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Another headlight question...

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Old Dec 24, 2005 | 02:52 AM
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Another headlight question...

So I'm wondering...when you activate the high beams...is there anyway to wire it so that the low beams, high beams, and fogs stay on together? Basically like the flash to pass switch but with fogs included.

I know about the laws governing too much light, but this would be for mainly offroad use and the dark, winding road up to my house.

TIA

Louie
 
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Old Dec 24, 2005 | 07:34 AM
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Be careful doing that, the load on the circuit may well be too much for the switch and burn it up. running a separate circuit with a relay and a separate switch in it would be best to do.
 
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Old Dec 24, 2005 | 11:42 AM
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I think you'd be better using the factory fogs wiring to engage a relay that would drive a good set of aftermarket fog lights.

After all, the factory fogs are not much to brag about. I've done this before. - used the factory fogs wiring to activate a relay for some after market types. POWER for the aftermarket fogs will need to be run directly from the battery, of course.

This works really well and you don't have to add another switch on your dash.

CMOS
 
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Old Dec 25, 2005 | 03:00 AM
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The fogs work well with the highs.

Here's a page that show you how to do it.

I wouldn't wire the lows and highs on at the same time for two reasons: The bulbs will burn out quickly when they cool down after use. There have been reports of the headlight lenses melting with just the highs on by themselves.
 

Last edited by Eric Landstrom; Dec 25, 2005 at 03:09 AM.
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Old Dec 25, 2005 | 12:10 PM
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The high beams, themselves, melting the lens?

Isn't the high beam just a filament that is aimed up? I didn't think that it brought anymore intensity or anything.
 
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Old Dec 26, 2005 | 06:31 PM
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Originally Posted by LACityFD
The high beams, themselves, melting the lens?

Isn't the high beam just a filament that is aimed up? I didn't think that it brought anymore intensity or anything.
That's what I heard from somebody on this site. When I read it I considered they had to be somewhere down south.
 
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Old Dec 27, 2005 | 09:29 PM
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I recently read the "beams pointing up" theory on this site. The high beams are a more powerful bulb. Why would they aim the high beams up on a vehicle that sits so high off the ground? You'd incinerate the corneas of other drivers. And the factory fogs may not be the brightest, but the integration into the front bumper is a nice, clean, no-headache setup.
 
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Old Dec 28, 2005 | 12:46 PM
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The high and low beams are the SAME bulb...just different filaments.
 
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Old Dec 28, 2005 | 01:21 PM
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That's what I meant LA, just didn't specify different wattage outputs for each FILAMENT. But you would figure it would have to burn "brighter" if it's a high beam. Now, as far as melting the lenses, I severly doubt that a stock bulb would do that.

On your original question, it would be prudent to wire a relay in if you want to run that much lighting at the same time. If not, why not just hook up some larger "rally type" lights in a brush bar for really bright illumination?
 
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