Hella 500's Mounting and Wiring.

[scull20]

I did a quick search and found a few threads about these lights and I am probably going to get a set for myself. A solution for mounting isn't really too much of a problem for me, I'll figure something out (suggestions welcome of course). My problem though is the wiring. I really don't know the first thing about wiring these things up (or anything for that matter) to work. I did a quick search and found that some of you guys wired them into your high beams and fogs etc, so they came on when you turned those lights on. I would like to wire these lights up so they are completely independent of any other light so I can just flip a switch on and off. Any help and/or suggestion is greatly appreciated.

-Ryan

 

[JeepJeepster]

Good info here:

http://www.jeepkj.com/forum/showthread.php?t=35111&highlight=lights

I even posted pics just for you so you can see how to wire them to the park lights. This will allow them to be independent of everything but will only work when the park lights are on. I liked this idea so they cannot accidently be left on. IE, bright summer day and you accidently turn them on with the covers on them.

 

[scull20]

So does that mean I would just kinda be splicing into the parking light wires on the left and right, and wiring into the switch provided in the kit...and then running all the wires etc?

-Ryan

 

[Corwyyn]

So does that mean I would just kinda be splicing into the parking light wires on the left and right, and wiring into the switch provided in the kit...and then running all the wires etc?

-Ryan

You would only need to tap into one wire on the left side parking light, in Blake's picture in the linked thread it looks like it is black with a yellow stripe but I think that is for the older models, let me know what year KJ you have and I can probably confirm it for you. You would tap the green wire in the wiring kit into that wire, then run it to the switch and from there the yellow wire would go to the relay. The power wires would run from the lamps to the relay and the ground wires would go to a convenient bolt on the frame.

 

[scull20]

You would only need to tap into one wire on the left side parking light, in Blake's picture in the linked thread it looks like it is black with a yellow stripe but I think that is for the older models, let me know what year KJ you have and I can probably confirm it for you. You would tap the green wire in the wiring kit into that wire, then run it to the switch and from there the yellow wire would go to the relay. The power wires would run from the lamps to the relay and the ground wires would go to a convenient bolt on the frame.

I have an 04' Limited 4WD

 

[JeepJeepster]

It 'should' be the same color then. That is unless Jeep felt the need to change all the colors.

You calling my Jeep old corwyyn?! Huh?! Huh?!

 

[Ry' N Jen]

scull20.

Irrespective of which way you are going to wire your lights, check with your local law enforcement agency as to the legality of the wiring.
For me living in B.C., Canada, the fog lights can only come on with either the parking lights or low beam head lights.
Driving lights can only come on with high beam head lights.

Could save you allot of money in fines if the local police ding you for this.

By me, it has cost my pocket book several hundreds of dollars!
I also immediately changed all my wiring around shortly after coming home that night!

Cheers

Ryan

 

[Corwyyn]

It 'should' be the same color then. That is unless Jeep felt the need to change all the colors.

You calling my Jeep old corwyyn?! Huh?! Huh?!

Well if yours is old then mine is ancient Yeah the colors should be the same - I did check the wiring for the '05s and it's white with a green stripe on those so it's a good thing you've got an earlier model

 

[scull20]

scull20.

Irrespective of which way you are going to wire your lights, check with your local law enforcement agency as to the legality of the wiring.
For me living in B.C., Canada, the fog lights can only come on with either the parking lights or low beam head lights.
Driving lights can only come on with high beam head lights.

Could save you allot of money in fines if the local police ding you for this.

By me, it has cost my pocket book several hundreds of dollars!
I also immediately changed all my wiring around shortly after coming home that night!

Cheers

Ryan

My lcoal law enforcement here in New Jersey will do a traffic stop if they dont like the color of your car, so im damned if put the lights in and damned if I dont. I'm not really going to be using the lights around town because its rather congested...or in my town at all for that matter.

 

[LibertyOrDeath]

If your lights are off and the covers on they are 50 state legal. To wire up the green wire in the Hella kit I got an add a fuse splitter thing from Shucks. It a little part that you plug into the fuse socket and I gives you a spot for 2 fuses with a little wire coming off of that. It's what the dealership used to hook up the relay for my light bar. Similar to the picture below but for the Mini fuses we have. I wired that in to the 10 amp radio fuse, but I do recommend a circuit that either automatically turns off or is key switched.

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[scull20]

Okay! so after doing some dawdlin' around on here, I think I may understand what to do. I'm going to wire the Hella's up into the parking lights. (Sorry if this is getting repetitive from previous posts.)

