Hella 500 Black Magic Wiring Question

[Breto31]

Just bought some Hella 500 Black Magic lights for my 2005. From what I gather, the wiring harness is not as simple as some other lights offer, and the instructions are pretty vague. That said, I was reading through the installation guide, and I came across a few things that I hope someone can shed some light on. I have a very basic understanding of the electrical system - I wired my own rock lights, and installed my own fuse, but they were really easy to do. I've wired my own CD players, etc. before - but beyond that, I'm a novice. I just want to make sure I understand what's going on before I get too far into these things.

1) I want these lights wired so that they are only on when I flip the switch (I don't want them on when I'm using my high/low beams). Does that mean that I need to ignore the 3rd wire that runs from the switch to the headlamp? In simpler terms rephrase - how do I wire the lights so that they only come on when I intentionally turn them on via the switch?

2) The 12V+ power for the switch sort of confuses me. From what I understand, that is how the switch actually gets power when the vehicle turns on, so it needs to be wired into a 12V+ power source, right? Where/how do I find a 12V+ power source? Once I find locate where I want to pull power from, do I just splice the new wire into the existing ones from that power source? For example - if I want to pull the power from the power outlet on the dash, would I just remove the existing wiring from the outlet, splice my new wire/existing wire together, and then reconnect it to the power outlet?

 

[SubLime]

The third wire on the switch is the ground so that the lamp in the switch will light.

Run wire 1 of the switch to any 12 Volt switched source instead of the headlight power.

 

[Breto31]

The third wire on the switch is the ground so that the lamp in the switch will light.

Run wire 1 of the switch to any 12 Volt switched source instead of the headlight power.

How do I determine where a 12V switched source is? I understand the 3rd wire being the ground, and I understand (now) that instead of running wire #1 to the headlamp, I need to run it to a power source. I will still have 3 wires off of the switch even though I don't want them to come on with the headlamps (ground wire - I think it's Blue on these, Yellow wire trigger for relay, and Green wire power source).

 

[C.J. Roberts]

For (1), the wire from pin 86, (yellow), for the switch can be picked up anywhere there is power.
(2) One of the easiest places to pick that up is from the power port, (cigarette lighter), as you suggest. Most people don't like those Scotchlok tap splices, but this application is just what they are meant for. The wire you would be splicing into is a small gauge, so you won't risk cutting it with one of those.
Here is a wiring that tells you the same thing, but it's easier to understand:

The only real difference is that the switch you have has a seperate ground instead of an indicator light.

 

[Breto31]

For (1), the wire from pin 86, (yellow), for the switch can be picked up anywhere there is power.
(2) One of the easiest places to pick that up is from the power port, (cigarette lighter), as you suggest. Most people don't like those Scotchlok tap splices, but this application is just what they are meant for. The wire you would be splicing into is a small gauge, so you won't risk cutting it with one of those.
Here is a wiring that tells you the same thing, but it's easier to understand:
View attachment 300218
The only real difference is that the switch you have has a seperate ground instead of an indicator light.

This diagram makes more sense than the garbage one Hella sends. So even though your diagram shows the power source going to the fuse box, I’m just going to send it somewhere else, like the cigarette lighter? And split the power wire directly into the cigarette lighter wire?

 

[C.J. Roberts]

This diagram makes more sense than the garbage one Hella sends. So even though your diagram shows the power source going to the fuse box, I’m just going to send it somewhere else, like the cigarette lighter? And split the power wire directly into the cigarette lighter wire?

The power source can be anywhere that power is on when the ignition is on. The lighter is a great place to tap into.

 

[Breto31]

Got the lights today. Working on laying everything out to make sure I understand how they wire up.

1) Does anyone know where wire #85 (yellow - Trigger for relay) goes? I don’t understand based on the instructions where to put it.

2) On the auxiliary switch, where does wire #1 go? The diagram shows it going to the headlamp, but I don’t understand why I need to connect it to the headlamp if the headlamps are operating totally separate from these lights.

 

[Jerry Bransford]

The wire leading to pin #85 on the relay goes to ground.
Wire #1 just needs +12 volts and they have it connected to the headlights so the Hellas will only work when the headlights are on. If you want the Hellas to be usable at any time, simply connect it to a constant source of +12v.

 

[Breto31]

The wire leading to pin #85 on the relay goes to ground.
Wire #1 just needs +12 volts and they have it connected to the headlights so the Hellas will only work when the headlights are on. If you want the Hellas to be usable at any time, simply connect it to a constant source of +12v.

Thanks @Jerry Bransford. It makes sense in theory, so I think it’s something I can handle myself. I think others have said the same thing you did (in different terms), but I just wanted to be 100% certain before I started the project.

Appreciate the help, everyone!