Question on relay with Xenondepot HIDs

[LV4R]

I am curious if anyone with a Xenondepot HID kit knows how the relay is used when installing the kit. I am specifically wanting to know how to wire my HIDs straight from the battery so that they turn on with normal use of the headlight switch. I am not too keen on the current setup that uses the existing headlamp wiring.

Thanks in advance for any help!

 

[blindside]

I don't actually have a Xenon Depot Kit, but i might be able to help out a little bit... based on how i wired my relay, the black one is always ground, the red wire goes to the positive on the battery and the other wire connects to your existing plug (don't know if that made sense) I'm not too sure if there is a way to make it work by not using your existing headlight wiring

Here's a link that might be useful to you, you might have seen this but i'll give it a try....

http://www.toyota-4runner.org/showthread.php?threadid=16283&highlight=Xenon+Depot+HID

 

[Uneek]

I am curious if anyone with a Xenondepot HID kit knows how the relay is used when installing the kit. I am specifically wanting to know how to wire my HIDs straight from the battery so that they turn on with normal use of the headlight switch. I am not too keen on the current setup that uses the existing headlamp wiring.

Thanks in advance for any help!

How a relay works. This diagram shows the connections for a relay.

There are at least two "versions" of the Xenon Depot (XD) harness that I know of. The relay in XD kit acts like a switch which is triggered by the OEM factory headlight socket and power is drawn through the positive and negative hookup through the wire harness preventing overloading of the factory headlight wires.

The first one has one relay, fuse and one OEM headlight harness plug that goes to the factory headlight socket used to trigger the relay to power up the HIDs. The harness consist of two plugs to the HID ballasts, a plug to the OEM headlight socket, a lead for positive and negative hookup, one fuse and relay.

The second harness is essentially a seperate harness for each headlight. XD provides two harnesses, one per side. The harness consists of a fuse, relay, positive and negative hookup, OEM headlight socket plug and plug to HID ballast.

Depending on which version is shipping, XD wiring harness(es) has the HID ballast(s) drawing power from the battery or where ever the postive and negative hookup are attached to. The OEM headlight plug is the trigger for the relay, so the factory headlight socket is activating the relay which is powering HID(s) through the positive and negative hookup.

I got the first version harness with my XD kit for my other car in January 2006. The second version harness I got in October 2006. I'm not exactly sure when XD made the switch between versions. The harness in 4RunnerRon write-up linked above is the first one.

Personally, I prefer the second version of the harness, there are two relays and fuses so each headlight are wired independently and both OEM factory headlight sockets are used--you don't have to tape one side up. The downside is of the second version is both harness are equal length, so for the driver side headlight there's a nice bundle of wires to be tucked away. The first version has the two plugs to the ballasts of unequal length.

You can try emailing XD and see if they can tell you which "version" harness they're shipping.

 

[LV4R]

Thanks for the help guys! I actually was able to answer my own question by doing a google search. I then read through the thread you gave me Uneek and it led me to the same place.

If anyone wants to add a relay to their HIDs so they are not drawing power from the headlight harness then just follow the following diagram:

http://faqlight.carpassion.info/hid-harness-single-filament-bi-xenon.gif

Did this tonight and it worked like a charm. I am relieved that the ballasts are no longer drawing power from the headlight harness as it was really bothering me.

Now all I need to do is figure out how to tie a time delay switch to my ignition so that I can leave the headlights on and not worry about starting the car!

 

[blindside]

Originally posted by LV4R Now all I need to do is figure out how to tie a time delay switch to my ignition so that I can leave the headlights on and not worry about starting the car! [/B]

Sorry this may sound dumb, but are you saying that your headlights will not shut off automatically when you left it on? I asked this because mine shuts off automatically still and i just did the basic installation

 

[LV4R]

Sorry this may sound dumb, but are you saying that your headlights will not shut off automatically when you left it on? I asked this because mine shuts off automatically still and i just did the basic installation

No mine shut off automatically but I want there to be a delay from when I start the car to when the HIDs turn on if I leave the headlights on and come back and start the car. The power draw from when the car starts takes away from power going to the ballasts from what I have heard so I want the car to start and then have the HIDs ignite 2 or 3 seconds after. Hopefully this makes sense.

 

[blindside]

No mine shut off automatically but I want there to be a delay from when I start the car to when the HIDs turn on if I leave the headlights on and come back and start the car. The power draw from when the car starts takes away from power going to the ballasts from what I have heard so I want the car to start and then have the HIDs ignite 2 or 3 seconds after. Hopefully this makes sense.

Ohhhh.. that made sense now.. :biggrin2: