may not handle the current draw of the lights.

 

[racer1735]

I'm using the switch that came with the PIAA harness. I will pull the fuse that's in the harness, as the circuit on my Fuzeblock will be fused, but plan to leave the PIAA relay in the harness. Two relays won't hurt anything (so I'm told).

 

[Gigitt]

ok so you ARE useng the wiring harness switch - then you cannot pull the relay like I said above, the switch is used to trigger the wiring harness relay to supply power to the lights.

Also you cannot pull the wiring harness fuse... this would then cut the power to the light. Just leave it in.

 

[OX-34]

You can simply attach the red and black wires (that the PIAA instructions said to the battery) to the appropriate sides of the Fuzeblock.

An extra fuse and relay will be fine, and means you don't have to butcher the PIAA harness in case you want to swap it out to another bike etc. There is ample space for the excess wires.

 

[racer1735]

When I said 'pull' the fuse, I meant delete it entirely (soldering the wire where the fuse was).

 

[dietDrThunder]

If you're going to use the relay that came with the harness, then there is no point in running the power on the switched side of the Fuzeblock. Just wire the relay off the low beam circuit, and run the light harness to the unswitched side of the Fuzeblock.

 

[racer1735]

If you're going to use the relay that came with the harness, then there is no point in running the power on the switched side of the Fuzeblock. Just wire the relay off the low beam circuit, and run the light harness to the unswitched side of the Fuzeblock.

Low beam is always on (when ignition is on)?

 

[dietDrThunder]

Low beam is always on (when ignition is on)?

Yes

 

[Gigitt]

Yes

1/2 yes

Low beam turns on and stays on after starting engine.

If you just turn ignition key to on low beam will not be on.

 

[racer1735]

UPDATE - My lights are installed and working properly. I took pictures and plan to do a step-by-step on this forum in the near future. Since I have a Fuzeblock, I simply connected the trigger wire to the positive wire and took it to the '+' side of the Fuzeblock and fused it as switched power. Whenever the key is on, I can turn the lights on or off from the switch. And run them on either high or low beams, or not at all.

 

[AVGeek]

UPDATE - My lights are installed and working properly. I took pictures and plan to do a step-by-step on this forum in the near future. Since I have a Fuzeblock, I simply connected the trigger wire to the positive wire and took it to the '+' side of the Fuzeblock and fused it as switched power. Whenever the key is on, I can turn the lights on or off from the switch. And run them on either high or low beams, or not at all.

::008:: ::008:: ::008::

 

[racer1735]

And I shall do the tutorial once I learn how to insert pictures in the middle of my copy. Right now, anytime I insert a picture it goes straight to the bottom and that's all I can post. Thus you will find the start of my thread in the electrical section but it doesn't go very far

 

[dietDrThunder]

So now if you're driving with your driving lights on and your high beam, and a car comes, you have to hit 2 switches to turn them off, then 2 switches to turn then back on? Why would you want it set up like that? Is there a scenario you cna imagine where you'd want the driving lights on, but not the high beams? I don't get it.

 

[racer1735]

I've adjusted the driving lights center to right center of the lane. Riding at dusk and after dark, I'm not getting flashes rom oncoming vehicles.

 

[OX-34]

So now if you're driving with your driving lights on and your high beam, and a car comes, you have to hit 2 switches to turn them off, then 2 switches to turn then back on? Why would you want it set up like that? Is there a scenario you cna imagine where you'd want the driving lights on, but not the high beams? I don't get it.

Dave, I'm currently running 3 switches. I'll tell you why and how I do it. Maybe you'll get it.

Switch A has 4 x 35W LED lights aimed to the horizon - triggered by the high beam.
Switch B has 4 x 10W LED lights 2 flood and 2 spot - triggered by the high beam.
Switch C has 2 x 10W LED lights angled/splayed toward the roadsides - triggered by the low beam.

Discussing switch A and B is easy. When I'm way out in the sticks riding through the night I may run all 8 of these lights if there are kangaroos all over the place. Otherwise I switch off the smaller lights and conserve battery. If I'm flashed by an oncoming truck several kilometres ahead, I switch off the 4 x 35watters and continue on the smaller ones. When I get flashed by the truck just a couple of kilometres ahead, I drop the 4 x 10watters and continue on high beam. When the truck reaches a reasonable few hundred metres ahead I drop the high beam and continue on low beam.

The kangaroos are still out there....

Switch C allows me to independently give myself some view of either side of the road but without shining light directly at the oncoming vehicles and not getting flashed. So in that case I want driving lights on, but not the high beams.

That's one scenario you requested. Do you get it?

Sometimes there is fog. In fog, sometimes the bike's high beam is ok. Sometimes the vast array of LED spots I have is ok. Sometimes, however, there can be too much light. Using only low beam is one way of tackling fog and often is better than high beam. When that is the case I've found the additional 2x 10W lights aimed outward help provide an excellent wide view of the road and roadside without the glare of excess light. So in that case I want driving lights on, but not the high beams.

That's another scenario you requested. Do you get it?

 

[racer1735]

My switches are mounted one right on top of the other so that some controls the high low beam and my forefinger controls the driving lights No biggee

 

[dietDrThunder]

Dave, I'm currently running 3 switches. I'll tell you why and how I do it. Maybe you'll get it.

Switch A has 4 x 35W LED lights aimed to the horizon - triggered by the high beam.
Switch B has 4 x 10W LED lights 2 flood and 2 spot - triggered by the high beam.
Switch C has 2 x 10W LED lights angled/splayed toward the roadsides - triggered by the low beam.

Discussing switch A and B is easy. When I'm way out in the sticks riding through the night I may run all 8 of these lights if there are kangaroos all over the place. Otherwise I switch off the smaller lights and conserve battery. If I'm flashed by an oncoming truck several kilometres ahead, I switch off the 4 x 35watters and continue on the smaller ones. When I get flashed by the truck just a couple of kilometres ahead, I drop the 4 x 10watters and continue on high beam. When the truck reaches a reasonable few hundred metres ahead I drop the high beam and continue on low beam.

The kangaroos are still out there....

Switch C allows me to independently give myself some view of either side of the road but without shining light directly at the oncoming vehicles and not getting flashed. So in that case I want driving lights on, but not the high beams.

That's one scenario you requested. Do you get it?

Sometimes there is fog. In fog, sometimes the bike's high beam is ok. Sometimes the vast array of LED spots I have is ok. Sometimes, however, there can be too much light. Using only low beam is one way of tackling fog and often is better than high beam. When that is the case I've found the additional 2x 10W lights aimed outward help provide an excellent wide view of the road and roadside without the glare of excess light. So in that case I want driving lights on, but not the high beams.

That's another scenario you requested. Do you get it?

I got all of that before...you didn't get my post.

His lights are not triggered by the high beam. They are independently wired to switches that are hot all the time (with ignition obv). The way you did it is the way that it's done, in general.

To the OP: if your lights are aimed so that you can run them in traffic and not bother anyone, you're not getting maximum benefit out of them. Do yourself a favor and consider wiring them as it's been suggested a couple times in this thread: use a relay that is triggered by the high beam, and then put a switch in-line. That way, if the switch is off, the driving lights don't come on. If the switch is in, they will come on/off with the hi/lo beam switch with no other intervention needed on your part. This is what OX-34 was explaining in that...very detailed post

I would go so far as to say don't put up a tutorial on how to wire the lights in that fashion, because it's really not a desirable way to wire lights.