Install Sunyee Cree 126W light bar - SG II Forester

[Ratbag]

Images of Sunyee-au 126W Cree light bar purchased

Available here:

Sunyee-au

For AUD$89.96 delivered by Aust Post in Australia.

 

[PauSum]

The mount is exactly what I like with this ebay product Ratbag.
I've bought a 15 inche 90w one and I find the product rather solid.
The other thing is the rather low current draw as well.
Hope this 20 inche one is as good as I plan to buy one for my outback as well.
Cheers

 

[PauSum]

When I was installing the 90w bar the other day

Rather bright

 

[Ratbag]

G'day again PS

Modern cars don't seem to have as good lights as those from the 1970s through to the early 1990s.

My 1971 Austin Kimberley had 4x 75W on high beam, and 2x 60W low beam in the rectangular H4 form factor. They were bloody terrific lights, except that the 35A alternator and RS design DC regulator had a hard time keeping up with that sort of current draw. Fitting a huge capacity truck battery helped (90 AH instead of the ~40 AH standard battery, IIRC).

Our 1993 Toyota Camry had much the same setup as the Kimberley, but with a 65 or 75A alternator. I never felt the need for driving lights on either of them.

My Impreza's lights were marginal for high speed country night driving, which we did a LOT of.

Roo2's lights are not all that bad, but don't have much reach, but since I got the bullbar (thanks again, TB :ebiggrin: :biggrin, I thought "Why not?".

The primary reason for the bullbar is to keep big creatures from destroying the top radiator tank. Secondarily, it provides me with somewhere to mount my UHF aerial, a problem I have been struggling with for a year. Since it has those really nice mounting points for driving lights or a light bar, I figured that I might as well fit a light bar. Decent driving lights still cost $300-400! AND draw more current than 126W ... AND block airflow through the radiator ...

When I first looked at decent light bars 2-3 years ago, they cost a bomb (like up around AUD$700-800 for this type of light!). I predicted then that the price would drop dramatically, and it has - to around 1/10th of those initial prices! :biggrin:

A 120W (10A) draw is not going to over-stress Roo2's 90A alternator - not in a pink fit. In the olden days, I had 2x 100W light aircraft landing lights on my cars, and they stressed the hell out of the 22A generators in those cars!

 

[Ratbag]

Rather bright

Yeah. Very much so :biggrin:.

I plan to have mine connected via a cabin switch as well as switched through the high beam circuit. I have always done driving lights this way, even when much younger and considerably stupider!

I have wanted to avoid spending money on the really lower powered light bars (quite apart from having nowhere to mount one ... ). I reckon that it's like buying cheap driving lights - basically a waste of money.

 

[lefty]

I've had spotties behind the grill for around 5 years and never had a problem with overheating, even with low speed sand driving in a Perth summer. Those LED light bars look the goods though

 

[PauSum]

Yeah. Very much so :biggrin:.

I plan to have mine connected via a cabin switch as well as switched through the high beam circuit. I have always done driving lights this way, even when much younger and considerably stupider!

I have wanted to avoid spending money on the really lower powered light bars (quite apart from having nowhere to mount one ... ). I reckon that it's like buying cheap driving lights - basically a waste of money.

Ratbag, how do you bring the switch into the cabin? I tried and couldn't figure it out :-(
Also I did tap into the high beam wire but the light bar is lit when the low beam is on, what have I done wrong
l use a lightforce wiring from autobarn though...

 

[idw]

Subaru's are negative switching.

 

[Ratbag]

Gidday PauSum

I reckon that you have broken into the wrong wire. Probably the common wire for both high and low beam.

Apparently, our cars are switched on the ground side of the wiring. That would suggest that the light bar should be wired into the ground side of the high beam light.

That is, run a heavy cable from the battery to the light bar relay. Switch the relay using the proper high beam wire (the earth wire??). This additional wire should be in parallel with the high beam earth. Before the relay switch terminal (i.e. the low amperage side of the circuit) run a further pair of wires back to a cabin switch. There is a grommet to the right of the clutch master cylinder (when facing the firewall from the front of the car) that I will also run my UHF aerial wire through.

This means that the light bar can only come on with the high beam lights (legal requirement everywhere in Oz - Regulation 13/00) but the light bar will only come on if both the high beam lights are ON AND the cabin switch for the light bar is also ON.

I plan to go to the wreckers and buy another fog lamp switch, if I can. I will mount this on the steering column side of the block of three switches to the right of our steering column is - i.e. a blank between the existing fog light switch and the light bar switch.

