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Hella 500 problems

109ace

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Fl
please dont flame me for not searching, but i was wondering how you guys hooked up your aux lights. i have the hella 500's that i have tried to install but nothing is working. i have followed the directions and the only way that i was able to get anything was when i changed how the power was run. i still had nothing light up except for the switch. the directions wanted me to run the power directly to the relay, then off the relay another wire ran to the switch. there is a ground running off the relay along with the main that runs to the lights. this didnt make sense but we wired it this way and like we predicted, nothing. we changed how the power was ran and had that going to the switch with another wire running from the switch to the relay. the LED came on but still the lights didnt turn on. is there something that i am missing here or should i forget the relay and re-wire it another way.
 
we hooked the tester to the relay to see if any power was even going to the lights and nothing was happening. from what we can find, the power is going to the relay, but not leaving it
 
i dont know if they are the same but i have a 2000 xj and mine had wiring harnesses for the fog lights and i just cut the harness off and wired them like that.
 
here's a quick diagram about how a relay works:

Single Pole Single Throw (SPST) Relay

This is the most simple relay used in most automotive applications. SPST relays have only 4 terminals (30, 85, 86, 87). When the relay is switched off, the coil is not energized. This allows a spring to pull the internal switch away from terminal 87, thus stopping the flow of current. When the relay is switched on, 12 volts pass between terminals 85 and 86 causing the coil to become energized. When the coil is energized, it becomes a magnet. This pulls on the internal switch and causes it to make contact with terminal 87, allowing current to pass through the relay and to your device you are powering.

(in the following diagram, the yellow line is fictional and is only there to represent the internal connections of the relay)

relaybasics_SPST_singleloutputs.jpg



make sure you have all of your wires run. i remember that reading at one point that the Hella instructions were either wrong on confusing. either way, when i wired mine up, i didn't even bother with the instructions.

if i recall, hella wants you to tie in the factory headlight wire instead of wiring them directly to the batter (so they come on/go off with the right headlight combo)

if you can scan or duplicate the hella instructions and post them, i'll be glad to help.
 
Run a small, fused power wire to the switch and out of the switch to the actuator coil circuit of the relay, the other side of the coil circuit goes to ground. Then run a heavy gauge fused power wire to one of the load terminals of the relay, and another from the other load terminal of the relay to the lights. And of course a good ground from the black wire of the lights to ground.
 
thanks for the diagram. my uncle tied the lights into the headlamps, not what i wanted but if it works i wont complain
 
109ace said:
thanks for the diagram. my uncle tied the lights into the headlamps, not what i wanted but if it works i wont complain
what/how did he tie into the headlights? if that's not what you wanted, it's easy to tie straight into the battery so you can use them whenever you want.
 
they are tied into the highbeams, the directions wanted mentioned that they need to be ntied into there, since nothing else was working, he went a head and did that. hella wants me to run a lead from the relay directly to the battery, did that. another from the relay to the switch, from the switch to the highbeams, run a ground off the relay, the mains to the light from the relay and then ground each light.
 
if you wire it like i have shown in the diagram i posted above, the lights will work any time the switch is on. doesn't matter if the headlights are on/off or even if the vehicle is running or not.
 
has anyone done what hella says and cut into your highbeams?

if they have how do you know which ones are the high beam wires?

im having problems wiring my hella 500 lights up and ive searched and cant figure it out
 
alexer03 said:
has anyone done what hella says and cut into your highbeams?

if they have how do you know which ones are the high beam wires?

im having problems wiring my hella 500 lights up and ive searched and cant figure it out

Yup, driving lights wired into high beams, fog lights wired into low beams.

Check the FSM or use a multimeter.
 
alright so my friend and i used a multimeter and figured out which were the high beams, and have that figured out

now when you flip the switch it lights up but the hella lights dont go on, im thinking its a ground issue now

and when the highbeams are off the light on the switch wont even go on, is this normal?
 
First test the switch and the switch LED or light with the the multimeter.

Next check the relay with the multimeter to see if it's working right. This webpage has some good relay info. http://www.the12volt.com/relays/relays.asp

If the switch and relay test good then it ought to work when you hook it up like the below picture (this guy has a nice website, http://www.classictruckshop.com/clubs/earlyburbs/projects/bosch/foglites.htm ). Go around with the multimeter, check all your powers, check all your grounds. The you'll be dialed in. :cheers:


foglite.jpg



Good Luck gettin' er' done. The Fog version of the Hella 500's throw a nice wide beam. With the switch you'll be able to drive with just the Hella's on which is great in the fog.

RCON.JPG
 
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so i ditched the hella harness and made my own but i dont know what size fuse i should put in for it?

whats anyone else running taht made their own harness

thanks
 
If you have the hella kit for the fogs or driving lights the relay itself should have a fuse built into the side of the relay, at least all mine do.
 
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