General How do I wire in my spot lamps?

[brotherfergus]

Got two spot lamps with pieces of cable hanging out the bottom (re/black) I can't see any brand names or wattage printed on them so I guess they are standard from Fiat. In any case I want to get them wired in on a switch, I know I need a relay but thats a bout it, electrics a re a bit of a dark art to me really so if anybody can point me in the right direction it'd be greatly appreciated.

 

[Most Easterly Pandas]

If your wiring into a seperate switch in the passenger compartment you don't need a relay if you use an inline fuse and take feed directly from the battery which it sounds like what your thinking of doing?

I personally would wire them into a relay switched by a signal from the main beam of the car. This then make them nice and easy to install because you won't need to go into the car from the engine bay.

I assume you know how to wire a relay? The best place to get them from is Maplin Electronics if you have one near you. Should cost £2.70. http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?TabID=1&DOY=21m3&ModuleNo=37526&criteria= I'm using product code N02AW. And this works fine. and the relay comes with a mouning bracket so you can mount it withing the engine bay if you wish.

 

[Steven]

Correct me if I'm wrong here, but I think that for MOT purposes spotlights have to be wired to the main beam.

 

[Johnbee]

I believe Steven is right (hope so as ours are wired in to the main beam).

Wired Mandapanda's up by running the lives from the spot lights to the lives for the existing Main beams and earthed spotties to the body.

Put the spots on a few months ago and they work fine and have not blown any bulbs yet, or fuses !

Great for hacking down the lanes, as we can actually see where were going now LOL

 

[Most Easterly Pandas]

Put the spots on a few months ago and they work fine and have not blown any bulbs yet, or fuses !

When my grille was fitted to the 750L its passed the mot wired into the main beam.

I origionally wired them straight into the main beam like mandapanda in the 750L, but the poor thing didn't like it and almost set the wiring loom alight!!!!!.

Was a 1989 Panda so perhaps the later ones had better wiring looms? But I would recomend fitting them with a relay.

 

[nitro_warrior]

Correct me if I'm wrong here, but I think that for MOT purposes spotlights have to be wired to the main beam.

Yes that is the case, and definitly use a relay. You can pick them up from halfords and the like.

 

[Most Easterly Pandas]

...definitly use a relay. You can pick them up from halfords and the like.

But don't forget Halfords charge you through the nose for Relays, as I recomended eariler in the thread I reacon somewhere like Maplin would be better.

 

[nitro_warrior]

But don't forget Halfords charge you through the nose for Relays, as I recomended eariler in the thread I reacon somewhere like Maplin would be better.

Not if you have a trade card!
Otherwise I agree, avoid Halfrauds in favour of motorfactors and in this case Maplin.

 

[Most Easterly Pandas]

Not if you have a trade card!
Otherwise I agree, avoid Halfrauds in favour of motorfactors and in this case Maplin.

Lol. As if you have a trade card. Its all right for some. lol. Is that same as staff discount card, or an actually trade customer card (out of interest)?

 

[nitro_warrior]

Lol. As if you have a trade card. Its all right for some. lol. Is that same as staff discount card, or an actually trade customer card (out of interest)?

I'll let you in on a secret, but don't tell everyone!

http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/..._productId_264956_langId_-1_p1_38270_p2_31284

If you work for a garage great, if you don't don't panic the key is tha last option

High Volume Parts Buyer (or frequent user of car parts): High volume of local motor factor invoices from last 3 months ​

I have loads of invoices (Though only 1 or 2 from the last 3 months ). I went in with a bundle (10-20),and asked if I could get a card as I buy a lot of parts and they said yes, didn't even look at my invoices. The card gives a really good discount anything from 10% to 75% on wiper blades and bulbs. In reality it makes the prices competitive but at least they open to a decent time so you can get there in the evening. It's only valid on car stuff by the way.

 

[brotherfergus]

Thanks everybody for that! Let me just get it straight. I wire the lamps into the relay with something like a 20watt, then earth the relay and connect it directly to the battery (that also needs an in line fuse) and then wire the relay with a lower wattage cable into the lives from the spot?

Cheers!

Brotherfergus

 

[Most Easterly Pandas]

Relay - 4 pins on it. (Can't remember what order they are)

pin 1- Earth for relay [I tend to just run a short wire and connect it to the relay bracket where its then connected and earthed to the body work.
pin 2- +ve signal (from current main beam)
pin 3- +ve power from relay to lights Thick wire
pin 4- +ve power from battery to relay (with inline fuse) Thick wire

Relays are done in Amps, not watts. I fitted a 40 Amp to mine, because it will be capable of bigger lights if I fit them at a later date and with only about 70p difference between 35 and 40 Amp relays, I couldn't see the comparision.

Hope it helps.

Jon.

 

[FuzzyPanda]

I had spots in my grille on the last MOT, they weren't tested at either garage (it was retested at another garage).

 

[Most Easterly Pandas]

Lucky. Normally if they're there they have to work or its a failiure. I wonder what else they didn't pick up

 

[Andy Monty]

Lucky. Normally if they're there they have to work or its a failiure. I wonder what else they didn't pick up

Not always true Front fog lamps for example arn't part of the MOT as they are not legally required..

this is a diagram i did for fog lamps on my GP Instead of wiring the Supply to the fag lighter scotch hook that to the Main beam live supply

http://www.flickr.com/photos/16533236@N04/1779707270/in/set-72157602743587496/


hope thats of some use

BTW its worth investing in a set of ratchet crimping tool to make sure your connections are up to the job,,,

something like this
Amazon.co.uk: Draper 35574 Ratchet Crimping Tool  : DIY & Tools

 

[Most Easterly Pandas]

Not always true Front fog lamps for example arn't part of the MOT as they are not legally required..

But as I've been told on countless occations, that if something is fitted, lights etc, they technically have to work, but luckly not all MOT inspectors are Job's worths.

 

[Andy Monty]

But as I've been told on countless occations, that if something is fitted, lights etc, they technically have to work, but luckly not all MOT inspectors are Job's worths.

the local MOT chap told me the opposite of that

 

[FuzzyPanda]

I wonder what else they didn't pick up

Bit cheeky, no? Well after they saw the corpse in the boot and the teeth in my bumper I slipped them a tenner and everything was fine.

On a more serious note, I've had three MOTs with that grille on and not once has the topic been raised. In 2006 it'd just gone on and they weren't wired, then in 2007 they were wired up and again, nothing from either garage.

As far as I'm aware they only come under scrutiny if they come on with main beam. Mine were wired separately. As for not picking stuff up, the first garage in 2007 was plenty thorough, I even had a disagreement regarding the amount of play in the drivers seat, and also had to explain that the rear fog lamp on a Panda doesn't come on when main beam is on (an odd design choice, as discussed on here a while back).

So three garages have all said nothing. Maybe it's a North-West/Midlands thing, or the fact that my Panda is so magnificent they gloss over minor "faults" like the way I've modified the engine to run on crack...

 

[Andy Monty]

just to back up what i said..

Taken from

http://www.motuk.co.uk/mot_testing.htm

What items are examined in the MOT test?

Lighting Equipment,
Stop Lamps, Reflectors, and Direction Indicators

Front and rear position lamps,
rear registration plate lamps,
rear fog lamps
Headlamps
Stoplamps
Rear reflectors
Direction indicators and hazard warning devices
Headlamp aim


same said on here
http://www.ukmot.com/1-1.asp