Highbeam tap

[SierraBronco]

I did a bunch of research on the high beams activating my driving lights and finally gave up that and went to a hot lead off the battery to a relay activated by a switch on my dash. Much simpler very little to go wrong and completely by passes all the computer stuff.

I ran a relay from the fog lights to trigger a relay. Enabled the fog lights with Forscan and bought a new switch from Ford. Aux1 sends power to a normal relay to power the relay. Turning on the brights turns off the fogs, which turns on the big big lights. Brights turn off, fogs turn on, big big lights turn off. Easy peasy. Just turn off Aux1 during the day as even with the fogs set to be on with running lights, they aren't. I must be missing something in Forscan to finish that bit.

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[joes bronco]

Here is the way all the relays I use are wired. I have 3 relays for the driver's, fogs which are aftermarket, and pod flood lights. 4 switch's to activate them, switch #1 is the main switch which is fused to power up the relays. It feeds power to the first relay which is wired to the other 2 relays, same with the relay switches. That way I only have a single ground wire from the dash switches to ground.

Reason for the main power switch is because I do a lot of forest service road driving after dark and don't want to blind any on coming rigs so just flip that switch to turn off all lights at one time. Will also add in case of any short in the light wiring system it will blow the fuse.

I have one more relay that is wired with a separate fused hot lead for my aux pusher radiator fan

 

[cbrenthus]

I ran a relay from the fog lights to trigger a normally open relay. Enabled the fog lights with Forscan and bought a new switch from Ford. Aux1 sends power to a normal relay to power the open relay. Turning on the brights turns off the fogs, which turns on the big big lights. Brights turn off, fogs turn on, big big lights turn off. Easy peasy. Just turn off Aux1 during the day as even with the fogs set to be on with running lights, they aren't. I must be missing something in Forscan to finish that bit.

I think I'm thinking about doing something similar, maybe identical, basically if parking lights are on and fogs are off, turn on driving lights. The problem is, I have the fogs enabled with highs, so back to the drawing board. Might just use an AUX switch

 

[SierraBronco]

I think I'm thinking about doing something similar, maybe identical, basically if parking lights are on and fogs are off, turn on driving lights. The problem is, I have the fogs enabled with highs, so back to the drawing board. Might just use an AUX switch

I like the aux switch as a master. Fogs aren’t on during the day so the big lights would always be on without a master switch.

 

[4x4TruckLEDs.com]

I think I'm thinking about doing something similar, maybe identical, basically if parking lights are on and fogs are off, turn on driving lights. The problem is, I have the fogs enabled with highs, so back to the drawing board. Might just use an AUX switch

Not a good idea if you want my opinion. Basically your telling the truck "Hey, if my fogs are off.. well my high beams must be on SOOOOO turn this extra stuff on" but what you fail to understand is that sometimes the fogs may not be on...

This usually happens when you drive under a bridge and the automatic headlights turn on. Sometimes the fogs don't turn on in which case you'll be blinding the guy in front of you.

This happens a lot in my F150. I never touch my fog switch. I like them on. BUT sometimes the fogs are just... OFF while my lows are on.

I've noticed this when it's raining and my wipers are on. I think the lows turn on automatically but then then the fogs are not on. It knows "hey your wipers are on, we need to turn the low beams on" soo in that instance BOOM you just threw all the lights on

I like the idea/thought process but for me (in the same boat) i'd opt not to do it that way.

I DO like the idea of the master "cut-off" so if your say on a long drive at night you could throw that mater on and now if you throw the highs on, fogs cut out and throw a circuit on.

I mean... i MIGHT try this idea in my truck. I have a D-Switch from Diode Dynamics and I have a button called "High Beam Boost". Since my '23 F150 has their elite headlights it has the integrated "SSC2 Style" lights (high beam boost) that I want to utilize.

Using a relay, as outlined before... we'd energize the relay with the "Switch". When that relay is energized it'll "listen" for the fog circuit to DROP power at which point it'll throw power to the off-road lights.

 

[SierraBronco]

Not a good idea if you want my opinion. Basically your telling the truck "Hey, if my fogs are off.. well my high beams must be on SOOOOO turn this extra stuff on" but what you fail to understand is that sometimes the fogs may not be on...

