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4Runner Alternating Headlights

Printed From: the12volt.com
Forum Name: Lights, Neon, LEDs, HIDs
Forum Discription: Under Car Lighting, Strobe Lights, Fog Lights, Headlights, HIDs, DRL, Tail Lights, Brake Lights, Dashboard Lights, WigWag, etc.
URL: https://www.the12volt.com/installbay/forum_posts.asp?tid=11760
Printed Date: October 31, 2024 at 5:51 PM


Topic: 4Runner Alternating Headlights

Posted By: FRoSTY
Subject: 4Runner Alternating Headlights
Date Posted: April 02, 2003 at 2:00 PM

im all set to hook it up but i have a quick question b4 i do.  wont both lights go on everytime the relay clicks, because the voltage will go back through the wire to the other bulb right?



Replies:

Posted By: Ronald Mark
Date Posted: April 02, 2003 at 2:51 PM
How are you hooking it up?




Posted By: FRoSTY
Date Posted: April 02, 2003 at 4:18 PM
i was going to hook each lead up to the wire/plug right at the bulb




Posted By: NowYaKnow
Date Posted: April 02, 2003 at 8:29 PM
Yes you have to isolate each one first before you can make them alternate. Use relays and not diodes to isolate them since you'd be losing .7v per light through a diode.




Posted By: Ronald Mark
Date Posted: April 03, 2003 at 3:00 PM
You can make this with a flasher, 2 relays, a switch, and a fuse holder. Wire as follows:

Power through the fuse to one side on the switch.

From the switch run to the flasher, and to 30 of one relay.

The output out the flasher will run to 85 of the relay.

Ground 86 on the relay.

Connect one headlight wire to 87, and the other to 87a.
This will allow the the flasher to alternate the relay.

I would do this on the bright side.

If you have seperate circuits for right and left head light, your done, if not install another relay as follows:

While making the connection to one of the headlight wires, install a relay BEFORE the connection like this:

85 and 30 from the headlight switch.

86 to ground

87 to the wire going to the headlight.

87a unused.

Your normal headlights will now work, and so will your wigwags.

OR, instead of the second relay, you could use a diode in forward bias on the wires running to the headlights before you connection from the first relay.

How did I do guys?

Mark




Posted By: Ronald Mark
Date Posted: April 03, 2003 at 3:02 PM
Diode isolation is fine. it will take .5 to .7 volts to "turn it on", but once on I don't belive you will see a voltage drop across it.




Posted By: copcarguy
Date Posted: April 03, 2003 at 4:51 PM
Be warned! Not using competently designed and built flasher units can cause damage to your vehicle by burning out the headlight control computer. Better to spend $38.00 on emergency vehicle quality flasher unit than hours of troubleshooting and expense. Just an FYI from someone who installs them for a living. Good luck.

-------------
R Jackson
Owner/Installer
TRM Emergency Vehicles
Information is advice only and should be confirmed with OEM or quality test equipment.
Boyertown, Pennsylvania




Posted By: Ronald Mark
Date Posted: April 07, 2003 at 11:37 AM
I agree that this would be a better option. Do they isolate the circuit from the headlight switch?




Posted By: copcarguy
Date Posted: April 07, 2003 at 3:44 PM
yes they isolate it. you need to hook up usually 7 wires.

-constant 12volt
-switched 12volt
-ground
- to driver headlamp
-from driver headlamp
-to pass. headlamp
-from pass headlamp

There is also a kill wire you can hook up to diasable it when the parking lights are on but I never use it. And several pattern choices using jumper leads.

-------------
R Jackson
Owner/Installer
TRM Emergency Vehicles
Information is advice only and should be confirmed with OEM or quality test equipment.
Boyertown, Pennsylvania




Posted By: GoZpascal
Date Posted: April 08, 2003 at 2:30 PM
But how do you know if the vehicle has a headlight control computer? Say for a 92 Cherokee? or 95 Taurus? Is this something that started around a particular timeframe or do you have to just go one by one?




Posted By: copcarguy
Date Posted: April 08, 2003 at 3:21 PM
Check out owners manuals I guess but I figure better to just buy an off the shelf item than take chances. Sorry to be such a stickler but I have seen too many guys burn stuff up when an ounce of prevention could have saved buying a pound of cure. Probably I'm too cautious but when you burn up a customers vehicle they get waaayyyy cranky! Good luck.

-------------
R Jackson
Owner/Installer
TRM Emergency Vehicles
Information is advice only and should be confirmed with OEM or quality test equipment.
Boyertown, Pennsylvania




Posted By: Ronald Mark
Date Posted: April 08, 2003 at 10:38 PM
sounds like the way to go to me. Especially for the money.





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