Vista, adding driving lights

gravityimage · 03-10-2020, 09:23 AM

I did some looking on the forum for electrical issues, and tried searching, but didn't get any appropriate results. Maybe this doesn't require a new thread, but I haven't found anything regarding this. We have a 2014 List 30-T and the headlights are pathetic. I have an led driving light I want to hook up, but have no idea what wire to use underneath the hood to wire it.
Bill

Morich · 03-10-2020, 10:16 AM

Different thinking from different folks but my idea on added items is that it is not good to add a load to existing loaded circuits unless I'm really sure it is not going to be enough to start approaching blown fuses.
That leaves me to often add a small fuse holder and separate fuse for new lights. LED draw less power, so may not be such a factor but I am more inclined to find the fuse panel and add a new fuse for the new lights. If the fuse a panel is awkward to do that, I might then look for any point on the 12V which is not fused like the battery itself to add the new fuse and new wiring. Part of that brings into play how you want the new lights to operate, with the headlights on that switch or as added light, only when wanted. If using the same to switch both existing and new, then one needs to pick up the power on the output side of the light switch, possibly from the existing headlight s or nearby.

gravityimage · 03-10-2020, 11:17 AM

Thanks Morich, the fuze box is absolutely inaccessible, but the light I want to use is only 9 W. but not sure if the headlight circuit would be overloaded by adding that to it. Headlights are 55w each, for a total of 110 Watts for the load. Would additional 9 watts be excessive?

**ThomB** · 03-10-2020, 12:01 PM

Because I wanted a switch inside for the lights I ran the wire into the inside of the rv to catch the interior chassis fuse panel.

I have a handful of add-a-fuse adapters in the correct size that I put in to get the power to my lights. (Look them up and buy 5 or 10).

That way you can get always hot or ignition switched accessories. I have one for my dashcam so it turns on with the engine, then there is one that is setup for extra USB that is always on, and yet another for the driving lights.

powercat_ras · 03-10-2020, 01:53 PM

I replaced the OEM low beams with Sylvania Silver Ultra for $ 40. 2X more light than OEM. And they maintain the legal light pattern, unlike driving lights, so you don't blind on-coming drivers.

Morich · 03-10-2020, 01:58 PM

Hard to find or hard to get to is almost a given , it seems. So a less graceful but easier is often going to the battery itself and runn9ing wires out from a single fuse holder. Running straight from any battery connection that doesn't have some fuse in the line already is one way to add the right amount of fuse without having to consider what load may already be on an existing fuse. One might look at it as crude but from an operations view, it is actually better for each item to have a fuse of it's own. One item to think about is the ease of troubleshooting things if it is needed later. If the radio stops we can look at the fuse for the radio and not worry the issue of shorts on other parts of like the heater blower or such. Sometimes simple is good and finding these is easy and simple at most any car parts or electronics store.