Control Additional Lights with High Beams…Solution Finally?

[Brian_B]

i have not tryed it yet… but I don’t understand why we can’t tap into the low or high beam light line to operate other lights with a relay.

So, the way these newer headlamp assemblies work. They are digital. They get power all the time, and use CAN bus signals to tell the headlamp what to do.

So, yeah, there's power there in the harness and at the fuse box, but it will be hot all the time, regardless of if the high beam is on or not. It even says so on your wiring diagrams - Note (2) - Continuous 12V.

So, if you want to see if the high beams are on, there are a few ways:

The stock setting on the Bronco is that if the high beams come on, the factory fog lights come off. So you can see if the factory fog lamps are off and infer that the high beams are probably on. That doesn't work if you run Bambi lights though, and it isn't foolproof - like when your headlamps are all the way off, and so are your fogs.

You can tap into the CAN bus, and see the high beam signal going to the headlamp. That's what the XBB unit does.

You can crack open the headlamp assembly and tap into the wire going directly to the high beam LED. I haven't seen anyone do this yet, but it's possible if you wanted to figure it out.

You can use a hall effect current sensor to see that current is flowing through the high beam circuit, and that will tell you that the high beams are pulling power and infer that they are running. I haven't seen anyone do this yet either, but again, it's possible if you wanted to figure it out.

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[Texasgrillchef]

So, the way these newer headlamp assemblies work. They are digital. They get power all the time, and use CAN bus signals to tell the headlamp what to do.

So, yeah, there's power there in the harness and at the fuse box, but it will be hot all the time, regardless of if the high beam is on or not. It even says so on your wiring diagrams - Note (2) - Continuous 12V.

So, if you want to see if the high beams are on, there are a few ways:

The stock setting on the Bronco is that if the high beams come on, the factory fog lights come off. So you can see if the factory fog lamps are off and infer that the high beams are probably on. That doesn't work if you run Bambi lights though, and it isn't foolproof - like when your headlamps are all the way off, and so are your fogs.

You can tap into the CAN bus, and see the high beam signal going to the headlamp. That's what the XBB unit does.

You can crack open the headlamp assembly and tap into the wire going directly to the high beam LED. I haven't seen anyone do this yet, but it's possible if you wanted to figure it out.

You can use a hall effect current sensor to see that current is flowing through the high beam circuit, and that will tell you that the high beams are pulling power and infer that they are running. I haven't seen anyone do this yet either, but again, it's possible if you wanted to figure it out.

I haven’t tried this with the high and low beam yet. So you are probably right.

the chart says continuous 12v for the DRL, Park and Turn. But they are not.
it works (The dongle) for the DRL, parking and Turn signals in the front. going off and on as they should.

https://www.bronco6g.com/forum/threads/tapping-into-high-beam-wire.62089/post-2154034

my DRL’s are plugged into the dongle with a relay and run the amber lights on the bumper through another relay, and run the round light drls.

the amber lights are also hooked to the turn signals and will blink appropriately when using the turn signals.

all relays are high performance fast acting solid state 10amp relays.

 

[Texasgrillchef]

So, the way these newer headlamp assemblies work. They are digital. They get power all the time, and use CAN bus signals to tell the headlamp what to do.

So, yeah, there's power there in the harness and at the fuse box, but it will be hot all the time, regardless of if the high beam is on or not. It even says so on your wiring diagrams - Note (2) - Continuous 12V.

So, if you want to see if the high beams are on, there are a few ways:

The stock setting on the Bronco is that if the high beams come on, the factory fog lights come off. So you can see if the factory fog lamps are off and infer that the high beams are probably on. That doesn't work if you run Bambi lights though, and it isn't foolproof - like when your headlamps are all the way off, and so are your fogs.

You can tap into the CAN bus, and see the high beam signal going to the headlamp. That's what the XBB unit does.

You can crack open the headlamp assembly and tap into the wire going directly to the high beam LED. I haven't seen anyone do this yet, but it's possible if you wanted to figure it out.

You can use a hall effect current sensor to see that current is flowing through the high beam circuit, and that will tell you that the high beams are pulling power and infer that they are running. I haven't seen anyone do this yet either, but again, it's possible if you wanted to figure it out.

I do have some current sensing solid state relays that draw no power from a circuit to activate the relay. I could try.

I will get back to you on that.

the dongle does work for everything else.

i also have a dongle for the tail lamps for brake, park, reverse, and turn signals that work just fine as well to run various additional lights In the rear as well.

 

[broughtie]

@Spicygb How has the XBB been working for you, I'm looking at purchasing. Did the company ever manage to send you some custom recipes for CAN settings other than the out of the box recipes on the app? I see the Bronco still isn't listed on their website as a support vehicle, so F150 can work for high beams, but wasn't sure how receptive they've been to any other ideas (steering angle, etc).

