Wiring spot lights

monseiur

I got some very good advice here from Sir Liamalot and 2011 and others some weeks ago re. wiring spot lights, now I need your help again
Basically I'm wiring 4 no. 55w. spots on Toyota Land Cruiser. Have wired a 40 amp relay as follows - Positive supply from battery with 35 amp fuse connected to 30 on relay, 87 connected to positive supply to spots.
I want the spots to switch off when jeeps main beam is dipped - so I have spliced into positive to main beam and connected to 86 on relay - and 85 to ground but spots don't work. But by chance I noticed the following - when I touch the wire from terminal 85 on relay on the body of jeep it sparks but no fuse is blown - should it spark ?
So was confused and asked Google and came across the following and wondering is it accurate

'' There are 3 wires at back of headlamp and at any given moment in time all of them has power just the polarity changes. Look for a positive wire that changes to negative as soon as you switch brights on'' ???

Could this be possible or does it make sense ?

Splice to positive main beam has been double checked using a temporary
bulb, it lights when main beam is on and knocks off when lights are dipped
(as it should) Perhaps I should connect the 85 terminal directly to one of the other wires at the headlamp i.e the common/ground
The relay is a 40 amp Durite - could it be faulty
Any advice greatly appreciated.
M.

Bruthal

monseiur wrote: »

I got some very good advice here from Sir Liamalot and 2011 and others some weeks ago re. wiring spot lights, now I need your help again
Basically I'm wiring 4 no. 55w. spots on Toyota Land Cruiser. Have wired a 40 amp relay as follows - Positive supply from battery with 35 amp fuse connected to 30 on relay, 87 connected to positive supply to spots.
I want the spots to switch off when jeeps main beam is dipped - so I have spliced into positive to main beam and connected to 86 on relay - and 85 to ground but spots don't work. But by chance I noticed the following - when I touch the wire from terminal 85 on relay on the body of jeep it sparks but no fuse is blown - should it spark ?
So was confused and asked Google and came across the following and wondering is it accurate

'' There are 3 wires at back of headlamp and at any given moment in time all of them has power just the polarity changes. Look for a positive wire that changes to negative as soon as you switch brights on'' ???

Could this be possible or does it make sense ?

Splice to positive main beam has been double checked using a temporary
bulb, it lights when main beam is on and knocks off when lights are dipped
(as it should) Perhaps I should connect the 85 terminal directly to one of the other wires at the headlamp i.e the common/ground
The relay is a 40 amp Durite - could it be faulty
Any advice greatly appreciated.
M.

What did you connect terminal 85 to, as a ground?

If you take the wire from 85 as you did, and touch it of ground (0v) on the car, some small sparks will be seen as you are closing the circuit to the relay coil if 86 has +12v connected to it.

You will clearly hear the relay click if it is properly energised.

Have you connected the spots themselves to 0v also?

monseiur

Thanks Bruthal - The spots common / ground wire is connected to body and is OK as the same spots have angel eyes around rim which are connected/switched by parking lights with their own separate relay but share
a common with main lights in spots.
I understand now the reason for sparks, I guess in a round about way it shows that it's working to an extent.
M.

Bruthal

monseiur wrote: »

Thanks Bruthal - The spots common / ground wire is connected to body and is OK as the same spots have angel eyes around rim which are connected/switched by parking lights with their own separate relay but share
a common with main lights in spots.
I understand now the reason for sparks, I guess in a round about way it shows that it's working to an extent.
M.

Well the relay should clearly click as it closes and opens.

monseiur

Will check if relay clicks as you advised and recheck all other connections at weekend- weather permiting Thanks again for your help.
M.

Bruthal

monseiur wrote: »

Will check if relay clicks as you advised and recheck all other connections at weekend- weather permiting Thanks again for your help.
M.

All your wiring description is correct anyway.
30 and 87 are the n/c contact for power to the spots. 85 and 86 are the 12v to coil. Supply coil as you suggest should work fine, although the ideal way would be to power the new relay coil from the same supply as full beam relay coil. But your method will work.

Where will you take power from for the new spots?

Actually I see you ran a new 35 amp circuit so that's ok.

monseiur

Just wondering - with 4 Spots @ 55watts each added to headlights, tail lights etc etc, could I be overloading the whole electrical system of the jeep.
The battery is 70 AH heavy duty fitted new last year.
M

Bruthal

monseiur wrote: »

Just wondering - with 4 Spots @ 55watts each added to headlights, tail lights etc etc, could I be overloading the whole electrical system of the jeep.
The battery is 70 AH heavy duty fitted new last year.
M

It should be ok while driving.

monseiur

OK That's good to know, Thanks again Bruthal
M.