 | Home > In Car Electronics > Fitting Lazerlamps ST6 & T2 to a ‘99 110 |
 
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| geobloke Member Since: 06 Nov 2012 Location: Nottinghamshire Posts: 4392  
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Well in simple terms, through relays...
But before we get there I have to say that combining the bumper and roof lights, whilst initially convenient, is an utter pain in that you lose the ability to adjust to your needs. Max light all the time is not necessarily the best way. Plus having glare off the bonnet can be thoroughly irritating, tiring for your eyes and effect your general night vision. But, if you are absolutely certain that this is what you want then the wiring is not particularly difficult. If those current draw figures are correct then you can run all four of those lights through one standard 12v relay. The only difference between a normal wiring diagram is that you have a two +ve wires going to each pair of lamps. The routing to the front bumper is straight forward enough, the routing to the roof will be a little more interesting depending on how tidy you want it to look and presuming you do not want to drill holes in you roof. Positioning of the relay is probably best close-ish to the switch, but if your are willing to run the wires it can be anywhere. What are you planning to do with all that light? Overlanding, green laning... Brilliant lights though  |
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20th Mar 2022 4:43pm |
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| davekent83 Member Since: 20 Mar 2022 Location: Plymouth Posts: 10 
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 Click image to enlarge Hi Thank you for your reply. They were donated to replace the units currently fitted to the roof rack here, and then to fit to the bumper. |
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20th Mar 2022 4:47pm |
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| geobloke Member Since: 06 Nov 2012 Location: Nottinghamshire Posts: 4392
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Super, what a fab donation to a fab charity
Compared to your current roof rack lights the Lazerlamps will be like night and day, hence the warning about reflection of your bonnet. How are your current lights wired up? As you want them (on one switch) or separately and you want to change the wiring? The reason for asking is that it is entirely likely that if the current setup is wired up as you want them it may (and the wiring loom would have to be checked) be that you can just keep the loom and swap the lights over. As an aside, if your current lights are all working then have you thought about placing them around the roof rack for 360 degree lighting? |
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20th Mar 2022 4:57pm |
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| davekent83 Member Since: 20 Mar 2022 Location: Plymouth Posts: 10
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We currently have 360 coverage around the roofrack on each vehicle (2 front, 2 each side and 2 rear), but I have Labcraft SI6 for the sides and SI8 for the rear ready to fit to each vehicle (another donation).
The wiring is suspect and probably 8 years old, badly jointed in places so the lot is getting binned. Part of the reason I’m replacing because it all needs a good overhaul. Each pair of lights is currently on its own rocker switch mounted in the cuddy, but you lean on them quite often when driving, so I want to replace them for a 8 gang switch 
I’ve just fitted a twin battery setup with 240V hookup and charger. Switches are: Blues Whites Siren Interior lights Front lights L side lights R side lights Rear |
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20th Mar 2022 5:05pm |
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| geobloke Member Since: 06 Nov 2012 Location: Nottinghamshire Posts: 4392
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If you suspect the wiring of being past its best then absolutely this is the time to replace the entire lot. Start to finish. You folks need reliability, obviously.
Where are your current relays and fuses situated? Cubby? or in the battery box? Are you wanting to re-wire all of those accessories?
Whites Siren Interior lights Front lights L side lights R side lights Rear The routing of the new looms will be pretty easy as you can just run the same route as they are now. I suspect that all of the wiring for your roof lights is run as one loom and probably through one waterproof bulkhead cable gland (as used in the boating world). Given the bespoke nature of your requirements you will be better off in the long run creating the loom rather than relying on someone else's pre-made item which you will have to modify. It'd be false economy. If I were doing the job I would be looking to centralise all the relays, fuses and switches for those auxiliary lights in one location. Probably not the cubby box, but since your switches are there then pretty close given the proximity of the batteries. I would think about raising the cubby box with an under-box in which all the relays and fuses would be situated. Could even have a selection of USB charging ports exiting the box as well. It will raise the standard cubby box but not drastically and it actually makes the standard LR cubby high enough to rest your elbow on. How full is your battery box now that you have twin batteries? Under cubby box - https://www.mudstuff.co.uk/products/mud-cubby-box-locker Fuse and relay box - https://www.amazon.co.uk/ONLINE-LED-STORE-...64XK1?th=1 Then it is just a selection of cable, connectors, heat shrink and a decent supply of coffee and jammy dodgers to get the job done. It'd be a fun job, entirely satisfying when done. |
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20th Mar 2022 5:30pm |
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| davekent83 Member Since: 20 Mar 2022 Location: Plymouth Posts: 10
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Most of the relays are mounted in the fuse box that is in front of the gearstick I think, although the roof lights aren’t on relays, they just go to a fuse box stuffed in the battery box. The enter the roof through one grommet sikaflexed to seal
I was looking at something like this to control all the lights/siren https://www.woodwayengineering.co.uk/product/opti-link/ Battery box has small siren amp, 65ah starter and 80ah auxiliary batteries, slim RCBO, and charger. There would be space to fit a light control unit and relay box with some careful placement. The siren and whelen light bar controller I think (?!) are under the drivers seat. |
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20th Mar 2022 5:41pm |
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| geobloke Member Since: 06 Nov 2012 Location: Nottinghamshire Posts: 4392
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Now I know LED lights do not draw anywhere near as much current as halogen lights, but still put a relay in. The main reason I would (and do) add the relay is that it provides an absolute break in the circuit so there is almost no chance of a parasitic current draw from the auxiliary lights. Getting in and finding a flat battery has to be the most irritating thing, especially when it is frozen outside.
