driving lights, 3 way switch

[turquoise]

Hi guys,

I know the whole driving lights/wiring diags are a pretty frequent question on the forums so I've done a fair bit of searching here and elsewhere but still have a question.

I intend to use the wiring diag below;



Question is, I want to use a 3 way switch (on/off/on). It has 3 pins on the back (as you'd expect), Acc1, Power, Acc2. Do i wire it in as the pic says?

Will the switch as shown in the diag give me:
left - lights always on (Acc1)
middle - completely off (Power)
right - on with highbeams (Acc2)


Cheers, heres to my first autoelectrical venture!

[FTe342]

No it won't. For the driving lights to come on, the relay needs power from a source to activate it.
In the diagram, the only source is the purple wire from high beam. The switch is between the source and the relay so you can choose to have the source active or not (on or off). The switch has 3 pins - power in from high beam(purple) - power out to relay (brown) - and earth (yellow).

You need another switch with a separate power souce going to the relay to activate the lights without high beam on (which you shouldn't do anyway - its illegal in NSW)

[turquoise]

Ok so the next diag is a little more crude but will this setup work?



Switch left - lights always on (Acc1)
Switch middle - completely off (Power)
Switch right - lights turn on when highbeams activated (Acc2)

And the highbeam positive wire acts as the trigger to come on when highbeams on?

Also, this should satisfy any legalities since it's possible to have them always off right?

[bodes-sh]

that second diagram looks better than the first one. just a side note, with those toggle switches the outputs are on the opposite side to the way the lever is facing, ie with the switch facing the way it is in that picture, the lights will come on when your high beam comes on.

just something to keep in mind when wiring the switch up. any reason you want to be able to turn them on without the high beams on?

[AMB]

The relays in both those diagrams are Double Throw, but the double throw is not being used properly. When the relay is not energised, 87a is connected to 30, when relay is energised, 87 is connected to 30 (and 87a is switched off).
The diagrams show 87 and 87a connected to left and right light, so you know what will happen.
What you want is the high beams activating relay through the toggle switch (so high beams+driving lights). Toggle switch other way, now the toggle switch directly supplies power to the relay (driving lights only). This way you only need a single throw relay. Middle position on toggle switch, no power to driving lights.


Just did a quick seach, read this:
http://www.teamrocs.com/technical/pa...lay_basics.htm

[FGII-XR6]

the first one is almost correct except you headlights will switch positive not earth / negative so if your purple wire goes to high beam and the yellow goes to a fused positive it will work fine remove the yellow loop and connect the other side of the coil (85) to earth bear inmind this configuration is illegal as the driving lights are not allowed to be turned on on their own , it a defectable offence

[FGII-XR6]

Originally Posted by AMB

The relays in both those diagrams are Double Throw, but the double throw is not being used properly. When the relay is not energised, 87a is connected to 30, when relay is energised, 87 is connected to 30 (and 87a is switched off).
The diagrams show 87 and 87a connected to left and right light, so you know what will happen.
What you want is the high beams activating relay through the toggle switch (so high beams+driving lights). Toggle switch other way, now the toggle switch directly supplies power to the relay (driving lights only). This way you only need a single throw relay. Middle position on toggle switch, no power to driving lights.


Just did a quick seach, read this:
http://www.teamrocs.com/technical/pa...lay_basics.htm

it is not a SPDT relay it is a SPST relay they put 2 terminals there to be used as it is in the diagram , you run 1 wire to each light and have 2 terminals to connect them, the terminals are internally connected

[AMB]

Originally Posted by au3xr6

it is not a SPDT relay it is a SPST relay they put 2 terminals there to be used as it is in the diagram , you run 1 wire to each light and have 2 terminals to connect them, the terminals are internally connected

Thanks au3xr6, thought he must have left the "a" off one of the 87. So if it is a single throw, then my second paragraph is the same as what you said in your previous post. I see cars with driving lights on by themselves all the time, that's in Vic, don't know if its illegal here or not.
Ok, so his second diagram is right!

