To resist or not?!

[tedstates]

Hi
I have a problem that i hope someone can help me with :
I wired six 100w off road lamps on my truck. they are wired through two relays allowing me to have either 2, 4 or 6 on. All is well except that because of DRL's, the relays get a low current signal from the Hi beam wire when i start up ( Provided I have the relay switched on) and try to put on the off road lamps. The cure to this is to either disable the DRL's ( which I don't want to do ) or turn the head lamps on and then they act as a low beam wire and a Hi beam wire, meaning that the relay only gets a signal when the hi beam goes on. I believe that if I put a resistor into the line running from the Hi beam to the relay, it should ignore the lower current sent by the DSL's and only activate the relay when the lights are flashed or when on actual hi beam. Problem is that i don't know how to evaluate the resistance required? Has anyone successfully done this or have an idea where I should start?
Thanks!

 

[-Virgil-]

Probably the easiest, least problematic workaround is to disable the high-beam DRLs and move the DRL function to the front turn signals. There's an easily-installed module available to do so, and you wind up with better, cheaper-to-run DRLs (lower power consumption, longer-lived and less expensive bulbs).

 

[xul]

Hi
I have a problem that i hope someone can help me with :

A schematic for your vehicle may be online which you should then post a link to. My local library has this service online because it's cheaper than keeping books on the shelf.

It's important to go through the truth table for this setup and check for any adverse outcomes for your mod beforehand. Current steering diodes may be necessary.

 

[Alaric Darconville]

Probably the easiest, least problematic workaround is to disable the high-beam DRLs and move the DRL function to the front turn signals. There's an easily-installed module available to do so, and you wind up with better, cheaper-to-run DRLs (lower power consumption, longer-lived and less expensive bulbs).

That is certainly the way I would go. Let me know if by "better" you mean "less glaring than high beam DRLs, yet still very conspicuous", because I surmise that for many vehicles presently equipped with high beam DRLs, that is the case.

For reduced electrical use, turn signal DRLs are the way to go versus halogen headlight DRLs. Every little bit of electricity saved is a little bit of fuel saved.

 

[-Virgil-]

one can't argue that for reduced electrical use, turn signal DRLs are the way to go.

Depends on implementation; many turn signal DRL systems use less power than many headlamp DRL systems. A dedicated LED DRL (or an LED turn signal operated as a DRL) is obviously better from the power consumption standpoint.

 

[Alaric Darconville]

Depends on implementation; many turn signal DRL systems use less power than many headlamp DRL systems. A dedicated LED DRL (or an LED turn signal operated as a DRL) is obviously better from the power consumption standpoint.

Edited my post to more clearly indicate what I meant.

 

[sp71]

Is there a high-beam indicator lamp on the instrument panel you could tap into the circuit of for your relay? (I would think such an indicator won't be lit with DRLs running). Just a thought.

 

[alpg88]

why not just totaly electricly isolate your off road lights fom any other light? the safest and easiest way.

idk about resistor, it might work ok with low curent drl, but once you flash or put high beams on there will be more power going to resistor, you'll need really big resistor, wattage wise, also what is the minimum trigger current of your relays?
it is easy to figure value of the resistor if you mesure voltage\amps, on that wire in drl mode, that would be the power you need to kill, or you could just get some power resistors 10ohm 25w and up and try if it works, if resistor is too small, you will still trigger relay, also even if you find one that kills drl power to the trigger, but if gets hot as hell when high beams are on, you need bigger one, wattage wise, at this step you wouldn't mess anything with wrong resistor, worst case it blows and you either get no signal, or same signal you was getting without it.
why did you use high beam wire as a trigger???