hid lows to work with high beams

[Dono]

Im attempting to get my low beam hids to stay on when my high beams are on.

I have a wiring harness off the battery, using the low beam on signal to turn the relay on.

Can't I just insert a diode off the high beam (As a tap only) to the same connection as the low beam signal switch to keep low beams on when high beams are on?

I made an image to try to illustrate what I have done, but can't post attachments. Hope what I said makes sense. Bill, its a knock off of the relay wiring harness you have posted here a few times.

I tried this, but then neither the highs or lows would come on. I then tried 2 diodes (One on low beam signal in, and one on high beam signal in) making sure they were inserted in the proper direction. Still no go.

Thoughts anyone?

 

[Bill Kemp]

This is the way that has worked for me w/halogen bulbs. I think it would be the same w/HID lows. http://www.northtexaspowerstrokes.com/users/kevin/mods/upgradeharness/

 

[Dono]

This is the way that has worked for me w/halogen bulbs. I think it would be the same w/HID lows. http://www.northtexaspowerstrokes.com/users/kevin/mods/upgradeharness/

Thanks for the reply Bill. I was kinda hoping to pull this off with one relay (Lazy) but I guess I better wire in another and take the high beams right off the stock wiring harness also.

 

[hunterdan]

I last year and I have a thread somewhere about it. I will see if I can dig it up. http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showpost.php?p=1841109&postcount=36
In that thread, I just used the wiring diagram that came with that kit and bought my own relays. It was very easy to do and worked flawlessly.
Dan

 

[celly]

I was going down this road too and eventually gave up trying and here's why. I like having the ability to turn on just the high beam halogens as a "flash to pass" function or warning others of speed traps etc. If my HIDs came on with the highs, I'm putting undue stress on the ballasts in this application (HIDs shouldn't be turned on and off quickly).

I lost the flash to pass function with old single beam HIDs I had, and it wasn't overly effective with two "bi-xenon" kits I used before the projectors.

I actually prefer the way it's set up now without having all 4 on at once. I'm getting such great output from the HIDs as it is that I rarely feel a need to have a little bit extra from the high beams. I did a massive road trip this summer (5,000 miles in total). A good chunk of the drive involved all night drives through the midwest. The HIDs in those projectors was all I needed. I've given up trying to get all 4 to go on at once. My HIDS are plugged into an SUVlights harness and I couldn't get the diode trick to work with HID. The owner of Suvlights suggested the diode trick too but I couldn't get it to work. My hunch is that it works with halogens, but not HID.

If you really want to make it work. find I am Todd's post on how to make it happen. His process was a bit more involved.

 

[Dono]

Thanks everyone,

Celly, I think I'm going to take your advice and leave it alone. The hid's are pretty good, and I really don't get much opportunity to use highs anyway (oncomng traffic).

Still not sure why the diode trick doesnt work, but note also taken on the extra load on the ballasts by doing that.

 

[IAmTodd]

Try how I have mine wired up:

http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=156455&highlight=install+hid

It uses the kick on wire for the headlight circuit (independent of high/low beam). My low beam HIDs are always on when the switch is turned to headlight or the autolights are engaged. The flash to pass function still operates with the high beams only.

I high recommend this way, I have been running this setup for 3 years now.

EDIT--

Thanks Brad, didn't see your reference.

I am also using this setup with my projectors with great success.

 

[celly]

The flash to pass function still operates with the high beams only.

I am also using this setup with my projectors with great success.

Todd, this would definitely be an ideal setup to maintain flash to pass. I wasn't aware of that.

 

[PedroDaGr8]

Time for me to chime in, since most of you guys have positive switched systems. Here is a schematic I made for preventing the high beams from coming on when the low beams are not on first (this effectively kills flash to pass from turning on the HID's, but can also be modified to power bixenon + Halogen systems etc.)

THe first that prevents the ballast from being enabled with pass to flash:


This one adds the ability to control a BiX solenoid as well. Locking out the solenoid from being needlessly activated when only the halgoen is flashed.


Note, these show H4 plugs because that's what I originally designed them for. They will still work on 9007 plugs or any other (H1/H7, H7/H7 etc.) All that matters is that you know which wire is the low beam 12V and which is the high beam 12V and hook them up accordingly