Board logo

Sanity check on light switching.....
Jenko - 12/11/13 at 09:53 PM

I finished my lighting loom tonight using savage switches...it works as follows, is this iva ok?

Ignition off - no lights work

Ignition on:

Side light off - no other lights work
Side light on - dip beam works, switch does not light up when dip beam is off
Side light on - fog light does not work
Side light and dip beam on - fog light works
Side light, dip beam on - main beam works, but extinguishes the dip beam switch light and the dip beam - fog light still works
Side light on, dip beam off - main beam works, fog lights work

Phew...

So, is that ok thus far?

daniel mason - 12/11/13 at 10:04 PM

what have you done with your hazzards?

Jenko - 12/11/13 at 10:06 PM

quote:
Originally posted by daniel mason
what have you done with your hazzards?


Not wired in yet....

theprisioner - 12/11/13 at 10:23 PM

I don't believe your lights should go off when you turn off the ignition. No car I have ever had does that, there must be a reason?

corrado vr6 - 12/11/13 at 10:27 PM

Side light on, dip beam off - main beam works, fog lights work

Is this correct? I thought fog could only operate with dipped on?

owelly - 12/11/13 at 10:49 PM

Just to add: your side/tail lights (parking lights) need to work with the ignition off and on.

Jenko - 12/11/13 at 10:53 PM

I'm happy to have no lights working if the ignition is not on.....reason being is my 3 yr old and 6 yr old often find it funny to sit in dads car, and press stuff!....no more run down batteries was my thinking....I can't see anywhere in iva that says the lights need to work with ignition off. I also have a hidden switch for the horn that I can use to stop it working for the by same reason....



For the fog...I thought it must not work with side light only (which it doesn't) but should work with dip and main beam?

jollygreengiant - 12/11/13 at 11:32 PM

quote:
Originally posted by Jenko
I'm happy to have no lights working if the ignition is not on....


You might be happy, BUT, I'm fairly sure mr IVA/SVA man will not be.

jabs - 13/11/13 at 08:04 AM

Shouldn't you be able to have side lights on when ignition off? Could be need for parking at night

adithorp - 13/11/13 at 08:42 AM

"...Side light on, dip beam off - main beam works, fog lights work..."

Think that'll fail... someone did just last week.

The main beam should only come on when the dip's are on. This can (and usually does) switch the dip off (via a switchover relay) if using single h/lamp units. The reason being that you don't want to be able to switch off your main beam on an unlit road and hav only sides left on.

The only way main should operate without other lights is for headlamp flash.

Easier to think of it as, side light switch, headlight switch, dip/main switch, h/lamp flash.

Irony - 13/11/13 at 09:05 AM

Can the Parking lights just be the side lights that turn on with the ignition off? I missed this in the IVA manual as it says 'optional' in the top corner. But after reading it, it might suggest its optional because they are not allowed on vehicles over 6m long.

I have a switch for the dip and mains that automatically adds the mains to the dips so they are both on. I cannot find anything to suggest this is wrong.

Jenko - 13/11/13 at 09:23 AM

quote:
Originally posted by corrado vr6
Side light on, dip beam off - main beam works, fog lights work

Is this correct? I thought fog could only operate with dipped on?


Just checked that: Mr IVA says.....The rear fog lamp(s) must only illuminate when dipped beam, main beam or front fog lamps are lit.

As for parking lamps: Mr IVA says.....Section 30 Parking Lamps Application: All Vehicles (Optional)

So, as I have never in my life used parking lamps even on my tin top, I suspect I will never need to use them on the J15. So, my option is to not have them. For this reason I can't see anywhere in the IVA manual that says side lights need to be operational with no ignition on...however, I would like for someone to confirm this.

Jenko - 13/11/13 at 09:26 AM

quote:
Originally posted by adithorp
"...Side light on, dip beam off - main beam works, fog lights work..."

Think that'll fail... someone did just last week.

