Best Headlight Warning Mod! For 91-92 FJ80

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Eicca

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The Best Headlight Warning Mod! For 91-92 FJ80

Ok, so I got this idea last night while I was at Wal-Mart looking for floor mats (which I got, complete set, black rubber, $22). Saw the little 12v plug-in LED lights that you can buy, thought "Hey, if I can wire those into the headlight circuit or somthing, I won't forget to turn my lights off in the middle of the day."

Bought them for $9 and hooked them up today. The results: If you turn the headlights on without the car being on, the LED light turns on. Either turn off the headlights or turn the key on, and the LED turns off. Smart, cheap, and easy. Here's how to do it:



Take your LED light (they MUST be LED so they don't draw too much power) and cut them off the 12v cigarette lighter adapter thing. Strip the wires, leaving plenty of length to work with.
Photo-0052.jpg


Remove the dash panel below the steering wheel, only four screws. It will hang on the speaker wires and hood/fuel door release cables so maybe prop it up with something. Remove the screws holding the fuse box in and pull it out from behind the dash so you can access the wires on the back.

Take the positive wire of your LED light and insert it into the positive connector of the TAIL (tail light) fuse on the back of the fuse box. You may or may not want to solder it. All I did was stick it in and tape it up later on.
Photo-0053.jpg


Now take the negative wire of your LED light and insert it into the negative connector side of the CIG (cigarette lighter) fuse. Yes, it has to be the CIG fuse or it won't work. Again, to solder or not to solder, but make sure it stays in there good.
Photo-0054.jpg


Simple diagram:
HeadlightWarningDiagram.bmp


Tape the small, weak wires of the LED light to the bigger wires that go into the connectors. This will hold them steady.

Put the LED light where you want it to go (someplace easily noticed) before you put the dash back together. I had over three feet of wire on my light so I ran it up inside the steering wheel cover, out through the wiper switch hole, and stuck it on top of the cover with the double-sided tape it came with.
Photo-0056.jpg


Photo-0055.jpg




Tada! The light comes on when power goes to the tail lights (which come on with the head lights) and for some reason turns off again when the cigarette lighter receives power. Flawless.

Remind me to put my video demo up on YouTube.

:beer: :cheers: :beer:

This may or may not work on other vehicle models as well.

P.s. Can this be nominated for a Sticky? :)
 
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my head lights cut off when i open the door, if i leave them on....
 
Well our rigs aren't smart enough to do that :)
 
That's actually a really good idea. Just want to make it clear, though, that it only works on 91-92 models.
 
That's actually a really good idea. Just want to make it clear, though, that it only works on 91-92 models.

In theory it should work on any vehicle with a similar fuse box setup and no headlight warning or auto-off system. My friend wants me to try it on his little ol' Civic. I'll post back with results.
 
Great idea, I've been thinking about a mod like this. However; I would love to somehow wire it into my sunroof (left open) dinger.

Which doesn't always activate under certain circumstances. At least for me.
 
Great idea, I've been thinking about a mod like this. However; I would love to somehow wire it into my sunroof (left open) dinger.

I'm going to try and figure out how to set up this mod using the horn next :grinpimp:
 
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