So, if I were you I would irradiate all the present wiring from the main fuse box and leave that just for the vehicle. If anything so later on down the road troubleshooting electrical gremlins will be made much simpler. Additionally all of the auxiliary lights should run only off the second battery so if the worst happens the vehicle can still be started and you can get home. Ah I have just seen you have TD5 Defenders. What is in your ECU box under the drivers seat? Is it mostly empty (apart from the vehicle ECUs and fuse box), if so then you could skip the under cubby box and mount the lighting relay/fuses in there instead. It would make a good place for your multi-way switch control box as well. All separate from the vehicle electrics, easy to get to, easy to fix if necessary and again close to the battery box and the cubby box for your 8 gang switches. |
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20th Mar 2022 5:55pm |
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| davekent83 Member Since: 20 Mar 2022 Location: Plymouth Posts: 10
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Click image to enlarge Pretty full in there!! |
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20th Mar 2022 6:01pm |
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| davekent83 Member Since: 20 Mar 2022 Location: Plymouth Posts: 10
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The plan is to do away with all the rocker switches and the associated rats nest of wires..
This was it before I installed the batteries to one of them. Click image to enlarge |
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20th Mar 2022 6:03pm |
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| geobloke Member Since: 06 Nov 2012 Location: Nottinghamshire Posts: 4392
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Where is your second battery? I had assumed it would be in the battery box...
Plenty of space in there if just that one battery. |
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20th Mar 2022 6:08pm |
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| davekent83 Member Since: 20 Mar 2022 Location: Plymouth Posts: 10
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Sorry that was before I fitted the second, although it’s not as large as the 80ah in the photo.
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20th Mar 2022 6:11pm |
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| davekent83 Member Since: 20 Mar 2022 Location: Plymouth Posts: 10
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Ok. You’ve been massively helpful thank you! Everything will go on the auxiliary battery.
Job 1 rip out current wiring for lights. Job 2 sort out the in-situ wiring for the light bar, flashing blue/white repeaters and siren. Job 3 fit the new roof lights and lights to bumper with new looms. Job 4 setup light control unit with relays for each item Question: What size relays for bumper lights, front roofrack lights, side lights and rear lights? With that woodway unit I could run them all in separate switches. Would these need fuses also? Labcraft si6 18w 1.5a (one left, one right on their own switch) Labcraft si8 12.3W 1A (two rear on one switch) Lazerlamps ST6 (two front on bumper on one switch) Lazerlamps T2 (two on roof on one switch) |
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20th Mar 2022 6:20pm |
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| geobloke Member Since: 06 Nov 2012 Location: Nottinghamshire Posts: 4392
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You are more than welcome.
If I was anywhere near you I'd offer to come help, but alas with diesel prices the way they are north wales might as well be in Germany 
If you are going to keep the cable runs the same then don't just chop them out in pieces, get them out as close to "in one piece" and use them to measure up for the new cables. Try to get each loom measured up before running the cables and remember to either wrap them in electrical tape or flexible conduit. So, to relays and fuses. The rule of "belts and braces" states that for every auxiliary item use one relay and one fuse of appropriate amperages. If you want these to activate all these separately on their own switches then you will need 1x 12v 30A relay, 1x fuse holder, 1x fuse, wires, connectors, heat shrink, etc. Make sure you use wire that is rated slightly higher than the fuses rating. At the end of the day you want the fuse to blow before the wire melts. For the fuses I suggest: Labcraft si6 18w 1.5a (one left, one right on their own switch) - 2x 1.5 = 3 amp max draw - 5 amp fuse Labcraft si8 12.3W 1A (two rear on one switch) - 2x 1.5 = 2 amp max draw - 5 amp fuse Lazerlamps ST6 4.9A (two front on bumper on one switch) - 2x 4.9 = 9.8 amp max draw - 15 amp fuse Lazerlamps T2 1.6A (two on roof on one switch) - 2x 1.6 = 3.2 amp max draw - 5 amp fuse Make sure the max amperage numbers are correct before buying fuses and cable. Good luck and have fun |
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20th Mar 2022 9:43pm |
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| davekent83 Member Since: 20 Mar 2022 Location: Plymouth Posts: 10
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So one relay & one fuse per switch? Right!
So get it all combined in one relay block like you suggested? Are you saying… Side left 1x12v 30A relay with a 5amp fuse Side right 1x12v 30A relay w/5amp fuse Front low 1x12v 30a relay w/15amp fuse Front high 1x12v 30a relay w/5 amp fuse Rear 1x12v 30A relay w/5amp fuse |
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20th Mar 2022 10:06pm |
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