wiring auxiliary lights

[sstein]

So I put on a pair of el-cheapo $29 local auto-part store halogen fog lamps. Ugly but affordable. I wired them according to the included directions, basically like this:

battery pos terminal ---(fused line)---> grounded rocker switch -------> lights ------> ground.

So with the bike totally OFF, I can still turn on the fog lamps (and eventually leave them on accidentally, I'm sure).

So my question: Is there an easily accessible live connection point that I can draw from that will be "keyed" to avoid a constant draw from the battery and the risk of leaving the lights on?

Bike is an '02r.

Hope this makes sense.

Steven

[pebmr]

I used the headlight low beam to take power to my Hella 50 lights.

[sstein]

Where was the connection point to the lights?

[pebmr]

Steven:

I took power from the single parking light bulb in the headlight assembly. I ran the wire from the new lights through the hole in the back of the headlight and then spliced it in. It was 4 years ago-see the post below where I asked for help. TicTac50 was a big help to me-I had to try a couple times before I got it (circuits are not my favorite...).

"Re: Hella FF50 Wiring Options?
by pebmr » Sun Mar 29, 2009 5:13 pm

Well, I finally got the Hellas wired up today and they actually work (thanks to TicTac50's help with wiring 101). I took power from the battery to the relay, hooked relay into parking light, and then switched it. The lights are on with both the high and low beam unless switched off. Haven't had a chance to try them in the dark yet, and it'll probably be a couple weeks here in MN until it warms up enough to ride at dawn or dusk.

Thanks for all of your replies with assistance and ideas. "

[Rider Rick]

Hey Stein, for my bike I added a set of ADVMonster.com led lights that are so bright (1500-2000 lumens) little animals burst into flame on the side of the road, lol. Seriously, they aren't that expensive and are hellaciously helpful at night once you get them directed. You can get driving or flood versions, too.

Also, you should (if you aren't already) consider the relay hookup mentioned, relays are available everywhere, energize it with an ignition-on source, then a direct power source via a fuzeblock or in your case a direct feed to the batt. The leds I have have a wireless fob that lets you control the brightness, too, handy for nighttime riding if you are in traffic versus on a dark road, etc.

[sstein]

So I know next to nothing about electrical wiring.
Would someone be able to give some more specifics about how to wire the relay to the headlight? The lights are now powered via a fused wire directly from the battery + terminal. How does the relay fit in? My understanding is that a relay uses a lower amp current to activate a device that basically closes the circuit from the battery to the lights? So do I have to somehow splice the relay into that circuit.
I apologize for my elementary questions.
Gotta start somewhere.
I did search the forum and did not really find the remedial level of answers I need.

Thanks

[Rider Rick]

Hey, you are on the right track, Stein. A relay usually has three or four connectors, so you have a power and ground, a signal wire, and the wire to the device needing power. In my case I did it a little differently than having a wire running from the headlight circuit (you could use any wire that shows ignition-on power if you want that kind of signal) to the relay.

I have a fuseblock that has a relay on it, and is tied to the ignition circuit. This fuseblock will allow six circuits to be setup with different fuse options. The LED lights run run power and ground to this fuseblock. When the ignition comes on, this signals the relay and it energizes the fuseblock. It is not as complicated as it sounds. The relays are well-marked on what goes where. My relay is a 30 AMP relay. I did it this way because I don't want to bother the original wiring harness very much, and I tend to not want a lot of ignition-off power going on. I do have some jumper cables directly attached to the battery, but you'd want to run your motor for that kind of business.

This fuse block (various models out there) really simplifies your accessory options. I run my LEDs, my GPS, and my BAGS Connection tank bag power to it, which charges my phone or whatever I need to power in it if need be. It takes a few hours to figure out your routing and find your power wires and put in solid connectors, but worth it. I now have SAE plugs for all my accessories and it is easy to remove them when needed. Just remember how SAE plugs reverse polarity depending on what you are plugging in. Hope this helps.

If you want to see some pics I could find some.

[sstein]

That is extremely helpful. I did some more reading on this as well. So a relay is like a switch that uses a keyed, fused, low-amp current to close a higher current circuit. And your higher current circuit powers an additional fuse block. I think I kind of get it!
I also found some info about how to splice into another wire with a scotch-lock gizmo. Looks easy enough.

And now to get real basic... (I have no shame)....
What is the preferred method to identify the wire you wee looking for - say, the low beam wire - to splice into?
Thanks a lot. Seems basic but these beginner's questions don't have their own forum.

[Rider Rick]

You know, there are probably guys on here who have full schematics. You could start by tracing back from the point of origin, etc. In this case, you could trace back your headlight wires, or you could use a 12v tester (mine has this little pocket and you put the wire in there then push the sharp probe into the insulation to find wire)and hunt for some wires that only have juice when the ignition is on. I have my LEDS wired to go to 100% when the high beam is on so I had to hunt down that wire and tie into the relay for the leds, which came with the kit.

That is why I did the fuseblock, lol. I just had to find one wire for any future gadgets.

I don't like using taps into lots of wires, simply because I have caused problems before, and my bike is naked, and there a million ways rainwater can get in there, and I tend to find rain on my trips . I prefer to cut the wire and weave the old and new together, then solder them together, then put on the Liquid Tape. When it dries it will not come unwrapped like black tape. That said, I have tape on several wires, lol, hunting them down one at a time and fixing, though.

