Date: Thu, 31 Jul 2008 13:59:38 -0700
Reply-To: David Marshall <mailinglist@FASTFORWARD.CA>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: David Marshall <mailinglist@FASTFORWARD.CA>
Subject: Re: Aux driving lights question..best easy power source..?
In-Reply-To: <001a01c8f346$27c76b60$4001a8c0@gateway.2wire.net>
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If you are going to mount the relay close to the lights, then I would run
a fat wire directly to the positive terminal of the battery.
David Marshall
http://www.hasenwerk.ca
Box 4153,
Quesnel BC, Canada V2J 3J
On Thu, July 31, 2008 12:46, Don
Hanson wrote:
>
> Hi all,
>
> I am
installing some KC Daylighter lights onto my 84 vans front bumper.
> These came from my now retired big Ford. 100 watt bulbs, you see
em
> everywhere on showboat trucks and buggies, the big round ones
with the
> 'smiler face' covers sometimes.
>
>
Anyhow, I used these on my pickup in Baja and on deserted roads and
> they've saved me a few cow and deer encounters so now they are
going onto
> the van.
> So far, I have all the stuff and
the hardware is in place, with the
> lights
> drilled into
the bumpers right under my headlights. I also have a genuine
> VW
auxiliary light switch for the blank position in my dash switch panel.
> Here's my plan..see if it makes sense. I plan to take a small lead
from
> my
> high beams, probably from the fuse panel and
run that to the aux light
> switch. I will use the aux light
switch to control a 30 amp relay to
> power
> the lights,
but the aux. light switch will only get power through the
>
switch
> if the high beams are on. So, if I want the aux lights
on, I have to run
> the high beams..and if I dim the high beams,
the aux light switch will no
> longer power that relay, so the
auxiliary lights will go off also. Just
> in
> case I am
on a mountain road and come round a corner encountering a stray
>
vehicle with my driving lights on, a quick dip of the high beams will
kill
> em. (as is mandated by law, too, I think, though the KC
lights aren't
> highway legal anyhow.)
>
> So
the question is, where is a good place to get some power for the
>
power
> side of the light relay I plan to install as close to the
lights as
> possible. Shorter is better, right? But I don't want
to chance
> overloading
> a critical circuit so what would
be good? I could come forward from my
> coach battery (under the
driver seat) or maybe from the fan power supply.
> Not the
headlights..as I'd hate blowing a fuse and being lightless at
>
speed..
> any suggestions, any 'gotchas' with my plan?
>
Thanks,
> Don Hanson
>
> I don't care if it
doesn't look 'factory'. I can live with extra
> visible
>
wires. Easy of install overrides beauty, but durability and function
> trumps
> all.
>
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