[FGII-XR6]

Originally Posted by AMB

Thanks au3xr6, thought he must have left the "a" off one of the 87. So if it is a single throw, then my second paragraph is the same as what you said in your previous post. I see cars with driving lights on by themselves all the time, that's in Vic, don't know if its illegal here or not.
Ok, so his second diagram is right!

it is illegal under ADRs so thats Australia wide. Just because prople are doing it doesn't make it legal. Mostly you are seeing lights wired as fog lights they are able to be turned on when parkers are on but with a switch to turn them off. fog lights are only allowed to be switched on during adverse weather.
If you have a prang and the other guy complains he didn't see because your illegal lights dazzeled him you are in the wrong with no insurance cover because your illegal modification caused the crash

[T3man]

If it's for your AU then diagram one will not work as that is not the way the headlights are wired.

It would work for most Japanese cars and also early model Holdens.

Your second diagram is achieveing the result you are looking for (in a roundabout way) but the result is illegal in every State so I don't know why you're bothering.

If I ever came across you on the road with your driving lights on and no other lights I would go out of my way to make life hard for you - just one of my pet hates. Like people driving behind me with high beams on. Which is why I carry a hammer in the boot at all times.

[b2tf]

Originally Posted by T3man

Which is why I carry a hammer in the boot at all times.

I was wondering wtf that was flying at me the other night.

[turquoise]

Hammer, ouch! Haha, will have to remember that one!

I want an independent ON as they'll be used offroad (farm) as occasional work lights. I also want a circuit that works this way as i want use an identical one for a rear work lamp, so it can be used as a worklamp when needed and a supplementary reverse lamp when backing into sheds, etc.

So to make it legal could I just not wire in the Acc1 in my second diag?

[AMB]

Originally Posted by turquoise

.....
So to make it legal could I just not wire in the Acc1 in my second diag?

Its not how its wired but how you use them that makes it illegal. You can wire it anyway you like for farm use, as long as you don't use them illegally on road.

[T3man]

Yes basically that's right - unless and untill you turn them on illegally there's no problem how they are actually wired.

[AMB]

Originally Posted by T3man

Yes basically that's right - unless and untill you turn them on illegally there's no problem how they are actually wired.

Which makes me think, for turquoise's needs, all he really needs is a simple independent on/off switch, turn the bloody things on when you want and be done with it.

[FGII-XR6]

read the ADRs, it is illegal to wire it that way they can't be wired to come on independantly of your high beam or parkers depending if it's driving lights or fog lights. they don't leave it up to you how you use it they legislate it to stop you using it illegaly

Originally Posted by AMB

Its not how its wired but how you use them that makes it illegal. You can wire it anyway you like for farm use, as long as you don't use them illegally on road.

[AMB]

I know what your saying au3xr6, and of course you are correct.
Same argument, it is illegal to drive with bald tyres, but is it illegal to have the car sitting in the drive way with bald tyres -yes, but only if you drive it. lol.

[falconboy]

Sorry for bumping such an old thread, but I was looking for a 3 way wiring to do the same thing. What did we end up agreeing on? LOL. Was it the second, edited 'green' diagram?

There was talk it wouldn't work on an AU as well....I want to do it for a BF wagon

[MAD]

I did something like this on my old XF. They were factory fitted fog lights, but when I got the car one was missing so I replaced them with driving lights.
I don't think there was anything special about the wiring.

I added the high beam tap so they always came on with high beam, but the factory switch also turned them on with parkers.

I thought of adding the 'off' option but asked myself "What situation wouldn't I want them on with my high beams?" I couldn't think of one so I left it.

[AMB]

Originally Posted by falconboy

Sorry for bumping such an old thread, but I was looking for a 3 way wiring to do the same thing. What did we end up agreeing on? LOL. Was it the second, edited 'green' diagram?

There was talk it wouldn't work on an AU as well....I want to do it for a BF wagon

Was it that long ago....
The 3rd one in au3xr6's post #6 was correct. The yellow wire has been removed, and 85 now goes to earth. The relay is being powered through the 2-way switch, either by 12 volts from the headlight circuit, or alternatively directly from the battery (illegal for driving lights).
Edit: yep same thing as the edited green diagram.