Optilux 4 inch HID wiring question

[fortel]

First time trying to post pics, hope this works.

Got my lights in and was unsure about the third wire (white) coming off the switch. Looks like it goes directly back to the battery but the line just kinda stops. Can someone confirm if that wire does indeed hook to the postive terminal of the battery? And if not, what does the white wire go to? Thanks

 

[Hilldweller]

I think that's to illuminate the switch.
I usually don't do an illuminated switch and substitute a good one....

 

[phydough]

Fortel,
The white wire in the diagram does go to battery positive. If it were me, I would locate the high beam or a key on hot wire to tap that white wire into. That way your lights get shut off when you turn off the the high beams or car off. The white wire is what the switch uses to trigger the relay, so it does not need to carry much current (the blue and red wires carry the biggest load). If you want to be like a Hilldweller living in the dark :coffeedrink:, just leave the black switch to ground wire out.

 

[Hilldweller]

That was the trip? Dang sideways schematic....

Before you tap your highbeam circuit to trigger the relay, what do you drive? Some vehicles use PWM to power the headlights these days and it will fry the relay.
A relay is an electromagnet and needs a certain minimum amount of juice to keep it closed. My Jeep's PWM duty cycle on the highbeam goes down to 4.6v and makes relays have epileptic seizures.
A capacitor and resistor wired in or full bypass harness fixes that.

 

[fortel]

Thanks for the replies gentlemen.

I'm driving a 2012 Nissan Frontier crew cab SV 4x4. I've got a better switch ordered than the kit came with, one that will fit into the factory knockout beside my power mirror controls and cargo lamp switch. I am fabbing up a light bar to mount the HIDs on. Its done other than finishing the painting so I've got a little time to plan out the wiring.

I had assumed I would mount the relay inside the engine compartment somewhere but the green wire from the relay to the switch is only about 6 inches long. I've got to either extend the green wire (which seems like the best option) or mount the relay under the dash which would mean snaking all the wires through the firewall.

If I don't need to tap into the high beams for the white wire I would prefer not to do that.

 

[Hilldweller]

you don't have to tap the highbeam for the trip but it's the right way to wire driving lights...
if they're "offroad" lights, use your parking light circuit as the trip. That way you'll at least have the idiot ding to keep you from leaving them on.

 

[kojackJKU]

I have my High beam triggering my Driving lights. No issues on my JKU since 2011.

 

[Hilldweller]

I have my High beam triggering my Driving lights. No issues on my JKU since 2011.

Some relays only need 4v nominal to hold closed. If you have a good relay, you don't have to worry. If you have a bad relay, you need a fire extinguisher.

 

[kojackJKU]

I guess mine are good. Mine have been in 3 vehicles all jeeps all with pwm, and no issues. Now when I ran crappy HID retros in my patriot yes, they chattered like a ********, but I pulled them back out. Ran the phillips bulbs until I went with TL lights.