Anyone wire HALOS to a switch?

[SBK]

If so, did you fuse it? Did you fuse each halo seperate? If so, what size fuse? Did you wire them all four into one power and ground line?

I don't want them wired to the parking lights, but have blown a few halo power boxes and need to find out how everyone else is doing them.

Any help would be great! Thanks guys!

[jasonb20]

Are you talking about headlight fixtures with the halos already attached? If not, are you talking about Halo "rings" bought seperately and placed onto the OEM headlamps..I can help.

I installed 4 halo rings (angel eyes made from Umnitza) for my BMW. The rings all had their own positive and negative wires. I ran all positive wires parallel ( together to create 1 line) and all negative wires the same way. The negative wire was grounded in the engine compartment and I ran the positive wires through the firewall. Once into the glove box, I wired them to a toggle switch. The power supplying the switch came from the fuse box. I used a 15 amp fuse (recommended by the manufactor). I had these babies working for 2 years before I got rid of the car for my 300C. They never flickered or blew fuses during that time.

[rsmeanie]

When I added my Harmon Kardon Drive+Play iPod kit, I mounted the display in the ashtray spot so I lost the cig lighter too. I used that wire to power my halos. I figured it was already fused and designed for accessories. I ran it to a switch on the dash and through the firewall. One wire for both sets of halos, daisy-chained together. Works great. I drive with my halos all the time.

[jasonb20]

Man, your SRT looks swwweeeeettt!!!! Are those rings placed on your OEM lights or did you have to purchase the whole headlight assembely with them pre-installed?? Where did you get yours and how much?? I'm so in on those!!

[SBK]

Yeah, I am talking about the ones from AAC.

I recently just put the new power boxes in the headlight housing (one for each ring, four total) and ran a line off my fuse box to a set. Tried a 10 fuse. Blew it after 30 minutes. Tried a 15 fuse. Blew it after a day. Tried a 20, blew 3 out of the 4 boxes.

Now I have to go out there AGAIN and rip the car down, undo the silcone seal AGAIN and replace the boxes.

I have blow 8 boxes total in 2 months and am having no luck. The last time I had them hooked through my cig lighter and blew the fuse to that while taking out all 4 of the halo boxes.

I don't want them hooked up to the parking lights. The ground I am using is good. I just can't seem to keep them from blowing. I know their is no mositure in there because you should SEE how I seal these bad boys up.

I almost want to extend the wiring in the housing to put the boxes OUTSIDE the housing. This way if they blow I can just swa it right there. I know moisture would become more of an issue, but with enough planning with electrical tapes and plastic wrap (and whatever else I can think of) at least I won't have to take the damn housing apart again.

Can anyone think what I am doing wrong?

The latest wiring was a piggyback off the front fuse box (fuse 18 or 14, I forget, but it is the one everyone uses) and it still blew in 2 days. The ground was a solid ground right behind the passenger side headlight. Used 3 different switches to make sure. Ugh. I just don't know anymore and am so upset that I have to rip her apart yet again.

[jasonb20]

I feel for you...but I think the problem is with the product. Take the loss for what its worth and get some good ones. I would call AAC..it cant hurt by now.

[SBK]

I remember talking to them a few months back and they said to wire them to the parking lights. But I want to have control over it.

I just don't understand how they could be this bad! I know it's nothing I am doing. I am thinking about fusing each box and then fusing the main line that the four turn into.

You say get some good ones? Is there better ones than the ones from AAC? Because I am one of a bunch of people here that have them from AAC.

I dunno what to do. I am so pissed right now.

[rsmeanie]

I have had zero power issues with my AAC halos and I've had them for about a year now. Mine are connected to the cig lighter power wire and grounded to the pins behind each headlight.

The only issue I had with these lights was the outer rings not lighting when it was cold outside. My inverters were the old style and AAC installed 1 per pair. I sent them back the AAC a few weeks ago and they installed the new style inverters and 1 per ring, so I have 4 now too. All of the rings are very bright now and they always come on. In the past, the engine had to be running before all of the rings came on. In ACC, the outer rings were very dim. Now I can turn the ignition to ACC and the rings come on at full brightness. It's much better now.

I hope you find the issue with your wiring. I don't have mine hooked up any different than yours.

[rsmeanie]

Originally Posted by jasonb20

Man, your SRT looks swwweeeeettt!!!! Are those rings placed on your OEM lights or did you have to purchase the whole headlight assembely with them pre-installed?? Where did you get yours and how much?? I'm so in on those!!

Mine are from AAC. I was part of the group buy when they first came out almost a year ago. AAC did the install and also color-matched the inside of the housing. I just sent them back to AAC a few weeks ago to have the inside of the clear lens cleaned and they updated my inverters for free.

AAC has gotten some pretty bad press around here but they've done a good job for me. The only problem I've had with them is they never ship when they say they will. If I didn't have other transportation, it would've been a huge problem.

[pukkaSRT8]

why dont you want to run them into the parking lights? I can understand you not having control, but there are ways around it.

I have mine hooked up to a switch AND the parking lights. That way im using the fused parking light circuit and still maintaining control.

Leave the switch in the on position and the halos become my parking lights when the PL are turned on. Turn the switch off with the PL on and the halos turn off. Its easy.

I have the switch in the ashtray - use the ground from the 12v socket there - run ACC+ve to the halos and tap the +ve into the white/purple wire in the PL harness.