↓ Advertise on Defender2 ↓

Home > Maintenance & Modifications > Reusing headlight feed for LED bar
Post Reply  Down to end
Page 1 of 3 123>
Print this entire topic · 
Al_The_Pal



Member Since: 09 Feb 2015
Location: Near the bottom on the right
Posts: 146

2015 Defender 110 Puma 2.2 XS CSW Corris Grey
Reusing headlight feed for LED bar
Fitted a Red Bison loom last weekend, part of the install involves leaving the existing offside headlamp H4 plug disconnected as it’s now redundant after fitting the RB loom

They tell you to tape it up out the way.

This weekend I’m aiming to fit a flatdog LED light bar to an my bar.

Question is... is there any reason why I can’t now use the main beam feed from the now redundant H4 connector to power the led light bar? Appreciate it won’t be delivering the same V as the new loom, but I suspect this is less important with LED.
Post #654986 4th Oct 2017 8:22pm
View user's profile Send private message View poster's gallery Reply with quote
zsd-puma



Member Since: 09 Aug 2016
Location: Kent
Posts: 2720

United Kingdom 2010 Defender 110 Puma 2.4 USW Santorini Black
There's not real reason why not. But the question would be why bother? if you're running wires to the back of the head light for the LED bar then you may as well just tap into the red bison loom and get a cleaner power source to the LED bar. It'll also avoid putting more load on the switch - albeit an LED bar having a much smaller load than the headlamps.
Post #655096 5th Oct 2017 11:14am
View user's profile Send private message View poster's gallery Reply with quote
miker



Member Since: 13 Sep 2015
Location: Surrey
Posts: 1763

United Kingdom 1999 Defender 110 Td5 CSW Rioja Red
You don't want the led bar coming on with main beams, should be switched separately.
Post #655105 5th Oct 2017 12:13pm
View user's profile Send private message View poster's gallery Reply with quote
custom90



Member Since: 21 Jan 2010
Location: South West, England.
Posts: 20359

United Kingdom 
^^^^ That is a choice. Mine is switch by main. $W33T $0U7H3RN $UG4R
๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง๐Ÿด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ๐Ÿด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ท๓ ฌ๓ ณ๓ ฟ๐Ÿด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ณ๓ ฃ๓ ด๓ ฟ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธโ›ฝ๏ธ๐Ÿ›ข๏ธโš™๏ธ๐Ÿงฐ๐Ÿ’ช
Post #655108 5th Oct 2017 12:28pm
View user's profile Send private message View poster's gallery Reply with quote
miker



Member Since: 13 Sep 2015
Location: Surrey
Posts: 1763

United Kingdom 1999 Defender 110 Td5 CSW Rioja Red
From what I've read on here, I was under the impression that e marking was required for main beams?

Either way, I prefer the control of having the big LED's switched separately, they're a bit offensive for a "thank you" flash!!
Post #655109 5th Oct 2017 12:30pm
View user's profile Send private message View poster's gallery Reply with quote
Harry.O



Member Since: 25 Jul 2014
Location: Warwickshire
Posts: 713

United Kingdom 1989 Defender 90 300 Tdi ST Nato Green
^^^ My understanding is that they need to be e-marked if not independently switched as well.

My light bar which is not e-marked, is wired into the full beams (via a relay) but with a switch to turn it off also. 2005 Td5 110 Hardtop
1989 300Tdi 90 Soft top
1992 200Tdi 90 Truck cab with Land Cruiser axles
Post #655116 5th Oct 2017 1:03pm
View user's profile Send private message View poster's gallery Reply with quote
LandRoverAnorak



Member Since: 17 Jul 2011
Location: Surrey
Posts: 11324

United Kingdom 
Lights that are wired to come on with the main beam are still auxiliary lights, rather than becoming main beam themselves. This is irrelevant when it comes to E marking though, as any light that's used on the road should be E marked, regardless of how they're wired. Darren

110 USW BUILD THREAD - EXPEDITION TRAILER - 200tdi 90 BUILD THREAD - SANKEY TRAILER - IG@landroveranorak

"You came in that thing? You're braver than I thought!" - Princess Leia
Post #655117 5th Oct 2017 1:12pm
View user's profile Send private message View poster's gallery Reply with quote
Likeomg



Member Since: 29 Jun 2012
Location: Lake District / Newcastle
Posts: 2640

2010 Defender 90 Puma 2.4 HT Stornoway Grey
i have a headlight loom (cant remember which but it has ceramic plugs)...

i just spliced into the high beam from that for my Lazer rs8 which is on the a Bar, - i believe this is legal etc...

The triple R on the rack is via a LR aux light switch on the dash...
Post #655118 5th Oct 2017 1:14pm
View user's profile Send private message View poster's gallery Reply with quote
Harry.O



Member Since: 25 Jul 2014
Location: Warwickshire
Posts: 713

United Kingdom 1989 Defender 90 300 Tdi ST Nato Green
LandRoverAnorak wrote:
Lights that are wired to come on with the main beam are still auxiliary lights, rather than becoming main beam themselves. This is irrelevant when it comes to E marking though, as any light that's used on the road should be E marked, regardless of how they're wired.