 

[Spicygb]

@Spicygb How has the XBB been working for you, I'm looking at purchasing. Did the company ever manage to send you some custom recipes for CAN settings other than the out of the box recipes on the app? I see the Bronco still isn't listed on their website as a support vehicle, so F150 can work for high beams, but wasn't sure how receptive they've been to any other ideas (steering angle, etc).

It’s been working really good. They didn’t do any custom recipes, at the moment everything has been working as I like/need. However they were very receptive to working together for changes.

 

[rayofsi]

did it works as it should stock? XBB didnt want to sell anything in the USA due to testing requirements. or something like that..

 

[broughtie]

Where I purchased XBB yesterday, I'll update on the service from them and the XBB itself once I install. Definitely for sale in the US, but still the disclaimer that it's a product tested and designed for EU cars.

https://strandsamerica.com/products/xbb-obd2-kit-xbb-dongle®-xbb-powerunit®-1

I also chat with XBB team via email, and they are receptive to helping those of us in the US, but the biggest hurdle is they don't have access to Bronco so limited options to really dig into customizing other CAN settings than what they've already done for the Ford vehicles like the F150. But as a high beam relay switch should be solid.

 

[rayofsi]

Where I purchased XBB yesterday, I'll update on the service from them and the XBB itself once I install. Definitely for sale in the US, but still the disclaimer that it's a product tested and designed for EU cars.

https://strandsamerica.com/products/xbb-obd2-kit-xbb-dongle®-xbb-powerunit®-1

I also chat with XBB team via email, and they are receptive to helping those of us in the US, but the biggest hurdle is they don't have access to Bronco so limited options to really dig into customizing other CAN settings than what they've already done for the Ford vehicles like the F150. But as a high beam relay switch should be solid.

i like everything about this, except for the price, i'm sure building a decoder box for the lin bus highbeam with a trigger out would cost 10 bucks, if i knew how to do it. Still debating this.

 

[broughtie]

@rayofsi I agree about the price, but looking for easy plug and play, I have enough other install projects to worry about, and mainly I'm hopeful I'll eventually get them to help me tap into other CAN signals down the road.

 

[Nibroc99]

Any updates on if the XBB unit or something like it is available in the US yet? I can't seem to find any solid sources online. Hoping to install high beam activated lights soon and just read through this thread. Lots of good info here

 

[SierraBronco]

Any updates on if the XBB unit or something like it is available in the US yet? I can't seem to find any solid sources online. Hoping to install high beam activated lights soon and just read through this thread. Lots of good info here

Just now finding this thread but the relay being tripped with the fog lights turning off is working very well for me. Wildtrak, so no factory fogs, but enabled them with Forscan and replaced the light switch a fog light switch. Aux1 powers the big lights so I can turn it off during the day when the fogs aren’t on. (Enabled them to be on with DRL but it didn’t take)

Some of these modules that intercept signals aren’t exactly known for reliability. Not sure on whether that’s the case or not with the product originally mentioned. But the relay was an easy solution and doesn’t require cracking the headlight open or tying in to any modules.

 

[Nibroc99]

Just now finding this thread but the relay being tripped with the fog lights turning off is working very well for me. Wildtrak, so no factory fogs, but enabled them with Forscan and replaced the light switch a fog light switch. Aux1 powers the big lights so I can turn it off during the day when the fogs aren’t on. (Enabled them to be on with DRL but it didn’t take)

Some of these modules that intercept signals aren’t exactly known for reliability. Not sure on whether that’s the case or not with the product originally mentioned. But the relay was an easy solution and doesn’t require cracking the headlight open or tying in to any modules.

How do you prevent the lights from coming on when the lights are off entirely (eg. during the day)? Do you just have to remember that the switch is on?

 

[SierraBronco]

How do you prevent the lights from coming on when the lights are off entirely (eg. during the day)? Do you just have to remember that the switch is on?

Yip. As difficult as it is, I extend my hand up to the roof and turn off Aux1. Archaic, I know. But sometimes one must make great sacrifices.

 

[Nibroc99]

Yip. As difficult as it is, I extend my hand up to the roof and turn off Aux1. Archaic, I know. But sometimes one must make great sacrifices.

Golly... You have the strength of many men, sir knight. But alas, I will probs just end up doing exactly what you did. I, too, have a Wildtrak, but I actually do have the factory fog lights. Looks like I'm picking up a normally-closed relay after work today!

 

[SierraBronco]

Golly... You have the strength of many men, sir knight. But alas, I will probs just end up doing exactly what you did. I, too, have a Wildtrak, but I actually do have the factory fog lights. Looks like I'm picking up a normally-closed relay after work today!

Shouldn't be a problem to simply tee off of the power for the fogs and run it up into the relay. *shrugs*

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