Control Additional Lights with High Beams…Solution Finally?

[Rosalieee]

Is there a place to buy the XBB module in the US?

Sponsored

 

[PEGB]

It is an awesome document. I’ve used it alot already. But to be honest I just found it here somewhere. Can’t remember where so I can’t credit the OP. I saved it to files on my phone so I always have it for reference.

 

[Spicygb]

Others have tried to purchase the factory part number listed to tap into that location, and found it still didn’t work well. I just used a standard female insulated spade connector, heated it a little, and forced it down in. You need to be aware of having the spade orientated correctly so it makes best alignment with the male spade in the panel, but mine is in there very well. I did take the plug cover off as noted in those pg.21 instructions and the red face of the plug, but it went well for me. Just make sure it’s orientated correctly and shoved all the way in and you should be good.

Great info, so you shoved this into the back of the connector and it stayed in there? Im gonna give it a go now....

 

[PEGB]

Great info, so you shoved this into the back of the connector and it stayed in there? Im gonna give it a go now....

Yes. I attached my wire of course and removed the back cover of the plug. You’ll have to cut the zip tie holding the wires. I also removed the red piece on the face of the plug. There’s an orientation to that so pay attention when you re-assemble the red piece to the plug. I think I also had to push a small piece of plastic slightly where I added my female spade so the red piece would snap back in. All very easy once you see it. Like I said, be careful of the orientation your female spade is in when you slide it in. One way will work better than the other. Once it’s jammed in it’s a PITA to get out, so try to pay attention and get it right the first time. I’m sorry I don’t have pictures to show the correct orientation. I just kind of stumbled through it. In the end I was surprised how well it ended up working. Especially after I read all the problems others have had using the actual ford terminal referenced in that document.

 

[Spicygb]

Yes. I attached my wire of course and removed the back cover of the plug. You’ll have to cut the zip tie holding the wires. I also removed the red piece on the face of the plug. There’s an orientation to that so pay attention when you re-assemble the red piece to the plug. I think I also had to push a small piece of plastic slightly where I added my female spade so the red piece would snap back in. All very easy once you see it. Like I said, be careful of the orientation your female spade is in when you slide it in. One way will work better than the other. Once it’s jammed in it’s a PITA to get out, so try to pay attention and get it right the first time. I’m sorry I don’t have pictures to show the correct orientation. I just kind of stumbled through it. In the end I was surprised how well it ended up working. Especially after I read all the problems others have had using the actual ford terminal referenced in that document.

Can confirm this worked perfectly. It’s very fiddly because there is not much space on that connector (thanks ford) but I was able to pull it apart, and get a crimp on, it didn’t fit very well. But once I got the red spacer in, it held quite well and went right back into place very easily. Working on a relay mount next and getting wires into the engine bay. This is great, it’ll save me from using the aux switches for this lighting group.

 

[Spicygb]

Is there a place to buy the XBB module in the US?

No there isn't at this time.

 

[PEGB]

Can confirm this worked perfectly. It’s very fiddly because there is not much space on that connector (thanks ford) but I was able to pull it apart, and get a crimp on, it didn’t fit very well. But once I got the red spacer in, it held quite well and went right back into place very easily. Working on a relay mount next and getting wires into the engine bay. This is great, it’ll save me from using the aux switches for this lighting group.

Great! Glad it helped. That’s why I liked it. Trying to save aux switches. There’s so much room in that footwell area I’m actually considering in the future putting in some sort of sub panel and using that 30amp BCM pin for a few other accessories. Something like this:
Blue Sea Systems 5028 ST Blade Fuse Block 6 Circuit with Cover https://a.co/d/hmvW8vw
Anyway, keep up the good work. This project has me curious.

 

[Tricky Mike]

, steering angles,

So it could be set up to turn on ditch lights when your tires are turned to a certain point?

 

[Spicygb]

Great! Glad it helped. That’s why I liked it. Trying to save aux switches. There’s so much room in that footwell area I’m actually considering in the future putting in some sort of sub panel and using that 30amp BCM pin for a few other accessories. Something like this:
Blue Sea Systems 5028 ST Blade Fuse Block 6 Circuit with Cover https://a.co/d/hmvW8vw
Anyway, keep up the good work. This project has me curious.

That fuse block is a great idea. Although it would be pretty difficult getting a 30amp rated wire into that terminal that ford left us. Thanks for your help today

So it could be set up to turn on ditch lights when your tires are turned to a certain point?

Yes exactly! Turn on ditch lights, or maybe even other lights. Im trying to figure out the logic to make it work, I wouldn't want the ditch lights on at every traffic light.

