Hella 500 wired into High Beam Switch HELP!

[dthaxton]

So I installed Hella 500's on the grill guard and currently have them wired to a separate switch that is not active until the parking lights are on. This is great and all but I would like to have it wired from the High beam switch to another switch and then to the lights. So, This would allow me to turn on the hellas as long as the high beams were on and the switch was on.

I need some help figureing out how to tap into the high beam wire to control the Hellas.

 

[cordrayj1]

why not just have them turn on ONLY when you have your highbeams on? thats how i have had mine for the past 4 years. works like a CHARM. i just piggy backed in the fuse box under the hood where high beam fuse is to trigger.

 

[bikerjosh]

why not just have them turn on ONLY when you have your highbeams on? thats how i have had mine for the past 4 years. works like a CHARM. i just piggy backed in the fuse box under the hood where high beam fuse is to trigger.

I could have sworn that when I installed Hella 500's on my now gone element, one of the provided instructions covered tapping into the high beam wire near the headlight bulb for this very effect.
Josh

 

[dthaxton]

I could have sworn that when I installed Hella 500's on my now gone element, one of the provided instructions covered tapping into the high beam wire near the headlight bulb for this very effect.
Josh

I don't know how Honda elements are but the 3rd gen 4Runners have a single bulb for high and low beams so simply tapping into the high beam wire is not an option.

 

[TheDurk]

I don't know how Honda elements are but the 3rd gen 4Runners have a single bulb for high and low beams so simply tapping into the high beam wire is not an option.

Yes, it is, but you have to realize the non-DRL 4Runners have a switched GROUND on the headlights and a constant common 12V+. I assume you do not have DRL's as those started in 2000 in the US. See the wiring diagram here.

So you need to wire one side of the coil of your relay from a 12V+ source, that can be always on (straight from the battery) or from an ignition on source or from the parking lights. The first will come on anytime, the second only when the car is running, and the third only when the other lights are on. Then you need to tap the switched ground to the high beam at the bulb, (red and yellow in 2002 and '99, but not sure about your year) and connect to the other side of relay coil. Wire your switch in the middle of either leg of this circuit, but I prefer to do it on the 12V+ side.

I have my fogs wired from the parking 12v+ and the low beams ground to comply with NJ law when I got to inspection, and I switch to a second tap to full-time ground, to allow use of the fogs whenever the lights are on when inspection is not on the schedule.

 

[dthaxton]

Fuse Tap for the Solution!!

why not just have them turn on ONLY when you have your highbeams on? thats how i have had mine for the past 4 years. works like a CHARM. i just piggy backed in the fuse box under the hood where high beam fuse is to trigger.

So here are some pictures that cordray has shown me to better explain his fuse tap.

I am going to run this fuse tapped wire from the fuse box to a switch and then to a relay then to my hellas. Thanks for the ideas.

 

[brian2sun]

I don't know how Honda elements are but the 3rd gen 4Runners have a single bulb for high and low beams so simply tapping into the high beam wire is not an option.

Mine must be a miracle then!

 

[TheDurk]

So here are some pictures that cordray has shown me to better explain his fuse tap.

I am going to run this fuse tapped wire from the fuse box to a switch and then to a relay then to my hellas. Thanks for the ideas.

heh..not gonna work (for a '98). His is a 2000 WITH DRL's. He has four separate fuses for hi and lo on each side. You will only find two fuses, one for right and one for left and NOT split between high and low. Unless you are not a US '98 4Runner. So after you scratch your head thinking about where to tap, go back and read what I wrote.

The best you can do doing it that way is to have them come on when either high or low are in use.

 

[benjamin247]

Trying to find out how to wire my Hella 500 so that they turn on with my high beams (1999 SR5). From a previous comment, I read that the high beam wire is red/yellow and is -12v. The wiring diagram I have for the Hella 500 shows that I need to tap into the high beam and in the diagram, the high beam is +12v. Please see attached picture I took of the manual. Based on the wire numbering from the manual, I have a few questions:

- Do I connect the ground wire (wire #85) to the red/yellow high beam wire?
- Do I connect #86 to the positive terminal of the battery?
- Do I keep #30 wire connected to the positive terminal of the battery?
- Do I keep the wires coming from the Hella 500 lights (#87 and #31) connected the same?