[Ennoch]

Reposting this here from the lighting forum seeing as it seems very quiet.

Now that I'm keeping the car I've decided to spend some time sorting a few extra bits out with it that have been frustrating me. One is the lack of lighting. Don't get me wrong, the Pre-LCI adaptive HID's that I've got are good-ish for stock lighting, but I'm spoiled in my other car which has 4x 130W 9" Hella spots on the front of it. So I'm looking to wire in some extra lights on the front of the F31. I know some people will say it's unnecessary but the amount of red deer in rural Scotland is ridiculous and it's cheaper and easier to wire in some big F-off lights to see them better than it is to hit one.

I've wired up many cars for these in the past but usually used a splice wire with aftermarket connectors between the loom and the high beam bulb which can be used as the trigger for a relay that then feeds power to the aux lights. However, from what I understand the F31 setup doesn't have this as it uses the shutters in the lamp units to initiate high beam, although something obviously exists in the system which triggers the high beam indication on the dash. Has anyone managed to wire up something like this in the past who can provide some pointers? I could just wire it up on a manual switch but I'd rather not do that as it's a PITA, as ideally they'd be triggered by the auto on/off of the stock high beam. I've come across some Canbus trigger boxes but they look like they need loom splicing which I'm reluctant to do given the potential for issues down the line, and also I'm not sure how well they'd work with the adaptive portion of my headlamps. It's making me think that leaving the adaptive/HBA bit on auto, and then a separate switch for the aux lights and essentially using it like a normal high beam on/off switch may be the easiest option, at least for this winter.

A pair of LED beams with something like the below pattern is what I'm thinking. If I set them up on the correct mounting then I'd probably just use the same bar setup on the Impreza and the to be decided truck:

[Tommo3]

If you have a projector lens with a HID system then it will use shutters to move the low beam shield out of the way, but that shield is normally moved with an electrical solenoid. There is nothing stopping you using the feed from that solenoid to trigger a relay to switch the additional lights on.

[3-GT]

Originally Posted by Tommo3

If you have a projector lens with a HID system then it will use shutters to move the low beam shield out of the way, but that shield is normally moved with an electrical solenoid. There is nothing stopping you using the feed from that solenoid to trigger a relay to switch the additional lights on.

Sounds like the most convenient method for the OP to achieve the desired outcome.

This wiring diagram might help.

[Ennoch]

Thanks Tommo3 and 3-GT, appreciated! Do you know how the shutter signal works when it's half engaged for the cut-out around cars you're following? It's not off completely but it's not at full full-beam. My concern (without understanding it better) is that the full beam signal that I'd be tapping into wouldn't turn the aux lamps off until HB was off completely, rather than just not on the full blown full beam. This is on the basis that HB is shown on the dash even when it's just part engaged.

[Tommo3]

Originally Posted by Ennoch

Thanks Tommo3 and 3-GT, appreciated! Do you know how the shutter signal works when it's half engaged for the cut-out around cars you're following? It's not off completely but it's not at full full-beam. My concern (without understanding it better) is that the full beam signal that I'd be tapping into wouldn't turn the aux lamps off until HB was off completely, rather than just not on the full blown full beam. This is on the basis that HB is shown on the dash even when it's just part engaged.

As you have adaptive headlights there would be little point in adding extra spotlights unless you can disable the adaptive function with coding. Kind of defeats the object of adaptive headlights.

[3-GT]

Originally Posted by Ennoch

Thanks Tommo3 and 3-GT, appreciated! Do you know how the shutter signal works when it's half engaged for the cut-out around cars you're following? It's not off completely but it's not at full full-beam. My concern (without understanding it better) is that the full beam signal that I'd be tapping into wouldn't turn the aux lamps off until HB was off completely, rather than just not on the full blown full beam. This is on the basis that HB is shown on the dash even when it's just part engaged.

There might be the information you need in this attachment.

[Ennoch]

Originally Posted by Tommo3

As you have adaptive headlights there would be little point in adding extra spotlights unless you can disable the adaptive function with coding. Kind of defeats the object of adaptive headlights.

I get where you're coming from, but the reality (for me at least) is that if there's lots of traffic I'd like to keep the adaptive on, and not use the spots, so I'd not want to code out the adaptive bit. You only ever really use full extra lights if the roads are quiet, or you're in the far north where everyone has extra spots and tends to leave them switched on a little longer as a result because you're not blinding someone with only candles for headlights. There are quite a few times with the Impreza where I'll turn off the spots and just use high beam because the throw of the spots is going to be blinding people.

Originally Posted by 3-GT

There might be the information you need in this attachment.

Thank you! I'm not sure I'll necessarily be able to use the information, but thank you! I think if I do manage to wire these up to be auto off then I think taking the feed/trigger from the shutter on the driver's side is likely to be the best option as that's the side that dips most commonly. But that said, and as Tommo3 rightly pointed out, adaptive + spots isn't the use case. The problem is going to be getting them to auto dip. Then again there is manual mode on the headlights that might perhaps be a better state to run them in (and then just leave the spots off when using the adaptive/HBA 'auto' function). Of course getting the feed right may still take some doing.

The other annoyance in the F31 (or at least on mine)is that there aren't any spare button blanks anywhere on the car other than for the adaptive cruise function on the wheel. However, trying to use them would involve more electronics and coding than I think I'll ever have the capability of, sadly. Otherwise that would be a cracking spot for turning the lamps on and off.