Yet Another Defective Product

[RBBailey]

This is 5 or maybe 6 items that have either been shipped to me wrong in one way or another, or have been shipped new, but defective out of the box in the last two years of this project. I once calculated my lost time for other peoples' errors at about 12 weeks....

I got the winch bumper from Rovers North last summer, and after figuring out that the odd way it fit was not, in fact a defect, I finally installed it.

Well, tonight I finally got around to wiring up the LED fog lights that came with that bumper. They are Ring Aurora lights that come with an "automatic switcher", rated for 12/24v at 3 amps. http://www.ringautomotive.com/files/mydocs/BRL0397 Instructions version 1.pdf

They tested fine out of the box with a little battery pack they came with, and I did a quick check once they were installed in the bumper by simply hot wiring them directly. The lights work fine. But once I got it wired into my new fuse box, they simply didn't work... ...unless you initially powered up, then they come on for 5 seconds, then switch off while still having power applied to them.

I double checked everything, then removed the inline fuse and wired directly, then used both wiring options, and finally hot wired the lights just to make sure -- they only stay on for 5 seconds when using the sealed automatic switcher box, but they work fine when wired directly on their own... (by the way, I did not splice into a parking light just to use that option, I simply applied 12v to the wire, but nothing ever happened when I did that. The lights only came on when they had 12v applied to the main circuit, and only for 5 seconds, then they would turn off.)

Before I call Rover's North, just in case, is there any problem with simply bypassing the automatic switcher box and simply wiring them directly with a proper fuse and grounding, or will these malfunction/overheat if I don't use the switcher box they came with?

 

[RBBailey]

By the way, my diagram, and my harness do not have the DRL control boxes in the line, this model only has the single automatic switching box. This is why I think the lights would work fine being wired up with my own home made harness. But I'm asking to make sure.

 

[RDavisinVA]

That depends...
You're missing some pieces of key information:

What was the intended purpose of this mystery automatic switch box?
In other words, what function is performed when the automatic switch box is working properly?
Is it to meet a euro running light requirement like lights on when the engine is running and off when the parking lights are turned on?
How is the automatic switch box wired?
Those shitty euro snap on wire scotch lock connectors are problematic to start with.
We NEVER use them.
They are as bad as a crimp connector.
Once the bare wire oxidizes, the connector builds resistance which chokes the connection.
Never run a separate (-) wire from the battery to any device, NEVER, NEVER, NEVER.

What are the other lights that are wired to the parking light circuit?
Stock or LED?

How do you want these extra lights to work?
How do you want to activate these extra lights?

Only knowing the above information will tell us if the unit is defective or not and if it is something that will meet your needs... ie., satisfy your lighting requirements.

 

[Red90]

Have you started the engine? The automatic switcher appears to be there simple to turned them off when the side lights are turned. It may also sense when the engine is running but that could be the DRL units. If you don't want that option, don't use the box. It would help to see the actual instructions. I can't see why you can't simply hook up the lights via a switch or into the side light circuit directly.

The whole thing is not clear as it is not obvious how the system knows that the ignition is on or the engine is running.

 

[RBBailey]

The whole thing is not clear as it is not obvious how the system knows that the ignition is on or the engine is running.

Right. The switcher box seems to be there only to split the power to the two lights, and to act as a relay for when the exciter wire (to the parking lights) is energized. Confusingly, the instructions do say you can simply wire it directly and just blank off that one wire!

But maybe this switching box also senses when the voltage is at 14v or higher with the engine running, and only works at that point?

It is wired correctly, using the new fuse box I have installed, and certainly not using the stupid connector they supply. The ground is going to the fuse box, which is grounded to the frame.

 

[RDavisinVA]

You didn't answer most of the questions asked in Post 3.

 

[chris snell]

There are no shortcuts in vehicle wiring. Do it right or accept life in hell. Like Robert said, those Scotch connectors are crap. Every light I have is connected with quality wiring and if I have to splice something, it's done using the proper-sized marine-grade heatshrink butt connectors.

If I'm working with an aftermarket item like lights that comes with its own wiring harness, I will do my best to remove and replace that harness with my own, if possible, because the wiring components that come with that stuff is typically garbage. If I can't remove it because it's soldered or whatever, I will trim it down short and butt-splice it onto quality wire.