This usually happens when you drive under a bridge and the automatic headlights turn on. Sometimes the fogs don't turn on in which case you'll be blinding the guy in front of you.

This happens a lot in my F150. I never touch my fog switch. I like them on. BUT sometimes the fogs are just... OFF while my lows are on.

I've noticed this when it's raining and my wipers are on. I think the lows turn on automatically but then then the fogs are not on. It knows "hey your wipers are on, we need to turn the low beams on" soo in that instance BOOM you just threw all the lights on

I like the idea/thought process but for me (in the same boat) i'd opt not to do it that way.

I DO like the idea of the master "cut-off" so if your say on a long drive at night you could throw that mater on and now if you throw the highs on, fogs cut out and throw a circuit on.

I mean... i MIGHT try this idea in my truck. I have a D-Switch from Diode Dynamics and I have a button called "High Beam Boost". Since my '23 F150 has their elite headlights it has the integrated "SSC2 Style" lights (high beam boost) that I want to utilize.

Using a relay, as outlined before... we'd energize the relay with the "Switch". When that relay is energized it'll "listen" for the fog circuit to DROP power at which point it'll throw power to the off-road lights.

This is the long way of saying “what sierrabronco said”

 

[4x4TruckLEDs.com]

This is the long way of saying “what sierrabronco said”

As i wrote it I said "no dont' do that" but then as i was writing Im like "well ya know what that gives me an idea" only because I have a D-Switch sooo I don't actually need to power my lights from the relay. I can just send power to the D-Switch's INPUT and then the "logic" built into the d-switch will turn on whatever i want.

here is my back of the napkin math... i THINK this will work. I'll test it tomorrow at the shop

PIN 30 on the relay for me is going to an UPFITTER for you guys (in my case, an actual d-switch button)

PIN 87A on the relay for me is going to a LIGHT for you guys (in my case, it's going to the D-Switch INPUT which listens for 12V signals and then it'll turn on whatever lights i want)

UPDATE:I also did not see sierra's post earlier. I read the last post and responded to the last post, not having read any previous posts

 

[SierraBronco]

As i wrote it I said "no dont' do that" but then as i was writing Im like "well ya know what that gives me an idea" only because I have a D-Switch sooo I don't actually need to power my lights from the relay. I can just send power to the D-Switch's INPUT and then the "logic" built into the d-switch will turn on whatever i want.

here is my back of the napkin math... i THINK this will work. I'll test it tomorrow at the shop

PIN 30 on the relay for me is going to an UPFITTER for you guys (in my case, an actual d-switch button)

PIN 87A on the relay for me is going to a LIGHT for you guys (in my case, it's going to the D-Switch INPUT which listens for 12V signals and then it'll turn on whatever lights i want)

I just didn’t want to deal with any kind of modules and stick with 12V to keep things simple. Using the fogs as a trigger has worked out really well (as long as I have the master power off during the day)

 

[4x4TruckLEDs.com]

I just didn’t want to deal with any kind of modules and stick with 12V to keep things simple. Using the fogs as a trigger has worked out really well (as long as I have the master power off during the day)

Yeah the canbus modules are known to be problmatic. it's why i've not done anything yet myself.

I'll give it a shot tomorrow.

 

[4x4TruckLEDs.com]

SUCCESES! Works great.

I have a Diode Dynamics D-Switch installed on my truck but these same instructions can work for you using the upfitter switches as your "arm/disarm" and instead of the TRIGGER wire I used (D-Switch trigger) you'd just connect your off-road light. You will either need existing fog lights OR have enabled the fog light circuit (mod bumpers), as you need the +12VDC trigger from the fog light circuit to activate the system.

Using a SPDT Relay (5 posts)

#30 goes to D-Switch Output (OR an upfitter OR a switch, this activates/deactivates the entier system)
#85 goes to Ground (-12VDC)
#86 goes to Fog Light +12VDC line (I tapped into this)
#87A goes to D-Switch Trigger Input (OR your off-road light)

So essentially when the high beams are turned on, the fog lights turn off automatically. The relay (when activated via my D-Switch button) will see this and sends power over to the D-Switch input trigger. The D-Switch sees the trigger activated and turns on the off-road lights.

