Solution added! - High beam warning light on R500 with silly push button switches...

[Shortshift]

(See post containing details of my DIY solution lower down the thread)

Stack instrument pack surrounded by those shiny circular aluminium-finish push switches - it's a 2012 R500D.  Silly switches and even sillier layout...

There is one switch which you press to toggle between dip and main beam; it's back-lit and the degree of back lighting is meant to tell you whether you're on dip or main beam.  No chance! 

Can anyone give me a circuit diagram to wire in a warning lamp or LED which will illuminate when main beam is on?  I'm guessing that the switch is a momentary acting one which must toggle between the two headlamp settings through some form of electronic interface unit, hence the question (ie: there's not a dedicated 'main beam wire' going into the back of the switch that I could just tap into).

Has anyone done it, or know how to?

James

[nigelpugh]

I think mine was the same as yours James, but the switch did not change colour from high to low.

the high beam on indicator was the second tell tale in the stack dash, I think it illuminated blue, but I could be wrong!

but I am very sure my high/low momentary switch did not change when flip flop from high to low.

[ScottR400D]

My R400 has that layout but with the standard speedo/rev counter. You're right, it's a momentary switch which operates via a control board under the dash (at least mine does)

The switch light in mine, though, does have a distinctly brighter light when on main beam. There is also a main beam indicator in the rev counter. 

[ScottR400D]

Thinking about it, whilst the switch is momentary, it does have a contact block on the end that may well switch back and forth when the button is pressed. 

[Shortshift]

Hi Nigel

No tell-tale in the Stack unit to show main beam for me; the RH tell-tale alongside the rev counter display is for 'out of limit' alerts - things like temperature etc.

My switch does increase the intensity of backlighting when you toggle to main beam but the difference is so small it's virtually unnoticeable.  Useless, really, hence my request!

The other issue is the positioning of this switch immediately above a near-identical switch which turns the complete lighting system on or off.  Picture the scene; blatting down a smallish lane at night, extend finger to select main beam and - pow - instant blackness as the whole shooting match goes off!  So, trying to see in the dark and steer and find the right switch to get lights back on... Not very funny.

James

[Shortshift]

Thanks Scott. I'll get the switch out and have a good look!

James

[ScottR400D]

the switch block is momentary action, EAO Series 61:

[ScottR400D]

the switch block is momentary action, EAO Series 61:

[Jonathan Kay]

You could find the relay output to the main beam feed and bring back a wire to a new light on the dashboard. Is that what you're after?

Jonathan

 

 

[Shortshift]

Yes, Jonathan; there appear to be two simple options.  Either take a feed off the back of the switch (haven't had time to take it out and have a look yet) if one of the terminals goes live on main beam (for instance, to activate the higher level of back-lighting in the switch) or, as you say, tap into the main beam feed as it exits the relay (or electronic switching module, I think).

One for next week!

James

[7 wonders of the world]

Most if these switches are supplied with a 6 pole block on the back so there should be spare uts for you to use with suitable spade connectors. Might be worth re arranging the dash layout of the switches too and move the light switch well away from the dip - that is an accident waiting to happen !!

[andygoodliffe]

I have exactly the same issue on my R500D. With winter coming up and lights being a necessity have you come up with a decent solution? Cheers....

[Shortshift]

Providing an update here in case it is of help or interest to others.

I found that there were no terminals at the rear of the light switches that would be of use in terms of getting some warning lights illuminated and I chickened out of removing the pcb/relay board that is mounted under the dash in R400's and R500's (and no doubt other cars) which use the momentary action switches.  So I decided to tap in to the main wiring harness and I did that by splicing in to the side and main beam power lines close to the connector at the front of the car (just inboard of the suspension mountings).  I then ran a twin cable with these '+ve when on' lines back into the cabin and connected each of them (one for sides, one for main beam) through a 10k Ohm resistor and into a coloured 13.2V LED (and then through to earth on the other side of each LED).

I got the LEDs in a style that matches quite well with the switches I have, and as they are really small I placed them in the switch area but where they will be visible in peripheral vision:

 

So here you can see the green LED lit to signify that the sidelights are on:

And here is the blue LED illuminated to signify that main beam is selected:

Not sure why I have ended up with slightly different illumination intensities between green and blue (they seemed fine when I tested them off-car) so I may have to tweak the in-line resistor values.  There again, I just might not bother...

Hope that might be of use to others!

James

 

[Jonathan Kay]

Nice solution. Well done.

... so I may have to tweak the in-line resistor values. 

If you decide to play with the resistor: do you know about the need for current limitation?

Jonathan

[Shortshift]

Jonathan

Yes...

James