Offroad Lights (question)

[DC493]

So I'm Installing 16 Baja Performance off road lights. I've installed 4 already on the roof in the front, Weird part is they only work during the day. How can this be possibly??

Any help is appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

-493

[DC493]

Possible*

[NoahDL88]

Seriously? 16 lights? are you running drugs at night or is your car an emergency landing light platform.

 

I'd be more worried about an amp draw draining your battery and keeping your car from starting.

 

check for voltage at the switch, lights and most likely fuse, if 4 lights are on the same fuse you've probably blown it.

 

There is nothing that would cause them to only work during the day and not at night, except if you see the sun reflected in the lights.

 

 

Basic diagnostic skills will get you out of this one, check grounds connections and make sure you have a big enough fuse and wire going to your lights, you don't want to burn down your car.

[bheinen74]

buy a fire extinguisher if you add that many lights, as fire is surely to result.

[thatswhatshesaid]

lawl. 16 lights. You'll need a generator in the back seat with a bigger engine than the one under the hood.

[Uberoo]

lets see 4 lights on the bumper,+ 4 forward facing lights on the roof,+ 4 lights on the roof illuminating the sides offroad at night, + 4 rear facing lights or 4 rock lights?

 

am I close?

 

if all lights are 50W then 16x50= 800W / 12V = 66.7 amps light is close to the amount the stock amp provides at at WOT.I dunno you might be able to run them if you ran a GM 130 A or 200A alt and a good battery,a big alt like that should be able to supply that much amps at low rpms...maybe.

[Markus56]

i would like to know how they are wired. the most i have put on a car is 10 including the stock ones, and these are wired on independent circuits each with a fuse and relay, with a high output alternator. one would think that it would stress the charging system a little bit

[Gloyale]

So I'm Installing 16 Baja Performance off road lights. I've installed 4 already on the roof in the front, Weird part is they only work during the day. How can this be possibly??

Any help is appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

-493

 

Do you have them tied into the Stock headlights?

 

Is it possible that when you switch on the Headlights, the Roof lights are affected?

 

Also, FWIW, 16 lights is MASSIVE overkill. The amps issue is a very real one.

[DC493]

Haha Yes, yes 16 Lights.

I wanna be able to have pretty much 360 degree lighting (4 on each side)

when I'm riding and wheeling at night.

every pair of lights has it's own fuse.

However is it possible to put one or two batteries in the trunk? and connect most (if not all) lights to those batteries in the trunk?

And as for the 4 I have now, they are not connected to my headlights or anything else. I've checked fuses grounds basically everything.

-493

[SoobieDoo]

Haha Yes, yes 16 Lights.

I wanna be able to have pretty much 360 degree lighting (4 on each side)

when I'm riding and wheeling at night. Use rear lights only as needed, and that would help...I'd hate to follow you!

every pair of lights has it's own fuse. Good...relays?

However is it possible to put one or two batteries in the trunk? and connect most (if not all) lights to those batteries in the trunk? Yes, but your lights will dim with use, and you'd have to recharge at home.

And as for the 4 I have now, they are not connected to my headlights or anything else. I've checked fuses grounds basically everything. If sourced direct from the battery, you have a short somewhere. Make sure that your toggle switches are rated for enough amps. I had a 15A rocker supplied with a pair of 130W lights before.

I'd check the lights' internals too. Poor factory wiring, or possibly bulb socket corrosion, if not new.

-493

 

Basically, there is a solution. I highly doubt your lights are possessed.

I'd add a deep-cycle battery inline with the stock one, high-amp alt, use fuses and relays direct from the marine battery, and have a nice row of heavy duty toggles to use sets of four as needed.

[Gloyale]

Basically, there is a solution. I highly doubt your lights are possessed.

I'd add a deep-cycle battery inline with the stock one, high-amp alt, use fuses and relays direct from the marine battery, and have a nice row of heavy duty toggles to use sets of four as needed.

 

Inline would equal a 24v system

 

 

Parallel is what he wants. both positives and both negtives toghether.

[nipper]

You do know that your eye is drawn to the brightest light it sees. Flooding light all around you may make night driving harder, can be considered rather rude. They all need covers as almost every state do not allow for more then 6 uncovered on the road. You may even get in trouble with rangers or troopers.

 

I hope you are running dual batteries. Assuming 55 watts you have 18 55 watt lights V x A = Watts. Thats 990 watts. A 100 amp Alt (to make numbers easy) puts out 1200 watts. You can never keep up with the load. Now add anything like, oh... the engine running, the heater on .. you will get stuck.

 

I have the fogs (55x2), headlights (55x2), Baja (55x2) and driving lights (55x2).

I have them all on, plus the parking lights, I notice the draw.

 

Hope you have lots of relays and switches.

[Subruise]

are you guiding spacecraft for landings???

[nipper]

are you guiding spacecraft for landings???

 

 

More like signaling to be picked up

[Subruise]

good point (cannonball run)

[SoobieDoo]

Inline would equal a 24v system

 

 

Parallel is what he wants. both positives and both negtives toghether.

 

Thanks for the correct wordage...that's what I meant, of course.

[DC493]

Is there any way to keep the batteries in the truck charged??

I just bought the last 14 lights last night but I'm kinda scared that it's not going to work

 

I'm installing numerous amounts of accessories, besides just lights. most of it seems damn near impossible. :sad:

[Uberoo]

the stock amp is like 60-70 amps.You would be drawing close to that in your lights alone.then theres about 15-20 for the ignition system,then the radio,then gauges and other lights,etc.All that power has to come from somewhere-namely the battery

[nipper]

Is there any way to keep the batteries in the truck charged??

I just bought the last 14 lights last night but I'm kinda scared that it's not going to work

 

I'm installing numerous amounts of accessories, besides just lights. most of it seems damn near impossible. :sad:

 

 

High output Alt, they are out there or it can be made. Even then they may not be able to keep up. One light per side would have done just as much. The solution (and the civilized solution) is just to light the side you want to see. That is how most emergency and forest service trucks do it.

 

Remember it is not your forest, it belongs to the animals, they were there first, and the lights can startle them. Also people may not (will not) apreciate the light pollution, you may get smashed lights.

 

You should do dual batteries with an isolated to keep the primary one form going dead. With that many lights I do not think any non (Heavy duty OTR) truck alt could keep up

[thatswhatshesaid]

http://www.jeepforum.com/forum/f8/dual-batterys-493384/

 

Check out post #5. It's a good read.

[bheinen74]

better haul a power generator around with you, to either run your battery charger when it goes dead, or to run power for the lights. I say a 10,000 watt generator might do it.

 

the current drain on 16 lights, you will have brighter light with candles. Those lights are gonna be looking like dim flashlights when the batteries are all worn down, even when your battery is not run down, thats too much

[DC493]

http://www.jeepforum.com/forum/f8/dual-batterys-493384/

 

Check out post #5. It's a good read.

 

That was a good article, Thanks for that!

Gave me a little more hope

-493