I put some 55w driving lights on my truck a while back, and I'm trying to figure out if it'd be possible to keep the switch for them in the truck but have a relay hooked up so if I turn the brights on they'll turn off?
I'm pretty sure that's the only way it's legal to use them on the road in Va..

I've searched but haven't found anything about keeping the switch along with a relay.

what I've got is the red power wire coming from the battery to the switch, and green wire from the switch to the lights. Can I put a relay in the green wire and hook it up to the bright wire to have it cut them off that way?

 

i have mine wired so i can turn them on when needed

 

yeah that's how mine are now, but if I use my brights they stay on which as far as I know is illegal in va.

anyone know if there's such a thing as a relay that opens when power's sent to it? that's what I need..

 

I have them aimed to shine a little bit past what the dims do, but that's what driving lights are supposed to do anyway.. This guy driving a big chevy kept flashing his brights on and off till he passed me tonight, but that's the frist time anyone's flashed me for having them on.

 

http://the12volt.com/relays/relays.asp

the following is if you have no relay as of now, and have all the power going thru the switch, but you should still have an additional relay used to isolate the switch:

a normal bosch relay should work, SPDT.... single pull, doublethrow, connect a lead from high circuit to 85, ground to 86, red (accessory?) to 30. connect 87a to switch, and green to other side of switch to lights, leave 87 unused

when highs are on, energizing the coil, the relay will break continuity and not allow power to go to switch to lights

 

Seach LIGHTING FAQ...all sorts of diagrams and stuff.

 

Sure, most any relay can be wired to open with power. What you want is a normally closed relay but you can use a nomally open relay and switch the wiring around.

See the "NOT USED" connection (sometimes called 87a): on this diagram http://www.painlessperformance.com/w.../1098relay.jpg

Switching the wire from 87 to 87a will change the relay from normally open to normally closed.

Here is more good info on relays: http://www.bcae1.com/relays.htm

 

Red's the wire coming from the positive battery terminal with an inline fuse.

wish that web site showed a chart on the bosch for the way I need to hook it up =p

 

Look here about 1/2 way down and click on open switch: http://www.bcae1.com/relays.htm

 

I always thought driving lights were supposed to come on with your high beams? No wonder the chevy was flashing at you. You already said the driving lights were aimed higher than your low beams, so there's no relief for people coming the other way.

 

i only use my driving lights when there are no cars on the road

 

Well as far as I know va law requires any auxiliary lighting to shut off with bright lights. And they're not even aimed as high as the instructions say to aim them. Have you ever seen a picture of how driving lights shine past what the headlights do? it doesn't mean they're aimed higher, but that they're a more concentrated beam that doesn't give off any light to the sides like fog lights.

 

Sent you an email, hope that helps.