Following on from the trouble I've been having with the vicki green loom: http://www.locostbuilders.co.uk/forum/5/viewthread.php?tid=152672 I have decided to pull out the lighting wiring that is half done and do it myself, using the wires from the old loom and drawing my own circuit diagrams.

I've read through the IVA manual and just want to check that I have covered it all with the following points:

Side lights must be switched from Permanent live
Sidelights stay on when main and dipped beam are on
No sidelight warning/tell tail light needed

Dipped beam switched from ignition live
Can only be switched on when main beams are on
No warning/telltail light needed

Main beam switched from ign live
Can only be switched on when side lights and headlights are on (ie all three are on at the same time)
Warning/telltail light needed

I'll get these out the way before moving on to the indicators/ hazards fog and reverse.


Electrical questions:

Do the side lights need a relay or can they just run through a single fuse and then the switch. (I'm using savage switches for all the lights bar the main beam which is off the indicator stalk)
I have two headlight relays. I'm assuming these are one main beam one dipped. Do people fuse them left and right separately?

http://westfield-world.com/Wiring_files/Wiring_frames.html looking at the lighting diagrams on here what are the grey numbed boxes (eg. front con 1) are they something from a donor car I am not using?

Anyone have any other general pointers (Other than pay someone else!). I've never done anything like this before and I'm feeling very out of my depth!

the sidelight/dipped must have a 'warning' light, but the dials illuminating is ok for that. ie, when you switch the side lights on, the dash lights up, same with dipped, and when main is on, you need a blue warning light

My car is wired all from perm live.......

Sides
Sides & Low Beam ( with flash if req )
Sides & High Beam, must have blue warning lamp on main beam

Rear Fog must only operate when on Low OR Main beam NOT on sides only

Just got through IVA this way

RD

[Edited on 30/3/11 by rallyingden]

[Edited on 30/3/11 by rallyingden]

[Edited on 30/3/11 by rallyingden]

Regarding the relays, I made my own loom from scratch and use 1 relay for main and 1 for dip. Both operate both lights, but the +12V supply to the light from the relay goes through a separate fuse for left and right. So I have 2 fuses for the nearside and 2 for the offside.

If you need a diagram to work to let me know and I can send it to you.

JB

You can get relay brackets that clip together --- also a fused version of the same.

Mains and dips are usually only on together when you " pull to flash" when you go to main beam the dip usually goes of ( unless you have twin headlights) mains need a blue warning other than that your info looks fine.


The savge switches IIRC are only rated at 6 amps ( I stand to be corrected) so i'd use a relay myself .

Thanks for the replies all!

From what I can tell the side lights wont draw anywhere near 6A. If they are 5W each and there are four of them thats 20W total

A=W/V (I think?) So 20/12 ~1.6A so surely I will be fine through a 6A switch with miles of room to spare even during the initial light up? + I am trying to keen this as simple as possible whilst making sure it is safe and wont need doing again!

I've sent you U2U Longlegs about the diagram. Sounds like it would be really helpfull thanks!

Currently I don't have a warning light on the dash for the main/full beam. Would I do ok using the light from the side light switch (It's blue but dosn't have the right symbol on)

The side light warn can them come from the lights in the gauges, but not the switch its self.

Feels like abit of a work around/bodge but from the IVA manual it seems like it would be ok, and save me getting another £17 button for the dash.

Just read "Must be on or as close to the controls, tell-tales and indicators as possible as not to cause confusion." from Section 33 so maybe I wont get away with having the side light button as my main beam warning lamp. Bugger, am I going to have to fit another switch to the dash, Here is a picture of what I have available at the moment:


Dash

The blank left hand switch is for the ignition and the right hand unclear one is for hazards.

[Edited on 30/3/11 by bigdrew]

[Edited on 30/3/11 by bigdrew]

If it helps i have some years ago written an article on rewiring cars, it was on a locost forum somewhere but here is a link to a site where it is posted, it's as a pdf file and about 1.5 meg but it gives wiring diagrams and instructions, all you need really.

http://www.andersensmith.freeserve.co.uk/wiringloom6.pdf

to answer your question about relays......you shouldn't need them for side lights, they require about an Amp in total. (maybe 1.5A) most switches in use on cars will handle lots more.

Some notes about fitting headlights........(a subject i have done lots of research on lately)

MOT's ......... It is NOT required to have "E" marked lights for the MOT, (odd i know) neither do you need to have a dip beam to dip left a "flat" dip beam pattern is OK for the MOT, as is using beam correctors if you have a beam that dips to the right (as on the continent) That said Construction and use regs cover all of this.

C+U regs say that any car first used on or after 1/4/86 must used approved marked (E) lights and they must be designed for lh drive vehicles, those used before need not be so approved.
any car first used on or after 1/4/91 can ONLY have two dipped lights in use at any one time.
This implies that vehicles used before that date may have any number. The only requirement is that they form "matched pairs" there are minimum wattage requirements (something like 25w) but not maximum or intensity.

HID lights; It is NOT legal to retro fit them to any car! UNLESS they are self levelling AND they have a headlamp washing system fitted. Not likely on any of our cars...

Height requirement for fitting; Dip beams are regulated main beams are not, the minimum height for the dip beam is 500mm from the road surface (measured to the cut off of the beam (centre of the light)) and a maximum of 400mm from the outer edge of the car (measured from the edge of the light nearest the car side to the side of the car (excluding mirrors etc) ) Main beams must not be "outboard" of the dip beams.

wow, that dash looks really good, where did you get the switches from mate?

Cheers for the link snowy. Only had a quick look on the phone but it looks very comprehensive. Will read through it all when I get home. Dash was made up by the previous owner, the switches are from Europaspares, they are savage switches and are pretty easy to come buy. About 14 quid each if you look around..