 

[RBBailey]

What was the intended purpose of this mystery automatic switch box?
In other words, what function is performed when the automatic switch box is working properly?
Not sure. At least it splits the power to the two lights, and triggers the lights when the exciter wire is energized from the parking light circuit. It might also be voltage sensitive so the lights only run when the car is running. It is sealed.

Is it to meet a euro running light requirement like lights on when the engine is running and off when the parking lights are turned on?
How is the automatic switch box wired? It is in the factory harness.
The + and - lines are both connected to a Blue Sea fuse box, grounded to the frame. The exciter wire is not connected to anything, I merely applied voltage to it to test. But nothing ever happened. The lights only work when first energized through the main circuit, with the exciter wire connected or not, doesn't matter, and then only for five seconds. The exciter wire does not change the behavior of the unit whether it is hot, or blanked off.

Those shitty euro snap on wire scotch lock connectors are problematic to start with.
We NEVER use them.
They are as bad as a crimp connector.
Once the bare wire oxidizes, the connector builds resistance which chokes the connection.
Yeah, even before I knew anything about wiring, I never used this crap.

Never run a separate (-) wire from the battery to any device, NEVER, NEVER, NEVER.
It is grounded to the frame through the fuse box. (Even though the Blue Sea instructions say to ground it to the battery!)

What are the other lights that are wired to the parking light circuit?
Stock or LED?
Stock, but I'm not using them. The exciter wire is not connected to anything, I merely touched it to a hot wire as a test as if it were connected. I then wired it to a Carling switch, but that didn't work either.

How do you want these extra lights to work? On off switch.
How do you want to activate these extra lights? On off switch.

Confusingly, the instructions actually say you can simply blank off the exciter wire and not use it if you want to just put a switch in the main line. I have no clue how the automatic switching box is supposed to know if you've done this or not.

 

[RDavisinVA]

Excellent Job!
Discard the control unit and:
Since you have the stock side lamps if you want these lights to operate with the parking lamps, it would be best to wire all the side lamps through a relay to prevent the contacts in the switch from burning out.
If you want a separate switch you can probably get by without a relay, but adding one is a better idea.
Best of luck!

 

[RBBailey]

I just want to do it through a switch. The problem is, they simply don't work. If you switch the exciter wire, nothing happens.

The only time anything happens is when you first apply power to the main wires, the lights come on for five seconds, then nothing else. The exciter wire does nothing. And having a switch in the main line only allows the lights to come on for five seconds.

I guess I just need to know if it seems like these can be wired safely without the control box. If so, I'll just do that. If not, I'll return them to Rover's North.... hopefully.

 

[Red90]

The exciter wire is to turn the lights OFF not on. They turn on when they sense the engine is running. Just send power straight to the lights. Get rid of the box.

 

[RBBailey]

The exciter wire is to turn the lights OFF not on. They turn on when they sense the engine is running. Just send power straight to the lights. Get rid of the box.

You may be right, but I thought they were to turn on when you turn the parking lights on -- that's why it patches into a positive side on the parking lights.

I want to get rid of the box, just want to be sure they won't fry without it.

 

[RBBailey]

Ah! I figured it out. I was right about it being voltage sensitive.

Before quitting the thing, I tried it one more time, but this time I ran the engine when I switched them on -- the box is voltage sensitive. As long as you have 13 volts or more, the lights stay on. They even blink as your voltage drops, then go off below 13 volts. I suppose this is kind of nice since you can leave them on, and they automatically shut off for you when you walk away from the car.

Thanks for the help, the process of posting and replying always helps me think through the various possible issues.

 

[RDavisinVA]

Good news.
Wonder what would happen when a jumper cable is applied to the battery?

 

[RBBailey]

It works. I have it on a charger now, working fine. Lights only barely warm up a tiny bit after about 10 minutes, and they stay on and steady.

 

[Red90]

You may be right, but I thought they were to turn on when you turn the parking lights on -- that's why it patches into a positive side on the parking lights.

I want to get rid of the box, just want to be sure they won't fry without it.

No. DRLs are supposed to turn off when the side lights are turned on.

 

[Red90]

They are probably using a voltage sensitive relay. Normally turn on at 13.5 and off at 12.5 V.