The main beam should only come on when the dip's are on. This can (and usually does) switch the dip off (via a switchover relay) if using single h/lamp units. The reason being that you don't want to be able to switch off your main beam on an unlit road and hav only sides left on.

The only way main should operate without other lights is for headlamp flash.

Easier to think of it as, side light switch, headlight switch, dip/main switch, h/lamp flash.


Good point, I think my description was not clear.....

To confirm...when the side lights are on, the dip beam switch works as normal, you push it, and the dip beam turns on. However, if the dip bean is on and you push the main beam, the dip beam is automatically turned off..hope that makes sense, but I think that is what you have said here.

adithorp - 13/11/13 at 09:44 AM

quote:
Originally posted by Jenko
quote:
Originally posted by adithorp
"...Side light on, dip beam off - main beam works, fog lights work..."

Think that'll fail... someone did just last week.

The main beam should only come on when the dip's are on. This can (and usually does) switch the dip off (via a switchover relay) if using single h/lamp units. The reason being that you don't want to be able to switch off your main beam on an unlit road and hav only sides left on.

The only way main should operate without other lights is for headlamp flash.

Easier to think of it as, side light switch, headlight switch, dip/main switch, h/lamp flash.


Good point, I think my description was not clear.....

To confirm...when the side lights are on, the dip beam switch works as normal, you push it, and the dip beam turns on. However, if the dip bean is on and you push the main beam, the dip beam is automatically turned off..hope that makes sense, but I think that is what you have said here.


Yes, thats correct.

Irony... There's no reason in IVA not to have both main and dip illuminated together. However if it's a dual fillament (spelling?) bulb in a single lamp, it'll overheat the bulb and blow it very quickly. So it's usual to wire them to "switch" between dip/main.

My sidelights are wired to only work with ignition on as I didn't want curious fingers turning them on at (for instance) shows. If I break down in the dark, I can always leave ign' on and can't envisage any time it'd be parked unattended at night, requireing parking lights. I passed SVA like that but I'm not sure it's OK for IVA. You could always wire in a hidden bypass switch to disable the sides on with ign' off if you realy wanted to.

Irony - 13/11/13 at 11:46 AM

I agree that having 'parking lights' or 'side lights' that are permanent live is pretty pointless. Every tiptop I have owned has them and they have been switchable to allow either the offside or nearside on separately. Guess it allows you to park on a dark lane and leave the outer light on. Never ever used it however.

Does anyone have a definitive answer on this?

The Black Flash - 14/11/13 at 10:22 AM

All the manual seems to say is this: (section 30)

"Note 1:
The parking lamp(s) and, if applicable, the front and rear
position lamps must be able to operate even if the device which starts
the engine is in a position which makes it impossible for the engine to
operate. "

Which sounds like they must operate with the ignition key (if there is one) not in the "run" position. Which would imply, with ignition off, to me.

adithorp - 14/11/13 at 01:19 PM

quote:
Originally posted by The Black Flash
All the manual seems to say is this: (section 30)

"Note 1:
The parking lamp(s) and, if applicable, the front and rear
position lamps must be able to operate even if the device which starts
the engine is in a position which makes it impossible for the engine to
operate. "

Which sounds like they must operate with the ignition key (if there is one) not in the "run" position. Which would imply, with ignition off, to me.


I'd agree that that is probably interpreted as side/parking lights must operate without ignition key for IVA.

daveb666 - 14/11/13 at 01:58 PM

quote:
Originally posted by owelly
Just to add: your side/tail lights (parking lights) need to work with the ignition off and on.


Mine didn't and that was never tested on my car.

matt_gsxr - 14/11/13 at 02:18 PM

Add a battery isolator after IVA and this will prevent those pesky kids running the battery down.
Also its nice to have when tinkering with the car.

owelly - 14/11/13 at 02:54 PM

Irrespective of what your interpretation of what mr IVA says, I'd want parking lights in case I had to leave the car at the side of the road after dark. Not that I'm saying I plan to break down.....