I have a 2011 200 and want to add aux lights. I want to trigger the aux lights with the high beams and run a switch inside. The only problem is the DRL’s they keep the aux lights on when they should be off. Have anyone had successfully wired passed the DRLS? Any help would be greatly appreciated
I've got my light bar wired this way. Run a fuse tap on one of the high beam fuses in the fuse box next to the battery, wire that to the switch in the cab, and then back to the relay trigger for the light bar. This way the lights will only turn on if the high beams are on and your switch is on.
I've got my light bar wired this way. Run a fuse tap on one of the high beam fuses in the fuse box next to the battery, wire that to the switch in the cab, and then back to the relay trigger for the light bar. This way the lights will only turn on if the high beams are on and your switch is on.
Yes the prob is that the DRLs run off the high beams so when you tap into the high beams the aux lights will stay on. You have to turn the switch off that inside the truck. That’s what I’m trying to get around. The 100 and 200 series are the same way.
Looking at the wiring diagram in the FSM it appears that the high beam relay and fuses are isolated. I could be reading that wrong though (or doing something else wrong) so I took a look at my set up and redid my original tests, this time paying attention to the DRLs (not sure I did that when I first put this wiring together).
When the high beams are off and the DRLs, low beams or fog lights are on I get no continuity at the high beam fuses. The DRL are on when the light switch is in auto, on, DRL or high. I can pull the high beam fuses and the DRLs function exactly the same.
My light bar will only turn on if the light bar switch is on and the high beams are on. Turn the high beams off and the light bar turns off. It will not turn on in any other headlight mode.
Maybe a model year difference? Or maybe I'm misunderstanding the problem?
@prerunner84 and @Moby thanks, you got me thinking and the curiosity got to me so I started looking at factory wiring diagrams and differences between the 2011 and 2019. This topic caught my eye becuase I'm planning a similar aux light function on the '24 GX550 which scraps all this for full CAN bus controls.
I recently tapped the high beam fuse for a trigger, used with a dash switch, much like @Moby described. Simple and it works. My auxiliary (looking for deer) lights only work when the hi-beams are on so they can be quickly switched off using the hi-beam stalk or letting "auto" mode do its thing. It's 2019 200 Series. I haven't (yet) checked to see if I can turn on the aux lights when the DRL are on.
Looking at the wiring diagrams, the headlight system appears to use ground-side switching to control the DRL dimming resistor and full voltage high beam. Incorporating the switched ground with the trigger relay should provide the "aux lights only with full high beam" operation. I think that's what the above thread is getting at.