[sweatmark]

That is extremely helpful. I did some more reading on this as well. So a relay is like a switch that uses a keyed, fused, low-amp current to close a higher current circuit. And your higher current circuit powers an additional fuse block. I think I kind of get it!
I also found some info about how to splice into another wire with a scotch-lock gizmo. Looks easy enough.

And now to get real basic... (I have no shame)....
What is the preferred method to identify the wire you wee looking for - say, the low beam wire - to splice into?
Thanks a lot. Seems basic but these beginner's questions don't have their own forum.

You can find info here via search:
viewtopic.php?f=2&t=14295
viewtopic.php?f=2&t=18442

And googling the general purpose setup:
http://www.google.com/search?q=driving+lights+relay

A simple solution to the "ignition on" relay trigger wire is either the tail lamp, license plate lamp, or headlight "parking" lamp (denoted as "side light" in schematics)... Each of these is switched directly or indirectly via the ignition key switch, thus providing the battery safeguard should you leave the driving lights on.

My suggestion is to use the tail lamp wire, tapping into it near the tail/brake lamp socket. The tail lamp wire is gray/black (assuming same color code as Rockster) and supplied through Fuse 2. You can tap using the 3M ScotchLok, an infinitely superior Posi-Tap (http://www.webbikeworld.com/sale/posi-l ... r-sale.htm), or get tricky with a male/ female terminal combo wired into the bulb circuit.

[riceburner]

Another alternative source, especially when using a relay, is one of the instrument light circuits.

[sstein]

I have purchased the relay, some primary wire 14 gauge, some disconnects and will try to hook everything up. Will keep posted. Thanks for all the information for the beginners.

[sstein]

Success! Thank you all for your help and advice. I got power from the wire to the rear parking light and ran it up to the relay which I secured in the empty ABS well in front of the battery, hooked up the lights and tested them out. Splicing, crimping, relaying - all first time for me.
Thanks for all your excellent guidance.

[Rider Rick]

You're a goner, now Stein

Farkle mania...a doodad here...a voltage gauge there...you could even go insane and start moving canisters or hacking your rear fender up, lol...I went crazy and put leds on the front of my handguards that alternate flashes with the turn signals...

And don't EVEN mention the Pirate's Lair ...I've spent so much money there on strobes and running lights and such they named a page after me, lol

And then there's the down side...took my bike out this evening with a friend and we went for an 80 mile spin, and on the way back at dusk I kept thinking my left driving light was getting closer to the front of the bike, what the...

I think I need new mounts for my advmonster LEDS, dangit, I've squished those things as tightly as they will go and still they vibrate down...oh well, lol.

[sstein]

It's a real disease I tell ya'...

[sstein]

For those of you who have used a relay to wire your accessories: Does it really matter if your switch (eg toggle or rocker) is on the load side vs the relay side? I had a rocker switch on the load side so I could turn off the fog lights if necessary, and a friend with some know-how mentioned that it would be better to have the switch on the relay side. Any difference?

[sweatmark]

For those of you who have used a relay to wire your accessories: Does it really matter if your switch (eg toggle or rocker) is on the load side vs the relay side? I had a rocker switch on the load side so I could turn off the fog lights if necessary, and a friend with some know-how mentioned that it would be better to have the switch on the relay side. Any difference?

If by "relay side" you mean the relay's coil circuit (typically 85 and 86), then it depends on what you want that relay to do.

If you want the relay to control power supply to single device - like driving lights load - then install switch on the relay coil circuit.

If instead you want the relay to switch accessory power on & off as function of key/ignition switch position (as you mention at beginning of this thread), then power the relay coil with a bike circuit associated with the bike's key position, and install your accessory switch on the relay's load side. Make sure the switch is rated for the power required for accessory. The result will be a power source that turns off with key switch (preventing inadvertent battery draining) and an accessory that can be switched on & off as you desire.

[Ol' Jeffers]

@ sstein Ideally you want to switch the relay. If you choose to switch the circuit at the high current side of
the relay it will of course mean that the relay is activated all of the time that the ignition is on,
which rather defeats the object of having the relay in the circuit! Also it will impact your choice of switch.

[sstein]

Thanks for replies. After thinking some more about it, I guess it makes more sense for me to add the switch to the load side. I may end up setting up a fuse block for additional accessories - similar to in the above thread - and would like to have the option to have other accessories running but turn off the lights only.

[Grandpa ripper]

The idea of the relay is to have the full juice from the battery go as directly to the lights or horn as possible. Running light power up through the switch and splices, then back down to the lights draws away critical juice. A quarter volt drops your illumination significantly.
Solder and wrap your splices. Connections get wet and vibrate apart and it is really hard to track down problems later. Clean and tidy is good!
Use the lights during the day to be seen too! The bigger your triangle of light is, the easier opposing traffic can judge your approach speed. It's a brain thing. Most deaths on motorcycles are from cars turning left in front of you because they "Didn't see him at all!". Once I put a set of bright Piaas on my fork legs, people became 'polite'. It has been amazing.

Best of luck!