Electrical relay

[Steppenwolf]

   After the installation of a light bar up front, do I need to install a relay somewhere in the line to accomodate addition voltage draw??

[Joe Hummer]

Most definitely....YES!!!  Your starter switch is not rated to handle the additional load of the light bar.  Install a relay off the headlight circuit or another switched circuit.  Make sure you put a fuse in line with the power going to the lights (before the relay). 

Joe

[Jack]

Yep.
http://www.rattlebars.com/mtz/foglites.html

[hubcapsc]

Rattlebars is the default Valkryie goto place for wiring diagrams... I just posted this picture from Rivco in
another thread, perhaps is is helpful too...



-Mike

[Steppenwolf]

Tanx guys, really appreciate it! Especially the wiring diagram!!

[Larry]

Might be an idea to use your headlight high beam to trigger the relay so your lights come on when you hit the high beams and off when you hit the lows, otherwise your hitting two switches when other traffic is coming. I'm sure there is some way to rig it up if you want to run 'em on the low beams too for foggy times, just don't know how you would do that. Just a thought or two.

[hubcapsc]

Might be an idea to use your headlight high beam to trigger the relay so your lights come on when you hit the high beams and off when you hit the lows, otherwise your hitting two switches when other traffic is coming. I'm sure there is some way to rig it up if you want to run 'em on the low beams too for foggy times, just don't know how you would do that. Just a thought or two.

There's a new thread "Functional - Blingtional" over on the sandbox side that talks a lot about that very thing...

-Mike "use the blue wire, Luke..."

[Jeff K]

Might be an idea to use your headlight high beam to trigger the relay so your lights come on when you hit the high beams and off when you hit the lows, otherwise your hitting two switches when other traffic is coming. I'm sure there is some way to rig it up if you want to run 'em on the low beams too for foggy times, just don't know how you would do that. Just a thought or two.

There's a new thread "Functional - Blingtional" over on the sandbox side that talks a lot about that very thing...

-Mike "use the blue wire, Luke..."

I have mine on a three way switch
On with brights
Off
ON

[X Ring]

I tapped into the headlight power wire before the hi/lo switch to trigger my relay.  The spots go out when I push the start button and stay on with both high and low beams.  If you want to make it easy, buy Kury's wiring harness.

Marty

[Steppenwolf]

Yup, just ordered the Kuryakyn wire/relay kit. Thanks guys, big help.

[John Schmidt]

Have it wired totally separate from anything else, with its own on/off switch and relay. That way if your headlight should go out you have lights to get you home. If the start switch should give you trouble and you have it wired in the headlight circuit, you don't have any lights. Mine is wired totally separate, with an individual fuse and the switch just below the petcock knob and mounted on the engine hanger. No flipping the headlight lo/hi switch, no worrying about whether the start switch will fail....none of that. It's either on....or off....my choice. The rest of the bike's wiring harness can burn up and if the battery is good I still have lights.

[Friagabi]

I kind of track with John here. My IS has pod mounted running lights. I have lost so many relays that I buy a set from e-bay when they come up and carry extras with me. The aftermarket "cube" relay I buy on the road if I need one. So far the only ones that have failed are the headlight relays.

Here is the last story of a relay failure, Trip to Frisco, CO last summer. Was just getting ready to leave Yellowstone Park, I live in the NW. And the Low beams failed. Did some testing and found a relay was bad. Had an extra in the trunk. Pulled over to the side of the road on a gravel turn out. Bike was hot so walked down to the stream while he bike cooled off. Reached underneath and pulled the relays. Found the bad relay, changed it and about that time the little blood sucking bugs had found me. Took the fist full of the relays and shoved them above the swing arm and headed down the road. Decided that it was better to wait for a desert to remount the relays than to die from lack of blood in Yellowstone Park. As it was I was lightheaded for 12 hours.

Now wha does this have to do with John's position?

The rest of the story,, Got to Frisco. I pull a tent trailer so stayed at the park across the lake from the Motel. No bugs, ha! no trees either, pines had died and been cut down. Remounted the relays Everything ready to go again! ????  On the way home lost another headlight relay. Was in Idaho and doing some night travel. Hi beams failed, No Fun driving at night without hi beams. So pulled over at the next rest area and pulled the relays again. Better this time because I had mounted the head light relays where they are most accessable. Swapped the plugs and now had Hi beams but no low beams and no extra relay. Not a problem as I just turned on the pod lights and used them as low beams and left them on and went from Hi beams to running lights. May have looked a little odd to a valk rider when the main headlight went out when I turned off the hi beams but it worked for two states.

Now I carry two extra relays, always put extra loads on relays, always fuse the battery feed to the relay for the load that is being fed, and vote with John.
Not a problem, pod mounted lights are on thier own switch.

[Jeff K]

Now I carry two extra relays, always put extra loads on relays, always fuse the battery feed to the relay for the load that is being fed, and vote with John.
Not a problem, pod mounted lights are on thier own switch.

What the hell?
I have 120,000 miles on my IS and I have NEVER replaced any relay on my bike ever.

???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

[R J]

Ditto what Jeff K said.

Only add 22K + change on the mileage.

I do have an extra relay in the saddlebag, but it has bounced around so much it is probably worthless.

If you are blowing relays, I'd do some lookin at the wiring, and the terminal connectors.      Relays no like that GREEN sheet that gets on the wires at  times.

[MarkT]

Ditto Jeff & RJ.  I have at least a dozen relays on Deerslayer for about 100k miles and I've replaced ONE.  Buy good relays, not junk from ebay.  Also throw out the relays that come in kits - they are almost always sourced by the kit builder on price, not quality and are worthless (I suspect - I tried them a few times in years past and they always failed almost right away).  If you are in a corrosive environment, put connection compound on the connections.  Use heat shrink tube over the connectors.

