Headlight upgrade harness FJ60 and FJ62

[Spook50]

That's cool that you're selling the harnesses premade. I built my own several years ago using Wayne's design and it's worked flawlessely ever since. I'm going to refine it a bit with better headlight sockets (right now it uses plastic sockets with female spade connectors that like to loosen up), but it's been easily one of the best mods I've ever done with my 62. I plan on building one for my Duster that's fully integrated into the wiring harness soon. I never have the issue with the HI to LO delay though. I wonder what exactly causes it.

 

[slcfj62]

That's cool that you're selling the harnesses premade. I built my own several years ago using Wayne's design and it's worked flawlessely ever since. I'm going to refine it a bit with better headlight sockets (right now it uses plastic sockets with female spade connectors that like to loosen up), but it's been easily one of the best mods I've ever done with my 62. I plan on building one for my Duster that's fully integrated into the wiring harness soon. I never have the issue with the HI to LO delay though. I wonder what exactly causes it.

I actually didn't see Wayne's design until I had already finished my first harness. Wayne stays with the Toyota switched ground theory, so the momentary short won't affect anything. But instead of the + side of the Hi Beam indicator light "pulling up" through the LO Beam headlights when you switch to HI Beams, the Resistor and the Diode provide that path. The part I don't like about it is that the Resistor and the Diode are always across 12V whenever your headlights are on, even when your LO Beams are on. I'm not faulting the design, it has obviously worked well for you. My philosophy is "more simple, more better".

As far as what causes the momentary short, I would have to take apart the switch to be sure, but as you switch between HI and LO, you wouldn't want any delay or you would be in the dark for a second. So by design, I think there is a point in the switch during the transition between HI and LO where they are both grounded, and the LO Beams are turning on while the Hi Beams are turning off--hence the momentary short. In the stock setup, both HI and LO use negative ground theory, so it is no big deal. I think this "short" happens every time, but it is usually so quick that it didn't blow the fuse every time with my wire harness. Of course, my Cruiser could just be a freak and no one else would ever encounter the problem, but my take is that if it happens with one, it will happen with others, so clipping the wire is the right way to go.

The ceramic sockets from http://superlumination.com/connectors.htm are a nice tight fit. Give them a try.

 

[Spook50]

I actually didn't see Wayne's design until I had already finished my first harness. Wayne stays with the Toyota switched ground theory, so the momentary short won't affect anything. But instead of the + side of the Hi Beam indicator light "pulling up" through the LO Beam headlights when you switch to HI Beams, the Resistor and the Diode provide that path. The part I don't like about it is that the Resistor and the Diode are always across 12V whenever your headlights are on, even when your LO Beams are on. I'm not faulting the design, it has obviously worked well for you. My philosophy is "more simple, more better".

As far as what causes the momentary short, I would have to take apart the switch to be sure, but as you switch between HI and LO, you wouldn't want any delay or you would be in the dark for a second. So by design, I think there is a point in the switch during the transition between HI and LO where they are both grounded, and the LO Beams are turning on while the Hi Beams are turning off--hence the momentary short. In the stock setup, both HI and LO use negative ground theory, so it is no big deal. I think this "short" happens every time, but it is usually so quick that it didn't blow the fuse every time with my wire harness. Of course, my Cruiser could just be a freak and no one else would ever encounter the problem, but my take is that if it happens with one, it will happen with others, so clipping the wire is the right way to go.

The ceramic sockets from Automotive Connectors are a nice tight fit. Give them a try.

I didn't even notice that you eliminated the resistor and diode in your harness. That's a pretty slick way to go. I might have to build a new harness from scratch that uses that method. I don't think I have enough slack on my larger wires to solder new headlight connectors on, so this might be a new weekend project for me. I'll get a chance to implement everything else I've learned since I first built my harness. When you cut the LO beam wire, are you referring to the wire in the vehicle's harness that connects to the socket you've connected your upgraded harness to?

Edit; N/M, just reread the first post and found my answer. Man I need a nap....

 

[slcfj62]

Here is the wire you cut. You can just see the green stripe on the red wire in the corner that is cut off. These two connectors have been disconnected right at the base of the steering column. For my FJ62, the red wire with the green stripe (the one you cut) is in the right front corner of the larger connector when the connector latch is facing you. The blue splotches are not part of the color code for the wire. If you cut it like I have, there is enough wire to splice it back together if that ever becomes necessary. After cutting, tape off the wire that does not go down into the connector.

 

[slcfj62]

I have had a request for a more complete diagram, so I drew up the FJ60 diagram a little different and will explain how it works.

When the headlight switch is turned on, 12V is applied to pin 86 of all three relays. Pin 85 on Relay 1 has a path to ground, and so the coil is energized and closes the contacts which puts 12 volts to relay 2. If the HI/LO beam switch is in the LO position, pin 85 on both Relay 2 and 3 have no path to ground and so neither relay is energized. So 12 volts is sent to pin 87a, the normally closed contact of Relay 2, and the low beam headlights are illuminated. When the HI/LO switch is switched to HI, this provides a path to ground for Relay 2 and Relay 3 pin 85, the coils are energized, and both relays change state. This removes voltage from Relay 2 pin 87a and the low beams turn off. With Relay 2 and 3 energized, 12 volts is at pin 87 of both relays. This illuminates the Hi beam elements connected to Relay 2 pin 87 and the Hi Beam Dash Indicator Light in the dash connected to Relay 3. And that's all there is to it.

 

[slcfj62]

Here is a the same style drawing for the FJ62. It works just like the FJ60 with the addition of the extra set of high beams connected to Relay 3. The FJ62 in this headlight wiring configuration also has the added benefit of redundancy. If, for some reason, Relay 1 or Relay 2 become defective, or if the fuse that feeds them blows, you would still have the second set of Hi Beams to light your way to safety on a dark night. The additional Hi Beams on the FJ62 are run off their own fuse and relay in my design.

 

[djoneab]

Here is the wire you cut. You can just see the green stripe on the red wire in the corner that is cut off. These two connectors have been disconnected right at the base of the steering column. For my FJ62, the red wire with the green stripe (the one you cut) is in the right front corner of the larger connector when the connector latch is facing you. The blue splotches are not part of the color code for the wire. If you cut it like I have, there is enough wire to splice it back together if that ever becomes necessary. After cutting, tape off the wire that does not go down into the connector.

do you cut the red/green wire on fj62 only or you have to cut it on fj60 also?

 

[slcfj62]

With any of my harnesses, you don't have the cut the wire. That was for my first iteration that converted the headlights to switched hot. I changed the harness to switched ground, and you don't need to cut the wire.

 

[Mark Nunley]

Are these headlight harnesses for fj62 still available?