IPF light install

[jeffryscott]

Thanks to recommendations on the board, I bought a pair of IPF 968s and have them mostly installed, but before I finish, I had a few questions.

First, the instructions state to hook one wire into the high beam wires. Is that necessary?

Second, does anybody know of a replacement switch that might be a little more "factory" than the supplied one?

Thanks,

Jeff

 

[cshontz]

First, the instructions state to hook one wire into the high beam wires. Is that necessary?

Doing so will allow you to activate them only when your high beams are on. Depending on the light, some state inspections require driving lights to operate this way - that is the case here in Pennsylvania. Depends on the inspection station.

That aside, you can hook that wire up to any hot lead. If you splice it to a wire that is hot all the time, you'll be able to operate your IPF lights all the time. If you hook it up to your parking lights, you'll only be able to operate the lights when your parking lights are on - and so on.

It is necessary that you hook the wire up to something, but you can be creative.

 

[Scott Brady]

Jeff,

You can likely find a switch from the Suzuki dealer. Just buy a fog light switch for your model. I always try to buy factory switches when possible, as they fit in the "knock outs" and look clean.

Do you have a picture or dimension of a few of the knock outs on your dash? We might be able to help.

 

[datrupr]

Jeff, the GV's and XL-7's had fog lights as options, I bet you can get a switch from the dealer. And, if it is anything like my Trooper or GV the wiring is alrady under the dash. I do not know if that holds tru for the Vitara though.

 

[mountainpete]

Here's how I did it Jeff:

http://www.ttora.com/wiki/index.php/IPF_968_Driving/Fog_Lamps

Works great and the lights operate independantly as long as the key is turned on.

Changing over to a factory switch shouldn't be too difficult either. Contact your dealer to see what switches are available.

Pete

 

[jeffryscott]

Thanks everybody. Hooked the wire up to the parking lights (this has daylight running lights, so if the ignition is turned on, the lights are on) and all is well.

I forgot about the actual factory switches, one of those should be quite easy to find.

Finally, has anybody with these particular lights (IPF 968) had any luck finding clear covers or wire mesh covers? They aren't listed in the IPF product listing that Desert Rat had.

Thanks again (I posted a few pics in my Vitara thread of the installed lights).

Jeff

 

[cruiseroutfit]

...Finally, has anybody with these particular lights (IPF 968) had any luck finding clear covers or wire mesh covers?...

I should have a set in stock, I can check tomorrow for you. :elkgrin:

 

[jeffryscott]

light don't work now. Hmmm.

cool, if you have something that works, that would be great.

On another note, the lights worked great the first day, then the next day they wouldn't come on.

Fiddled with the switch to no avail, and reworked some wiring with better splices - still no worky.

Bought a factory fog light switch for appearance and now figure I'll get it going through that, but need a little help.

Three wires comes into the dash area - yellow power, which turns to red on the IPF harness. White and Black. I assume black is ground, but have no idea what white is. Red has power coming to it using a test light.

How do I proceed. No matter what I do, or which switch I try, the lights won't go on.

Help!

 

[cruiseroutfit]

Lemme go grab a pair of 968's

Pretty sure the white is 12V in, yellow is 12V out, but I'll go check.

PS: I don't have any clear covers in stock, but they are available... Part# is 968CC retails for ~$25/pair

 

[cruiseroutfit]

Pretty sure the yellow/red is the power in, and the white-black/white is the power to the relay to activate the lamps... The schematic is rather vague... If you can't figure it out, I can pull a harness out of a kit and make sure thats whats up.

There is also a 2A fuse near the switch, make sure it is OK...

 

[Willman]

Here's how I did it Jeff:

http://www.ttora.com/wiki/index.php/IPF_968_Driving/Fog_Lamps

Works great and the lights operate independantly as long as the key is turned on.

Changing over to a factory switch shouldn't be too difficult either. Contact your dealer to see what switches are available.

Pete

Nice write up Pete!!!

I love my Hella fog lamps!!!!

I need to buy some of those IPFs....With a 55 wat bulb....Are these driving lights or just spots???? From petes pics...they look bright!!!