-The RED wire goes into terminal 30 on the relay...and connects to the battery.
-The GREEN wire gets tapped into the BLACK/YELLOW wire going to my parking lights (Just once, doesn't matter what side.) then into the switch.
-The YELLOW wire goes into terminal 86 on the relay and then into the switch.
-The BLACK wires from the Hella's get spliced together and go into terminal 87 on the relay.
-Do all of the above while taking the BLUE wires and wiring them to appropriate grounds (preferably to something on the frame.)

Some things I would like clarification on:
-How do I connect all of this to the battery...(Silly question, I know).
-Is it a pain to run the wires through the firewall to the dash (I would like to put the switch where the switch would go for the renegade lightbar.)
-Does the Hella kit provide enough wire or will I need to buy more.

Thanks again for all the help guys!!

-Ryan

 

[JeepJeepster]

Sounds like youve got it all figured out to me!

Use this pic to check everything:

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Going through the firewall isnt all that bad. I found it best to use a metal coat hanger to push through the rubber grommet. Just watch the 10,000 wires going through it.

For the battery, the kit comes with ring terminals. Crimp those to the wire and use the bolt thats already on the battery. Some people use the fuse box in the engine bay since it has a bolt and a nut also. I like getting it right from the battery though. Make sure the fuse is nice and close to the battery though. Dont want anything to short out.

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This is under the dash. you can pull the trim off around the hood release handle to see the grommet:

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Those connectors are called 'tap splicers.' Any auto parts store or walmart should have them. I saw them at walmart today actually. My hellas came with one too. I dont like to use them for anything with high loads but that wire only supplies power to the relay which is very little.

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Both of the hella kits Ive gotten came with plenty of wire.

 

[scull20]

Thanks again for all the help, I think I've got it all sorted out. I'm gonna do some scouting under the dash and under the hood tommorow to get some ideas for mounting and wiring.

-Ryan

 

[LibertyOrDeath]

Thanks again for all the help, I think I've got it all sorted out. I'm gonna do some scouting under the dash and under the hood tommorow to get some ideas for mounting and wiring.

-Ryan

If you need help then PM me. I just did this a few days ago. BTW if you haven't bought the 500's yet spend the extra couple and get the FF's.

 

[scull20]

I was thinking about the FF's. I almost bought them last night at Walmart but the package was all ripped open and taped back together so I passed on it. Plus as of last night I didn't know how to wire them up...but now I do

 

[JeepJeepster]

I want to know why my walmart doesnt have hellas?!

Much less those FF's! Maybe Ill get those when someone steals mine again this week.

 

[scull20]

I want to know why my walmart doesnt have hellas?!

Much less those FF's! Maybe Ill get those when someone steals mine again this week.

I'm surprised the Walmart by me in Jersey has them...Jersey cannot have Walmart Supercenters...just "We're bending the rules and selling snacks and some other stuff"-Centers. The one by me in PA at school on the other hand...lets just say I've got it plotted out on a map with longitude and latitude and I bring flares with me in case I get lost.

And I feel your pain about stuff getting stolen...I left school one weekend...when I came back my 360 was gone and my roommates laptop was gone. The bright side, my 360 was broken and I was waiting to get the box in to have it repaired and my roommate didn't have the battery in his laptop and they didn't take the charger. So they stole a broken Xbox and Laptop with no way to plug it in. But now everything gets locked up in a DELTA portable aluminum tool chest when I leave...so maybe you should get a Liberty sized "portable" aluminum tool chest to put your Liberty in.

 

[LibertyOrDeath]

Just to be totally irrelevant. I recommend finding one of these two switches (if you make a little mistake while drilling it hides well) in the auto electrical section at Wal Mart and putting them where I did or on the left side of the steering wheel.

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That is after you clean it off, and put the GPS and XM wires back, unlike me.

 

[LibertyOrDeath]

I want to know why my walmart doesnt have hellas?!

Much less those FF's! Maybe Ill get those when someone steals mine again this week.

If your store doesn't carry them you might be able to get them ordered. Ask at the returns area or sportsman (rifle selling) counter.

 

[Corwyyn]

Going through the firewall isnt all that bad. I found it best to use a metal coat hanger to push through the rubber grommet. Just watch the 10,000 wires going through it.

There are several options to get thru the firewall - you can do what Blake did, you can go thru one of the factory penetrations, or you can take matters into your own hands and grab a drill.

Some people use the fuse box in the engine bay since it has a bolt and a nut also. I like getting it right from the battery though.

Yeah, I'm one of those people and the reason I do it is that it keeps the connections away from the battery and the potential for corrosion from the acid fumes venting out. The bolts that I connect to are for the main power tap from the battery to the power distribution box, so you get as much amperage as you need. It's mostly a personal preference.