[qbncrewcab]

I'm installing a set of Hella 500 driving lights and have most of the wiring routed, but I am having trouble locating the correct parking light wire for the circuit. I've searched the forum but have not had any luck. Does anyone know which wire/color to tap into on the passenger side headlight assembly?

 

[whistler]

I have wired a lot of off-road lights and never tapped into the parking light circuit. Is there a reason you want to do it that way?

 

[qbncrewcab]

That's what the wiring diagram from Hella calls for. It actually calls for the high beam wire, but I want to be able to turn them on either on high or low beam.

 

[qbncrewcab]

I'm a newbie when it comes to electrical, so I would appreciate any help!

 

[whistler]

I wired them into the high beam before although it is illegal here in California. I used the off road lights in Mexico, mostly on two lane highway. It is a pain and also dangerous fumbling for the switch when on coming traffic appears. It is wired with a relay and it's own separate switch so as to disable it when I am not in Mexico.
On my Frontier my running light is hooked up directly since it needs to remain on whether the truck is running or not.

 

[qbncrewcab]

At this point, I'd settle for wiring it to the high beam circuit. Which wire is the correct one to tap?

 

[whistler]

You can buy a cheap electrical tester. The pencil type with the pin point. You can find hot wires by inserting the pin point through the insulation. Not very sophisticated but it has worked for me.
I wired my street truck close to the headlight. I found the high beam circuit using the tester I mentioned.
You can buy those plastic connectors that allows adding a wire to the existing circuit. I strip the insulation and solder the added wire.

 

[qbncrewcab]

I could do that, but my wiring goes from the light bar, down the passenger side and into the cab. Consequently, I have to remove the battery to get at the wiring for the headlight assembly on the passenger side and I can't test the wires without power. That's why I was wondering if anyone had the factory wiring diagrams that show what wire I need to tap. I'd hate to have to reroute the wiring. Any other suggestions?

 

[Contra]

I don't understand why you don't just run the switch to a relay off of the battery?

I usually do some sort of setup of a fuse block off of the battery and then wire to that
that way you can use your lights at any time needed

 

[qbncrewcab]

That is definitely an option. I just would have liked to have the safety of linking it to the parking light circuit so that I wouldn't leave them on accidentally.

 

[Contra]

why to parking light circuit, run a 12 lead off the fuse panel to a relay under the hood and run the main lead off the battery

essentially you have 3 leads going to the relay

1 the main off battery (with a fuse block or just inline fuse in between)
2 the lead going to the 12v off of a ACC fuse from the under hood fuse box
3 the lead going to the switch


then ground the switch in the cabin somewhere

 

[qbncrewcab]

Thanks, I'll give it a shot.