However, if the relay is not activated (via the D-Switch button) then turning high beams on normally just turns fog lights off and nothing else happens.

This will prevent "false" activations (driving under a bridge and the low beams turn on but fogs don't OR the windshield wipers activate the lows without fogs) as sometimes that can happen (where lows turn on but fogs are not).

It also allows me to (why I'd ever do this) turn my fogs off without activating the off-road lights.

However I can enable the system by pressing the D-Switch button which essentially "arms" the system. Now if the fog lights turn off, the off-road lights turn on.

This works out well, as I normally don't use high beams in my daily travels (or at least to the point I need the off-road lighting). But if I plan to be on a backroad somewhere and will be turning high beams on/off I can simply arm the system once and now I don't have to think about it or worry about blinding someone. As it was annoying to keep reaching up to my buttons to turn off-road lights on/off as I drove down a road.

 

[TruckCamper]

Works like SierraBronco described

 

[4x4TruckLEDs.com]

Works like SierraBronco described

Yup although I Never watched the video nor did I see his post earlier (I was responding to a later post and had not read all of the replies on here). I just grabbed a $2 relay and wired it up

 

[cbrenthus]

I was already planning on using an upfitter switch to arm the circuit, thus not having the driving lights come on when not wanted...

But now, I'm wondering what to do since I want my fogs on with highs. Although, it seems like the answer is that the choice is you can have fogs on with highs and use a switch for driving lamps, or have the fogs work normally and have the driving lamps come on with highs (when armed).

Here's a crazy idea, I think this could be figured out, maybe have it when the switch is on, it works as above, but when the switch is off, the fog stays on. Could probably do it by supplying power to the fog when the parking lamps are on when the switch is off, and then supply power to the fog regularly when the switch is off. This means, when the switch is off the fogs will be on anytime the parking lights are on, though, which is how I've wired many fogs when the car didn't come with them.

Just thinking out loud

 

[SierraBronco]

I was already planning on using an upfitter switch to arm the circuit, thus not having the driving lights come on when not wanted...

But now, I'm wondering what to do since I want my fogs on with highs. Although, it seems like the answer is that the choice is you can have fogs on with highs and use a switch for driving lamps, or have the fogs work normally and have the driving lamps come on with highs (when armed).

Here's a crazy idea, I think this could be figured out, maybe have it when the switch is on, it works as above, but when the switch is off, the fog stays on. Could probably do it by supplying power to the fog when the parking lamps are on when the switch is off, and then supply power to the fog regularly when the switch is off. This means, when the switch is off the fogs will be on anytime the parking lights are on, though, which is how I've wired many fogs when the car didn't come with them.

Just thinking out loud

Back when I had fogs, I liked using them as designed. Turn off headlights and use the fogs when you don’t want a lot of light reflecting back at you. If I’m running with the brights on I want as much light as possible, and the fogs aren’t going to be noticeable when the 25k lumen big lights are on. (I don’t run ambers so the big lights are only used to maximize the illumination)

I also prefer subtle and discreet-don’t really care to make certain everyone sees all my frickin sweet lights. So leaving them off is preferred.

 

[4x4TruckLEDs.com]

Back when I had fogs, I liked using them as designed. Turn off headlights and use the fogs when you don’t want a lot of light reflecting back at you. If I’m running with the brights on I want as much light as possible, and the fogs aren’t going to be noticeable when the 25k lumen big lights are on. (I don’t run ambers so the big lights are only used to maximize the illumination)

I also prefer subtle and discreet-don’t really care to make certain everyone sees all my frickin sweet lights. So leaving them off is preferred.

So in my case... My f150 has the Diode Dynamics Elite Max headlights and elite fogs. So they have an "off-road" wire that throws the integrated SSC2 style lights on to light up the trees/etc..

It's not like a light bar BUT it's extra lighting on the sides/foreground. So it helps with the high beams.

This makes it easier so I can use the stalk on my column to enable the highs w/off-road lights instead of reaching up to turn them on/off.

I don't have them connected to my other lights as that's a bit too much for me and if I need that much, I can turn them on. I just wanted MORE brights.

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