I have my spots wired via relays and the trigger selected by 3-pos switch from either the blue-white wire (feed to headlights before hi-lo switch, lights go out while starter pressed), and from the blue wire (hi beam), and of course 3rd position is off.  Advantage to using the headlight circuits - no power to the lights when starting.  This REALLY matters if your battery is marginal - then there isn't enough power to feed the lights, crank the starter and provide a spark. That's why Honda wired the headlight that way.   If the headlight circuit shorts and the fuse blows - you're outta lights.  Unless you wired them like mine, so you can move the feed to the relay trigger from the battery - using a fuse panel under the right cover and with the wires marked.  You'll still need a flashlight to see which one to move...

[Robert]

Sometimes its how the relay is wired into the circuit meaning relays have a natural rest position with the power off if you are keeping the power to the relay all the time then that will shorten their life. I have mine so that with the low beam off the relay is off but still providing power to the low beam and light bar lights on high the relay is active and cuts power to the low beam. So really the relay only works on high beam giving it much more life.

[hubcapsc]

Also throw out the relays that come in kits - they are almost always sourced by the kit builder on price, not quality and are worthless (I suspect - I tried them a few times in years past and they always failed almost right away).

I hope I end up disagreeing with you... I just bought a kuryakyn universal light bar wiring harness kit that
I came across at HDL while I was making a list of what bits and pieces I would need...

-Mike

[Madmike]

Is it the control side of the relays that is failing or the load side??? 

What is the amperage rating on the relays that you are using and are they sealed and out of the way to moisture??

[Friagabi]

Factory relays. May have been the owner before me. When I got it home I found most if not all of the relays not mounted and just stuffed in above the swingarm. Some were upside down and the rubber boots were full of water. Not the first time I have had problems in that area, I wrote up a splice repair atricle because of corrosion in the splice plug in the same area. That hapens when you ride in the winter up north. If you ride a IS and you have a headlight relay go bad you have been warned. 

[X Ring]

Also throw out the relays that come in kits - they are almost always sourced by the kit builder on price, not quality and are worthless (I suspect - I tried them a few times in years past and they always failed almost right away).

I hope I end up disagreeing with you... I just bought a kuryakyn universal light bar wiring harness kit that
I came across at HDL while I was making a list of what bits and pieces I would need...

-Mike

Mike, I bought the Kury wiring harness kit to use with a Kury light bar over 2 years ago.  It started with 25w lights then I replaced those with 50s.  I replaced the Kury bar with a Cobra light bar using 35w lights.  I've got about 2 1/2 years af almost everyday use in just about every weather condition plus due to not having a garage, the Valk sat outside.  I've had no, repeat no, problems.  I believe the relay Kury chose is a good one plus you don't slide individual female spade connectors onto the relay.  Just one big white plastic connector. 

Marty

[Friagabi]

There is a molded plastic connector for both the 4 wire and 5 wire "Cube" aftermarrket relays. They also come in two rateings 30 Amp load contacts and 40 Amp load contacts. Never have had a aftermarket relay go bad yet. There is about 10 additional relays on my IS. Lights, Horn, Cruise, Sound System Amps and Mixer, Radar, and Phone Power Outlets, and two on the Ign Mod for Forced Advance, flashing stop light along with a electronic flasher. I do not load my handle bar switchs except with the relay coils. That also keeps the load on the factory wiring harness at or below factory specs. Running out of space. Have room left behind the fairing and above the headlight.

[HayHauler]

No one has asked, so I will.  What headlight bulbs are you using?  Stock or otherwise.

99 IS, I haven't replaced a relay yet.

Hay 
Jimmyt

[3W-lonerider]

been running silverstars for the past 8 years now..iv'e never replaced a relay.. the machines i work on use relays and alot of them..the 2 main reasons for relay failure is moisture and corrosion.

[Friagabi]

I have kind of changed from the factory bulbs. I use auto bulbs with adapter rings. Nothing special I think they are 55/60 watt units.

I run relays for the same reason that Honda uses them. To unload heavy current from the factory control switches and to make sure I do not have voltage drop in the harness. I am having no trouble that I know of. If this second set of Honda relays do not last I will install aftermarket "cube" relays rated at 40 amps. It was the coils of the relays that went bad not the contacts. One of them was water damaged inside the other was spotless. Being the are designed for Honda use and that makes them not available at any auto parts store I now carry one or now two. You make your owm decision as what you want to do. Trust that a honda relay never goes bad or carry an extra. I ride from the west coast to the east or mid west each year. Mostly on back roads. So I carry some parts with me.

[Madmike]

There is a molded plastic connector for both the 4 wire and 5 wire "Cube" aftermarrket relays. They also come in two rateings 30 Amp load contacts and 40 Amp load contacts. Never have had a aftermarket relay go bad yet. There is about 10 additional relays on my IS. Lights, Horn, Cruise, Sound System Amps and Mixer, Radar, and Phone Power Outlets, and two on the Ign Mod for Forced Advance, flashing stop light along with a electronic flasher. I do not load my handle bar switchs except with the relay coils. That also keeps the load on the factory wiring harness at or below factory specs. Running out of space. Have room left behind the fairing and above the headlight.

I like your philosophy.  I usually use the 40's with the thought that the load circuit is heavier regardless of what I am putting on them and they are the same cost.

Here is a link to some options that are available - look at the F4's and F7's.  tyco relay link

Not sure the minis are the same as the older relays used in start and glow plug circuits but they were avaiable as either intermittent or continuous duty with the difference being in the pull in contacts, the ones for intermittent use were heavier to with stand the cycling.