 

[jeffryscott]

Pretty sure the yellow/red is the power in, and the white-black/white is the power to the relay to activate the lamps... The schematic is rather vague... If you can't figure it out, I can pull a harness out of a kit and make sure thats whats up.

There is also a 2A fuse near the switch, make sure it is OK...

The 2A fuse is good, as is the 20A (or 25, forget which) coming from the battery. With a circuit tester, I get power all the way to the switch on the red wire. Black, I assumed was ground, and the white I wasn't sure of. I don't get any activity from the white with the circuit tester, but I suspect I shouldn't as the circuit isn't completed without a switch.

So, to sum it up so far, power to the relay from the battery is good, power from the relay to the switch (red wire) is good. When I hook up the red wire to the factory fog light switch, and touch it with the ice-pick like circuit tester, the light comes on on the switch, but not the circuit tester.

To try to simplify things, I bought a cheapo switch, has three prongs, one is labeled supply volts, another labeled on acc and the third is earth ground. I would think supply is the red wire, on acc is the white and earth ground is black. Correct?

Ok, sorry for the rambling questions, it just isn't making sense why it worked great one day, and not the next. Could it be a ground issue? (lot of dirt road might of loosened it up, and it is the only thing I didn't check before tearing into it all)

Thanks for all the advice and help, Jeff

 

[mountainpete]

Nice write up Pete!!!

I love my Hella fog lamps!!!!

I need to buy some of those IPFs....With a 55 wat bulb....Are these driving lights or just spots???? From petes pics...they look bright!!!

Thanks

They are hybrid lights. Both wide driving beam and spot. There is a dual reflector inside. I am a big forestry road fan and these are, in my opinion, the perfect system for them. You get a wide section of beam up from to light up the ditches and the distance to see wildlife and bad road conditions farther ahead.

Yes, they are bright - but since the reflector is balanced between the wide & distance, they won't light up straight ahead for the same length as a dedicated PIAA or Hella pencil/spot beam.

 

[mountainpete]

The 2A fuse is good, as is the 20A (or 25, forget which) coming from the battery. With a circuit tester, I get power all the way to the switch on the red wire. Black, I assumed was ground, and the white I wasn't sure of. I don't get any activity from the white with the circuit tester, but I suspect I shouldn't as the circuit isn't completed without a switch.

So, to sum it up so far, power to the relay from the battery is good, power from the relay to the switch (red wire) is good. When I hook up the red wire to the factory fog light switch, and touch it with the ice-pick like circuit tester, the light comes on on the switch, but not the circuit tester.

To try to simplify things, I bought a cheapo switch, has three prongs, one is labeled supply volts, another labeled on acc and the third is earth ground. I would think supply is the red wire, on acc is the white and earth ground is black. Correct?

Ok, sorry for the rambling questions, it just isn't making sense why it worked great one day, and not the next. Could it be a ground issue? (lot of dirt road might of loosened it up, and it is the only thing I didn't check before tearing into it all)

Thanks for all the advice and help, Jeff

Jeff - since all the switch is doing is powering the relay, take it out of the equasion for a second. Can you totally bypass the switch and get the relay to activate? Can you manually try and power-up the relay and activate the lights?

If not, I would look at the relay. I just want to ask just in case - did you install the relay the correct way? The included relay cannot be installed upside down.

Pete

 

[jeffryscott]

Success. WhooooHooo.

Jeff - since all the switch is doing is powering the relay, take it out of the equasion for a second. Can you totally bypass the switch and get the relay to activate? Can you manually try and power-up the relay and activate the lights?

If not, I would look at the relay. I just want to ask just in case - did you install the relay the correct way? The included relay cannot be installed upside down.

Pete

I have just been dinking around with it after my last post and have gotten it to work with the factory fog light switch. Whoooohooo. I think it was possibly a bad ground, but I also think all the advice and taking a more methodical approach with the circuit tester helped and now I have light again - and the cool factory switch,which looks much better than the IPF supplied one.


Good questions Pete, it is amazing how the simple things can catch you. I had checked the relay, and did have it installed correctly.

Thanks again everybody,

Jeff