Planning out how I'm going to install my hella 500s for my bumper, and possible my roof ones as well, ideally I would like the bumper lights hooked to my high beam, so I was thinking of running a line off my high beam line, but I was wondering what fuse to put before them? Or is that all included in the kit?

_________________
02 KJ "Frank The Turtle"
http://www.cardomain.com/ride/3111598

The best way to do what you are describing is to wire the 'sense' wire to the high beam side of the headlights, then run the power wire for the Hellas directly to the battery. That way when you activate your high beams it will close the relay and turn on the Hellas. Here is a wiring diagram:

You can also take the switch out and run the sense wire (green) directly to the '86' terminal on the relay (which is what I did in my setup).

Any other questions I can answer today?

Oh and by doing it this way you don't have to worry about adding load to your high beam circuit (which I believe was the intent of the original question). And yes the kit should come with an inline fuse for the lights.

So they are made to run independently from the regualr headlights?

_________________
02 Black Limited
Mods:....
"sounds of crickets"

Future Mods:
New Tires
Lift
Paint wheels after tires installed
Skids

Well the intent of most driving lights is to be used in conjunction with the high beams to provide better long-distance illumination, which is why the manufacturers have wiring diagrams showing them being tied into that side of the headlight system. If you notice in the wiring diagram I posted it also states 'For off-road use only, tap green wire to parking lamp wire to operate lamps independently from high/low beams', so as long as at least your parking lamps are on you can have your driving lights on as well (this is the way I have my fog lights wired, but they are an aftermarket install). Lastly you could just leave out the green sense wire and run a power wire directly to the switch so you could turn the driving lights on whenever you feel like it, but this may be in violation of your local/state laws (just so you know).

I think it's moot at this point since the lights will come with their own fuse, but to figure out current draw for lights, add up the wattage for all your lights and divide by the voltage (Ohm's law). P=IV, where P is power in watts, I is amps, and V is volts. In this case, rearrange the equation into I=P/V. So if you have four 55W bulbs, P is 220w. Divide by 12v and you get 18.3A. For the fuse I'd probably run a 25A in this example.

A word of warning for you ObiHann and to anybody else from Canada where "daytime lights" are required.

The "daytime lights" circuitry actually puts a low voltage across the headlight's high beam filaments and if your driving lamps are switched on the relay will chatter. It's no big deal, just something to keep in mind.

I don't know how much current they draw but I actually have four Hella500's on my roof (55W each) and haven't blown a fuse or an alternator yet. I'm not positive but somebody has told me you can put a 100W bulb in a Hella500. Has anybody tried it? Wouldn't it melt the housiing?

Also read the labelling in the packages, I think that some Hella500's are designed for driving and others for foglamps.

_________________
my trail & highway ride (and occasional tow rig)
04 Liberty Sport with a 2.5" lift, ProComp 245/75R16 AT's and two Hella700FF lamps (more accessories to come)

my trail queen
95 YJ with a RE 4" lift, 33" ProComp Extreme's, M8000 Winch, Lockrite Locker up front, Super35 in the rear and 4.88 gears

[quote="LibertyFever"] I'm not positive but somebody has told me you can put a 100W bulb in a Hella500. Has anybody tried it? Wouldn't it melt the housiing?
quote]

I'm running 100W bulbs in my Hella 500s with no problem.

_________________
2002 Jeep Liberty Sport with Trak-Loc
3" lift: OME struts, springs and shocks; Jeepin by Al UCAs and strut spacers
Full skids by Rusty's Offroad and Mopar
245/75/R16 Dunlop A/Ts on Procomp Soft 8s
A few lights and performance mods.

http://www.alphaomegaoffroad.com

No problems at all putting the 100W H-3 bulbs in the Hellas. The plastic only gets slightly warm where it contacts the glass. Glass lenses get hot to the touch but no where near what would crack the glass or melt the plastic housing. Been running this configuration on my roof for several years now. 4x100w lighting is great for offroading.

You can see my wiring and the original testing details in the link in my sig.

John
];')

_________________
05 4x4/3.7L/6 Spd
245/75R16 GY Dura Trac
Lots of Mods!
My Wheeling Videos
My Mods, Upgrades and Custom Fabrications