Driving lights hooked to highbeam switch

[MHanrahan]

Went to get the car inspected today, and they failed me because my driving lights wouldn't turn on and off with my highbeams, I'm just going to take them off for the time being, but how do I wire them so they work with my highbeams?
Thanks
Mark

 

[mattadams]

I was actually impressed when I took my vehicle in for its emissions/safety inspection, and passed with flying colors. They didn't even fiddle with the switches at all . Anyways, on to your question, take the wire that goes to the switch and splice it into your hi-beam wire. It'll be one of the three wires going to the headlamp bulb, not the black one, and its kind of a toss-up on which is the lo-wbeam power and which is the hi-beam power. Try one, if hte lights come on with the hi-beams your done, if they come on with your regular headlights, switch wires .

 

[wabbit]

Hmm, I could use the high beam power wire to...

run power to my KC relays. Doing so, I hope to keep the KC's switched,but only operational when the high beams are on. This should work if I just put the switches between the high beam power wire and the relays.
Any thoughts on this???

Also, it seems strange that you would fail inspection for not having the driving lights come on with the high beams. In rain, snow, or fog, it is better to run the lower driving lights and not use high beams. Come to think of it, I haven't seen a vehicle that has driving lights that automatically(and only) come on with the high beams. They are usually switched seperately. I bet the shop is misinterpreting the rules.

 

[jimbo74]

wabbit...they arent. according to dmv(@ least in CA, but probably same in others)driving lights can only be on to supplement the hi beams. the laws are kinda screwy but they are the law so there is nothing that can be done. they are not to be used with the low beams....

 

[Jefe]

Originally posted by mattadams
I don't think I'd ever pass California laws, LOL

Theres a reason that I've only got one set of PIAA's so far. . . And they're wired correctly. . .

Now that's interesting. Even though I posted after Matt, it put it before because my local post time is earlier??

 

[JDraper]

KC's are the same as the rest of 'em. Ya wanna talk about screwy laws, in PA your driving lights have to be hooked to your LOW beams!! Go figure!! the only good that does is to blind opposing drivers. I have a 3 way toggle hidden under my dash so I can toggle the lights between low beam activation, ignition activation, and hi beam activation as the situation dictates (read "inspection")

 

[JDraper]

Originally posted by mattadams
wabbit, that's actually how many people recommend wiring them up. here's how you'd do it. Hook it up according to the wirind diagram (if it came with one), that means positive to positive, negative to negative, relay in place, proper switch, etc. Now I'm not sure how the KC's work, but I know that the PIAA's and Hella's have a wire coming out of the switch (your switch should be three wires right?) that is designed to be spliced or fused to a "hot source", for example in my Explorer mine is hooked into the radio fuse, so the lights can come on anytime the vehicle is turned on. If you can splice that wire into your hi-beam wire, then the switch will only be made active when your hi-beams are on, and you can either turn them on or off.

I don't think I'd ever pass California laws, LOL

Hey Matt, how did you get this to post at 1:41 AM TOMORROW???

 

[mattadams]

umm... I can see into the future? I dunno... I think somethings going on with the database.

 

[mattadams]

wabbit, that's actually how many people recommend wiring them up. here's how you'd do it. Hook it up according to the wirind diagram (if it came with one), that means positive to positive, negative to negative, relay in place, proper switch, etc. Now I'm not sure how the KC's work, but I know that the PIAA's and Hella's have a wire coming out of the switch (your switch should be three wires right?) that is designed to be spliced or fused to a "hot source", for example in my Explorer mine is hooked into the radio fuse, so the lights can come on anytime the vehicle is turned on. If you can splice that wire into your hi-beam wire, then the switch will only be made active when your hi-beams are on, and you can either turn them on or off.

I don't think I'd ever pass California laws, LOL

 

[MHanrahan]

my other problem is, I was only able to get it hooked up to the power source was directly to the battery, they wouldn't work when I hooked them up to that power distribution box. I really don't like having them hooked directly up to the battery, any suggestions on what is wrong?

 

[JDraper]

You need to find a hot wire that is turned on through the ignition. As Matt said, the radio is a good source for that, as is the rear window wiper circuit. You can buy a fuse jumper from radio shack that lets you tap your fuse box anywhere you like. Just pick a circuit that comes on with the ignition and you should be in business.

 

[MHanrahan]

Are fuse jumpers just like little pieces of metal, cause I went to radioshack, but couldn't find any thing that was speciffically called a "fuse jumper", but found these little metal things that supposedly allow me to tap the fuses, and seemed to fit the description of fuse jumper. If I tap the high beam fuse, will the driving lights go on and off with the highbeams?

 

[DocVijay]

Inspection is screwy.

This whole driving light thing is rediculous. I have a set of PIAA 1100X lights and a set of PIAA 510 lights. Neither is hooked up to either the high OR low beams. I hooked them up to the parking lights, so that I can put the headlight switch on the first setting, and use either or both. I just got the car inspected a few days ago. Didn't check them at all. I passed.

 

[mattadams]

Doc, different states have different laws regarding that. I know I recently brought my F-150 in (has 15 lights plus headlights) and none of them are hooked up to the high beam or lo-beam, they are hooked up to the radio hot wire... yet it passed with flying colors (they even were impressed with the K&N FIPK kit .
Mhanran, depends if you have the mini or midi fuses. Mini are really tiny, like the size of your thumbnail. Maxi are the ones you'd seen in the engine compartment fuse panel, the really big guys. Midi are in between. The fuse jumpers at radio shack for the midi fuses look kind of like a hook. You "hook" the end of the fuse with it then insert the fuse, then have the exposed part of this metal tab to hook things up to. Sort of similar to the "little pieces of metal" you are describing. I think they actually call them fuse taps as I recall.... The "mini" fuse taps don't have the hooks, you just place the piece of metal over the piece of metal on the fuse and insert them into the slot together.