Question for every member.

[Rusty1968]

Hi Fellow Landcruiser owners!. This is my first post. I have a 2017 LC 200 Sahara with approx 62000 klms. Slightly modified.

I recently had a bull bar and spotlights fitted, however, the installer informed me that when he plugged in the spotlight harness, the High beam stopped working on the vehicle and handed it over to me in that state. As I only recently purchased the vehicle from a Toyota dealer I took it back. They thus far are unable to diagnose the cause of the problem.

Basically, the symptom is the High beam won't stay on. When you pull back on the stick they remain on however you are unable to make them stay on by themselves.

Does anyone out there have solutions or suggestions on the cause of this fault? Toyota is unable to assist me

 

[Juddian]

Presumably the spotlights are wired to come on with main beam? Is the spot light wiring taking power from the same feed as the main beams?

Could be there's now too much power going through the main beam wiring and it's cutting out to protect itself (system senses a short due to massive power consumption from that feed?) or maybe the system doesn't recognise the signal any more if the headlights are LED, if its the latter i haven't a clue.
If you disconnect the spot lights do your main beams work correctly again?

If this is the case, then some old school rewiring using relays for the power supply to the spot light bulbs should fix it, hopefully the tiny amount of power from the main beam feed needed to trigger the low tension side of the relays won't cause an issue.
Or fit a switch in the cabin and wire the spotlights independently of the main beams, again suggest relays.

I've melted a dipswitch many years ago simply by fitting 100/80w H4 bulbs to a car in place of the standard 60/55w, days before relayed lamps when all the power went through the dipswitch.

Seems a rum place to hand the vehicle back in that condition.

 

[Shayne]

Some garages employ a fully trained auto electrician , more call in an independent , some just wing it .

If i were to have a go myself the first thing i would do is follow the spotlight wires back and disconnect them .

 

[Tractionman]

As Juddian says about relays. Are any fitted and are they wired correctly ?
That's a bit rich for an installer to fit the spots, then hand it back with a fault/not working properly.
Tell him to do it correctly or give you a refund !!

 

[Howmanygoes]

About to do this myself. I plan to use the feed to the high beam to trigger a relay so the spots draw power from a dedicated supply not from the high beam loom.

 

[Rusty1968]

Thank you everyone for all your help. I think I'll try Juddians recommendation and see how I go. Relays may be the ticket..

 

[AdventureWagon]

On my 90 you pull the stalk forward for main beam flash. For main beam on continously you push the stalk away (towards the dash). Then pull it towards to cancel. This is different to most cars I have driven.

Could your rig be similar?

 

[Tractionman]

All I have driven have been exactly as you describe.

 

[stumog]

So arent some of the mainbeams switched via the neutral? What happens when you unplug the spotties?

 

[Shayne]

Thats it , he connected spotlights to the full beam flash rather than full time full beam and in doing so left your main without power . Logic states the correct wire to connect high beam to spots should be right alongside where the spots are currently connected .

 

[Tractionman]

Sounds like the installer is in fact a guesser!

 

[Towpack]

All I have driven have been exactly as you describe.

Me too. I don't reckon much to the OP's installer. Wiring in some auxilliary lights is pretty low down on the tech complexity list for anyone with even a basic knowledge of vehicle electrics, never mind a "qualified" vehicle sparky. I'd do as Shayne mentioned in one of his posts, start at the wire feeding the lights and work backwards.