Wiring Spotlights to main beam

Forum: 

I have finally connected up my Spotlights on my Sportrak today and have a confusing problem.

They are wired up via a relay so the come on when you put main beam on. They do this fine, put main beam on, and they come on. Flash my lights and they flash. However when switch to sidelights they come on! Puzzled I have tried the other 2 wires at the back of the headlight and they don't operate the spots at all. Is there anywhere further up the wiring loom or around that area where I can connect them as I tend to use the sidelights on the way home usually from work.

It's called Neutral switching

It's called Neutral switching..

Try the connector at the bottom of the steering column, the one leading off to the column stalks. Or disconnect the pilot lamps in the main headlamp assy. You'll still have the sidelamps on the bumpers.

Dave with a Sporty

Dave with a Sporty

Sidelamps on Bumpers

You mean the ones next to the front indicators? But ive not seen them work, and ive checked the bulbs when I had to change an indicator bulb and they are fine. Never seem them work on any other Sportrak ive seen either. Then again it's not as if any of us see many Sportraks at night Smiling

There not any other way without trailing a wire from the front to under the dash? Tho obviously if its needed for it to work best then i'll do it.

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N-Reg Daihatsu Sportrak Midnight. A-Bar, K&N, 100Watt Spots, Custom S/Steel Wheel Cover, more to follow!

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I'm starting to suspect somet

I'm starting to suspect something here....
The sidelamps on the bumpers should come on at the switch, and then the pilot lamps in the main h/lamp unit should come on when the ignition is on. So start by checking a few fuses, and see if the wiring has been 'got at' in a previous life. But I'd not spend to much time on it, the only MOT req. is for the pilot lamps to work..Bumper seperates went out ages ago.
Yes, you'll have to trail a wire from the loom to wherever you've put the relay, but as it's only a trigger it need not be heavy duty stuff.

Dave with a Sporty

Dave with a Sporty

Lights

Nah the lights definately don't come on at any time. I don't remember seeing any of the wires got at as most of it is still in the plastic tubing so u can't even see it. I will check more fuses tomorrow as its hard to check them all as the fuse boxes are hard to keep track of as they are 3 or 4 different places.

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N-Reg Daihatsu Sportrak Midnight. A-Bar, K&N, 100Watt Spots, Custom S/Steel Wheel Cover, more to follow!

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Lights

God I love this site and I only found it an hour ago!
I have exactly the same problem with my spot lights, except that the pilot lights work as well as the sidelights in the bumpers (well one anyway, I think the bulbs gone in the other but I've rounded the screw head!!)
Having read all the reply's to the original question I can't see any actual answer to the problem, but how does the law stand with regard to the MOT and the spot lights coming on with the side lights?

spots

got my relay fed direct from wire behind bulb, i got same problem of them coming on when i turn lights on side light but if i switch straight to dip beam then back they stay off ... wierd eh?

i dont want to get old ..... just yet

Thats what mine do

Mine do the same when wired up like that. I am probably going to try connecting the relay to the wire which turns on the blue main beam indicator on the dash if I can trace where the wire goes and hook it up slightly further down the line. Thats assuming that its voltage would be enough to switch the relay.
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N-Reg Daihatsu Sportrak Midnight. A-Bar, K&N, 100Watt Spots, Custom S/Steel Wheel Cover, more to follow!

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Problem Explained

I had exactly this problem on the Timberline, what happens is that the circuits are designed so that when the sidelights are on, the mainbeam of the headlight is given a tiny current to make them glow dimly, this obviously has the knock on effect because even a small current will flip the relay and slap the spots on.

To be honest I couldn't be arsed to sort it, but from memory...I had a conversation with my uncle (ex-mechanic) and he explained that there's a 'little box' somewhere (maybe a dim-dip unit?) which performs this action, as I say I couldn't be arsed to sort it, another quick fix is putting a simple switch on your dash for the spots (not ideal) but works. If anyone is interested I'll find out more, but at least you'll have a better idea why now!

Thompatruck

dim -dip unit

This unit is situated on the right hand side of the bulkhead..in a 4trak at least...it looks like a little aluminum grill..it is used to regulate the voltage to the headlights (making them glow) when sidelights are switched on (its basically a resistor)

That gives me an idea

Yeah its in the same place on the Sportrak I think. But saying about a resistor that gives me an idea. What about putting an inline resistor or something to reduce the voltage going to the relay so it won't switch with the tiny bit sent through when the sidelights are on. Though have to admit I am not sure how much voltage it takes to switch the relay so might not be possible to do it that way.

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N-Reg Daihatsu Sportrak Midnight. A-Bar, K&N, 100Watt Spots, Custom S/Steel Wheel Cover, more to follow!

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Resistors Hmmmm?

Nice thought, had the same idea, but I decided it wouldn't work because if you limit the flow on the 'sidelight option' it'll do exactly the same on the main beam!!

What about splicing into the wiring just before the dim-dip box before the neutral switching is done??

What do you reckon?

Thompatruck

spots

heres a thought just to change the way this is going! yes the high beam comes on at half brightness when ign on and side lights on!its called day running lights!meant for some european countries but never has it been a legal requirement in the uk!!so you could always by-pass the dim dip relay!!!!so you have conventional hi/low beam....

just a thought!!!!

You've all got the right idea

You've all got the right idea. The answer has a bit less finess though. If you turn on your side light's with the ignition off, no dim dip. Answer: go to the dim dip control box (as described by others), use a voltage meter to find the wire which tells the unit when the ignition is on (I.E 12v when ignitiopn is on, nothing when ignition is off) and CUT IT. Problem solved. The unit thinks the ignition is off, and dosent activat the dim dip. As you car has side lights, there is no legal requirment for dim dip (it's one or the other). I've don'e this to a Sporty, and an F78.

Any veiws expresed in this thread by me are purely from my own experience, and (sometimes) falible memory. Hope my comments help, but please don't take them as gospel.

Finess

Your solution is a good simple one. However I am a picky guy and want the lights to work exactly like they always have, with all the ones that come to to still come on. However I still want the spots to come on then i use main beam or flash.
My idea is to find the wire in the dim dip control box which lights up the blue main beam light on the dash. Which would also be simple to find all be it a couple of minutes longer than finding the wire you are on about. However I don't yet own a multimeter. Once I get one I will see if my theory works. Yours is a quicker and simpler method but I am a picky bastard. Smile

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N-Reg Daihatsu Sportrak Midnight. A-Bar, K&N, 100Watt Spots, Custom S/Steel Wheel Cover, S/Steel Sillbars, more to follow!

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I dont have any problems on m

I dont have any problems on my trak with spots, they only come on with main beam or flash and I still get my bumper lights but not the dim dip headlights.