utv headlight wiring harness

Gentlemen, I know this is the right place to ask this question, and I hope a similar situation hasn't been asked before: I need to make a wiring harness for some aftermarket headlights. These lights will be taking the place of the OEM equipment. My main drawback has been that the installation required splicing into the OEM harness or completely bypassing it. I have found the "female" connector for the OEM male termination (it was a Metri Pack 150 4way plug in which only 3 positions were utilized). There is a high beam, low beam, and ground wire on each headlight. The new lights will be 4 separate 10W leds per side - two flood lights (which I want to be the "low beams") and two spots (which I want to come on with the "high beam" signal) Now that the background info is out of the way, the issue I am having is that the low beam wire is not powered when the switch is put into high beam mode. Making a direct connection will leave me with either the two flood lights per side on (low beam) or the two spots per side (high beam). My goal is to have all four lights per side be active when in high beam. I feel I could accomplish this by placing a rectifier diode on both hot leads and jumping the high beam wire into the low beam circuit, however the rest of the OEM harness is not of a sufficient gauge to support the current draw of all four lights - or is at best right on the line of melting down. I am thinking I should make a relay harness similar to an HID kit that is triggered off of the OEM signal. Where I need assistance is how to wire the relays together to achieve my goal. Once again what I need is a relay diagram (and an explanation of why it works would be awesome!) of how to rig up two circuits such that the first circuit powers some lights (I understand how to do this), and then the second circuit powers both the first circuits lights and a second set of lights. I appreciate any information the members can provide. Thanks, Cody

I commend you on your desire NOT to hack the original wiring. IMO "interfacing" is better - ie, using mating connectors as you have done and adding whatever wiring etc is needed. Apart from not hacking the OEM setup, it makes for easy removal should that ever be desired. [ I drive 1960's vehicles. Though some of the original interfacing was tedious, that has been paid back multifold with subsequent "plug & play" transfers! And other collectors are happy to get my vehicles in OEM condition - not that I've ever sold any. ] In fact IMO any conversion of headlights to relays should be done by controlling the relays from the OEM headlight connector. However converting to a dedicated low beam has an additional hi-beam flasher consideration, but I'll cover that below. Now, what you want sounds like the mod I did to my 4 headlight vehicles. They were originally the classic Japanese hi/low outers and high inners. I decided I wanted dedicated low beam outers (whether they were hi/low shells or dedicated single filament low beam shells). The solution is simple. Instead of powering the low beams thru the dip switch, move the low beam signal or power to the beam power - ie, the beam switch position that sends power to the hi/low dip switch. (Do you see the "logic"?) The hi/low switch essentially becomes an on/off switch for the high beams. And the lows are always on if the "beam" switch is on. When I say "power" above, I mean whatever signal is used. I have always fitted relays for my headlights, hence removing high currents from the switches (and having brighter headlights - being of the non-HID variety). But even without relays, the wiring swap should not be an issue since the beam switch has to carry whatever current is required for the beams, or their relays if fitted as OEM. And FYI - any beam switch signalling polarity difference can be handled by the relays - eg, maybe ground switching switches +12V to the beams, and sometimes (though AFAIK not common), +12V switches might turn on relays that connect GND to the filaments. Now for the catch... The high-beam flasher (or pass/overtaking and police warning) will only flash the high beams. That may be undesirable or even illegal. That too is an easy fix. Run a diode from the high beam signal or power to the low beam (line end towards the low). Assuming relays and +12V switching, run the diode from the +12V signal input of the high beam relay (86) to the input (86) of the low beam relay. I suggest also fitting a diode in the low beam signal to the low beam relay to ensure that hibeam +12V does not backfeed into the "beam" circuitry. Usually that isn't necessary, but just in case. The diodes to the relay coil(s) can be any of the 1N400x series (I suggest 1N4004 else 1N4007 if you get some as they can be used for spike-quenching of relay coils plus a host of other automotive wiring applications. Hence get a pack of 10 etc.) The 1N400x handles 1A of current which is sufficient for typical automotive relays. (They are usually 250mA at most, so a 1N4004 etc can handle up to 4 relays.) Alternatively the hibeam +12V can come from the hibeam relay's +12V output if that's easier. (One could get into a failure-mode discussion regarding this... 86 to 86 is better if the hibeam relay fails, but relays are so reliable... Since I run a relay for each filament, I have the 2 sets of diodes - one per side - hence if one diode fails, I still have the other diode to provide the flash signal.) Just remember - the lines on the diode (for both the hibeam flash signal and the feedback blocking/isolation diode) BOTH point towards the +ve of the low beam relay coil (86). This reply got lengthier than I anticipated, but it should be a fairly complete guide. Alas if you have beam sensing stuff (bulb failure warnings), then that's another issue, though that is an independent fix to this installation. But I hope I haven't confaddled you with all my guff. It is easy to picture with a simple diagram. If anything is unclear or complex, please - just ask.