Thanks LandRoverAnorak, does that mean for the purposes of legality, as long as the light is switched off whilst on the road, it doesn't need to be E marked? 2005 Td5 110 Hardtop
1989 300Tdi 90 Soft top
1992 200Tdi 90 Truck cab with Land Cruiser axles
Post #655124 5th Oct 2017 1:44pm
View user's profile Send private message View poster's gallery Reply with quote
LandRoverAnorak



Member Since: 17 Jul 2011
Location: Surrey
Posts: 11324

United Kingdom 
Yes, that's how I understand it. You'll sometimes see lights marked 'for off road use only' and clearly it'd be impractical to physically remove them when driving out onto a road, so use of them becomes the deciding factor rather than just fitted.

As an aside, it's also illegal to have independently switched spotlights (or LED's, etc). All forward facing auxiliary lights should be wired to automatically extinguish with the main beam. Isolating switches to prevent them coming on at all are obviously ok, though. Darren

110 USW BUILD THREAD - EXPEDITION TRAILER - 200tdi 90 BUILD THREAD - SANKEY TRAILER - IG@landroveranorak

"You came in that thing? You're braver than I thought!" - Princess Leia
Post #655127 5th Oct 2017 1:56pm
View user's profile Send private message View poster's gallery Reply with quote
leeds



Member Since: 28 Dec 2009
Location: West Yorkshire
Posts: 8581

United Kingdom 
For driving lights to be road legal they have to carry a GENUINE E mark and be wired correctly

For off road use the lights do not have to carry a genuine E mark and they do not have to be wired through the main beam.


Additional or optional headlights have to be wired through the main beam.. You can also have the optional lights on a separate switch so they do not come on automatically with main beam BUT they must go off when main beam is switched on.

Now a lot of people do NOT understand what a genuine E mark looks like. A capital E with a number in a circle is NOT the E mark. That represents the country which has done the approval. There is a lot more to a genuine approval mark then just the country which has done the approval. For a start the approval number must be shown. For driving lights there is a legal requirement to show a code showing what type of light function it is, if the lens is plastic, the peak beam reference number.

This photograph shows the genuine approval mark on a LED Lightbar which we will fit to one of our vehicles.



Click image to enlarge



This photograph shows the genuine approval mark on one of a pair of LED spotlights which we will fit on the same vehicle



Click image to enlarge


Now it will be perfectly legal for us to use either the LED lightbar combined with main beam of the headlights or the LED spots with the main beam of the headlights.

However it will be illegal to have both the LED lightbar AND the LED spotlights in combination with the headlights




Brendan
Post #655194 5th Oct 2017 8:03pm
View user's profile Send private message View poster's gallery Reply with quote
custom90



Member Since: 21 Jan 2010
Location: South West, England.
Posts: 20359

United Kingdom 
Brendan - How about banked light bars?
For example not a twin small pair side by side but one above another on an A bar?

I have seen some on a roof light bar before like this, but I have a lower mount option on mine and an upper.
I'd quite like to have two really. $W33T $0U7H3RN $UG4R
๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง๐Ÿด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ๐Ÿด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ท๓ ฌ๓ ณ๓ ฟ๐Ÿด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ณ๓ ฃ๓ ด๓ ฟ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธโ›ฝ๏ธ๐Ÿ›ข๏ธโš™๏ธ๐Ÿงฐ๐Ÿ’ช
Post #655209 5th Oct 2017 8:49pm
View user's profile Send private message View poster's gallery Reply with quote
leeds



Member Since: 28 Dec 2009
Location: West Yorkshire
Posts: 8581

United Kingdom 
I can not see a reason why you can not use banked lights.

However for road use they would have to have a genuine approval mark and wired correctly. See the examples on my earlier photograph.

Also you must not exceed the maximum peak beam reference number total

It would not be road legal to use two of the LED light bars that I have photographed earlier despite them having genuine approval marks and being wired through the main beam switch as we would exceed the maximum number.


Brendan
Post #655269 6th Oct 2017 8:06am
View user's profile Send private message View poster's gallery Reply with quote
Coatesyyy



Member Since: 07 Sep 2017
Location: Knutsford
Posts: 423

United Kingdom 
miker wrote:
You don't want the led bar coming on with main beams, should be switched separately.


+1
Post #655276 6th Oct 2017 8:31am
View user's profile Send private message View poster's gallery Reply with quote
leeds



Member Since: 28 Dec 2009
Location: West Yorkshire
Posts: 8581

United Kingdom 
For off road use ONLY you can switch your lights anyway you like and the lights do not have to carry any approval markings.

For on road use optional/additional main beam lights MUST switch off when the standard main beam headlights are switched to dip beam.

You can have a on/off switch to optional main beam lights wired from the standard main beam live wire. This would make the optional main beam lights go off when the standard main beam goes to dip. This would give you the option of having or not having optional main beam lights on with standard main beam.



Brendan
Post #655297 6th Oct 2017 9:53am
View user's profile Send private message View poster's gallery Reply with quote
Post Reply  Back to top
Page 1 of 3 123>
All times are GMT

Jump to  
Previous Topic | Next Topic >
Posting Rules
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum



Site Copyright © 2006-2024 Futuranet Ltd & Martin Lewis
DEFENDER2.NET RSS Feed - All Forums