I THINK I've got this right ... If I have stuffed it up, please feel free to correct me.

I'm somewhat buggered ATM, as I have just removed the OEM bumper and reinforcing bar and fitted the SubaXtreme reinforcing bar. The rest will have to wait until tomorrow.

 

[Ratbag]

Gidday Id

Subaru's are negative switching.

Thanks for that. Negative is the earth wire. So the switch should be in the earth wire.

Correct??

You could sell me an elephant and tell me it's a bag of lemons ATM ...
And I would probably believe you ... :rotfl:

 

[havachat]

How to wire:

www.ironman4x4.com/system/resources/.../driving_lights_im.pdf

go to resources on the bottom left of the page

 

[PauSum]

Gidday Id



Thanks for that. Negative is the earth wire. So the switch should be in the earth wire.

Correct??

You could sell me an elephant and tell me it's a bag of lemons ATM ...
And I would probably believe you ... :rotfl:

l think l'l'll tab into the earth wire(wire with no voltage?) and see - I've tabbed the wire with powe/voltage and the bar can be lit up in low beam. Will post result afterwards.

 

[PauSum]

There is a grommet to the right of the clutch master cylinder (when facing the firewall from the front of the car) that I will also run my UHF aerial wire through.

This means that the light bar can only come on with the high beam lights (legal requirement everywhere in Oz - Regulation 13/00) but the light bar will only come on if both the high beam lights are ON AND the cabin switch for the light bar is also ON.

I plan to go to the wreckers and buy another fog lamp switch, if I can. I will mount this on the steering column side of the block of three switches to the right of our steering column is - i.e. a blank between the existing fog light switch and the light bar switch.

I THINK I've got this right ... If I have stuffed it up, please feel free to correct me.

I'm somewhat buggered ATM, as I have just removed the OEM bumper and reinforcing bar and fitted the SubaXtreme reinforcing bar. The rest will have to wait until tomorrow.

Thanks Ratbag will try to locate the grommet

 

[Ratbag]

Gidday PS

Thanks Ratbag will try to locate the grommet

And I'll check this morning that I am remembering this correctly ... :iconwink: :lol:.

Not a given at my age!

 

[Ratbag]

^ It's actually just to the right of the brake master cylinder, between it and the clutch master cylinder.

 

[PauSum]

^ It's actually just to the right of the brake master cylinder, between it and the clutch master cylinder.

Thanks Ratbag,

I finally routed the switch into the cabin via a grommet - not sure if this is the one you mentioned or not. The wire comes into the cabin filter (box) then I managed to route it to the driver side.

Just that after I re-connect the wiring to the negative wire of the high beam (the wire with no voltage) and now the light bar can be lit in all the following situations except in low beam:
- no key
- key in and parking lights on
- high beam

Is this expected? I follow the wiring diagram exactly

 

[Ratbag]

Gidday PS

If you have connected the right wire to the relay switching terminal, the light bar should only ever be able to be switched on when the high beams are on.

Sounds to me as if you have wired the cabin switch in parallel with the high beam switch.

The wire to the relay needs to come off the high beam circuit between the high beam switch and earth.

What you have described sounds to me like you have taken the relay switch wire off the high beam circuit between the high beam light and the high beam switch, rather than between the high beam switch and earth.

Taza might be able to help further if you live near him.

 

[PauSum]

Taza might be able to help further if you live near him.

Thanks Ratbag, not sure where Taza lives but will have some play with the wires to sort it out. Bottomline, its working :lol:

 

[Ratbag]

Sunyee-au light bar arrived today

Gidday All

My 126W Sunyee-au light bar arrived today ... :biggrin:.

The light bar itself looks to be very high quality. The only apparent lack is that the light bar power wires do not have blade connectors fitted (i.e. bare ends). I have some of these lurking in the garage, so no big deal [EDIT] That's the theory ... I just checked, and have nothing that's really suitable, so a trip to SCA on my way to the supermarket this arvo ... [end edit].
Just a single issue that is annoying to see in an otherwise excellent looking product.

I now have a whole bunch of spaghetti wiring of my own to deal with!
These things can often be a lot easier in theory than they are in practice, as I learned many, many years ago.

Will take some photos later today.

Meanwhile, I will try to make sense of the obscure wiring diagram that came with the product!

 

[PauSum]

Meanwhile, I will try to make sense of the obscure wiring diagram that came with the product!

Good luck with this Ratbag