looks like I made a mistake

[grandpanystrom61]

I bought this 4.75" LED 12v 55/60w headlamp, HI/LOW beam single H4 bulb. The side of it and style fits up inside the front of the fiberglass body and looks much more custom than the old rectangular K lamp that some one put in it.

So I did realize I needed a hi/low headlamp relay, but finding it is an issue for me it seems, did research and see fowler's wiring diagram and like that idea, so have a wiring plan.

Does the VW electrical system provide for such a LED lamp, trying to figure it out. Really liked how it looked mounted up in the nose of the body. Also still have not found if Red wire is HI and blue is Low and black is ground, did see some HD wiring that red was HI beam.

Any help or tips I would appreciate, really hope I can get this to work.

 

[grandpanystrom61]

My search skills need more work, but getting there. So got wiring figured out.

Have drawn up wiring diagram for headlamp circuit, if I learned things right, than on hi beam it burns 5amp an hour, so all will work soon as I find what I need.

Thank you for your time.

Andy

Okay, a bit more, if math only says it burns 5amps an hour, do I get a 5 to 10amp relay ? or the larger 30amp for the headlamp circuit ? and do I want to keep low beam "on" when hi beam is activated. I just read how that is more illumination, is that how the headlamp works ?

 

[DeathBySnuSnu]

I would use around a 20 amp relay. That way if I ever wanted to go back to halogens I could.

I know with halogens or old style lights you could not run both filaments at the same time in a bulb. It would overheat and go out. It was possible to do with separate high and low headlight assemblies.

I would guess the led's are meant to be either/or. But as they run cooler....maybe?

The led conversions I have had in my hand were an array of small bulbs in a single lens body. They were not either/or....but were all little bulbs on or just some on.

The led projectors I have had in my hand were wide open full on all the time with "low beam" being an internal visor that came down to limit how high up the beam went. Same beam strength just directed different.

 

[grandpanystrom61]

That does make sense, and this lamp gets warm fast when tested, so I think it is HID rather than LED, but there is this uprgrade to change h4 bulbs from HID to LED. Got of ebay and it said it was LED, but when I take off the grill the glass lens is held in place with sealant and the lens prevents me from seeing the bulb itself...… seller has not responded to my question on this yet. I will just be safe and run low beam individually and dimmer switch up to hi beam via relay. I do plan to have other running lights on a separate circuit, just want the basic needed stuff at this point.

Thanks Rex.

 

[vwbug72501]

Here's how you can verify if it is an LED light. Assuming that black wire is ground and red wire is hot (+12v), then you can check the continuity with an Ohm meter. LEDs pass current in one direction only whereas bulbs pass current in both directions.

Step 1: Disconnect the light assembly from ALL power sources.

Step 2: Set your multimeter to the Resistance (Ohms) setting.



Step 3: connect the meter black lead to the lamp black lead. Connect the meter red lead to the lamp red lead. You should get a reading on the meter (actual number not important).

Step 4: Connect the meter red lead to the lamp black lead. Connect the meter black lead to the lamp red lead. You should not get a reading on the meter if you have an LED light assembly.

If Steps 3 & 4 give you a low reading then you have a HID lamp.

Hope this helps.

 

[grandpanystrom61]

Wow, so stuck on ebay wording, my own skills tell me that. Wow my mind is not working lately. Light emitting diode, all the LED stands for...…...very basic electronic knowledge and it was not in my head, yes Black is ground and blue is low beam and Red is hi beam filament of bulb.

Results are in, it is not an LED H4 bulb as claimed, I was taken, but I do have a headlight I did not have before, LOL

 

[grandpanystrom61]

Good day to everyone, well my phone is dead from grandson last night, but I did figure it out. Toggle sw for lights on will turn on relay allowing low beam to be on, the push button switch on the handle grip will give ground to the HI/ Low relay actuating it giving me high beam at my thumb tip. This keeps hands on the handle bars where they should be.

Took time to get all the dust out of the attic and get things working again, but finally it worked and task is done, well now to do the actual work of it all.

Thank you for the help and putting up with me.

 

[grandpanystrom61]

my wiring diagram

I had seen a lot of ways and than some not smart ways, like how I had it before, but getting things corrected.

Now this circuit is/will be done, than running lights next.



hope it is not to small, as I tried the resizing option because I could not crop the image small enough to post it.

It did work, great.

I was not sure about fuses inline with the individual feed to each filament. Any input about this is welcomed.

 

[DeathBySnuSnu]

Very similar to what mine is.

I do not have as much extras on the circuit.

Mine is key "on" to master power relay (with a master fuse) that powers the body side of the fuse box. Then fuse and then headlight relay like yours.

My headlight is always on when key is on (but not in start). No on/off switch just the high low relay with the selector on the negative side of the coil.

 

[grandpanystrom61]

I had thought of that, but my mind could not understand how the light would not be ON when I started the trike, it is a smaller battery, so did not want to pull any extra amps during the start up stage. My mind said do it this way, so when you turn over the ignition from the ON position to start the engine, there is nothing else be supplied by the switch, just starting, and than when released back to ON there is voltage to what ever is hooked up to it ? guess I could play with the igintion switch and meter and see what happens to the current flow. Newborns do take your mind some how, lack of sleep maybe!

 

[Rmitchell55]

Why not tap into the output of your alternator to power the headlight on relay? That way your headlight will be off until the motor is running and is putting out power. Most of the Kawasaki motorcycles are powered that way.

 

[grandpanystrom61]

Never owned a Harley, so not sure about this light, than again it is not made by Harley but some other china company.

That bulb is incased in that aluminum housing, no venting, it gets hot fast, so I just did not see having it on all the time was a smart thing to do, life of the bulb and all, but probably over thought it all.

Now what is the best place for power for this lamp, at start up it could pull 15amps until warmed up, than it should drop down to the 5 amps. Off battery, or off alternator/generator, or of the ignition switch ?

I was looking for the most steady source of amperage, and my mind said battery, plus that supply line of the battery is already in the harness for me.