Old Spark, I will need a little more clarification as I am very remedial when it comes to electricity. A lot of the terminology you used went right over my head . I will draw up a basic diagram of what I THINK I need to do and maybe you could correct me? A bit more information here, this is an offroad side by side atv. There is no issues with light out dinggers, high beam notification (that is fed with a positive signal from the switch, not a grounding signal through the rest of the circuit - so it will light up weather the headlights are actually connected or not.) There also is no flasher or turn signal functions I have to worry about or even marker lights that would need tied into this circuit. It is a very straight forward application. I will post up a diagram of what I mean later. And once again I appreciate you getting back to me with such a detailed response.

Sorry, I cant scan at the location I am at now, but below is something very similar to my goal. The only difference is that the "low/high" bulbs will be a mono filament (actually an LED). So I need to worry about back feeding into the high beam circuit when I am in low beam mode. I am figuring I need as rectifier diode on the high beam legs that tie into that low beam light, but didn't know if there is a simpler way - possibly some creative connections on the relays?

The summary of my blurb is: - move the lower left (beige?) low beam relay trigger wire from the low beam position of the hi/low switch to the input of the hi/low switch. - connect a 1N4004 or similar diode from the green high beam trigger to the beige low beam trigger with the diode's line end towards the low beam trigger. PS - I suggest a self resetting circuit breaker for the fuse unless the lights are not critical (ie, their failure is not hazardous).

I thought about it more and I figured I would have to incorporate a diode in the mix. I didn't think about tying the triggers together and rectifying the current there. Below is an edited version of the picture I posted above. Fixed up the dual filament bulbs and re did the trigger scheme and added diodes. 1. Do you see any issues with this scheme? 2. Is there an simpler way that I am overlooking? 3. Lastly, do I need the diode on the low beam trigger - will it harm my switch to have current back fed to it? I don't think it should, but I am not sure.

Sorry, uploaded the wrong image. Didn't have the diode placement on it. Not enough posts to edit my previous one either...

Perfect!! That also takes care of the pass - not that it's fitted in your case. And by "pass" I meant the high beam "flash" circuit as opposed to side indicators/flashers (just to cover the confusion I may have caused previously). Thanks for doing the diagrams. (I haven't done any for ages - not having found a suitable Win7 package.) And yeah, needing 50(?) replies to be allowed to edit (assuming it's still the last reply) is a bit of a pain in cases like this. Congrats & best wishes.

oldspark wrote: Perfect!! That also takes care of the pass - not that it's fitted in your case. And by "pass" I meant the high beam "flash" circuit as opposed to side indicators/flashers (just to cover the confusion I may have caused previously). Thanks for doing the diagrams. (I haven't done any for ages - not having found a suitable Win7 package.) And yeah, needing 50(?) replies to be allowed to edit (assuming it's still the last reply) is a bit of a pain in cases like this. Congrats & best wishes.

Thanks again! Actually I found that diagram on google and did a little creative photo shopping to alter a few little things. Worked out good though I thought!