 

[Tricky Mike]

Yes exactly! Turn on ditch lights, or maybe even other lights. Im trying to figure out the logic to make it work, I wouldn't want the ditch lights on at every traffic light.

The way to go would be an inline off/on/auto switch, so you can override both on/off if needed.

 

[Spicygb]

The way to go would be an inline off/on/auto switch, so you can override both on/off if needed.

If you were driving with ditch lights on, would you be off-roading, or driving on dark roads?

My Application would be more driving on dark roads, exactly why I want to have everything tied to the auto high beams. So they automatically can enable or I can override with the high beam stalk.

If I was off roading an only wanted specific lights on, I could see how off/on/auto would work well.

 

[Tricky Mike]

If you were driving with ditch lights on, would you be off-roading, or driving on dark roads?

My Application would be more driving on dark roads, exactly why I want to have everything tied to the auto high beams. So they automatically can enable or I can override with the high beam stalk.

If I was off roading an only wanted specific lights on, I could see how off/on/auto would work well.

Off-road I'd probably have it in auto, turning on at say 15 degrees. On-road in traffic it would be full off, on-road in the boonies set to full on.

 

[Spicygb]

So update here, wiring is temporarily completed. Need to do some finessing to get it nice and pretty, but it's fully functioning.

The XBB PowerUnit isn't waterproof, so I wanted to try and keep it in the cabin. I purchased a relay holder, off Amazon, and bolted it under the dash close to the interior fuse box. the XBB relay has 2 outputs, 15 Amp and/or 5Amp. My load is currently max 10Amp so the single output is sufficient for my needs, but I figured I would prep for additional lighting/loads so I added a second relay and powered it off Output 2 (5Amp). I used the firewall pass through to send a wire into the engine bay. I wanted the aux lighting to be controlled through either the high beam switch or separately through the Aux switches. So I purchased a diode, and fed it from both sources.

Once powered I was able to connect the XBB Controller to the Powerunit, and its very simple, you can enable what triggers the power unit relay and if you want to trigger output 1 or output 2 separately. In my case I disabled output 2 as I don't need it yet. Thanks to @PEGB for the insight on the ford manual.

I got a email from the manufacturer, re. Powering the Unit: you don't need +15/ignition for the PowerUnit, just hook it up to +30/constant power, it will turn of in sleep mode after a while and will only draw approx. 2.7 mA when in sleep mode, the advantage is that it will go from sleep and awake in no-time and still have the connection to the Dongle, which will draw approx. 3.5 mA in sleep mode - which is when SYSTEM_ACTIVE signal is off and you don't have the phone connected to it.
I still wired on ignition only, the really still seems to basically instantly connect to the controller. And it works pretty much immediately when I enable the high beams the aux lights come on.

 

[Rosalieee]

This is a cool solution - still trying to figure out where to buy - any insight?

 

[Texasgrillchef]

My thoughts and questions

on page 24 of that manual. Listed by someone above…

it shows tail lights and head lights….

on the rear tail lights I got a dongle tap from sticker fab to isolate the reverse lights and to allow me to use some floods on my rear bumper to operate a relay to turn those floods on an off. The dongle taps into those reverse lights.

the dongle allows me to turn on those floods with either me putting vehicle in reverse or using an aux switch. I also use another aux switch so that they won’t come on when I go into reverse as well. I have the led Rear tail lights.

i also have tapped into the turn and parking signal lights with a dongle connection and it runs additional turn, brake and parking lights I have on the rear as well.

so now we move to the HEADLIGHt circuit up front….

i purchased Both the trail guide replacement with the built in DRL/Turn leds, as well as the fog light turn signals that go where fog lights go on the modular bumper that have the drl and sequential turn signal in them.i have NOT installed eithee. I bought them for the dongles.

the dongles for both are exactly the same and connect to the same connector.

the dongle taps into the headlight dongle and lets me use those wires to run additional DRL’s and turn signals…

the amber lights you see on the front of my bronco will blink, the white DRL’s stay on all the time.

all of those I have connected to. A mechanical relay except for the turn signals and I connected those to a solid state super fast relay.

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.

as noted with pin 1 (low) and pin 8 (High) Since pin 2 (turn) and pin 7 (drl) are currently being tapped?

I checked these with a meter. And they are getting constant 12v signal when on and no signal when off?

Those big round lights you see on my bumper and A piller have low and high beam function and currently are using 3 aux switch’s. aux 1 turns high beams on both, aux. 2 low beam bumper. Aux 3 low beam pillar.

what I want Is when I turn aux 1 on, for the high beams to turn on the high beam bumper/piller lights only when my hig beams are on AND the aux 1 switch is on.

Thoughts?

Sponsored